How to Choose the Best Hunting Tripod
Sep 18, 2024
When it comes to picking the best hunting tripod, it’s all about balance. You need something that gives you stability but isn’t going to wear you out while you’re trekking through the wilderness. A tripod might seem like a simple piece of gear, but getting the right one can be the difference between a successful hunt and the walk of shame back to your truck with an empty game bag.
Weight
The first thing to consider is weight. You don’t want to weigh yourself down. For example, if you’re out chasing elk, hauling a 20-pound tripod along with your rifle, pack, and harvested game is going to feel like an extra workout you didn’t ask for. Let’s say you bag a monster bull elk, and now you’ve got 40 pounds of antlers to add to your pack. Add in your rifle and a heavy tripod, and you’re basically carrying a small mountain on your back.
As they say in the military, “pounds equal pain.” In other words, every bit of unnecessary weight you add to your pack will only hurt you. But on the flip side, you also don’t want a featherweight tripod that wobbles at the slightest breeze. A flimsy setup isn’t going to cut it, especially not with the recoil from a powerful rifle. Camera tripods, for example, might look like they’ll do the job, but they’re not built to handle the force of a .308 or a big-bore magnum.
Stability
Your tripod needs to be stable enough to hold your rifle or other optics without any wobble. Imagine you’re glassing a ridgeline from 800 yards with a high-power spotting scope, and you’ve got the jitters because you’re holding it by hand. Good luck picking out that buck from a bunch of shaky trees! However, with a tripod, that same glassing session becomes smooth as butter.
Having a solid tripod head like the Reaper Grip or Reaper Hellbound can make a world of difference. These heads are designed to hold your rifle with the sturdiness and rigidity of a gun vise without damaging it, allowing you to take steady shots without worrying about any wiggle.
Setup and Tear Down
You want a tripod that’s quick to deploy and easy to pack up. When that buck or coyote shows up unexpectedly, you don’t have time to fiddle around with clunky locks. A lever-lock tripod is a solid choice—it’s faster to set up compared to twist locks and just as stable.
In contrast to a twist lock, a lever lock tripod uses quick-release levers that can be opened and closed in one swift motion, allowing you to adjust the legs immediately. The twist lock, however, requires multiple rotations to loosen and tighten, which can be slower and more cumbersome, especially when speed is crucial, like when setting up for a shot in the field.
Imagine you’re belly-crawling into position, and you’ve only got seconds to set up for a shot. A lever lock lets you get your tripod ready in record time, giving you the chance to take that perfect shot before your target disappears.
Material: Aluminum vs. Carbon Fiber
Material choice also plays a big role in both weight and durability. Carbon fiber tripods like the K800 are generally lighter, which is great if you’re planning on long hikes through rough terrain. However, carbon fiber isn’t quite as sturdy as aluminum tripods such as the K700, which is more rigid but adds a bit more weight. It comes down to where and how you hunt. If you’re hunting in hilly or rocky areas, and you know you’ll be doing some serious footwork, carbon fiber can save your legs. But if you’re hunting in a windy open field where stability is crucial, that extra sturdiness of an aluminum tripod might be worth the few extra pounds.
Adjustability
Remember, you’re not always going to be standing upright to take your shot. Sometimes you’ll be kneeling or even lying prone, especially if you’re hunting skittish animals or if you’re shooting in particularly rough terrain. Your tripod needs to be adjustable enough to work in all these positions. Some tripods are only good for standing shots, which can leave you out of luck if you find yourself tucked into a small depression or under cover, trying to get the drop on your quarry.
Tripod Heads
The head of the tripod is equally as important as the legs. The Reaper Grip and Reaper Hellbound heads are designed to handle heavy rifles without slipping or causing damage. For long-range shooters, having a steady grip on your rifle can make all the difference in hitting a distant target.
Accessories
A tripod isn’t just for shooting—it can also be used for glassing, or even for illumination. You can attach spotting scopes, rangefinders, binoculars, night vision optics or thermal turning your tripod into an all-purpose platform. The KJI leveling head or Arcatinny mount adapter used with the Reaper Rig Accessory Plate let you mount all sorts of accessories to your tripod. This is especially useful for solo hunters who need to glass with binoculars or a scope but want to make a quick switch to their rifle without losing time or fumbling around with gear.
Let’s say you’re out alone on a solo elk hunt. You’ve set up your spotting scope on your tripod, and after spotting your target, you need to switch to your rifle quickly. Having all your gear on the same platform makes that transition smoother and faster—no unnecessary movement, no wasted time.
Conclusion
Choosing the best hunting tripod boils down to finding that sweet spot between weight, stability, and versatility. You want something lightweight but sturdy, easy to set up but reliable under pressure. Whether you're glassing for miles or taking that long-range shot, the right tripod can make your hunt smoother and more successful.
With features like adjustable heights, quick-lock mechanisms, and versatile heads, your tripod can become a crucial part of your hunting kit. So, before you hit the field, take the time to pick the tripod that’s going to work best for your style of hunting and terrain. After all, the last thing you want is to be stuck lugging around a heavy tripod—or worse, missing your shot because of a flimsy one.
