Is a tripod worth the money?

YoteslayerWA

YoteslayerWA

Active member
Is a tripod worth the money for daytime coyote hunting? Is it enough of an upgrade from a bipod to justify spending the money?

I currently have a swagger bipod and I like it but I’m not in love with it. Someone convince me it’s worth it.
 
I think you’ll get a variety of different answers but here’s my take.

I absolutely love a tripod for daytime calling and hunting. I think it needs to be the right tripod and head though. In my personal opinion the best head for daytime calling is the RRS Anvil 30 head or the knock off leofoto MA30 head. They’re both just so easy to adjust on the fly and give a ton of maneuverability. I have a vortex radian with a leveling head and it’s not as versatile as the cheaper Leofoto that I primarily use.

I hunted with the longer swagger bipod for a while and still really like it for what it is. However, it didn’t give me enough stability for longer range shots (400 + yards). Don’t get me wrong, you can nestle something up as a rear support and make good shots but a tripod does it a little better. I hope this doesn’t come off as bragging but I have a 685 yard confirmed kill off the swagger last year but it took a while to get set up just right. Many other kills inside of 350 yards, which is where it shined for me. The swagger sucked to prone out with too. I also have a bunch of cactus out here so I don’t prone out a ton but when I did, the legs were so flimsy I would lost the animal on recoil sometimes.

With that in mind, I bought a Leofoto carbon fiber tripod with the MA30 head at the beginning of 2024 and dedicated time to practicing off of it. My intention was to avoid playing musical bipods based on the different calling or big game hunting I was going to do.

To start, it was so much more versatile to shoot off of but a bit of a learning curve. However, I could spot my impacts better and my recoil management seemed to improve with the more solid foundation. What I really liked was having the adjustability to shoot in tall grass, brush, or sagebrush. Killed my elk this past year at 480-500 yards in tall sage without clipping in. I wouldn’t have been able to make the shot with my tallest Harris bipod. Could have with the swagger but let’s be honest, the biggest downfall of that bipod is the housing that attaches to the gun. Not packing that around with a bunch of other stuff elk hunting.

With the tripod, I feel like I’m more versatile for each calling scenario. You just have to get accustomed to moving it or adjusting your body on the fly sometimes. That’s been my biggest issue for calling so far. It hasn’t cost me a coyote yet though but I’m hunting big open country like you are.

The long range impacts I’m making now are worth the weight of carrying it into stands though. So far I’ve got a confirmed kills at 790, 518,515, and a bunch between 450-200 yards. Had a really close miss at 1018 yard a few weeks ago. I watch all impact in my scope and that gives me a big confidence boost.

Modern day sniper, Phillip Velayo, and a few others have good YouTube videos on body position and fundamentals of shooting off the tripod.

This is my set up. Got the tripod on sale on eBay for $280 with the head.
IMG_8348.jpeg
 
YoteslayerWA said:
Is a tripod worth the money for daytime coyote hunting? Is it enough of an upgrade from a bipod to justify spending the money?

I currently have a swagger bipod and I like it but I’m not in love with it. Someone convince me it’s worth it.
Click to expand...
For daytime hunting when I am sitting and tucked in somewhere 99% of the time, the Swagger is my favorite. My Two Vets QDT V2 gets the nod for all night hunting.
 
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Bipod by day, Tripod by night here. I’m a 300 and in shooter. Like Bowhunt, during the day I’m reducing my chances of getting picked off by getting low and tucking into cover. At night I’m standing or sitting on a stool if applicable and a tripod is the way to go for me.

Swagger QD42 bipod and a middle of the road SunwayFoto 3240CS carbon tripod handles my needs well enough.
 
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My son carried a tripod for a few years,he went to one of the Swagger setups money had nothing to do with it just got tired of carrying so much stuff.Leaves the Swagger connected on rifle.Not the most popular but I cannot get away from Bog Adrenalin bipod.Guess it is just what you get used to
 
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Yeah. There is no right or wrong way to this. It's just what you like doing.

Personally, the way I hunt during the day is totally different then the way I hunt at night.

Night time - I am generally hunting more open areas like fields, roads, etc. I do try to hide in the shadows. I am always standing and using my tripod. Unless I'm hunting a bait site. Then I am in a ground blind sitting with my rifle on my tripod.

Day time - I am sitting on a dove stool and use a bipod. I tend to hunt places that aren't as open so lots of times I will also have my shotgun. I even use a different rifle for day time hunting.
 
I'll never hunt without one at night. Hunt with shooting sticks during the day.
That pretty much covers the hunting portion. I also shoot with a tripod at the range and at comp events.

Only you can decide if it's worth it as I'm not here to convince anyone of anything!
 
It's worth it. A tripod really shines when hunting more open country and taking longer shots. I run a 2 Vets No name and RRS Anvil 30. It's so much more solid than a bipod from a sitting position, it's not even close. Those coyotes that just won't commit are still in trouble.
 
I hunt with a Harris bipod in day time. At night, I use a BOG tripod, and I stand when shooting. The standing and shooting at night is not perfect as there’s some movement and I really have to concentrate when shooting. Where I hunt, there’s enough cover that sitting to shoot at night would be difficult at best. I could not effectively night hunt without a tripod.
 
Does anyone run an athlon tripod. I was looking into one of them and they have great reviews and sounds like it comes with all the necessary parts.
 
I definitely think it depends on the terrain you hunt in. If I was hunting thick tight areas I would rather have something like shooting sticks because you can't see very far to shoot. If more open country a tripod is awesome for the stability it provides.

I hunt with a guy that uses a Swagger. I use a tripod. I would expect him to be faster when the coyotes are streaking in and won't stop but it's usually me that shoots them after they peel away from the call.

I also clip my rifle to the tripod and walk stand to stand with the tripod over my shoulder and the rifle hanging off of it. Walking into a stand its fast and solid to set the tripod down and shoot a coyote that was bumped.

I do feel like there is less maneuverability with a tripod. But the stability it provides for me makes it a no brainer.
 
hunt0168 said:
Bipod by day, Tripod by night here. I’m a 300 and in shooter. Like Bowhunt, during the day I’m reducing my chances of getting picked off by getting low and tucking into cover. At night I’m standing or sitting on a stool if applicable and a tripod is the way to go for me.

Swagger QD42 bipod and a middle of the road SunwayFoto 3240CS carbon tripod handles my needs well enough.
Click to expand...
I have the exact same thoughts as far as bipod on days, tripod on nights.
 
Why buy a Tripod and features to consider?

Features:
  • Large diameter legs to maximize stability (36-40mm)
  • Adjustability for standing or sitting
  • Quick release lever for ARCA rail
  • Carbon fiber or aluminum (what you’re willing to pay)
  • Consider weight, you’ll be carrying this along with a ball head.
  • Ball head or PIG Saddle. (Your preference)
  • Do you have an ARCA rail for your rifle? If not can you install on rifle?
  • Features I like most about a tripod:
  • Rifle is always in the ready position
  • Stability factor is huge which gives confidence for longer shots than you might otherwise take.
  • Works great for sitting or standing
Really the only Con I can say is the extra bulk and weight, and I negate that problem by adding a tripod sling. Or if you carry a pack, strap it on the pack.

I’m sure other fellows can add to this list both pro’s and con’s but that’s my take on a tripod. Now that I’ve hunted with one I wouldn’t want to be without it for my hunting style and shooting over bean fields, corn fields and out West . Now IF I were a timber hunter with a 100 yard shot window, I’d probably go with shooting sticks or bipod of sorts.
 
Hunter55 said:
Why buy a Tripod and features to consider?

Features:
  • Large diameter legs to maximize stability (36-40mm)
  • Adjustability for standing or sitting
  • Quick release lever for ARCA rail
  • Carbon fiber or aluminum (what you’re willing to pay)
  • Consider weight, you’ll be carrying this along with a ball head.
  • Ball head or PIG Saddle. (Your preference)
  • Do you have an ARCA rail for your rifle? If not can you install on rifle?
  • Features I like most about a tripod:
  • Rifle is always in the ready position
  • Stability factor is huge which gives confidence for longer shots than you might otherwise take.
  • Works great for sitting or standing
Really the only Con I can say is the extra bulk and weight, and I negate that problem by adding a tripod sling. Or if you carry a pack, strap it on the pack.

I’m sure other fellows can add to this list both pro’s and con’s but that’s my take on a tripod. Now that I’ve hunted with one I wouldn’t want to be without it for my hunting style and shooting over bean fields, corn fields and out West . Now IF I were a timber hunter with a 100 yard shot window, I’d probably go with shooting sticks or bipod of sorts.
Click to expand...
I like the clear organization of this post. Well done.
 
Hunting open areas, coyotes or stalking hogs a really good CF tripod is gold. I swore I would never spend that on a tripod but after my warrior tripod, I ended up with 2. As said above, leave my rifle locked in and carry over my shoulder when stalking or walking to the stand. Long range shots are rock solid!
 
I have BOG tripod, I tried to like it but it is just to much gear to pack around, I'm getting to the point where getting myself up hill is getting harder. Also like others have mentioned your terrain and cover can make a difference. The kind of cover I like to hunt even an attached bipod is a hindrance to me.

What I do like the tripod for is field sighting a rifle. Some days when the range is closed and I need to sight a rifle the tripod is way handier than hauling the portable bench out. I have spot out on the desert with targets at 100 and 200 yards.
 
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