Re: Reasonable Tri pod.
Chops,
Thank you for the kind words and we do appreciate your business and support.
The tripods we offer are manufactured by SLIK and as stated by Chops and others they are an excellent balance of price, versatility, durability, and ease of packing. The cost of tripods varies greatly with features and material of construction. Carbon fiber while providing a great weight to strength ratio the price can be out of line with what you are trying to accomplish with your tripod. The SLIK model I started with over twenty years ago is still serviceable and used on a regular basis. Things to look for when shopping for a tripod:
- materials of construction - aluminum tube construction with high density plastic and steel components, small threaded parts should have a steel insert to screw into to greatly reduce wear and tear on threaded parts, check to see how tight the parts lock up when locked into place,
- versatility - what do you want it to be able to do, adjust down to a workable height for shooting prone or off a bench or raised surface, high enough to accommodate the highest position you will be shooting sitting, kneeling or standing. Will the legs adjust independently to allow for uneven surfaces or slopes, does the head allow for panning a target area, does the head allow for a rapid change of support or optics, will it work well to support other jobs like camera work, laser range finders, or observation with a spotting scope and binos
- pack ability - can the tripod be easily strapped to your gear or stowed in a ruck, if you can't pack it you won't use it, does it easily transition from stowed to in position,
Cost - yes, tripods are more expensive than three wood dowels and some 550 cord but they also bring more to the table in the way of stability and versatility.
Tripods do not answer all the questions but they do add a significant tool to your tool box when it comes to your shooting, whether you are shooting over that tall grass for antelope or gophers, or moving between positions during a competition, or set up in a land far away hunting terrorist, or providing ballistic intervention in a law enforcement environment, shooting off a tripod makes you that much more effective and efficient when you can adjust to the environment.
If you have any questions please feel free to email us
[email protected] or give us a call 281-541-1549, or PM us here. Our website has additional information and pictures as well
Precision Rifle Solutions
Here is a review of the tripod and cradle written by Tony Burkes back in 2007 when we were still getting things off the ground. The tripods have evolved to include a quick detach ball head and better latches and finishes. The larger cradle pictured is my original cradle I used for almost 11 years in the Marine Corps I made a cover for it when I let Tony use it as I did not think a cradle covered in 90mph tape and a OD sock.
Tony Burkes review of the SSP and tripod system submitted 10-17-07 on Sniper’s Hide
A buddy made me a tripod/cradle combination to try out at Thunder Ranch.
Right off the bat, I liked the ball mount head on top. It tightens and loosens with less than a 90 degree turn of the ball lever. It has a standard threaded stud that accepts the cradle Danel gave me. It also holds my Cannon Powershot G7 camera, and a Leupold 15-45 spotting scope that a couple of the guys had with them.
The center shaft is a two piece affair. You can remove the bottom 7 1/2" if you'll be lowering the tripod more than the entire shaft will allow. You can also reverse the shaft, having the head under the center point, rather than on top as usual.
The legs are made of three sections. With the legs retracted they are 11 1/2" long. Fully extended they measure 34 3/4" long. The leg tips have rubber feet that grip rocks, concrete, hard surfaces. The rubber feet can be screwed in to reveal metal spikes for softer surfaces. The legs adjust with the clamp type locks that open and close with a flip of a finger.
The legs can be opened to three different widths, tall, midway, and flat on the ground.
The cradle easily supports my McMillan A5 stock fore end
With the center shaft raised all the way up and legs fully extended, in the highest position, the surface of the cradle is 42 1/2" above the ground.
With the 7 1/2" center shaft removed and the legs folded up and fully extended the cradle surface is 6 1/4" above the ground. As a comparison, the bottom of the fore end of my A5 with my Harris bipod 6 to 9 installed is 6".
The tripod alone weighs 1.6 pounds, with the cradle the package weighs 2.5 pounds
With the cradle installed and folded down next to the legs the package is 14 3/4" long
I give this tripod two big thumbs up. It's light, easily adjustable, very versatile, and sturdy. I've been trying to pare my equipment down in such a way that a piece of gear can be used for more than one thing. This tripod is a very handy piece of kit.
I think he may be putting together packages of the cradle/tripod to sell in addition to the little shorty ones that were being sold on the Hide group buy section. I think this tripod just kicks the little ones ass all over the place.
Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here are several thousand words of the tripod in action.
![url]](http://[url="http://i47.tinypic.com/287fbt3.jpg"]http://i47.tinypic.com/287fbt3.jpg[/url])
![url]](http://[url="http://i48.tinypic.com/2db54kz.jpg"]http://i48.tinypic.com/2db54kz.jpg[/url])
