Tripods - More Thoughts

[ds1]

I have been messing with tripods for a while......everything from 3 sticks and a boot lace to heavy

manfrotto jobs I think I am getting there with the latest reincarnation of my Velbourn carbon fiber job. Really most tripods are either too big and clumsy or too small to be effective for combined use as a rifle support and spotting scope stand that is usable for tactical comps or field shooting.

 

This is my latest mousetrap.......Picture 1 shows what I want a smallish light carbon tripod that fits into a side pocket on my rucksack.

The head is a ball head Manfrotto 496, which is about as small as you can go and keep stability (a hydro-static head would probably be better). The tripod has 3 leg positions and is a 3 section tripod that started off as a full size job. What I did was to shorten each leg 10 inches to give a “midi” tripod that can be primarily used for a spotting scope and sitting / kneeling tripod and standing if need with the center extended. It is much more stable as such than either a Ray-Vin or Ewing stand. In fact it is very field portable and very light.

and standing

But it is only useful if it is stable.....well as stable as any other single point attachment system on full sized tripods, but in the sitting position slipping on a very light bi-pod over the bag rider (2 second job) then it is very stable....close to prone off a bi-pod and rear bag. Also the Manfrotto mount Rc2 can be mounted or demounted in 2 seconds.....I modified a picatinny mount on the rifle to take an Rc2 plate.

I also beefed up the screw from the center column to the head to take the recoil of the rifle.

 

Does it work? With the rear bi-pod I can hold about a 5p size circle at 130m from sitting.....good enough for me.

 

Have I got better, more stable tripods...yes a Gitzo carbon job, but at 600 quid I

have the balls to cut it down.

[Scotch_egg]

Great setup Dave.

 

Have you a link to the tripod supplier?

[Strangely Brown]

Great setup Dave.

 

Have you a link to the tripod supplier?

http://www.intro2020.co.uk/

 

Most photo shops in the UK stock Velbon.

[trucraft]

Very nice.

[ds1]

velbon Geo Series 530

 

out of choice.......Gitzo, one of the mountineer series.

 

I cut the Velbon down because I could not find one that fit the Phantom side pocket and was also stable.....I saw some where the legs can be folded back over the head, but these tend to limit head choice.

[John MH]

I have been asked to take a disabled shooter to the range and have been trying to find something that would allow him to shoot from a variety of positions to make it a little more interesting and also not restrict him to a bench or shooting prone. I had a Manfrotto tripod that I picked up on this forum a while back and also had a Hog Saddle. While the combo supported and held a rifle well it was a bit of a fiddle to adjust. I came across another solution that works far better and is very much stronger than the Manfrotto ball head:

 

[ds1]

details please.....what is it and where can I buy one.

 

ps. if you come up with a long rear monopod or bipod, your disabled shooter will find it much more stable. It reduces the torque / lateral movement

[John MH]

ps. if you come up with a long rear monopod or bipod, your disabled shooter will find it much more stable. It reduces the torque / lateral movement

It doesn't need one , it's rock solid.

[CZ Varminter]

Can someone point me in the right direction for a tripod thread to female piccatiny adapter please.

 

Use a Hama tripod with Manfrotto joystick head.

 

Wanting to try and run a rifle on it. Take it on the hill use for spotting drop spotter off attach rifle on quick release system,

 

Many thanks

 

CZV

[John MH]

Try here

[John MH]

This might fit the bill as well:

[Shuggy]

John,

 

Your rifle is an unusual bird. A McMillian Alias?

[John MH]

T2k, made by McMillan and now marketed as the Alias.

[CZ Varminter]

Try here

Cheers John, will read up.

 

CZV

[Mackers-a]

Not sure if anyone else saw this at the game fair: http://snipertripod.com/welcome/

 

no personal connection, I just want one!

 

 

Collapses down by rolling the legs up into the smallest pack you could imagine.

 

 

It was quite amazing. They just need to get over the lack of adjustment as the tubes are currently single length (specified by the customer at the time of order I think).