Tripod/Ball head ?

[FLHunter87]

I have been seeing and trying to find out what's more important, the tripod or ball head. More say the ball head is the more important item and almost any tripod would be good enough for your needs. Is that the conclusion most will say? I was thinking of either a fatboy 40/50 ballhead/anvil 30 and any midrange or budget friendly carbon fiber tripod out there.

 

[Mojave]

Both the ball head and tripod must be able to support the weight of whatever you are putting on it.

Plus a bit of your own weight if you lean on it pretty hard like a rifle.

I tend to think somewhere in the 30-50 pound weight range for shooting off of. With me leaning on it, and a PRS type 18-20 pound rifle.

So both the ball head and the tripod must be of the same weight class. Makes for a heavy ball head, but worth it when you are knocking an animal over at 200-400 yards off of a tripod.

I have a Bogen from about 30 years ago that I still have that still works. I just gave my guide a Sirui, both are rated in that same 30-50 pounds.

Gets to be a lot of gear.

 

[Mojave]

If you back this off to a hunting only tripod and ball head, your weight could probably be 20 pounds.

 

[FLHunter87]

If you back this off to a hunting only tripod and ball head, your weight could probably be 20 pounds.

This is mainly hunting purposes, but yes the tripod I found is rated over 30lbs which is way more than enough. And the Fatboy/anvil ball head are both capable of the same from the reviews and seem to be fairly popular. So if I can piece something together and save 200-300 bucks, be better off for me at least.

 

[MOwhitetail]

In my experience, the tripod is more important. I’ve used relatively cheap ball heads that do just fine and lock up solid, but even with a heavyish carbon fiber tripod that isn’t necessarily the cheapest option, I’ve noticed a fair amount of rotational instability. Using it in a seated or kneeling position negates a lot of this but it’s definitely noticeable standing.

 

[MOwhitetail]

I also find that the expensive tripods have features that make deployment smoother/quicker.

 

[FLHunter87]

I went with a Sirui AM324 tripod and the new SA40 from Leofoto. Tripod was less than 150 and ball head was 225 I think. For the value of the tripod, I couldn't ask for more honestly. The ball head is also really good for shooting. For not even spending $400, I believe this combo is very budget friendly and solid. I've already zero rifles on it without issue. Very stable. I would feel comfortable using this setup for long ranges no question asked. Highly recommend this setup especially for beginners or even someone wanting to stay on a budget.