How can you adapt a standard Camera Tripod to Suit a Rifle?

valevelo said:
Not a photographer so an honest question- How much of the weight with a camera is way out in front of the ball head? At least with a rifle you can mount close to the balance point.
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The camera sits over the balance point and as @Bump has said large, heavy lenses are attached with a mo7nt near the centre of gravity.
Although the point of balance is important so is the total weight and if you look at the details for tripods and heads on one of the better camera supply sites you will see the weight capacity listed. Also with a rifle it will protrude back and front so can quite easily be knocked so that’s something to think about. The feet are quite important as you don’t want them to sink into soft ground or slip either.
We frequently hear stories of rifles slipping, tipping over or falling when leant against things usually with damage to the gun and scope and I’m continually surprised that people will try and support very expensive rifles on the cheapest. Chinese bipods etc. My advice, for what it’s worth, is buy quality kit that’s designed for the job in hand.
 
Skip find at work .
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ok im a skip rat 😂🤣😂
anyway it came home with me . and after a bit of cutting and shutting . its now this my Buffalo river fits nicely on it
Not bad for a freebie 🙂👍
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With regard to the issue of tripods being adequate to bear the wight of a rifle, it depends principally on whether or not you want to clamp it and leave it.

My setup (pictured above), is fairly light. It's intended as a steadying rest whilst lining up shots, whilst still retaining hold of the rifle.
 
Grey Man said:
With regard to the issue of tripods being adequate to bear the wight of a rifle, it depends principally on whether or not you want to clamp it and leave it.
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You've put your finger right on it.q
My lighter tripod, with it's Arca Swiss compatible ball head would be entirely up to being used as a front steady, but I wouldn't care to fasten a rifle to it.
My big tripod would probably be ok for that, especially if I fitted the half bowl, but it has a similar size, construction and cost as the versions aimed at shooters, so no savings there, unless of course, you already have one 🙂
You can find large older tripods on t'bay but they are often heavy studio kit - be careful!
 
terry1001 said:
Camera tripods are not, in the main, rated to take the weight of a rifle. By the time you've bought one which is up to the job, basically a video one, you're spending more than a set of Primos sticks which are much better suited to shooting as they are so easily adjusted to the position you need.
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^^^This^^^ I've tried an airgun on a cheap camera tripod, using a clamp off the bay of E, and it was very wobbly, I would not trust it on anything other than a cheap gun. A primos Gen3 with proper double gun mount is much better solution or any other dedicated gun tripod/mount.
 
terry1001 said:
Camera tripods are not, in the main, rated to take the weight of a rifle. By the time you've bought one which is up to the job, basically a video one, you're spending more than a set of Primos sticks which are much better suited to shooting as they are so easily adjusted to the position you need.
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Vintage camera tripods are much more robust than modern versions, which seem to be weight conscious and therefore flimsy. Unfortunately, even the Primos sticks leave a lot to be desired in rigidity; but then, its all a compromise.
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Thameside said:
Would it be worth trying a sea fishing tripod. Normally lightweight. A single mount could be adapted
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I doubt that would work well. Sea fishing tripods would normally be too big, my Ian Goulds one is over 6ft 😱.

Not to mention they'd be a PITA to adapt, as the top of the tripod is just there to take a horizontal bar. While they are great for holding rods, they are not very steady either. Much easier to change the head on a camera tripod.
 
Gap-Shot said:
Vintage camera tripods are much more robust than modern versions, which seem to be weight conscious and therefore flimsy.
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It's not so much vintage = more robust. The vintage ones that have survived are the better built ones from that era. Same as you'll find with a Manfrotto or Gitzo, built to last and to have regular use as a tool of the trade.
 
pjgtech said:
^^^This^^^ I've tried an airgun on a cheap camera tripod, using a clamp off the bay of E, and it was very wobbly, I would not trust it on anything other than a cheap gun. A primos Gen3 with proper double gun mount is much better solution or any other dedicated gun tripod/mount.
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Can’t put it any better than above.

Primos Gen2 & Gen3 are purpose made for shooting and have the flexibility and stability that a camera tripod just doesn’t have.
 
Bump said:
It's not so much vintage = more robust. The vintage ones that have survived are the better built ones from that era. Same as you'll find with a Manfrotto or Gitzo, built to last and to have regular use as a tool of the trade.
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If you can find one, and they do come up occasionally on ebay, look for a " Tiltall #4602 Professional " tripod. The early ones were in the natural aluminium colour, and built like a battleship. The one I have has been in my family since the 1950's. Its one of those items that has been under the radar for a long time, and worth searching for. I have used mine for photography, astronomy, and now also for airgun shooting.
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Purchased one of these from ali (1005005858972563) and ground off the last two m-lok raised locating lugs so it now fits right back over the two stock/hand guard retaining screws on the AA tac chasis which gives me better balance,then a cheapy camera bi-pod retail cost £67-£70 which I nabbed off faceache market place for £7 as good as new......works a treat.
Although the pic below was done before the modification to the arca rail.

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