Tripod?

What is the BCM/Colt of tripods for resting an AR on?

I have only just started delving into the world of tripods so take this with a grain of salt.

I decided I wanted to try a tripod after using one at a Nrl22 match. I wasn't ready to drop 1500+ on a RRS setup. Some other competitors mentioned they liked their Nightstalker PRO. I did some internet snooping and found the import tripod they're rebranding and picked one up.

I got an "Innorel Rt90c" (there's several clones sold under different brand names) plus a cheap 44mm ball head for about 300 bucks. I added a kopfjager reaper grip for rifles that aren't arca compatible so I'm less than 500 all in.

Is it chinesium? Yes. I totally get it if you won't go that route.

Is it as good as RRS? No. I'm sure it's not.

Is it pretty impressive for less than 500 bucks? Yes.

I think I'll upgrade the ball head at some point. Maybe this is a case of "you don't know what you don't know" but I'm very happy with it for now.

A buddy has an RRS and it is nice but I couldn't spend that kind of coin on something I won't use regularly. I picked up an RT90C and topped it with an RRS Anvil 30 ballhead. The Anvil 30 has a QD lever and accepts both Picatinny and Arca Swiss rails and has a slick lever for fast adjustments. It is a very sturdy unit that can hold a 17 lb rifle by the front of the rail and keep it there. The two units together were under $700 and do everything I need quite effectively.

By comparison, my buddy's RRS (Versa MK2) is a thinner unit and does have quite a bit more flex or wobble with a rifle on it where the RT90C has 40mm legs and is very sturdy. I am sure the RRS 40mm unit is every bit as sturdy as the RT90C and likely weighs a little less. The leg locks do feel more solid or better designed on the RRS compared to the RT90C as well.

I mostly use my tripod for spotting with binoculars at matches or during range days with friends. In all, I have had my tripod for nearly two years and it has performed without any issues. I am finding that I use it far more than I had initially intended and still do not regret the purchase at all.

My RT90C in back with Vudoo on top and my buddy's RRS with his Vudoo in the foreground
https://i.imgur.com/87qKGfJ.jpg

What's your budget?

For shooting, I tend to prefer models without an extendable post, which means longer legs and therefore higher relative cost.
Thicker carbon fiber legs are more stable than thinner.
Taller is generally better than shorter, as they will all collapse down to "pretty small", but the short versions might not give you enough height in weird positions.
I also prefer 3 leg sections over 4 or more, but there's a cost in that with regard to fitting the tripod in some luggage.

I have a few different tripods, which cover a pretty wide range of primary use and cost.
My RRS is without a doubt my favorite. I recently swapped the leveling head for an Anvil-30, and I am happy with that. I do like the leveling head for stability, but I have one on another set of legs already, and I really couldn't justify buying another.
The "No Name" tripod from Two Vets is pretty good for $415, but with an Anvil-30, it's gonna bounce up into the $800 area.
Crux makes a good shooting tripod setup, but I *personally* prefer the RRS heads.
I cut my teeth on a Manfrotto with pistol-grip head, but that was mostly used for a spotting scope with rifle support a far second.
ShadowTech/Hog Saddle offer a decent tripod with the PigLite for under $400, but you'll need to add to it to do much with it.

Something important to consider:
If you are going to be attaching the rifle directly to the tripod, you will need to put some $ forward in the critical areas, and these will serve to make the tripod more stable by virtue of the attachment mechanism AND in the lateral strength of the legs, allowing you to push into the leg with your hand/arm/bodyweight.
BUT you can get a lot out of a tripod setup without a dedicated/semi-dedicated head by throwing a support bag (such as a gamechanger or tricorne) over the head or plate and shooting off of that.
In many competitive events the tripod is used less as a rifle support, and more as a rear support for the rifle, either by getting the tripod under the stock, or by pinning the stock to the tripod leg with the support hand. For those uses, a super nice RRS isn't really a *necessity*, which is why you will see some very successful PRS/NRL shooters using lower cost options in competition.

Oh, here are some decent references:
https://www.recoilweb.com/rifle-read...de-133249.html
https://precisionrifleblog.com/2019/...-bipod-tripod/

Thank you all for the replies, I have started researching the RRS stuff and it looks like nice stuff.

No real budget in mind as I wasn’t sure what the options on the market really were. This isn’t for a dedicated precision rifle but for my 16” SS AR, it would be nice to be able to shift other guns/AR’s over to it if I wanted.

ETA: Looks like something like the “HOG” Saddle is what I’m looking for with a nice tripod like a RRS.

The INNOREL RT90C with 75mm bowl is pretty impressive.
https://www.amazon.com/INNOREL-Profe.../dp/B07J3BCFQ9

The bowl seems better than the ball heads and has very positive lockup.
With the 3/8" stud, it can mount a HOG saddle or ARCA clamp to interface with the weapon.

Or you can just throw a bag on top of the flat mounting pan and run it that way.

ETA Pic Here
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCI-2MHJHbY/

Again, appreciate all the replies. I have some more research to do!

Can I run a two vets tripod and a RRS leveling base? I’m trying to understand how the leveling base fits in the tripod. On top of the base I will like run a hog saddle for now.