I shoot off an Anvil-30 all the time. I’ve seen guys mention throwing a bag on top of a tripod being just as good or better than being clipped in.
I used a bog pod and besides it only having a pan head I thought it was fine out to 400ish on coyotes. The furthest I killed one off it was 430 yards.
I shot off a door the other day and was way less stable compared to clipped into the Anvil.
For a shooter that doesn't practice I assumed being in a clamp would be easier and more stable compared to just shooting off a bag. I'll have to test it out with a hunting weight rifle.
Same here.
There are speed and adaptability benefits with the bag over clipping in. Also, the recoil impulse changes over a soft bag, so guys used to shooting off a bag are going to like it better because it suits their pattern and practice. They have higher skill with bags that makes it better.
With ARCA and building a position, I can shoot as stable as prone. It takes an understanding of building the position, placement of the tripod, and recoil management.
Being clamped in, it isn’t as secure as the ARCA. It can pivot weird and move in recoil. I don’t like it as much as the bag. Problems with it are counterintuitive.
Granted, with a plate and bag, I am assuming some level of competence shooting with front support to say a bag is better.
If someone has no experience, whatever skill they have may lead them to believe one is better. The clamp may give them an edge in one aspect that compensates for a weakness. Just a little training and learning can eliminate the weakness very fast and make the bag better.
But, given the experience of many who say shooting off a bag thrown over a tripod, that evidences my point. Skill can mean one is better than another.
I have taught kids, in an afternoon, how to build a position and shoot off a bag over a tripod in a kneeling position and they are shooting 4 inches at 100 yards. They are faster at that than clamping their rifle in and then adjusting it.
Here are a couple videos showing tripod shooting, to demonstrate it and to prove stability. I did them for friends to show them and convince them that I wasn’t full of it, so they aren’t as instructive as they could be.
I shoot off an Anvil-30 all the time. I’ve seen guys mention throwing a bag on top of a tripod being just as good or better than being clipped in.
I used a bog pod and besides it only having a pan head I thought it was fine out to 400ish on coyotes. The furthest I killed one off it was 430 yards.
I shot off a door the other day and was way less stable compared to clipped into the Anvil.
For a shooter that doesn't practice I assumed being in a clamp would be easier and more stable compared to just shooting off a bag. I'll have to test it out with a hunting weight rifle.
Good info. I think we are pretty close the the same opinion.
When you test the clamp, make sure and screw up your position behind the rifle, rifle cant, and the direction the legs are pointing. You’ll see that variations in that will cause a bigger group.
When you disconnect from the tripod and shoot off a bag, you eliminate the tripod from recoil issues. Imagine the tripod legs pointing sideways, so when you tip it, the rifle goes off at an angle. Recoil will follow that angle. Now, point one leg straight at the target and you will see recoil will move the gun up and down. People shoot high when clamped in or ARCA locked without recoil control.
Point a leg straight behind, and the tripod can tip to the right or left, so recoil control makes an issue both directions.
The bag eliminates issues that come from lack of knowledge. Recoil doesn’t depend on how the tripod it situated, so it is easier in that sense.
Both clamps and ARCA require some instruction. It’s not as simple as clamp in and shoot, like it is off a bag.
Consequently, there are speed and adaptability to game movement for follow up shots that bring benefits with the bag over clipping in.
Also, the recoil impulse changes over a soft bag, whether it is on a tripod or PRS barricadez of course guys used to shooting off a bag are going to like it better because it suits their pattern and practice. They have higher skill with bags that makes it better.
But, build the skill set to shoot clamped in, and there are massive stability gains for shots past 450 yards.
With ARCA and building a position, I can shoot as stable as prone. It takes an understanding of building the position, placement of the tripod, and recoil management.
Being clamped in, it isn’t as secure as the ARCA. It can pivot weird and move in recoil. I don’t like it as much as the bag. Problems with it are counterintuitive. You can make it work, but dang it is so much harder.
Granted, with any type of shooting, especially off a plate and bag, I am assuming some level of competence in shooting with front support to say a bag is better. If one knows how to build the body into a solid position, all of the systems will work. So, they might say my criticism of the clamp is too severe. But, if they switch to an ARCA clamp, there would be immediate gains in my experience.
If someone has no experience, whatever skill they have may lead them to believe one is better. The clamp may give them an edge in one aspect that compensates for a weakness. Just a little training and learning can eliminate the weakness very fast and make the bag better.
And, given the experience of many who say shooting off a bag thrown over a tripod is best, that evidences my point. Skill can mean one technique is better than another for that person. I know guys that can shoot off a bag better than I can off a ARCA tripod.
Whether the bag is thrown over or on a plate, I have taught kids, in an afternoon, how to build a position and shoot off a bag over a tripod in a kneeling position and they are shooting 4 inches at 100 yards. They are faster at learning that and shooting that than they are clamping their rifle in and then adjusting it. They often can’t adjust it themselves.
Here are a couple videos showing tripod shooting from ARCA clamped shots, to demonstrate it and to prove stability. I did them for friends to show them and convince them that I wasn’t full of it, so they aren’t as instructive as they could be.
Cold bore confidence
