Precision tripod for varmints??

[surfclod]

Has anyone used a tripod for varmint hunting?

I've seen systems used by PRS (and similar style) shooters so it must offer a reasonably accurate platform.


While it would be inherently less stable than prone with a bipod it would give the advantage of getting the shooter a couple (or three) feet higher. When I lived in Alberta, it was easy enough to find a hilltop to set up on and cover a decent patch of ground. But now I am back in the prairies, prone shooting really limits the range of what I can see.


Typically I set up in the morning with my swivel bench on a vantage point (sometimes in the bed of my truck) and take advantage of the ground squirrels morning feeding (8:00-10:30 AM) and relative calm winds to do my longer distance shooting. Then do the same in later afternoon (3:30-5:00) when they are more active as they feed again at the end of the day.

Mid-day I will grab an intermediate range rifle (typically a 17HMR) with a bipod and go "walk-about", exploring for new shooting areas and bagging a few gophers that venture into the mid-day heat. As I mentioned previous, when in the foothills of the Rockies it was easy to find a slight vantage point where I could cover a broad area with a bipod. Now on the flat prairies, prone shooting areas are much fewer, especially after the pasture or hay field has matured a bit.


I doubt that this season I will have time to go this route, (am still getting back into shooting after a few years away) but I think a decent tripod would fill a niche in my system.

Any thoughts or experience?

[Bill K]

I have a Bog pod with the rifle cradle and it works pretty good, moving around as you want. My shooting buddy (Varmint Shooter) had a better brand ( more professional style) with a rifle cradle that worked very well. Caldwell also is showing a new model with a small bench table on it, might even work for you. BIll K

[Rick in Oregon]

This topic has been a popular one over on Saubier with many nice examples posted. Don't see it as an active topic at present, but if you search there and use the word "tripod", you'll find some nice ones in use in the field.

http://www.saubier.com/forum.html

Good luck with the quest.

[skipper]

The real question is what do you consider a precision tripod AND how much money are you willing to spend?

https://www.recoilweb.com/rifle-ready-t ... 33249.html

[varget204]

The real good tripods are very costly,may be cheaper to buy a rifle,give it to some one and pay them to shoot it I've heard of a couple people had the Jim Shockey Trigger sticks tripod,i think they made Adapter to fit Sling Swivel Stud, being able to adjust height easy is a big plus.You might check if Primos makes one for them.Ever think about a good seat cushion and a taller Pivoting Bipod,that would get you up higher and can be very solid w/ practice. Not too heavy to carry. You need a real good adjustment lock for any bipod,.Would be the cheapest route to go. varget204

[surfclod]

I recently purchased several "airsoft" grade bipods in varying styles to see what is most suitable for me. Then when I find what I like, then I'll drop the money on a real one, or else just stick with my Harris. Perhaps some leg extensions that get me into the sitting position will be all I need.

As for my goals concerning a precision tripod, (and yeah, they seem to be pretty expensive or at least the ones that look sturdy enough to be a stable platform). My plan is to research this system and then copy & build what seems to be the best version. (I did the same with my pivot bench, a shameless copy of the BR-Pivot).

My first step will be to fabricate some sort of cradle for the rifle and a system that offers 180 degrees of pan and perhaps 30 degrees of tilt (lol, being in the prairies I could get away with 5 degrees). I might buy a cheap pan & tilt camera mount for trials then buy or build a more sturdy version.

For testing purposes I reckon that I'll borrow a surveying transit tripod from work, it's a bit on the heavy side but should be stable. This trial will let me know if such a setup is feasible.

If the system looks like it will work, I'll move on to fabricating the tripod. For this I'm thinking of utilizing a lot of titanium Recently I've been able to expand my welding & fabrication work to include some small diameter thin wall titanium tubing. This would be perfect for tripod legs & body.


To be honest I suspect I am considering this project more as a challenge to my welding & fabricating skills than my varmint hunting goals. However if the project can further either (or both) of these disciplines I will consider it a big win.

I've got 20+ years experience welding and fabricating steel,10+ years aluminum and soon to have a year's worth of welding titanium. The shop I subcontract at is well equipped with plasma, waterjet, & laser CNC cutting systems. Plus a small machining area with lathes and mills (both manual and CNC).

In the end it often would be cheaper to just go and buy the best setup, then go and use it. However I have found that you cannot put a dollar value on the satisfaction of learning and developing new skills.

If this project progresses I'll be sure to post some updates.

[Bill K]

Interesting information and what you have available. Will be watching for info and possible photo's of your prototype and what you come up with. Bill K

[jimreed1948]

A couple of years ago I too was looking for a tripod for field work. I don't walk the fields nearly as much as I use to and I find it more pleasant now to drive where I want to hunt and setup a McFadden Tripodhttp://www.mcfaden.com/category-s/1833.htm. This tripod is made along the lines of a surveyors tripod and is a very sturdy platform. A person can use it standing up, sitting, kneeling or from the bench. When using it sitting, I use my drummers stool to sit on.

I live in the Houston Texas area and was looking on Craigs List and found a used one in Ohio. I made a few minor repairs and started using it right away. When I take it to the range before a hunting trip, it always draws a crowd and several folks have tried it out. Now this is not something you want to carry around with you in the field since it weighs about 14 pounds, but it is very quick to setup and take down. If I didn't have this I would have a table setup like Rick in Oregon has.