Help RRS or lighter

[j3butch]

I’m going on my first and most likely my only Dall sheep hunt in the NWT this August. I’m shooting a Viking Armament 6.5 PRC built on an XLR Chassis. I own a RRS TFC24 w Anvil 30. I also own a Slik 624 Pro CF with an Akiak Backcountry light ball head. I’ll be honest, I spend most my time bowhunting but I’m getting into rifle hunting more and do my fair share with the rifle. I am having a hard time getting stable and consistent out past 300 yards using the Slik set up but am rock solid with the RRS. My shot should be inside 400 yards according to the outfitter….I am setting a 500 yard max for this once in a lifetime hunt.
So…do I pack the 4.85 pounds up and down the mountains on a 10 day sheep hunt?
Do I try and remove the Anvil 30 and install on my Slik to shave weight?
Or do I suck it up, practice more and dial in my Slik with Akiak coming in about 2lbs….ammo ain’t cheap and time is running out!

 

[Brandon.miller.4]

Never been sheep hunting but the first question I'd ask is how often prone shots can be taken. If the opportunity frequently presents itself I'd take the lighter of the 2 tripods.

 

[j3butch]

Never been sheep hunting but the first question I'd ask is how often prone shots can be taken. If the opportunity frequently presents itself I'd take the lighter of the 2 tripods.

I actually did a pole on the sheep forum and prone shots are like 80% compared to others. That said, on an expensive once in a lifetime hunt do I want to chance it? Honestly the idea of lugging around a 5 lb shooting tripod is a hard pill to swallow but I also know why I’m on the hunt and in the end I want to feel solid on the shot presented. Hell I dunno.

 

[huntnful]

The slik is definitely not a shooting tripod. If you genuinely plan to be prepared to shoot from a tripod, I'd go more robust. The sirui ST 124 is much beefier than the slik 634 and might be a happy medium for you, weight wise.

I'd always go prone if given the opportunity of course.

 

[tak]

I also have a TFCT24L. I have killed several animals off of it, out to 440 yards seated. I understand that it can be a crutch, but it's hard to leave behind because it's is incredibly consistent for me. I know exactly how stable I will be pretty much in any terrain, and I can be locked in and shooting in 20 seconds.

Here's what I've done to save weight:
Order the third leg for the TFCT 33, and remove the smaller 2 legs off of your 24. Put the 33 legs in and make your 4 section tripod into a 2 section tripod. In the process, you'll lose 2 of the twist locks and drop about 1.5 pounds with no loss of stability. Only loss of height, but I can still get to a high kneeling on the two leg sections.

If I didn't have the RRS, I'd still need a tripod of some sort for my spotter which would be a couple pounds, so I'm really only in for an additional 1.5 lbs maybe. Even less if you were to leave the bipod at the truck and deduct the weight of a bipod.

I haven't been in sheep country, but that's what I've done for other hunts. I am planning a sheep hunt in 26, so I understand the feeling of your once in a lifetime chance. Personally, I'm not sure which way I'd go given that shooting off the tripod is unlikely in sheep country, but it's possible I'd suffer the extra pound with my Frankenstein 2 section RRS.

If you want more details, I can get you some pictures tomorrow night.

 

[wind gypsy]

You should be able to get plenty steady off a pack and trekking sticks or lighten things up with mods like @tak mentioned or by getting one of RRS’s new lighter TFCX-13 tripods.

Edit: @tak can you measure max height with that leg mod you set up? I have a TFCT 24L as well but often dont bring on hunts because of the weight and I don't need all that height for hunts either. Seated/kneeling glassing and shooting is plenty. The new RRS TFCX-13 is close to perfect but I have a hard time shelling out the $ for a new shooting tripod with twist locks on the bottom..

 

[aschuler]

I have shot off of a Slik 634 a lot. BUT I don't lock the rifle in. I have a rest that I made out of a piece of PVC pipe cut in half that is attached to a tripod mount. I just rest the forend on that rest then use my backpack as a rear rest in a sitting position. As long as I keep the center column and legs collapsed all the way down, I can get very stable but it takes work and practice to build the position consistently. As mentioned above I personally don't think the 634 is beefy enough to clip into directly and expect it to be a stable platform, especially if you extend the legs or center column. The benefit is the setup is really light, especially when I'm already carrying the tripod for glassing.

 

[j3butch]

Well, I hope I don't regret it but I just sold my 24 and have the new TFCX-13 w anvil on order. For me, the anvil is the most steady head I've found to shoot off of and at 3-lbs all in it's a weight I can happily tote around.

 

[tak]

: @tak can you measure max height with that leg mod you set up? ..

sorry for the delay, but it's max height is right at 40" to the dovetail on the anvil. More than enough for high kneeling and you could even shoot standing hunched over although it's too low to be comfortable.

The 33 replacement legs are about 5" longer than the 24L legs, but that actually works out well. It's an "outside the pack" tripod anyway.

The TFCX-14 looks awesome, I hadn't seen it until mentioned in this thread. Doubt I'll switch, but it certainly looks impressive. With my "Frankenstein 22" I'm just over 3lbs 9oz. The replacement legs were super pricey, but still less than a new tripod.

 

[tak]

Well, I hope I don't regret it but I just sold my 24 and have the new TFCX-13 w anvil on order. For me, the anvil is the most steady head I've found to shoot off of and at 3-lbs all in it's a weight I can happily tote around.

You'll be happy, there's a reason they made that one. I don't think the older 1 series ascend tripod was ever very good for shooting.