Is my tripod setup correctly?

[Rail505]

Good evening on this beautiful friday, enjoy a cold Heineken, then moving onto a Dos X!
Totally brand new to hunting so keep that in mind when you read my dilemma

I just got my Tricer 360 in, and playing around with in the house, reassured me of my purchase, it will definitely help me slow down and find animals, i think.

I need your advice/opinion on what is on top of my Tricer AD.
I have the Go>360>DZ Head> Bino’s/spotting scope/gun rest.
I enjoy the bubble level and throw lever on the GO, but dont know if its “necessary”
Should i screw the tripod directly into the 360, then GO then DZ?
Or take the GO off and save a few ounces?
Also, does it seem right to have the 360 under the head, or should it be above the head, and only rotate the optic and not the head?
Thanks for your time.

 

[Marshfly]

Doesn't the DZ already have a pan head? Why do you need an additional one with the 360? What's the reason for a QR for the head assembly to the tripod?

What all are you trying to accomplish here by combining so many parts?

I hope you aren't trying to shoot off of that stack of stuff...

 

[Rail505]

Doesn't the DZ already have a pan head? Why do you need an additional one with the 360? What's the reason for a QR for the head assembly to the tripod?

What all are you trying to accomplish here by combining so many parts?

I hope you aren't trying to shoot off of that stack of stuff...

Yes, you loosen 2 knobs, each controlling pan and tilt.
The 360 works separately from the head, rotating 8° with every turn of a knob, allowing you to creep when looking for game. Using it in my backyard overlooking a desert hill, it seems like it will work effectively, especially for a newbie.
My reason for the QR is for the bubble level, but i dont know if a QR i required, necessary, or a good idea, which is why im looking for help here.
I want to use this tripod for glassing, sitting and standing if necessary and also to shoot if the situation calls for it.

 

[Marshfly]

Yes, you loosen 2 knobs, each controlling pan and tilt.
The 360 works separately from the head, rotating 8° with every turn of a knob, allowing you to creep when looking for game. Using it in my backyard overlooking a desert hill, it seems like it will work effectively, especially for a newbie.
My reason for the QR is for the bubble level, but i dont know if a QR i required, necessary, or a good idea, which is why im looking for help here.
I want to use this tripod for glassing, sitting and standing if necessary and also to shoot if the situation calls for it.

You don't need nor should want all of that complexity.

I would send everything back but the DZ. You definitely don't need a bubble level nor the ability to micro-rotate the head. QR is nice but not necessary. It should be integrated into the head. I would not add a separate piece to get QR.

I personally think that DZ head is designed all wrong from the beginning honestly. The ball head should be low right at the top of the legs and the pan head should be removable so a rifle can be attached directly to the low mounted ball head.

The further above the tripod legs your rifle is mounted the worse and worse it will be for shooting. Stacking parts like you have only makes the tall design of the DZ head worse.

 

[Rail505]

You don't need nor should want all of that complexity.

I would send everything back but the DZ. You definitely don't need a bubble level nor the ability to micro-rotate the head. QR is nice but not necessary. It should be integrated into the head. I would not add a separate piece to get QR.

I personally think that DZ head is designed all wrong from the beginning honestly. The ball head should be low right at the top of the legs and the pan head should be removable so a rifle can be attached directly to the low mounted ball head.

The further above the tripod legs your rifle is mounted the worse and worse it will be for shooting. Stacking parts like you have only makes the tall design of the DZ head worse.

Like i said, new to hunting so i was coming from the mindset that i NEED all of this, thanks for the reply.
So now are you saying the DZ is too much as well. Tricer says its for the hunter that shoots off tripod and it will allow for cant so your rifle is straight.
Do i need a feature that i will only use 10% of the time a tripod is used, or go back to the BP, which is identical to the DZ except no ball head? If im reading your right i think i just answered my own question.
Real quick, what is the purpose, if any, for bubbles on glassing/shooting tripods?

 

[Marshfly]

Like i said, new to hunting so i was coming from the mindset that i NEED all of this, thanks for the reply.
So now are you saying the DZ is too much as well. Tricer says its for the hunter that shoots off tripod and it will allow for cant so your rifle is straight.
Do i need a feature that i will only use 10% of the time a tripod is used, or go back to the BP, which is identical to the DZ except no ball head? If im reading your right i think i just answered my own question.
Real quick, what is the purpose, if any, for bubbles on glassing/shooting tripods?

Bubbles on tripods are really for filming so the pan is level. Not a huge deal to eyeball it for glassing. Close enough is close enough.

You need a ball head to shoot off of. You can't really shoot off of a pan head unless you simply drop a bag on top the head and shoot off of that, which is a VERY valid option.

The issue with the dz is that the way it is designed puts the rifle way above the leg intersection. For max stability you want the rifle connection as close to the intersection of the three legs as possible. Every inch you rise above that decreases stability.

The ideal lightweight option for what you want to do is something like an RRS Anvil 30 or Leofoto MA-30 attached to the tripod. Then you use the RRS PT-Scout and clip that into the ball head. That way you shoot off of the low ball head but still have a pan option to add to the system.

This link has an image of what I am describing. https://rrssoar.com/pt-scout-lightweight-glassing-pan-tilt-head/

You can see the lower ball head with the pan head attached via ARCA. Remove that pan head and attach your rifle and the connection is really low for stability. Imagine trying to put pressure on a rifle attached at the top of the pan in this image. Think about how much the tripod would want to move. That's what you will see with your current setup while shooting.

Another issue you will have is that your tripods have center columns. Shooting off of a tripod with a center column, even lowered adds to the height issue I'm describing and prevents prone shooting. I think you started in the wrong place for a do-it-all system if part of what you want is shooting.

 

[Marshfly]

@Rail505 Check out this thread. This new head from Wiser Precision is probably a MUCH better solution for you than stacking all of the Tricer stuff.

Post in thread 'Wiser BT-20 Ridge Warden'

Jun 25, 2025

I agree however im just at the point I want something that works well for glassing but servicable for shooting off of, as Ill spend 90% of my time glassing. Im not the guy shooting NRL matches who needs a rock steady setup.

Problem is all im finding are things that end up being junk for both. The Tricer DZ head is ok but for the price and size not my solution at the moment.

I think this solution is MUCH better than the DZ.

Now what we need is a light tripod that doesn't have a center section and is reasonably priced. I have a Vortex Summit Carbon laying around that is really...

• Marshfly

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[guitarpreston]

I wanted a do it all tripod as well, I went to the aziak front country and added a little handle to it see thread here.

It's tall enough to stand from, has a removable center collumn, ball head, and tilt lock so it works like a pan...Its not as smooth as a fluid head but pretty dang good. I shoot off it quite a bit and it does well for me with my muzzleloader.

I also run the tricer bipod and have been using it pretty much exclusively since I got it.