Pan head vs ball head tripod advice
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The US price on the Innorel N52 is about $100. Rock solid choice.This ballhead
With this tripod are both similar to what I have. This tripod might be a bit better quality than the one I have. Canadian prices if it shows C but might auto adjust to USD if you look at it. Would be a great setup will have no issues locking tight with any weight airgun (within reason) and light with the cf tripod. I love mine.
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You set your tripod legs into plumb, and with gimbal you can run around the tripod 360 up and down hill shots, the bubble stays.
Of course there are pros and cons with every solution, ballhead, panhead, levelhead or gimbal...you work your way out for your hunting games.
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What about for a Leshiy Classic or a Leshiy 2? If I wanted to be able to fold one open and have it balance while reloading would one head type be better than the other? I believe you have a Leshiy 2.
I often see gimbal heads with the arm on the left side of the rifle it is holding. Is that to keep it away from the dominant hand? I shoot right handed but of course would want the arm on the opposite side so the Leshiy could be folded open.
For now this would be something easier to carry in my vehicle instead of a folding table, folding chair and bipod. I would pretty much use it for standing shooting while shooting different distances to map out the PBR of any given airgun. I don't expect I'll use it much beyond that. I currently don't hunt due to a vestibular issue but if it improved my confidence enough to squirrel hunt that would be great. But if I have to buy another head for hunting that's fine.
My vestibular issue has made me a bit clumsy so I like the idea of a tripod holding a Leshiy while folded open so I can fumble around and not drop anything more valuable than a pellet or two.
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Yes, I am using my L2 with a tripod and levelling head,
These pictures with a gimbal are a bit older when I was building a one-pice rest for my Impact and wanted to try how it holds the L2.
Me also right handed and that is a bit of inconvenience opening the breach/action to the left. I have an extended hand rail (I guess it is a 350mm) with longer 600 barrel now.
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If you go with the ball head make sure the weight capacity is over 50 lbs. I recently purchased this one which is at your price limit of $250.
My Impact is heavy also. I am glad I did not get one with a lesser load capacity.
My Impact is heavy also. I am glad I did not get one with a lesser load capacity.
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I truly love my ball…head, lol. Mr STOTI turned me on to this and after reading the specs, it was purpose designed by leofoto for rifle mounting on a tripod, unlike camera mounts used for rifle mounting. Only drawback is the price, but with what it can handle in weight and to be able to lock in the rifle and have no upwards creep, it was a solid but worth it investment for me as I looked at it as a buy once cry once deal. I’ve never been into bipods, tripods, and only used the popular rests out there that Caldwell sells. But it was Dairyboys excitement over converting to a tripod that made me make the move to that type of rest.
Here’s the Leofoto MH60-
Here’s the Leofoto MH60-
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LEOFOTO MH-35 35mm Magic Ball Head w Handlebar Control Arca / RRS Compatible Ideal for Target Shooting https://a.co/d/hLQTTJ3
Like bigragu said above. These are built for rifles and Leofoto makes very well built sturdy tripids and accessories fyi.
Like bigragu said above. These are built for rifles and Leofoto makes very well built sturdy tripids and accessories fyi.
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The problem with ball heads, the MH-35 included, are that the gun's center of gravity is above the pivot point. So the gun will have a natural tendency to tilt either canting your rifle or moving the muzzle up or down or both. Each time you loosen the ball to reposition your aim you cannot ensure that gun isn't canted. Using a leveling base and gimbal you can position the rifle so that the pivot point is at the gun's center of gravity so I will not move even if it head is loosened. Also the gun will never cant even if you pan 360 degrees or 2 Pi radians. Before the gimbal I used a ARCA B1 I had for photography, it a high end ball head and it sucked in comparison to a poopty made in China $70 gimbal head for stationary tripod use. Now a high end gimbal with good fitting bushings or ball bearings would be even better but $$$.
IMO this applies to air guns and not to PB. As when shooting guns with substantial recoil many times you want to load the tripod so that the minimize the gun's movement for combination of better control, seeing your impacts and faster follow up shots.
IMO this applies to air guns and not to PB. As when shooting guns with substantial recoil many times you want to load the tripod so that the minimize the gun's movement for combination of better control, seeing your impacts and faster follow up shots.
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But isn’t that what our anti cant levels are for? To check for and prevent cant?
Not at all trying to minimize your input, Blackice, but in a lot of hunting videos I’ve watched that members here snd you tubers have put out, it seems the one critter calling for fast follow up shots is either a wounded one or rats at the landfill/dairy, all which equals close ranges of say 50 yards and less. A cant of a few degrees isn’t going to matter at that distance, right?
Now take the prairie dog hunters shooting in excess of 80-150 yards, a shooter had the time to check their rifles cant, and to be honest, I wonder if people even do in an airgun hunting situation?
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I'd rather set and forget only having to look at a level once. When I used a ball head, the gun being top heavy was easily canted when I moved it around. None of these issues with a gimble. The downsides are size and weight, everything else is a plus. Probably less money as well. Cheap gimbals work acceptably, cheap ball heads tend to be PITA to use.
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After all was said and considered (thank you all for the input)
I decided on gimbal with leveling head. Weight and size not being a big issue for what I’m doing.
All in was $210. The gimbal is very sturdy and locks tight. The leveling head was pretty easy to set and also locks.
Seems to be a very solid set up for me.
I decided on gimbal with leveling head. Weight and size not being a big issue for what I’m doing.
All in was $210. The gimbal is very sturdy and locks tight. The leveling head was pretty easy to set and also locks.
Seems to be a very solid set up for me.
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Damn! You guys are making me second guess my step stool/ladder and throw cushions for my improvised rest shooting/pesting out of my sniper window! (chuckle)
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Can you guys post a link to the gimbal heads that you use? I’ve never used one for either photography or shooting and want to try out an inexpensive one for both purposes. Then, if it really works for me I’ll step up to something more capable (and probably also more expensive).
Chris
Chris
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I use a ball head from Markins and it holds my Uragan standard solidly and it is over 10 lbs. Of course the gun is balanced on the mount.
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