I am looking for a quality tripod, mainly for spotting scope use. From what I have gathered, this will put me somewhere around $150-300. I would appreciate some recommendations from users here.
Weight is a consideration, because it may be carried while hunting on occasion. However, durability is more important.
I bought a Manfrotto tripod with a pistol grip squeeze ball head back in '94 for archery competitions/practice. I’m still using it for spotting scopes and photography and still very happy with it. Built to last and very sturdy.
From what I remember, back in the 90’s Manfrotto was the only name for a good quality tripod. Other brands had lots of play/slop so if the wind was blowing your optic was also blowing around. With Archery you needed to set up with one hand (other hand holding your bow) quickly on the line, shoot your 3 or 6 shots, then take the tripod back with you to give the other guy a turn. The pistol grip ball head was awesome for this purpose.
Today there might be other quality companies as well. A carbon fiber model might be nice for the weight savings.
I use a Manfrotto 190 with 496CR2 head and it is solid as a rock. Lightweight, though, it is not. For that role I have a Vortex High Country which isn’t very heavy but also a little flimsy. I only use it for binos as I don’t fully trust it to hold my spotter or Labradar. Manfrotto makes a carbon fiber model which looks like a great blend of stability/weight savings although at a ~$350 price tag. Nightforce just introduced a model that can be broken down into trekking poles/ monopods as well. I wasn’t even aware that there was a demand for such a thing.
If you have the money----manfroto is hard to beat.
If you’re on a budget; I’ve been EXTREMELY happy with the Amazon elite version (or whatever they call it). It’s super solid and like $65 shipped here.
Thanks for the replies. Highly durable and super portable may be asking too much. I definitely want to start with a quality, durable unit that will last many years, so if it takes ~$400 to get there, then that is what I need.
I haven’t searched much yet, but I have seen Manfrotto mentioned before. What online sources do I need to be searching? I have looked at Vortex, OpticPlanet, and CameralandNY. I am hoping to possibly catch a Labor Day deal, so I am trying to get something figured out by then.
After I find the right tripod, I suppose I will need to consider accessories and attachments that are needed. This tripod will mainly be for a Vortex Razor 20-60x85, but may also be used with other equipment as well.
I use Manfrotto 055XPROB legs and an 804RC2 head. Been banging it around for 10 years, always solid not crazy heavy. It’s had some heavier cameras on it and is awesome with long exposures. Will do nice double duty for a spotting scope.
If lightweight is what you need, step up to a carbon fiber set of legs.
I wish you’d posted this yesterday. I have a Manfrotto and an older Gitzo, both with 322RC2 heads. I would have brought it to dinner yesterday if I had know you were interested.
Next time we meet up, I’ll bring them. I really like the Manfrotto 322RC2 heads, they make maneuvering a spotting scope or rangefinder in a steady and secure manner.
You’re welcome to borrow one and try it out. Just let me know.
ETA: I do have a spare mounting plate you can put on the Vortex and try out as well.
How do you intend to use your spotting scope? Standing, sitting, bench or prone? I have been looking at this one but I need something that will mount a MK4 with inverted recticle and this and the Ashbury with TIM are all I have found so far that will do so.
Why don’t you try Craigslist? I picked up a Manfrotto 055XPROB tripod in great condition for a hog saddle I made. The tripod was in excellent condition and only cost me $85.00. 
If you really want light weight and high quality you are going to have to look past those cheap $300 tripods! http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/Tripods-Monopods/CarbonFiberTripods
That’s about right. I think I will take you up on that offer. It would be nice to get my hands on something before I make a purchase. I haven’t used a tripod since video cameras took VHS tapes, so it has been a long time and things have changed a bit.
I am not surprised by the cost of those, and knew that there had to be something else that was better and more expensive than the $300 options. I guess, just like anything else, it all comes down to how much money you are willing to spend. How do the carbon fiber legs hold up to use? Do they need a cover or something to protect it from rocks, tree branches, and being packed? I haven’t looked a great deal at these yet, but it seems like the carbon fiber tripods don’t offer a huge weight saving. However, the weight capacity is significantly more.
I have had a Kowa 20-60 for a while with an angled body. I obviously don’t have a tripod, so it is really a pain to use. The Vortex that I picked up has a straight body, and will most often be used standing. I will probably also need to get a window mount, for glassing from my vehicle.
I appreciate the recommendations.
Manfrotto is a solid choice, but I am annoyed that they don’t use the arca swiss standard (or at least didn’t in the past). Most of their ball heads use a proprietary QD plate. Luckily Really Right Stuff has embraced firearms, and are pushing the arca swiss dovetail.
RRS is pretty much the top end. I own one of their BH-40 ballheads, but went with a set of Gitzo carbon legs to save a few bucks. I’ve been using the setup for close to 10 years, originally for photography and now for shooting. You want something solid. Dinky legs/lighter weight results in lots of movement, especially noticeable at high magnification.
Carbon legs, at least from reputable companies, should be very durable. Mine have been smacked, dropped, fallen over, and so forth with only cosmetic marks. Cheaper ones with thinner wall thickness won’t be as durable, of course. I have a bag for airline travel, but when backpacking I strap them on the outside and don’t worry about them.
I want to have the chance to get my hands on a Manfrotto unit first, because that may be all that I need realistically. But, I am considering a series 2 or 3 carbon fiber tripod from RRS.
I am average height, ~6’. What height tripod should I be considering?
I will probably want to also have a range finder mounted, so that is another consideration in regards to heads/mounts. If consider mounting a rifle to a tripod, is that going to exclude something like the Manfrotto 055XPRO_, or will it just not be ideal? I figured that this was going to get deeper than just pick up X tripod and Y head.
I don’t know why the 055 would be less than ideal for mounting a rifle. I looked at this model due to the ability to use the center column horizontally but ultimately decided I wouldn’t use this feature enough.
“I am average height, ~6’. What height tripod should I be considering”
Buying a tripod is like buying a safe… Always get one bigger than you think you need! If you shoot where there are inclines you need more than if you shoot where it is flat. I’d figure the stack height of the head, scope and pod compared to your eye height above the ground and add at least 6 inches if I shot in hill country. Better to have and not need it than need it and not have it. Also think about how low you want it to go and how short you want it to be collapsed. Most common pods have 3 part legs. If you want tall deployed and short stowed you’ll need 4 or 5 part legs.
Center columns add more vibration. There’s a reason RRS doesn’t have those.
4 or 5 part legs tend to induce more movement, too, since you’re stepping down in leg diameter on those last two sections. One trick to deal with this is to extend as few sections as possible. The tripod is inherently more stable if you don’t extend the legs at all, and sit down on the ground behind it.
Look maybe I am less brand name focused Tha others, maybe more budget concious a.k.a cheap/frugal. Add to that I am a weight Nazi for packing crap so I require my tripod to do gun/ crossbow rest or spotting scope/ bino mount duty as I need. As such I use the primos hunting stick http://shop.opticsplanet.com/primos-hunting-trigger-stick-gen-3-jim-shockey-tall-tripod-24-62in.html?_iv_code=UX-TR-65815&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=plusbox-beta&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlMXMBRC1ARIsAKKGuwhBaXw0h-7XT63g1k8zi3OUq9kF9SVwooXv76hwi2w1pBCsZ6GaeAsaAlfQEALw_wcB It is super adjustable, trigger control height, legs are each independent of the others for uneven terrain situations, smooth panning, quiet and light and easy to pack when you telescope the legs in. Very steady as a rifle rest and as a spotting scope rest. I went with Leupold’s little brother, Redfield (same warranty as Leupold) for my spotting scope. No special mounts, the Redfield base twists right onto their camera mount of the Shooting stick and I’m off to the woods or range, perhaps with a few more dollars in my pocket than some, lol. I’d post pics but can’t figure out how to attach them lol.
I have already been using an ok spotter without proper support, and because of this, I am ready to upgrade. I thought that the mid-grade tripods were going to be what I needed to do a lot of things, but I am realizing that they are only going to do a couple things well. From experience, I know that if I don’t spend the money now, I will end up spending more later over the long run.
While I am looking for recommendations for my purchase, I would enjoy this to become a general discussion related to tripods for all sorts of equipment related to shooting. I searched before posting, and did not come up with much information related to tripods. I am aware that there is information out there in other places, but it would be beneficial to have some of it here.
Right now, I am fighting off the urge to purchase a TVC-24L with a BH-40 LR ballhead. A 40 lb. load capacity while only weighing 3.7 lb. (before head) is about the best combination that I have found.
Oh I understand and that is a helluva tripod. It looks like it will last a lifetime. Enjoy.
“Right now, I am fighting off the urge to purchase a TVC-24L with a BH-40 LR ballhead. A 40 lb. load capacity while only weighing 3.7 lb. (before head) is about the best combination that I have found”
Good choice! While spending get you a set of these>>> http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/TA-3-FS-Foot-Spike