Tripod and head recommendations

[bracer40]

After hours of research, I’m ready to ask any of you willing to help, what recommendations you have on a tripod and head combo.

Here’s my anticipated use and expectations.

• I’ll be mounting 15x56 swaros SLC on it (maybe a spotter in the future as well).
  99% of my hunts are from the rig vs backpack hunting (course I’d still appreciate less weight over 6-10 miles a day)
  Would like the head to be compatible with a window mount for road scouting.
  I imagine most glassing would be done sitting, but want to be able to stand too. I’m 5’10”
  Like to keep the tripod/head under $500
  I expect to use this for about six weeks nearly every day this year.
  Decent resale value in the event I later discover a setup better suited to my needs.
  Solid warranty
  I understand I’ll need a swaro compatible adapter. I think the vortex pro @<$100 would work vs. the nearly $200 swaro one?
  

I’m a total nube regarding this equipment, so appreciate any additional features I should consider.

After a nearly an hour discussion with a guy named Joshua at the Everett Sportsman’s Warehouse (shout out! If you’re on here!) I learned that the head is as important, if not more so than the tripod. Pan heads better than the ball style for hunting.
Not familiar with fluid pan heads. Are they smoother and easier to use vs. (non?) fluid?
Yes carbon is lighter, but also more $ and can be less stable ( though as I understand it, hanging weight from the center leg ( or is it a post?) can make it more stable.

Capability of accepting a shooting rail can be useful (though I’m not sure how that would work if you only have one tripod setup for glass. Wouldn’t you have to take the glass off, put the rail on, then setup the shooter...all while taking the glass off the animal?!?)
Cam lock vs. twist on the legs? I prefer cam lock on my trekking poles. Much faster to extend and lock down. I understand the cam locks can be more prone to snagging and might loosen over time?  Any other considerations on this?

I’ll be calling a couple of dealers who represent multiple brands later today.

Some of the better respected brands Ive learned about are:

• Manfrotto
  Slik
  Outdoorsman
  Gitz0
  Sirui
  Promaster
  Vortex ( mostly for the warranty)
  
  Any dealers you'd recommend?
  

I’ve scrubbed through hours of old posts here and on Rokslide (didn’t pursue the birding or photography forums), so any of your personal experiences are greatly appreciated!

Also open to offers if you have one sitting around that you'd like to unload.

Jim

[milldozer]

Slik 635 with a Sirui VA-5 head has been great for me.

[OltHunter]

Most of my needs are for backpacking, so I put a big value on weight. 

I currently run Promaster XCM 525c.  I've ran Slick Pro CF 634 and have had a leg break on me, but hear lots of good things on them and have a few buddies running them no problem.

To me, outdoorsman's heads and adapters are the best I've used, but keeping everything under $500 for them is probably not going to happen.  You can find 1 time use coupons for 10% off, but they are USA made, which carries a premium, but I'm willing to pay for that.

I have the pistol grip pan head and micro pan head. 

Their tripods are bomb proof, but just a little too heavy for my liking.

Definitely give them a call to talk over everything, though your budget is probably not going to like it!

But to shoot off of, run a big spotter, you will need a heavy duty head.  I've mounted my gun off the micro pan no problem, but that is probably the lightest/smallest I'd go with that.  Outdoorsmans have great shooting adapters.

To cover your 99% of situations, I'd probably recommend going all aluminum, not carbon for the durability and stability.

And some type of quick release adapters for binoculars are a must as well to make it quick.  You maybe glassing and a buck walks out in gun range and you want to switch out the binos to the shooting rest as quick as possible. 

Outside of this I don't have much knowledge or use of other brands.

[bracer40]

OltHunter,

Thanks for the feedback!

[deerhunter_98520]

I was in the same position as you last week. I ended up ordering the slik 734 and the Manfrotto MHXPRO-2W XPRO Fluid Head. I don't have the tripod yet it's delayed in shipping and will be here Thursday but I have the head and it looks and feels way better than the vortex pro gt that I've been using the last 5 years with a razor 85mm. I have a swaro 65mm on order to go with a new setup. With that said get a good tripod head, the head on the gt was alright, it would losen up fairly often and need tightening up from just riding around in the truck and I didn't want to deal with that anymore. I'll update how the new setup is in a few days

[pickardjw]

I have a Sirui T-004SK with the VA-5 fluid head. That tripod may be too short for you though. I’m 5’-6” and max it out to stand and glass. The VA-5 is top notch though. On the heavier side but worth the weight.

Would definitely recommend twist locks for the legs of whatever you get. Wayyy better than the snaps or levers or whatever they’re called.

[bracer40]

I should add that I realize I've asked a lot of questions here and to reply to all is asking a lot.

If anybody would prefer and be open to a conversation, feel free to pm me your number or let me know and I'll send you mine.

Thanks for the recent replies!!

[jackelope]

Feel free to stop by one day here at work and I'll show you what I got last year. You're welcome to test drive it if you want. You know where to find me.
This tripod
https://www.xc-m.promaster.com/3482

I got rid of the ball head and replaced it with this head.
https://promaster.com/Product/2435

[bracer40]

Feel free to stop by one day here at work and I'll show you what I got last year. You're welcome to test drive it if you want. You know where to find me.
This tripod
https://www.xc-m.promaster.com/3482

I got rid of the ball head and replaced it with this head.
https://promaster.com/Product/2435


great offer! Thank you! Just might do that. Looks like there's no weight hook available for that model. Is that correct and if so, have you missed it using a spotter or when it's windy?

[jackelope]

Feel free to stop by one day here at work and I'll show you what I got last year. You're welcome to test drive it if you want. You know where to find me.
This tripod
https://www.xc-m.promaster.com/3482

I got rid of the ball head and replaced it with this head.
https://promaster.com/Product/2435


great offer! Thank you! Just might do that. Looks like there's no weight hook available for that model. Is that correct and if so, have you missed it using a spotter or when it's windy?

I haven't missed it with 15's on it and a 65mm Razor spotter on it.

[huntnfmly]

Another vote for manfroto
I wish I remembered which model I have but it’s all aluminum and it had one of their fluid heads on it But I changed it out for a smaller head
Very stable and smooth

[bracer40]

Guys, thanks for the replies! They’ve really helped me in narrowing down my options. Will be talking to a couple of dealers later.
Of course, I’m still open to any other personal experiences with this gear!

[bracer40]

Thanks to all of you that helped me out here. I now have a Slik 633 (the 634 were out of stock and coming later than I wanted) with a Sirui VA5 head.
Headed over to Outdoorsman for the necessary adaptors  & quick release attachments to handle the 15x56 swaros and to pick up a window mount.

Kind of over shot my under $400 budget by about $300. But I'm confident I'll be set up with everything I need to glass from the field or rig!

THANKS AGAIN!!