Tripod recommendations?

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Lizzie Borden

Lizzie Borden

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Some background: I am more and more dependent on a wheelchair for mobility, due to degenerating spinal injuries. Two months ago, I started losing the use of my left arm. I don't know if it's temporary or permanent.

I can no longer support my M-14s with my left arm, and I'm looking for suggestions on which shooting tripod to buy. Money is an issue, but I'll spend what I have to if I can keep shooting rifles.

Thanks.
 
Being wheelchair bound, I assume you're bench rest shooting? If so a bipod attached to your rifle may be all you need, inexpensive solution. Possibly a decent benchrest like the Caldwell Rock I use with a rear beanbag for the stock, or more expensive versions like their Lead Sled. BOG death Grip fits any photo tripod and is basically a clamp to hold the forearm for you. A lot of good YouTube videos on various rifle supports are available. Good luck in finding one that works for you. Some of your LGS or range operators may be a good source of information as well.
 
Back in the 70's, when I was into photography and searching for a good long lasting tripod, I was told to get a Leitz Tiltall. I have used this tripod for ground hog hunting. The only addition is a BOG head, which I modified by adding some "tongues" from my old boat shoes. I did remove the horizontal and vertical tilt handles.

IMG_1974.JPG IMG_1976.JPG IMG_1977.JPG
 
Robert said:
The BOG Death Grip tripod is rock solid. Not the cheapest out there but it will hold a rifle secure and is adjustable from a sitting position to standing.
Click to expand...

I am planning on buying one of these in the near future. I recently bought a Sightmark Wraith night vision scope, and one thing I've discovered is effective 1st Gen night vision setups tend to end up a bit heavy, and alot of guys end up wanting a tripod for that reason. In the Sightmark Wraith groups I'm in on Facebook, the BOG Death Grip is almost ubiquitous.
 
Welcome to the forum!

  1. Look “used” for tripods - you will save money, I like Manfrotto...
  2. You will also need some sort of “head” on the tripod.
  3. If you go quick connects, you need the mate for the saddle - very few industry standards, so be careful.
  4. I went for the Pig Saddle, in spite of really wanting the Hog. (Good site for understanding how it all goes together)

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/products/Tripod-Legs/ci/15921/N/4232861048?sort=PRICE_LOW_TO_HIGH
https://hogsaddle.com/products/
 
DTL said:
Being wheelchair bound, I assume you're bench rest shooting? If so a bipod attached to your rifle may be all you need, inexpensive solution. Possibly a decent benchrest like the Caldwell Rock I use with a rear beanbag for the stock, or more expensive versions like their Lead Sled. BOG death Grip fits any photo tripod and is basically a clamp to hold the forearm for you. A lot of good YouTube videos on various rifle supports are available. Good luck in finding one that works for you. Some of your LGS or range operators may be a good source of information as well.
Click to expand...

I'm ambulatory but wheelchair dependent. I can stand for short periods and walk short distances. I'm shooting on our property; the nearest range is about 80 miles from here. What I can't do now is support the forend of four of my rifles and my shotgun. I've got a Lead Sled and a bipod for shooting prone, but that's not very useful for varmints - the topography here is very rough - and varmints have become a real problem over the past two years.

The BOG Death Grip looks great. Thank you for the recommendation.
 
Good photo tripod and the Bog head will suit you best, which was part of my original reply. The Manfrottos are great , I used them under the Bogen label for years, and used tripods are a good way to get you set up affordably, check for camera clubs in your area for deals on used ones.
 
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i don't have a great deal of experience with wheelchairs, but it seems likely that an actual tripod would be a pain to deal with and you'd be better off fabricating an extension to your chair that would be easily removable.

i'd try to buy a large OD carbon fiber tube online, then extend it from the arm rest on your chair somehow, and mount a nice tripod head on it, with an arca rail attachment. using a hog saddle or something like that might be a bit cheaper, but not as fast or solid. Of course, an actual tripod would be more stable, but i think it would take longer for you to position, which wouldn't help chasing varmints
 
taliv said:
i don't have a great deal of experience with wheelchairs, but it seems likely that an actual tripod would be a pain to deal with and you'd be better off fabricating an extension to your chair that would be easily removable.

i'd try to buy a large OD carbon fiber tube online, then extend it from the arm rest on your chair somehow, and mount a nice tripod head on it, with an arca rail attachment. using a hog saddle or something like that might be a bit cheaper, but not as fast or solid. Of course, an actual tripod would be more stable, but i think it would take longer for you to position, which wouldn't help chasing varmints
Click to expand...

I ordered the BOG Death Grip pod today. It seemed like the best choice; my Polytech M-14s weighs 14-1/4 pounds scoped and loaded.

The chair makes everything much more complicated. I am able to sit and kneel on the ground, and stand for brief periods. I'll see how the Death Grip pod works with the chair. I have used my camera tripod with the chair and it is a pain. But anything to keep shooting, right?

I don't chase varmints - I either wait by their trail, trap and euthanize or hunt over bait. Their range is in our back yard and I can set up on our second story deck, which makes the clamping head very sensible.
 
Lizzie Borden said:
I bought the BOG Death Grip, which seemed like it would be the most versatile for me. I haven't had a chance to shoot with it yet (problems with a neighbor) but static testing in standing, kneeling and sitting positions were very positive. It's going to get a lot of use.
Click to expand...

Good to hear. Ordered one myself this weekend. Amazon had one Used - Like New, which by their standards usually means basically open box, for like $114 so I jumped on it.
 
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