Guns & Outdoors Forum

Does anyone here have any experience with the Vortex Summit Carbon II Tripod? Seems to be well liked unit and light enough to be reasonable to carry afield while still able to handle a relatively good amount of weight (22lbs) like a light hunting rifle on an Arca mount. Any other recommendations?
https://www.basspro.com/p/vortex-summit ... h-pan-head



I've looked at the Radian model and I'm not ready to shell out that kind of cash...

For a spotting scope?
Sure.
For a rifle?
No.

Doesn’t seem very sturdy. I’m a tripod snob. I’ve used the best, I’ve used the worst. I’ve landed in between. The dude we know who can walk under an extended tripod without bumping his head would concur.

The $600-ish or a bit less (I’ll have to find links) range is the Goldilocks range. Above that, it’s incremental improvements.
Below that, (for example BOG brand) is a steaming pile of donkey dung.

What the Man from Mo said.

Plan for the heaviest weight you’ll use and everything else will be golden. If you buy for the lightest weight, anything heavier will suck ass.

If you want to shoot off of it, buy for that.

Two-Vets and LeoPhoto seem to be the best bang for buck while being stable and relatively light.

A tripod designed to spot off of will suck as a shooting platform.

If a tool can’t do at least 3 jobs……..get rid of it.

Perfect. That’s the feedback I needed. New to this shooting off a tripod thing. Does the equation change at all if I say the only gun I envision shooting off a tripod is my Kimber Hunter which is a sub 7lb rifle scope and ammo included? Just looking to learn…

In reality, the lighter the rifle, the more solid the tripod you need. Without added weight of the gun to press down and stabilize the tripod, any amount of human interaction transferred into the light rifle and subsequently the light platform, will be exacerbated. From my experience.

You don’t have to go biggest. And I understand that mountains and hiking are involved. But, lugging a fragile platform around to spend hours looking off of and maybe only one chance at a shot……..well……choose what you wish to cuss most.

Your other option is to just get a tripod for the spotting scope and shoot off a ruck or some other improvised platform.
But, shooting off a tripod opens a whole new can of worms and too many people accept mediocrity. Shooting off sub par platforms when they would be better off shooting off the ground, or something else that’s stable.

I don’t know. I’m an alt position shooting snob. A POS platform is a POS platform. Regardless its weight.

Choose what’s important to you.

The Kimber doesn’t have ARCA. Unless you are going to figure out a way to mount a plate, you’ll need some kind of “claw” or (cringing) yoke system.

Zee wrote: ↑Thu Apr 10, 2025 7:16 pm In reality, the lighter the rifle, the more solid the tripod you need. Without added weight of the gun to press down and stabilize the tripod, any amount of human interaction transferred into the light rifle and subsequently the light platform, will be exacerbated. From my experience.

You don’t have to go biggest. And I understand that mountains and hiking are involved. But, lugging a fragile platform around to spend hours looking off of and maybe only one chance at a shot……..well……choose what you wish to cuss most.

The lighter the gun you are shooting comment is so true, as is the other things that have been said.
I would listen to the one who uses tripods more than anyone else here.
I have two good tripods for shooting. One is much more pack-able than the other one.

Many stocks can handle a Arca rail.
It might take away some aesthetics, but hunting rig for me is a tool.
I would like it to be as flexible as it can be

Just looked up the rifle you are referring to.
Lightweight rifle.
How many times would it be nice to shoot from a solid sitting, kneeling, and standing positions, for the way you hunt?
Would it help you put more meat on the table?

The other option aside from an ARCA attached the stock is a “platform “ on the top where you sit a bag. That’s not a bad option, but the bag can be heavy, dependent on the bag.

Tripod.


https://leofotousa.com/products/leofoto ... x-platform



Ball head.

https://leofotousa.com/products/leofoto ... -ball-head



The ball head is a copy of the Really Right Stuff head like high speed shoe salesman run.


That particular tripod is a double edged sword. (I’ve got the older version)
It’s PERFECT in a sense that it’s only one section to extend, which adds rigidity (less joints)and makes it faster and easier to set up right NOW. You don’t have to bend over to extend the legs. Theres less joints to….forget to tighten.

It sucks, if you want something that packs down small. That’s the downside.
But, for my uses it’s ideal. I don’t pack it around in a pack. It will fit inside a pelican case, that’d all I need.

Al Bundy’s buddy fondled mine two weeks ago, and now has one. And Bundy even was eyeballing it.


It will also get low to the ground. As in basically flat.

Some setup examples

And the above links, check around. Midway stocks them, eBay, direct from leophoto, etc.

One of the best bags around.


https://armageddongear.com/product/shme ... oting-bag/

So from the link, the combo is $619. Id buy it again. Id hate to, but I would.

The difference in the leofoto and the RRS ball head is like $250 IIRC. Is the RRS double the cost better? Not in my opinion.
The RRS tripods are like...$1500 I think? For sure not $1000+ better than the Leo, and marginally better than the Two Vets which are 6-700 (I think)
its not like an Indian gas station knife versus a Kershaw, more like a Kershaw versus a Benchmade, to make a comparison.

My solution is to shoot from a monopod that is also a walking stick.

No experience with this, just tossing it out as an example for mounting a bag on top. Id do this LONG LONG LONG LONG before I used a clamp on style rifle holder, aka a hog saddle. Either an ARCA or the bag.

https://www.cole-tac.com/product/backbo ... AbE2N7sZAj

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 11, 2025 12:11 am One of the best bags around.


https://armageddongear.com/product/shme ... oting-bag/

Agree.

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 11, 2025 12:38 am No experience with this, just tossing it out as an example for mounting a bag on top. Id do this LONG LONG LONG LONG before I used a clamp on style rifle holder, aka a hog saddle. Either an ARCA or the bag.

https://www.cole-tac.com/product/backbo ... AbE2N7sZAj

https://rhytec-industries.com/bag-deck/

Zee wrote: ↑Fri Apr 11, 2025 2:34 am

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 11, 2025 12:38 am No experience with this, just tossing it out as an example for mounting a bag on top. Id do this LONG LONG LONG LONG before I used a clamp on style rifle holder, aka a hog saddle. Either an ARCA or the bag.

https://www.cole-tac.com/product/backbo ... AbE2N7sZAj

https://rhytec-industries.com/bag-deck/

How thick is that base?
Asking for a friend with skills.

Leofoto tripod, upgraded ball head, Cole Tac leggings.

I was advised that the same company makes the Vortex tripods. Just not paying for the name. Mine has been flawless. And will spoil you on rifles with ARCA rails. Just clamp the gun on the ball head, pick it up and go..

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 11, 2025 3:07 am

Zee wrote: ↑Fri Apr 11, 2025 2:34 am

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 11, 2025 12:38 am No experience with this, just tossing it out as an example for mounting a bag on top. Id do this LONG LONG LONG LONG before I used a clamp on style rifle holder, aka a hog saddle. Either an ARCA or the bag.

https://www.cole-tac.com/product/backbo ... AbE2N7sZAj

https://rhytec-industries.com/bag-deck/

How thick is that base?
Asking for a friend with skills.

I’ve handled one that Zane had. Really liked it and want to order one myself. Don’t recall the thickness. But, aluminum and was pretty lightweight.