Tripod Rifle Clamp/Saddle

[bmicek]

I’ve been toying with the idea of a clamp to support my rifle when hunting open country. I carry my tripod for binos already so I thought maybe it’d be easy to swap it over to this when getting ready for a shot.

My question is, does anyone else do this with success or is there a point it’s too cumbersome? If so, what do you do to steady the shot if laying prone is not an option? (I hunt a lot of CRP). I know shooting sticks is an option but I thought it was one less thing to carry. For those that do use something like this, is there a model you like? I’ve seen some that are plastic and look cheap. I like the looks of the Hog Saddle.

 

[Big Ern]

If you are gonna make yhr hukp to shooting off a tripod, donit right. Get an arca rail on rifle and a proper ballhead/leveling base.

RRS is the gold standard. Pricey, but so good.

 

[bmicek]

If you are gonna make yhr hukp to shooting off a tripod, donit right. Get an arca rail on rifle and a proper ballhead/leveling base.

RRS is the gold standard. Pricey, but so good.

I have the proper tripod setup. But adding an arca rail on my rifle isn’t practical for my Kimber Montana.

 

[Gunnersdad49]

I’ve done the saddle thing. They are heavy, take a comparatively long time to set up, and are far less stable than other options. Don’t waste the time, money, or effort.

I know you said you didn’t want to add an arca to your rifle, but that’s the right answer. Look at Area 419 or Henderson for their 4” rails. Mount in front of your hinged floorplate.

I still have a RRS Vyce that is great fir kids first starting out. It’ll fit any rifle, but it is big and heavy and slow for hunting. Arca rail is definitely a better solution if your rifle stock allows

 

[Lawnboi]

Don’t waste your money. Figure out a way to clamp it on directly. The saddle is another item you have to take out to make a shot. And they are not nearly as stable as attaching directly to the rifle. I can’t speak to the rrs version but I had a Hogg saddle for a short time. It was nice but takes more figuring to make a solid platform, vs something I can clip directly into I can pretty much rely on that alone. I’d use a bag before I’d use another clamp

 

[valleyforge.1777]

I was all excited to do this, now that I've tried it, I don't know what to think.

I have an RRS tripod and ball head. the ballhead I have has arca rail clamp, of course, but also has a pic rail clamp integrated into it so you can use either arca rail or pic rail on your rifle. I also have the RRS Vyce. Been going back and forth with different rifles and different combinations of ways to attach to the ball head. Also have a piece of wood with a pic rail bolted to the bottom, and use padding stuff on top of the wood to make a sort of shooting rest or shooting table thingie. That wood clamps nice and snug into the ball head, rock solid. So, in summary, I can shoot with rail to the ball head, clamped into Vyce, or rested. Rifles tried with all this include 357 lever (Vyce and rest), 30-30 lever (Vyce and rest), Japanese T99 7.7x58 war rifle (Vyce and rest), X-Bolt 270 Win (Vyce and rest), and 223 AR (pic rail and Vyce and rest). Shooting off concrete shooting range platform (floor of shooting pavilion).

Surprisingly, the rifle rested (on the padded piece of wood) seems to be about as good as it gets for my accuracy across these platforms. Except Vyce slightly better than rested for the 357 lever. Maybe I'd get better results with shooting off of grass or gravel instead of concrete, but with the 30-30, 7.7x58, and 270 Win, and even the 223 AR-15 I get so much rocking back of the tripod and leg bounce with each shot with the Vyce or with the AR locked in via the pic rail. I don't know if that is affecting my accuracy, probably is affecting accuracy of each shot, but certainly affects repeatability of the shot strings. After each shot, I have to re-position the tripod legs and re-aim/adjust the ball head for the next shot. I'm not comfortable using that Vyce with the Japanese rifle. The stocks on those rifles can not take much shock/recoil, but the rest of the rifles' stocks are probably fine. Maybe if I shoot off the grass I would not get so much bouncing around with each shot? Got to try that.

I know everyone says to put the arca rail on the rifle and clamp in. On the X-bolt Hunter, I'd be drilling into a nice walnut stock. I guess that's OK if the accuracy improves, but with all that jumping around of the whole set up with each shot, I don't know that it would be worth it. And, the rail would wind up being pretty far forward to clear the mag and the bottom metal. Definitely far forward of the balance point of the rifle. Has anyone ever mounted an arca rail to the bottom of a magazine (on the x-bolt they are "polymer" and fit in flush to the bottom of the rifle). Can't really disassemble an X-bolt magazine, well, you can disassemble but if you google it you'll see that they are impossible to reassemble. so, I'd have to JB Weld the arca rail to the magazine or something like that. Overall, that whole idea seems to be a dead end.

Anyway, as to your question, if you shoot a very light recoiling rifle, go ahead and try the RRS Vyce. It's like Orvis dog beds: Sure, other companies make dog beds, they're just not as good. Nobody makes a better clamp-vice thing that the RRS Vyce. But as for me, I am not so greatly pleased with the whole rail-clamped-into-the-ballhead or the Vyce clamp thing.

 

[MallardAddict]

It’s another thing to carry but for getting my 6 yo son shooting I bought a BOG Death Grip and it does surprisingly well with even my big rifles.

I clamp my rifles much closer to the mag then shown in this picture, it’s only that way to make the barrel stamp visible in that particular picture.

 

[cuerro viejo]

I like my reaper rest, it’s heavy but comes in really handy

 

[Lawnboi]

I was all excited to do this, now that I've tried it, I don't know what to think.

I have an RRS tripod and ball head. the ballhead I have has arca rail clamp, of course, but also has a pic rail clamp integrated into it so you can use either arca rail or pic rail on your rifle. I also have the RRS Vyce. Been going back and forth with different rifles and different combinations of ways to attach to the ball head. Also have a piece of wood with a pic rail bolted to the bottom, and use padding stuff on top of the wood to make a sort of shooting rest or shooting table thingie. That wood clamps nice and snug into the ball head, rock solid. So, in summary, I can shoot with rail to the ball head, clamped into Vyce, or rested. Rifles tried with all this include 357 lever (Vyce and rest), 30-30 lever (Vyce and rest), Japanese T99 7.7x58 war rifle (Vyce and rest), X-Bolt 270 Win (Vyce and rest), and 223 AR (pic rail and Vyce and rest). Shooting off concrete shooting range platform (floor of shooting pavilion).

Surprisingly, the rifle rested (on the padded piece of wood) seems to be about as good as it gets for my accuracy across these platforms. Except Vyce slightly better than rested for the 357 lever. Maybe I'd get better results with shooting off of grass or gravel instead of concrete, but with the 30-30, 7.7x58, and 270 Win, and even the 223 AR-15 I get so much rocking back of the tripod and leg bounce with each shot with the Vyce or with the AR locked in via the pic rail. I don't know if that is affecting my accuracy, probably is affecting accuracy of each shot, but certainly affects repeatability of the shot strings. After each shot, I have to re-position the tripod legs and re-aim/adjust the ball head for the next shot. I'm not comfortable using that Vyce with the Japanese rifle. The stocks on those rifles can not take much shock/recoil, but the rest of the rifles' stocks are probably fine. Maybe if I shoot off the grass I would not get so much bouncing around with each shot? Got to try that.

I know everyone says to put the arca rail on the rifle and clamp in. On the X-bolt Hunter, I'd be drilling into a nice walnut stock. I guess that's OK if the accuracy improves, but with all that jumping around of the whole set up with each shot, I don't know that it would be worth it. And, the rail would wind up being pretty far forward to clear the mag and the bottom metal. Definitely far forward of the balance point of the rifle. Has anyone ever mounted an arca rail to the bottom of a magazine (on the x-bolt they are "polymer" and fit in flush to the bottom of the rifle). Can't really disassemble an X-bolt magazine, well, you can disassemble but if you google it you'll see that they are impossible to reassemble. so, I'd have to JB Weld the arca rail to the magazine or something like that. Overall, that whole idea seems to be a dead end.

Anyway, as to your question, if you shoot a very light recoiling rifle, go ahead and try the RRS Vyce. It's like Orvis dog beds: Sure, other companies make dog beds, they're just not as good. Nobody makes a better clamp-vice thing that the RRS Vyce. But as for me, I am not so greatly pleased with the whole rail-clamped-into-the-ballhead or the Vyce clamp thing.

How you position the tripod, and how you are on the gun, and how you manage recoil all becomes a big deal when shooting rifles that have some push off the tripod. Concrete probably wasn’t helping the matter but likely other things are involved. On top of that it will just never be a probe shot

 

[Buzby]

Try shooting off of bag on your tripod. Plus side is you then have a bag that you can rest on any other surface without having to set up your tripod. A bag with light fill will be lighter and more versitle than a clamp.

 

[khuber84]

Put a salmon River Solutions mini arca on your rifle, they make flat or round btm for various stocks.

Edit: Ken @ SRS no longer offers the flat btm arca mini, just the round bottom unfortunately.

 

[sportsmans challenge]

Put a salmon River Solutions mini arca on your rifle, they make flat or round btm for various stocks.

Bi pod pic rail and small arca plate.

Would be an easy swap out from your bino's to a steady front rest. Will be playing with these plates this fall and winter for positions other than prone.

 

[MaraviaDave]

I’d recommend getting a plate that can be attached to your tripod head, along with a Pint Sized Game Changer bag, filled with Git-Lite fill, from Armageddon Gear……if you don’t want to mount a plate to your rifle.

If you’re willing to mount a plate to your rifle, I’d recommend shooting off a purpose built ball head. Specifically the Really Right Stuff Anvil 30.

From my perspective, using one of the clamp-on options is not nearly as good as the two options above.

Whatever you choose, an equal amount of consideration should go into the tripod you choose. Typical tripods used for glassing while hunting are going to handicap you. Generally, they have a lot of mechanical wobble.

 

[sportsmans challenge]

I’d recommend getting a plate that can be attached to your tripod head, along with a Pint Sized Game Changer bag, filled with Git-Lite fill, from Armageddon Gear……if you don’t want to mount a plate to your rifle.

If you’re willing to mount a plate to your rifle, I’d recommend shooting off a purpose built ball head. Specifically the Really Right Stuff Anvil 30.

From my perspective, using one of the clamp-on options is not nearly as good as the two options above.

Whatever you choose, an equal amount of consideration should go into the tripod you choose. Typical tripods used for glassing while hunting are going to handicap you. Generally, they have a lot of mechanical wobble.

Agreed with purpose built gear, but also have to look at the possibility of running the bi pod, and if you can't get low or need a little boost, being able to just clamp into whatever tripod you have handy at a split moment is valuable.

This picture above with my 6 creed on it is just my bino tripod and holds it. It isn't the pc I would plan to use if I planned mounting the gun for a hunt, but in a pinch it is capable.

 

[Lawnboi]

Agreed with purpose built gear, but also have to look at the possibility of running the bi pod, and if you can't get low or need a little boost, being able to just clamp into whatever tripod you have handy at a split moment is valuable.

This picture above with my 6 creed on it is just my bino tripod and holds it. It isn't the pc I would plan to use if I planned mounting the gun for a hunt, but in a pinch it is capable.

In a quick situation a bag thrown on the head, not even on a table is going to be quicker and more stable than clipping into the front of your stock. Give it a try on the clock. Adjusting a tripod way out where you’re bipod rides takes forever and is not stable at all. I’d rather use a make shift front rear and use my tripod as a rear support. Lots of ways to sit there and make something steady, but quick and easy is my end goal with a hunting setup.

 

[MaraviaDave]

In a quick situation a bag thrown on the head, not even on a table is going to be quicker and more stable than clipping into the front of your stock. Give it a try on the clock. Adjusting a tripod way out where you’re bipod rides takes forever and is not stable at all. I’d rather use a make shift front rear and use my tripod as a rear support. Lots of ways to sit there and make something steady, but quick and easy is my end goal with a hunting setup.

Agree. 100%

 

[fwafwow]

I hope not to hijack this thread, but I’ve been thinking of a similar need. I was looking at the BOG Death Grip like @MallardAddict mentioned (btw, is that the CF version?) after deciding that my new Primos Trigger Stick didn't quite do it for me. But I've also thought about a tripod. I have the Spartan Javelin Pro Hunt Tac bipod and mount, so I looked at the Spartan Sentinel tripod (it would be cool to have one system), but it seemed like quite a bit of $$ and overkill for my whitetail needs. I'm looking for something that works in a ground blind or tree stand - so a medium length would do - but I'd love the flexibility of taking a standing shot (I'm 6'2") now and then. But a tripod may be a bit unwieldy in a tree stand.

 

[khuber84]

Get a leofoto ls323 with rrs anvil, whole setup is 4#. My outdoorsman bino mount, spotter, and rifle w/ arca all clamp in! I also have a plate that's shown in previous posts. I run this on a heavier tripod in prs with a heavy schmedium bag. Makes shots at multiple targets from different angles faster. That style of shooting discipline is all about gaming the stages as they seem to get more complex every match I shoot. Hunting is pretty adaptable for 1 tripod with one connection being easy to use in almost all situations. But my prior suggestion is a tripod that you can use standing seated kneeling or prone to shoot from. It's light for glassing and packing yet stable for shooting. Get a hook below the apex and hang your pack for more stability in kneeling or standing positions.

 

[Bravo 4]

If you want to try a well fitting saddle for cheap before you spend that kind of money on a commercial piece, then you can make one for about $10-$15 with stuff from Home Depot.