Tripod for binos Y or N

[Bugger]

Yes, it is Dalls. I am a little ashamed to admit this, but glassing is the ONLY part of hunting that I truly hate. I have friends that love it better than any other part of hunting. I am not normally one to feel left out if I am not glassing, but those are hunts I have done time and time and time again like elk. I have very limited sight in one eye due to my optic nerve dying in that eye. Therefore, it is really hard for me to glass for long periods anyway.

I’d be looking to get the binos as steady as possible in your situation to reduce fatigue, plus a tripod is a fantastic shooting platform for mid-height shots above rocks and grass. 100% take one

 

[cuerro viejo]

I always carry one as run 11x or 12x and generally like glassing off tripod, but I have glassed off trekking poles a lot when in a pinch

 

[rogerdoger]

If you are taking trekking poles get set up with the wiser precision quick sticks and third leg, along with the sparrow. Won’t add a lot of weight but would give you an option for a tripod.

 

[PoniBoy]

Definitely. Tripod is always with me

 

[Eric30]

Tripod always! Couldn't imagine sitting and glassing without it!

 

[Maverick1]

How many of you only take the binos for glassing? I will have a guide with a spotter. I doubt if I take a spotter. Therefore, is the tripod worth the weight to use while glassing with binos? I debate it every hunt. If you don’t have it, your arms get tired. If you do it is exta weight? And, light weight or not they all are an extra few pounds.

It kind of depends on a number of factors. If I'm still hunting most of the day, tripod stays in the truck. If I'm glassing for a good portion of the day, the binoculars on top of the tripod is a really nice setup!

 

[WVELK]

Let me expand my post a bit. For those of you who do take the tripod, what is your go to set up for binos? And, if I would change my mind and take a spotter the one below will be with me. Maybe even in lieu of binos. I got this as a gift last year but have not even tried it yet. If I drop the bino harness this spotter is no heavier than binos and harness.

 

[Blockcaver]

There is no way I’d take a spotting scope without binoculars. I’d almost rather leave my bow home than my binoculars….only kidding a little.

Nice scope! I just replaced my 14 yr old Swaro ATM 20-60x65HD with a green ATC 17-40x56. The ATC impressed with head to head comparisons in low light and midday use plus it is 2/3 the size and weight. Sold the ATM this week for $100 less than I paid for it in 2011. $7/yr ownership cost!

 

[RockAndSage]

Let me expand my post a bit. For those of you who do take the tripod, what is your go to set up for binos? And, if I would change my mind and take a spotter the one below will be with me. Maybe even in lieu of binos. I got this as a gift last year but have not even tried it yet. If I drop the bino harness this spotter is no heavier than binos and harness.

It's important to remember that when using these optics, the vast majority of the time you're studying what you see inside them, picking things apart while looking for tiny items like ears, antler tines, hooves, etc.

It's only a small percentage of the time where you'll see a buck right away, and most often right when you get a new view as you change position early in the morning, like coming around a hill. Having those chest binos allows you to cover a lot of area the quickest, trying to find animals that are up already. But after that, you're working hard in your glass, studying what you see. Looking into shadows, trying to find the small parts that are visible.

During full daylight, if you see a buck standing up it's generally because that buck is getting up to adjust his bed, to get out of the sun as it moves across the sky. So you might only get a minute or so to spot him before he beds back down. Which means you want maximum field-of-view while doing that kind of scanning and picking apart a hillside. That means binos. When on foot, I mostly only use a lightweight spotter to check what I see in the binos, or to spot-check a promising outcropping or shadow farther away.

If I could carry only one optic into the field besides a rifle scope, it would be 8x or 10x binos. Then I'd add a spotter. Then I'd add high-power tripod binos, like 15s or 18s. But in the field I spend the vast majority of my time inside those high-power binos.

 

[180ls1]

A trekking pole works if you have stabilized binos. If not, tripod all day.

 

[Bambistew]

I'm not a fan of binos on a tripod. I tried to make it work, but it was just a pain.

I always have a tripod and spotter with, and if I need a better view, i pull out the spotter. Otherwise, I will glass balancing my binos on the top of a trekker pole. I can even stack/hold two high and get sufficient stability when standing. The thing I like the most, is you can quickly adjust, pivot and move the single pole around, compared to a tripod you have to set up, and are limited on comfort and how you can glass.

 

[Blockcaver]

98% of my sheep country glassing (above or near timber line) is done sitting down, resting against the frame pack that is leaned against a boulder. I can do a decent job hand holding a 10X binocular with the elbows on the sides of the knees, locked in like shooting a rifle from the sitting position.

Using that analogy, when I completed in indoor 50' smallbore rifle (college and local gun clubs) my scores were typically 100 prone (nearly as good as a tripod rest), 99 sitting (like hand holding a binocular from a solid sitting position), 97-98 kneeling (was my strongest position vs competition but really no similarity to glassing) and about 90 offhand (weakest position, just like standing up hand holding the binos).

There would be a much larger discrepancy in "scores" glassing between "offhand" and sitting, as well as a some difference between a solid tripod rest vs sitting.

And bedded deer are typically harder to glass up than sheep, even though brown or gray sheep can blend into a rockslide pretty well. Conditions and distance are always a big factor as well.

 

[mulecreek]

How many of you only take the binos for glassing? I will have a guide with a spotter. I doubt if I take a spotter. Therefore, is the tripod worth the weight to use while glassing with binos? I debate it every hunt. If you don’t have it, your arms get tired. If you do it is exta weight? And, light weight or not they all are an extra few pounds.

To me it depends on what species of sheep you are looking for. If Dalls, I would leave the tripod at home. Dalls are easy to spot with binos. Use the guides spotter to help determine legality or size. If deserts, then I would bring the tripod. Bighorns would depend where i was hunting.

 

[WVELK]

There is no way I’d take a spotting scope without binoculars. I’d almost rather leave my bow home than my binoculars….only kidding a little.

Nice scope! I just replaced my 14 yr old Swaro ATM 20-60x65HD with a green ATC 17-40x56. The ATC impressed with head to head comparisons in low light and midday use plus it is 2/3 the size and weight. Sold the ATM this week for $100 less than I paid for it in 2011. $7/yr ownership cost!

I have said “There is no way ….. “ to a lot of things then turns out I did. Just saying LOL

 

[WVELK]

Also said hold my beer and watch this a few bad times too

 

[WVELK]

I'm not a fan of binos on a tripod. I tried to make it work, but it was just a pain.

I always have a tripod and spotter with, and if I need a better view, i pull out the spotter. Otherwise, I will glass balancing my binos on the top of a trekker pole. I can even stack/hold two high and get sufficient stability when standing. The thing I like the most, is you can quickly adjust, pivot and move the single pole around, compared to a tripod you have to set up, and are limited on comfort and how you can glass.

Now, I can relate to this. I have glassed a lot with a tripod don’t get me wrong. But, I too feel like 90 percent of the time the range in motion is limited. Gunwerks has a tripod head that is a ball head that work ed really well in Alaska. But, dang they are really proud of their stuff.

For those of you who do glass, I am assuming you go with a ball head most of the time .

 

[Jimss]

I would go nuts on a sheep or goat hunt without both a spotter plus binos! Half of the enjoyment on a hunt is watching and field judging game. If you don’t have a spotter you are missing out. I would go totally nuts waiting for a guide to check out rams while he is viewing them.

You may also miss out on an opportunity if your guide doesn’t spot a huge ram that slips out of site before he spots it.

I often place my binos on top of my spotter and go back and forth between both.

 

[WVELK]

I would go nuts on a sheep or goat hunt without both a spotter plus binos! Half of the enjoyment on a hunt is watching and field judging game. If you don’t have a spotter you are missing out. I would go totally nuts waiting for a guide to check out rams while he is viewing them.

You may also miss out on an opportunity if your guide doesn’t spot a huge ram that slips out of site before he spots it.

I often place my binos on top of my spotter and go back and forth between both.

Your are like my very close friend and elk outfitter. I think he likes glassing better than killing. For me, I just don’t enjoy it as noted above. I have several spotting scopes and a few pairs of NL Pures.

 

[svivian]

You can get this combo for $250. At 1lb 11oz I think it’s worth it

 

[Jimss]

I do enjoy watching and filming game.....especially in the off season when there is no weapon in my hand. I can't imagine going on a guided hunt without the tools for success!