Arca versus Spartan stability

[JFK]

I am in the process of switching from a lightweight glassing tripod to a tripod that will be used to glass and shoot off at times. Where I hunt a tripod can maybe be used to shoot maybe 1 out of 3 times, typically because of time constraint, and in the past I’ve done fine with a lighter weight pair of sticks and my pack as a rear support. I’ve started to butt up against the limitations of this system. I bang steel with it out to 400 yards but would only shoot at an animal to about 300ish yards as there is quite a bit of wobble to manage with the lightweight sticks. I currently run the Spartan bipod and love it when I need it, and it weighs nothing so not really a penalty to carry it and not use it.

I’m really trying to stay away from arca plates on my rifle, and my initial thought was to run the Davros pro gen 2 head on a 32mm legged, no column tripod with a gunsmith adapter close to the mag well. I realize it’s probably not as rock solid as a arca plate, but to anyone who has used a similar setup, what am I giving up by going with the Davros over an arca setup? Would you say it’s 80% as good in terms of shooting stability?

 

[Hoghead]

Don't know about the arcade. I use the darvos to glass. I normally glass standing because of my back. I pull the optics adapter off and throw my gun on. I shot a buck this year standing at 486. 1 shot and dropped.

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[Lytro]

I think it's really going to depend on the ball head you get for the arca set up and where you position your arca plate. FWIW, I have an arca on a rifle mounted near the mag well, but still prefer shooting with the spartan adapter mounted in the mlock at the end of the forend of the stock. Maybe poor setup with the arca on my end, but I was holding steadier with the davros.

 

[JFK]

I think it's really going to depend on the ball head you get for the arca set up and where you position your arca plate. FWIW, I have an arca on a rifle mounted near the mag well, but still prefer shooting with the spartan adapter mounted in the mlock at the end of the forend of the stock. Maybe poor setup with the arca on my end, but I was holding steadier with the davros.

There’s something to be said for a forend rest. Small movements at the butt end have less of an impact on the POI. With the gun locked in at the mag well you have to really settle things down at the rear.

 

[Coopsdaddy]

Why not a taller bipod like a hatch?

 

[JFK]

Why not a taller bipod like a hatch?

It will be used for glassing the majority of the time.

 

[NSI]

Biggest difference is the inherent inability to lock the pan out given the round profile of the adapter.

Otherwise, the spartan gets you 80% of the way "there."

-J