tripods for spotting scopes?

[rep308]

Can someone recommend a tripod mount for spotting scopes for high power shooting. The ones I've seen have small tripod legs for prone but a tall mounting pole for offhand. They also hold the scopes well at 90 degree mounting. Camera stores do not have anything close.

 

[PatMcD]

I know a lot of shooters that use the Ray-vin stand and like it, especially when coupled with their scope head. http://www.ray-vin.com/ The Classic 48" is the one to get.

There are maybe a half dozen designs out there that are generally used. I have a Sinclair (Ewing) which works well for me. The Creedmore Big Blue is nice (big$).

If I were to start over, I would get a Ray-vin.

 

[Admin]

+1 for Ray Vin.

 

[M1911]

This is the one that I've used: http://www.champchoice.com/detail.php?item=CC500SJC

But the Ray Vin stand looks nice.

 

[PatMcD]

OT
Derek, we have the same number of posts????






Whoops, I'm one up on ya.

 

[PaulD]

I don't want to be rude and I don't have a lot of experience with spotting scopes. However, I do have a lot of photographic experience including using very large lenses. That stand strikes me as a really bad design for supporting an optic.

There are many photographic tripods that will allow you to splay out the legs flat and have no center column. Manfrotto is a good brand that doesn't cost a fortune. If you use the right head, you can easily get the scope cantilevered out.

 

[bpm990d]

It's all in how the optic is used. Form follows function. You need to be able to use it to shoot standing, sitting and prone. A big tripod would not work for that. However scopes that are used for coaching typically are set up on more stable tripods.

B

 

[M1911]

PaulD: I'm a photographer as well. But a photo tripod will not work on a firing line. You need to be able to see through the shooting scope when standing, when sitting, or when prone. And you need to be able to see through with minimal movement from your position and without knocking it over with the barrel of your gun. The legs of a standard photo tripod would get in the way.

This picture shows a firing line. http://www.odcmp.com/3P/Pic/AM2003DCP00361_m.jpg

As you can see, there isn't much room between shooters.

 

[PaulD]

PaulD: I'm a photographer as well. But a photo tripod will not work on a firing line. You need to be able to see through the shooting scope when standing, when sitting, or when prone. And you need to be able to see through with minimal movement from your position and without knocking it over with the barrel of your gun. The legs of a standard photo tripod would get in the way.

This picture shows a firing line. http://www.odcmp.com/3P/Pic/AM2003DCP00361_m.jpg

As you can see, there isn't much room between shooters.

That makes a lot of sense. Pardon my noobishness but I was going based on the picture in the link above. I could see getting a good photo tripod to work for one shooter but not a big firing line like that.

The lack of triangulation bugged me from a strength standpoint but a little vibration when using a spotting scope isn't a huge deal.

Thanks.

 

[M1911]

No problem. Yes, you definitely would not want to use a shooting tripod for photography, because it will move way too much. But when shooting, you are looking for a couple things: 1) the mirage (to estimate wind direction and velocity) and 2) hit location. In most NRA/CMP competitions, the ranges have pits behind and underneath the targets. During slow fire stages, after each shot the scorer lowers your target and puts a marker on the target to show you where you hit. Then they run the target back up. The marker is a couple inches in diameter, with a contrasting color to the target. So it is easy to see with even a not-so-great scope.

 

[PaulD]

No problem. Yes, you definitely would not want to use a shooting tripod for photography, because it will move way too much. But when shooting, you are looking for a couple things: 1) the mirage (to estimate wind direction and velocity) and 2) hit location. In most NRA/CMP competitions, the ranges have pits behind and underneath the targets. During slow fire stages, after each shot the scorer lowers your target and puts a marker on the target to show you where you hit. Then they run the target back up. The marker is a couple inches in diameter, with a contrasting color to the target. So it is easy to see with even a not-so-great scope.

When I was about 14yo, I worked at Reading on weekends pulling and marking targets. Now I know what was going on at the other end.

Thanks.

 

[Jose]

I could see getting a good photo tripod to work for one shooter but not a big firing line like that.

A photo tripod would only work in standing. It would be very difficult to use in sitting and utterly useless in prone.

Ray Brandes makes what he makes because it WORKS. He knows it works because he competes with what he makes.

 

[PaulD]

A photo tripod would only work in standing. It would be very difficult to use in sitting and utterly useless in prone.

Ray Brandes makes what he makes because it WORKS. He knows it works because he competes with what he makes.

There are photo tripods where the legs go out at 90 degrees and have no center column. So, it's essentially flat. It could work for one person. It wouldn't be good in a crowded fireline.