My boss graciously threw me a $250 Cabela's gift card recently. With all of the extra deals right now (Raise, Active Junky at 14% cash back), I'd like to roll this into a serviceable tripod. With that said, the Cabela's ((/BassPro, same inventory now) offerings appear pretty limited. Here are the options that are available that seem viable:
https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/manfrotto-290-tripod (no head)
Background: I've never had a decent tripod. Current spotter is an entry level (~$250) Redfield (will be upgraded in the next two years). Current tripod is a $20 craiglist photography tripod. Currently using this setup for casual size confirmation from the vehicle. I've quit packing this combo into the backcountry as it is too unstable/unclear to provide any benefit relative to the weight. The lack of a serviceable spotter/tripod combo hasn't been a hindrance over the past decade of general/low point Western hunting, but between my dad and myself we should have a really nice slate of high-point hunts in the next ~5 years that I'd like to be prepared for.
Goals: A 'decent' tripod that I could justify packing around regularly in the field. The tripod would be able to solidly support a spotter, binos, and a rifle (ideally). I have two rifles that I would like to add rails/plates to for shooting off a tripod.
Trade-offs: I realize that for ~$500 all in (would really like to include the head for this price) this will not be a top-of-the-line tripod. I'm hopeful that one of the above linked tripods will at least be 'decent' for the price. I'm ok with the weight being on the heavier side if the rest of the product is solid.
Question: If one of the end goals is the ability to shoot off of this setup, would a ball vs. pan head be better? Again, I'm sure any of these options aren't ideal for long-range shooting, but if any of these Cabela's options are stable enough for getting above sage/sitting out to ~500 yards, I'd really appreciate the feedback.
Thank you for any/all feedback. Again, I realize the above linked are not top-of-the-line options. However, with the giftcard incorporated the deals are good now and any of the above linked represent a major upgrade from what I have. So, any/all feedback is welcome. I'm very open to feedback on ball-vs-pan head functionality in this price range for general glassing, as well as for shooting off of.
Thanks in advance!
https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/manfrotto-290-tripod (no head)
Background: I've never had a decent tripod. Current spotter is an entry level (~$250) Redfield (will be upgraded in the next two years). Current tripod is a $20 craiglist photography tripod. Currently using this setup for casual size confirmation from the vehicle. I've quit packing this combo into the backcountry as it is too unstable/unclear to provide any benefit relative to the weight. The lack of a serviceable spotter/tripod combo hasn't been a hindrance over the past decade of general/low point Western hunting, but between my dad and myself we should have a really nice slate of high-point hunts in the next ~5 years that I'd like to be prepared for.
Goals: A 'decent' tripod that I could justify packing around regularly in the field. The tripod would be able to solidly support a spotter, binos, and a rifle (ideally). I have two rifles that I would like to add rails/plates to for shooting off a tripod.
Trade-offs: I realize that for ~$500 all in (would really like to include the head for this price) this will not be a top-of-the-line tripod. I'm hopeful that one of the above linked tripods will at least be 'decent' for the price. I'm ok with the weight being on the heavier side if the rest of the product is solid.
Question: If one of the end goals is the ability to shoot off of this setup, would a ball vs. pan head be better? Again, I'm sure any of these options aren't ideal for long-range shooting, but if any of these Cabela's options are stable enough for getting above sage/sitting out to ~500 yards, I'd really appreciate the feedback.
Thank you for any/all feedback. Again, I realize the above linked are not top-of-the-line options. However, with the giftcard incorporated the deals are good now and any of the above linked represent a major upgrade from what I have. So, any/all feedback is welcome. I'm very open to feedback on ball-vs-pan head functionality in this price range for general glassing, as well as for shooting off of.
Thanks in advance!
