04-01-2020, 05:51 PM
Norm? No. But not uncommon, either. Rifles mounted on tripods make for purdy pictures, don't they? Very dramatic.
The downside to many of those setups is lack of flexibility. So it will depend on your your situation and how you are hunting as to whether you want to go with a rifle mounted on a tripod. If you carry separate, then it can be time consuming when time is critical to get them mounted together (depending on the type of mount you are using). Carrying with them mounted together is cumbersome. However, folks make it work for them.
I prefer the tripod and rifle be separate for how I hunt that needs a bit more flexibility. The downside is that my setup isn't as steady as the setups with rifles mounted on top of tripods and sometimes it really shows.
Doing coyote sets, a tripod mounted rifle is a much sweeter deal. Or, doing any sort of overwatch setup waiting for hogs where you don't need to be highly mobile, the tripod mounted rifle is superior.
I will say this. Few people who go after hogs are shooting offhand. They are using some form of rest. Don't get me wrong. There are a few guys that are pretty amazing that don't need them, but most of us do. Monopods are a the lowest level of steady but are easiest to deploy and lightest. Bipods are much more steady and still offer a lot of flexibility, but do weigh more and are more complex. Tripods offer the most steadiest portable rest, are heavier by comparison, and are more complex to use. Rifles mounted on tripods are heavier still, more complex to deal with, and are the steadiest way to go.
Then you have things like the Caldwell Deadshot Field pod that are a sort of cross between mounted and not mounted rifles. The rifle is separate from the rest, but the rest will hold the rifle once inserted. I have only seen this used on one hunt. It was a pain in the but to use by a single person who needed mobility, but it worked very well. Again, this would be great for coyote stands and the like where quick mobility isn't paramount.
The downside to many of those setups is lack of flexibility. So it will depend on your your situation and how you are hunting as to whether you want to go with a rifle mounted on a tripod. If you carry separate, then it can be time consuming when time is critical to get them mounted together (depending on the type of mount you are using). Carrying with them mounted together is cumbersome. However, folks make it work for them.
I prefer the tripod and rifle be separate for how I hunt that needs a bit more flexibility. The downside is that my setup isn't as steady as the setups with rifles mounted on top of tripods and sometimes it really shows.
Doing coyote sets, a tripod mounted rifle is a much sweeter deal. Or, doing any sort of overwatch setup waiting for hogs where you don't need to be highly mobile, the tripod mounted rifle is superior.
I will say this. Few people who go after hogs are shooting offhand. They are using some form of rest. Don't get me wrong. There are a few guys that are pretty amazing that don't need them, but most of us do. Monopods are a the lowest level of steady but are easiest to deploy and lightest. Bipods are much more steady and still offer a lot of flexibility, but do weigh more and are more complex. Tripods offer the most steadiest portable rest, are heavier by comparison, and are more complex to use. Rifles mounted on tripods are heavier still, more complex to deal with, and are the steadiest way to go.
Then you have things like the Caldwell Deadshot Field pod that are a sort of cross between mounted and not mounted rifles. The rifle is separate from the rest, but the rest will hold the rifle once inserted. I have only seen this used on one hunt. It was a pain in the but to use by a single person who needed mobility, but it worked very well. Again, this would be great for coyote stands and the like where quick mobility isn't paramount.
Kill a hog. Save the planet.
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My videos - https://www.youtube.com/user/HornHillRange