What tripod should I look at?

[T_Widdy]

Probably a really dumb question but I looked up that anvil head and that trivet tripod you have.

Do those just sort of click together with no messing around and you’re good to go? Additionally could I just bolt an arca plate to my rifle and slap it on a set up like that and roll with it or is it more complicated than that?

Also, what would it take to have a setup like that and switch between a spotter and the rifle?

Again, sorry if those questions are basic.

The tricer comes with a center post that has a 3/8 stud and the anvil 30 will thread right onto there and work.

If you have a arca plate on your spotter it will go right into the anvil 30.

You can have a arca or a picatinny rail on your rifle and it will also clamp into the anvil 30

I just didn’t like how high the head was on the center post and didn’t need the extra height you get with a center post so that’s why I built a new mount and lowered the anvil 30 to the tripod

 

[thinhorn_AK]

The tricer comes with a center post that has a 3/8 stud and the anvil 30 will thread right onto there and work.

If you have a arca plate on your spotter it will go right into the anvil 30.

You can have a arca or a picatinny rail on your rifle and it will also clamp into the anvil 30

I just didn’t like how high the head was on the center post and didn’t need the extra height you get with a center post so that’s why I built a new mount and lowered the anvil 30 to the tripod

Thank you. When you say you “built” a new mount, what exactly do you mean? Again sorry for all the questions.

 

[T_Widdy]

Thank you. When you say you “built” a new mount, what exactly do you mean? Again sorry for all the questions.

The silver aluminum part in this picture

 

[thinhorn_AK]

The silver aluminum part in this picture

Ahh I see. Did you have somebody do that or are you a machinist?

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

Probably a really dumb question but I looked up that anvil head and that trivet tripod you have.

Do those just sort of click together with no messing around and you’re good to go? Additionally could I just bolt an arca plate to my rifle and slap it on a set up like that and roll with it or is it more complicated than that?

Also, what would it take to have a setup like that and switch between a spotter and the rifle?

Again, sorry if those questions are basic.

Use the Anvil like this. You have it to level the Tricer LP Panhead, which you’ll use for both your spotter and your bino’s, with a little Arca plate attached to the bottom of the Tricer LP.
When you’re ready to shoot, pop it off and throw your rifle on the Anvil, with either an Arca or Picatinny, as the new Anvil will accept either. This is the Leofoto MA-30L by the way, which is the Anvil clone. The RRS Ascend 14 (compact/platform) is the ultimate mountain hunting tripod to use. Right around 3.2 lbs for the ultimate glassing/shooting platform. worth the weight.

 

[T_Widdy]

Use the Anvil like this. You have it to level the Tricer LP Panhead, which you’ll use for both your spotter and your bino’s, with a little Arca plate attached to the bottom of the Tricer LP.
When you’re ready to shoot, pop it off and throw your rifle on the Anvil, with either an Arca or Picatinny, as the new Anvil will accept either. This is the Leofoto MA-30L by the way, which is the Anvil clone. The RRS Ascend 14 (compact/platform) is the ultimate mountain hunting tripod to use. Right around 3.2 lbs for the ultimate glassing/shooting platform. worth the weight.
View attachment 634943
View attachment 634944

How well does the Leofoto MA-30L work? Any issues?

 

[JGood]

@B_Reynolds_AK why did you run the Tricer pan head instead of the RRS?

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

@B_Reynolds_AK why did you run the Tricer pan head instead of the RRS?

The Tricer LP is incredibly smooth and locks up rock solid, even with a Kowa 88 spotter attached.
With a small Arca plate on the bottom, it weighs 5 oz.
The SOAR PT-Scout weighs 8-9.5 oz depending on which clamp you use.
I have not seen the need to "upgrade" to the PT-Scout with a quarter lb weight increase.

Likewise, the Leofoto MA-30L functions beautifully while weighing 4 oz less than the Anvil-30.
Between the two, you save half a lb while losing no functionality.
I would not however recommend any of the Leofoto carbon tripods. The Ascend-14 is far more rigid than the noodle like legs of even the Leofoto LS-324.

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

As far as going to a truly lightweight setup that is capable of using as a shooting platform as well,
I would not use the 15 oz Anvil-30 atop a lighter set of legs. As nice as the head is, you do not have the rigidity in the legs to make the most of that setup, effectively you are carrying unnecessary weight.

There are two micro heads that function like mini Anvil's, ie. reverse ballhead with a lever clamp.
The RRS BC-18 (3.7 oz.) and the Leofoto MBC-18. (3 oz)
The minor amount of flex that they have matches up closer to that of the Tricer BC or like, meaning that you do not over power the legs with a heavy, stiff head like the Anvil. These little heads have far more clamping power than an equivalent size standard ballhead and work surprisingly well to shoot from. You do not have the option of using a Pic rail though, only Arca. The MBC-18 has a standard female 1/4-20 threads, while the BC-18 has a male 1/4-20 stud, which you can mount to a tripod platform that has a removable 3/8-16 stud, and in its place, thread in a 3/8 to 1/4 reducer bushing, which the 1/4 stud can thread into. I have both of these heads, so that I can mount to any tripod, regardless if it has a removable 3/8 stud or not.

The Fieldcraft below is attached to the BC-18 via a Spartan Arca adapter.

 

[StopMakingSense]

Thanks for the recs @B_Reynolds_AK I'm going to mimic this setup a bit and do some surgery on my tripod. Did you use a reducer for the Tricer pan head to attach to your plate?

It does look like RRS has finally gotten through to LeofotoUSA with regards to IP for the Anvil as they can no longer sell it per chat when I inquired.

 

[JohnJohnson]

It does look like RRS has finally gotten through to LeofotoUSA with regards to IP for the Anvil as they can no longer sell it per chat.

That's great news.

 

[Crews]

I’ve got RRS 14 series legs and one of their ballheads. Previously owned 34 series legs and an Anvil 30. At the end of the day I spend more time glassing than shooting, and I rarely do any of it standing up. So I bumped down from 34 to 14 because it’s so much shorter and easier to pack/carry. I’m 5’10” so I can still shoot off it standing if I had to. The ball head is a bit easier for glassing, but most times I wish I had kept the Anvil 30. It’s such an amazing tripod head.

YMMV, but in this product market I find the blatant IP theft of the Chinese particularly disgusting for some reason. I’m very proud of my RRS gear, and if I had to start from scratch I’d just do without until I could afford to buy it again.

 

[ID_Matt]

I’m still testing this out but so far I have been happy with this tricer ad and a rrs anvil 30. I did remove the center post and build a solid mount for the anvil.View attachment 633698View attachment 633699

This is how I wish the tricer was to begin with, with the head as close to the apex as possible. I returned mine because the center post suck up so high. Can you message me how you did this?

 

[rootacres]

ANVIL ball head from RRS - this unit is the benchmark

RRS tripods are sick, Two Vets are similar and more affordable

 

[bmart2622]

As far as going to a truly lightweight setup that is capable of using as a shooting platform as well,
I would not use the 15 oz Anvil-30 atop a lighter set of legs. As nice as the head is, you do not have the rigidity in the legs to make the most of that setup, effectively you are carrying unnecessary weight.

There are two micro heads that function like mini Anvil's, ie. reverse ballhead with a lever clamp.
The RRS BC-18 (3.7 oz.) and the Leofoto MBC-18. (3 oz)
The minor amount of flex that they have matches up closer to that of the Tricer BC or like, meaning that you do not over power the legs with a heavy, stiff head like the Anvil. These little heads have far more clamping power than an equivalent size standard ballhead and work surprisingly well to shoot from. You do not have the option of using a Pic rail though, only Arca. The MBC-18 has a standard female 1/4-20 threads, while the BC-18 has a male 1/4-20 stud, which you can mount to a tripod platform that has a removable 3/8-16 stud, and in its place, thread in a 3/8 to 1/4 reducer bushing, which the 1/4 stud can thread into. I have both of these heads, so that I can mount to any tripod, regardless if it has a removable 3/8 stud or not.

The Fieldcraft below is attached to the BC-18 via a Spartan Arca adapter.
View attachment 635095View attachment 635094View attachment 635096

So youd go Tricer Bc with the Leofoto BC18 for shooting and glassing over the 324c with ma30 head?

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

So youd go Tricer Bc with the Leofoto BC18 for shooting and glassing over the 324c with ma30 head?

I would if i wanted the lightest setup possible that still provides adequate shooting ability. The 324 with MA-30 will offer more stability but at twice the weight. Those two tripods are quite different in size, weight and use case.

Myself I have been using the Tricer BC and RRS Ascend 14 as my two tripod quiver. The Ascend is a much better tripod than the 324.

 

[Kimber7man]

Great read, with lots of great advice here.

Curious - does anyone use Outdoorsmans tripods/heads anymore? Their new Gen2 looks like it would work for glassing and shooting with Arca built in.

 

[6.5x284]

How well does the Leofoto MA-30L work? Any issues?

Mine shit the bed on my elk hunt this year. Got really weird and binds up. Took it apart and it wasn’t dirty or anything. I’d send it back in but they don’t make it anymore and I nabbed this one off eBay so not covered.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[StopMakingSense]

I would if i wanted the lightest setup possible that still provides adequate shooting ability. The 324 with MA-30 will offer more stability but at twice the weight. Those two tripods are quite different in size, weight and use case.

Myself I have been using the Tricer BC and RRS Ascend 14 as my two tripod quiver. The Ascend is a much better tripod than the 324.

Have you tried the Aziak Backcountry Lite vs the Tricer BC?

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

Have you tried the Aziak Backcountry Lite vs the Tricer BC?

Yes. The Aziak is fantastic, besides for one aspect that I'm not a fan of, which is the plastic bushing for the triangle center column. Due to this design, the amount of wobble present is more than I can accept. This is present even with the column fully seated at its lowest position. The BC has this as well, but to a lesser extent.