Shooting bag on tripod instead of ball or leveling head

[Qwack]

Hi, I'm researching tripods. Never had the opportunity to try one. I wonder if, instead of a levelling base, putting a Game Changer on the tripod could do the trick. It would have the advantage of providing the same interface on the tripod and on others supports. I understand I could try and see for myself if it's good enough, but if I don't need a ball head or levelling base right now, I will spend more on the tripod. What do you think?

 

[SourGrapes]

I’m very new to using a tripod. When dry firing I’ll use a bag on top of the tripod and practice that way. However I think having a ball head or leveling base is worth it just based off the stability it provides. It’s nice to be able to look through some Binos that are locked down to the tripod.

 

[rgv]

I’ve been experimenting with a game changer on a small Tac-table instead of clamping the rifle directly into the tripod.

It’s a bit faster to get the first shot off and the recoil impulse is smoother and more predictable because you don’t have the resistance of the legs/feet.

On the other hand it is not quite as stable as being locked into the tripod.

 

[Qwack]

rgv, did you compare accuracy? Did the the better behavior of the bag under recoil compensate for the larger wobble?

 

[Lowlight]

You aught to invent the bag wedge for a tripod,

an option that fits the design of the bag to hold it on the tripod. Use the natural bag shape

that way you drop it on, and stays put without having to manage the bag on a tiny flat surface after recoil.

shit, everyone micromanages this stuff to the Nth degree here is another money maker lol

 

[McNamara0851]

I’ve used a game changer on a tripod to kill multiple coyotes, either with my rifles or friends rifles that didn’t have an arca plate on them. It will work, but it’s no substitution for a mounting interface. IMO it would be ok for a very temporary solution.

 

[Qwack]

You aught to invent the bag wedge for a tripod,

an option that fits the design of the bag to hold it on the tripod. Use the natural bag shape

that way you drop it on, and stays put without having to manage the bag on a tiny flat surface after recoil.

shit, everyone micromanages this stuff to the Nth degree here is another money maker lol

I was thinking of a small length of 2x4 stud bolted to the mounting plate of the tripod. My gc bag is pretty stable on a 2x4. Not sure it would sell that well though ?.

That said, I will consider investing in a levelling base. If it's much more stable, it's probably worth the expense.

Thanks a lot.

 

[Todc]

Someone needs to develop a bag for this.

 

[rgv]

rgv, did you compare accuracy? Did the the better behavior of the bag under recoil compensate for the larger wobble?

Shooting on my own time there’s no difference. I really need to compare under the clock.

 

[rgv]

Someone needs to develop a bag for this.

The Warhorse Tactical Saracen is pretty dang close.

 

[Driftr76]

I made this plate for my gamechanger.

 

[LV Precision]

Depends on the situation and how quickly you need to pan and/or adjust targets. For faster target acquisition I use a Gamechanger saddled across my MOD DOS plate on top of my RRS tripod setup. Really really stable with no worries of the bag coming off the setup.

 

[Todc]

I made this plate for my gamechanger. View attachment 7296676View attachment 7296675View attachment 7296674

Badass

 

[Qwack]

I made this plate for my gamechanger.

I was not thinking about using it upside down. That's very clever! I'll try for sure, Thanks !

 

[AIKNOWU]

The only time I lock my rifle into my tripod is to clean it. Otherwise it's a GC on top of a piece of 3/4" plywood with an ARCA section on one side. Use it more than my bipod. Works extremely well. Looks extremely shitty.

 

[jwood1284]

I always use either a ball head or hog saddle. Sometimes you need to get off the gun. With the gun secured to the tripod I don’t have to worry about dumping it.

 

[Maelstrom]

I made this plate for my gamechanger. View attachment 7296676View attachment 7296675View attachment 7296674

Is that 3D printed? Is their much flex in the plate?

 

[Driftr76]

Is that 3D printed? Is their much flex in the plate?

It's machined from a sheet of micarta. It's quite rigid.

 

[Maelstrom]

I

I made this plate for my gamechanger. View attachment 7296676View attachment 7296675View attachment 7296674

How much would you charge to make another one of those?

 

[Driftr76]

I

How much would you charge to make another one of those?

I don't know. To make it worth my time, I'd probably have to charge a couple hundred bucks.

 

[dgheriani]

I find accuracy to be about the same between shooting off my Gamechanger on top of a tac table vs being locked into my Anvil-30 (as in, can easily hold/hit 1 moa plates). Using the Gamechanger is faster, especially if also panning to engage multiple targets but depending on what task you're trying to accomplish, there's a lot to be said for being able to go hands off on the gun and know that it won't fall off, even if bumped or whatever. For team matches or hunting, I like to have my rifle locked into the ball head and just rest my LRF binos on top of the rifle to range (or sometimes put a Gamechanger on top of the rifle to rest the binos on)

 

[LA260]

I use a the tactical udder to shoot off a tripod for one of my rifles that does nto have a rrs plate.

I was pretty sure I was going to get the rail but after trying the bag I might hold off on getting a rail for a while.

 

[ScottDWallace]

I plop my pint sized game changer on top of the leveling base if I need to make a hasty shot. It's every bit as stable as a barricade.

 

[ScottDWallace]

I made this plate for my gamechanger.

MIcarta, very nice!

 

[Qwack]

Thanks a lot guys, it really helps!

 

[Lowlight]

Home project,

Take some Kydex, bend it to form under the bag like a W and then drop the back on it,

Or if you use a plate, flip the bag as noted above

Single mount in the middle, add stem and plate, now you have a dedicated bag option

just spit-balling for a rainy day project

 

[hereinaz]

Someone needs to develop a bag for this.

Any of the positional shooting bags used for PRS work if they will go over a cattle gate. In fact, guys in PRS do that exact thing. I think that is all the Scott Satterlee used on his hunt in Africa, I think there were several posts of his on Facebook about it.

That is how I shot my caribou this year, threw my bag over the ball head, and shot it standing. I also run a tripod for kids on the doe hunt. I show them how to kneel and how to get themselves behind the tripod. I show them that I will point the leg towards the deer and they point the rifle that direction. They learn exactly where to put one knee on the ground in reference to the tripod. After only a few minutes, we could go from both standing, to me placing the tripod and them shooting in less than 30 seconds with the .22. It proved itself as a very efficient method. Better than the shooting sticks the guy who has been doing the hunt has for years.

I put the bag over the ball head. All the kids went one shot on their does using the technique. Neither one had really shot a centerfire rifle before. I had them practicing with a .22 LR the day before the hunt, and they were drilling soda cans 100% at 50 yards. That is plenty of accuracy for deer at 100 yards.

 

[hereinaz]

Found the post I was referencing. This is exactly how I did it on the doe hunt a couple years ago. Heavy bag or a bag with Git-Lite, they are similar. You can't use the squishy stuff that comes in bean bags very well though.

 

[WirgmanUSMC]

I prefer my bag off the tripod vs locking into it. The Coletac Tricorn is about as good as it can get. Three legged bag, with a perfect shape for tripods.

 

[Lowlight]

Everyone does that, it’s one of the most common uses,

boring

 

[Diver160651]

Found the post I was referencing. This is exactly how I did it on the doe hunt a couple years ago. Heavy bag or a bag with Git-Lite, they are similar. You can't use the squishy stuff that comes in bean bags very well though.

View attachment 7299598

Man, I hate carrying more than I am already when hunting. My tripod has a lot of pigs and a few Elk. Sence it extends our range clicking in, time usually is not much of an issue. Also, we are not usually shooting multiple targets across a wide FOF as you might in a 90-second stage. BTW, Hunter type stocks work well with a small plate.

I just don't see as much value of hunting, packing a heavy bag, and a nice tripod like the RRS with an anvil, outside the match setting. I've packed out parts of animals and thought "what could I leave behind and just re-buy" many times.

That said, for match shooting it has a lot going for it.

 

[Anb618]

Thread revival to see if there are any changes to the best options for a draped tripod bag?

My planned use is hunting from my deer blind, shots will always be inside 200yds. I’m going to be getting my son involved in the next few years, probably pulling a trigger two years from now. I’d like him to have a stable shooting position for his first experience. Firearm would be a CVA Scout or T/C Encore, so mounting on a ball head is out; even if I could mount a pic or ARCA rail to the forend, I’d need to break the action open to reload. Less than ideal when the rifle is mounted to a tripod. I’m not worried about weight, my blind is pretty well always within 100 yards of my back door. Tripod is an Innorel 80 series.

From above, I like the looks of the ColeTac Tricorne. Any better options?

 

[jsimonh]

Thread revival to see if there are any changes to the best options for a draped tripod bag?

My planned use is hunting from my deer blind, shots will always be inside 200yds. I’m going to be getting my son involved in the next few years, probably pulling a trigger two years from now. I’d like him to have a stable shooting position for his first experience. Firearm would be a CVA Scout or T/C Encore, so mounting on a ball head is out; even if I could mount a pic or ARCA rail to the forend, I’d need to break the action open to reload. Less than ideal when the rifle is mounted to a tripod. I’m not worried about weight, my blind is pretty well always within 100 yards of my back door. Tripod is an Innorel 80 series.

From above, I like the looks of the ColeTac Tricorne. Any better options?

A regular sized shmedium on top of the apex without any ball head or base works very well. Simple and not much to manage.

 

[Qwack]

Thread revival to see if there are any changes to the best options for a draped tripod bag?

My planned use is hunting from my deer blind, shots will always be inside 200yds. I’m going to be getting my son involved in the next few years, probably pulling a trigger two years from now. I’d like him to have a stable shooting position for his first experience. Firearm would be a CVA Scout or T/C Encore, so mounting on a ball head is out; even if I could mount a pic or ARCA rail to the forend, I’d need to break the action open to reload. Less than ideal when the rifle is mounted to a tripod. I’m not worried about weight, my blind is pretty well always within 100 yards of my back door. Tripod is an Innorel 80 series.

From above, I like the looks of the ColeTac Tricorne. Any better options?

I have a Tricorne and It's not perfect for me. If I put one "leg" toward me, the balance point of the rifle is not on top of the tripod. If I put a "leg" of the Tricorne facing forward, it's better but the rear leg on my weak side gets in the way when I grab the forend.

The best for me is to use a tac table with a game changer on its side. I made a very simple table with a piece of plywood covered with antislip tape.

I also made this for the Tricorne, but the tac table way is much more stable.

 

[CarbonMTN]

I made this plate for my gamechanger. View attachment 7296676View attachment 7296675View attachment 7296674

What Arca mount is that? I am going to try and make my own

 

[Trigger Monkey]

That's not an Arca plate, it's an old Manfroto quick release plate. It's not Arca compatible.