How many of you are using or considering a tripod for hunting?

[Varminterror]

I’ve been shooting off of monopods and shooting sticks, kneeling or standing, since I was a little kid. I can only recall maybe a handful of times taking shots on hundreds of various mid and big game animals in over half of the states in the US Union in the last 30yrs of my life which I’ve fired unsupported. I usually use a monopod, but hunted a lot from shooting sticks, and still will use my trekking poles as such if need be. I really like Primos Trigger Sticks, and have them in mono, bi, and tripod - with the latter two having been bought for my wife and for my handguns.

Hunting the last few years with my son, I’ve really become accustomed to deploying my tripod quickly. Even from that seated position, we pick a leg length which will match up well to a kneeling or standing position for him (notching up the leg angle), in case we need to move into a stalk - which is what ended up happening this year. It takes a little planning and practice to efficiently carry and rapidly deploy the tripod, but it works. I’ve also grown accustomed to using the tripod while seated for coyotes - especially at night during our new thermal sight season.

Deer hunting alone, I still usually just take a TriggerStick monopod, but I can’t find anything to complain about while hunting off of a tripod. Cam lock arca levers are a Godsend in this game - screw knobs work, but they’re slower than molasses…

 

[xphunter]

I’ve been shooting off of monopods and shooting sticks, kneeling or standing, since I was a little kid. I can only recall maybe a handful of times taking shots on hundreds of various mid and big game animals in over half of the states in the US Union in the last 30yrs of my life which I’ve fired unsupported. I usually use a monopod, but hunted a lot from shooting sticks, and still will use my trekking poles as such if need be. I really like Primos Trigger Sticks, and have them in mono, bi, and tripod - with the latter two having been bought for my wife and for my handguns.

Hunting the last few years with my son, I’ve really become accustomed to deploying my tripod quickly. Even from that seated position, we pick a leg length which will match up well to a kneeling or standing position for him (notching up the leg angle), in case we need to move into a stalk.

I am always looking for some kind of a rest. I also deploy mine at a ready to go length, whether it be a mono-pod, bi-pod, or tripod, so I can be ready to be on the trigger that much quicker.
We even do timed drills of going from standing to prone and making a shot at steel (300-400) yards at Holland's shooting school

 

[Hokkmike]

If you have a permanent spot they are good. Too heavy, bulky, and noise to carry afield if you are stalking.

 

[Bartojc]

I’ve had a monopod for years, brand unknown. I used to carry it all the time, but have not in the past couple years. It seemed to be more trouble than it was worth. Maybe I need to rethink and try again ? The trigger sticks look interesting.

Jeff

 

[xphunter]

A lot of this is based on how you hunt and where you hunt.
In a lot of sage brush, high grass, or uneven terrain, the ability to have a field rest that gets you above the blockage to shoot is a wonderful thing.

 

[jmorris]

Most of my hunting these days is moving around in the dark, looking for loan boars and the rifle is already heavy enough I don’t bother to haul other stuff around; however, I do practice position shooting quite a bit and at further ranges than I am from my targets.

I do have a couple I use though, during the day where longer shots are possible. If our land was all open/flat I would probably rig up one so it could be carried like a back pack.

I like them a lot better than shooting sticks.

 

[Nature Boy]

I use a primos tripod. It’s light to carry and quick to adjust.

 

[taliv]

I posted these years ago trying to help folks shoot better. Everyone is doing it now but not so much back then.
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/cant-go-prone-try-a-tripod.810158/#post-10358767

I used to carry these for PRS back in 2012
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/shooting-stick-project.666989/

 

[Legionnaire]

Yours truly practicing with a cheap camera tripod with a rifle rest attachment at Storm Mountain in the late 1990s.

 

[Chuck R.]

I’m getting old enough I don’t like laying on the ground anymore so I bought some sitting height bipods to broaden my field position shooting this year, but I feel this will be the way to go and more versatile as I could also use them more easily with my revolvers and specialty pistols.

I don't use the tripod so much to avoid going prone, more like for places where I can't go prone due to terrain or vegetation. Surprising to some, KS isn't really that flat, and in the actual flat areas there's crop or CRP grass to contend with. I'm still slightly better prone than sitting with the tripod.

The tripod really comes into it's own while coyote hunting as it allows for hands free while working calls etc. especially if you're dealing with night vision optics.

The weight is what it is, so I've cut weight in other areas. My Bog Pod "switcheroo" that I carried for years was 3.52 lbs, So I added about 1 lb by going with the CF tripod and clamping ball head, but increased my effective range. It also has increased versatility by allowing me to mount a spotting scope or binos for glassing. Strapped to a back-pack I hardly notice it's there.

 

[someguy2800]

I don't use the tripod so much to avoid going prone, more like for places where I can't go prone due to terrain or vegetation. Surprising to some, KS isn't really that flat, and in the actual flat areas there's crop or CRP grass to contend with. I'm still slightly better prone than sitting with the tripod.

The tripod really comes into it's own while coyote hunting as it allows for hands free while working calls etc. especially if you're dealing with night vision optics.

The weight is what it is, so I've cut weight in other areas. My Bog Pod "switcheroo" that I carried for years was 3.52 lbs, So I added about 1 lb by going with the CF tripod and clamping ball head, but increased my effective range. It also has increased versatility by allowing me to mount a spotting scope or binos for glassing. Strapped to a back-pack I hardly notice it's there.

I've had the same issue here in minnesota coyote hunting in the snow where the snow is deeper than the bipod legs.

 

[Sniper66]

Shooting deer from a ground blind I use a BOG Death Grip tripod. It is heavy duty and very solid. In the last 3 years I killed two whitetail doe at the modest range of about 80-100 yds. With the steady rest provided by the tripod I hit one behind the ear and the other between the eyes using my reloads with a 60gr .243 bullet. Some hunters argue against head shots and others say a 60gr .243 is not enough bullet. The deer that dropped in their tracks would disagree.

 

[horsemen61]

I have and use a bog death grip I love it I shot a doe at 129 yards suppressed and she dropped in her tracks the 5 other Does didn’t seem to mind and went back to eating like nothing happened! So yeah I am a fan of them

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I also use Primos tripod Triggersticks, the older version like Natureboy has. I still have a couple more waiting in the closet for when the current one dies. I didn't like the Gen 3 version and Gen 4 is super expensive. My rifle is ~15 lbs.

The Triggersticks are lightweight and easy to adjust. These are the easiest for me to deal with as a spot and stalk kind of hunter. Most of the folks I hunt with use more traditional photography-style tripods that are bigger, heavier, more cumbersome to get in and out of the truck and to carry, but do offer superior stability once set up properly.

 

[LoonWulf]

Spartan tripod I showed earlier in the thread worked well again.

 

[sscoyote]

For my style of hunting (coyotes mostly) I absolutely have to have portability and hands-free system for walking long distances. Yesterday I hit 7.5 miles and 8 several days ago in prairie country. I use a taller (the next height down from the tallest) Harris swiveling bipod. Along with a soft-sided stadium seat customized for a tighter sitting support I get super-steady from it often. It's only often since coyotes are too mobile to have a lot of time to set up on them from a 360 degree approach angle while calling. I'm always glassing while hunting and can't carry anything in my hands. Now since I use a PVC-T that slides between the bipod legs and the base plate it makes the taller bipods shorter from prone making them much more manageable for shooting LER or IER scopes with center grip SP's too. Couldn't believe how simple (and nicely portable) that was to accomplish