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AR15.COM
6/24/2026 12:35:39 PM EDT

Good Morning.

Sorry if this the wrong forum... if it is , could someone direct me to a better one.

I have a couple of Geissele MK18 Arca rails, that will be assm'd with "G" 18" SPR barrels. Magpul PRS Lite stocks used and 5x25ish scopes.. if that matters, balance wise.

I would like to have a Tripod that works well with the MK18's... the AR's will not be used frequently with the Tripods. But I would still like a Tripod

This is my first Tripod, so I know little to nothing about them.

I see the various Tripods priced from mild to wild.

I would like a "ball" head to be included, if possible.

So... any suggestions or links to various "moderately" priced, respectable product's would be appreciated. Under 1K possible ?


Most of my shooting has been off Bags and benched

"Currently" I am not shooting in any contests, but I do frequently Varmint Hunt small critters

Thanks to everyone.
*Hold on to your AR-15s. Their magic must be very powerful, or they wouldn’t want them.*
JAFOM.... Just another fat old man.

________________________________

TOGC,IADC
6/24/2026 2:29:11 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Rubicon777][Edited] [#1]
I have two, both are excellent.
My favorite is the vortex radian carbon fiber(if I’m not packingit around) very heavy duty, very stable.
The other is a BOG Sherpa carbon fiber very lightweight and good for packing around. Stable, but not quite as rocksolid as the Radian.
6/24/2026 8:25:33 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Nobody69s][Edited] [#2]
I have this one and it's decent for the money.
https://tnvc.com/shop/night-stalker-shooting-tripod-and-ball-head/

If you want a better one the Leofoto brand ones are good and solid.
https://leofotooutdoors.com/collections/st-series-x-version/products/leofoto-st-x-rifle-tripod-with-integrated-lever-control-ballhead-lever-release-clamp

Both of these come with the ballhead for arca rails.

Also, make sure you look at the total height of the Leofoto ones.
You want them to get high enough to get to approx nipple height of yourself for comfortable shooting.
6/26/2026 9:33:09 AM EDT
[#3]
I ended up with the Lefoto 364CX.  Very heavy duty.  Got the 2Vets 65mm to go on top of it.  I like the setup.  I would recommend not getting a tripod with the extendable center post.  They are not nearly as stable as 3 legs all the way up to the arca mount.
6/27/2026 2:43:07 PM EDT
[#4]
This tripod with this mount

I still need a saddle that won't break the bank, I tried the Fanaue one, but the pads are too thin to compress properly when using traditional styled hunting stocks; it worked fine all on my railed AR15s but anything that didn't have 90 degree sides, it's too thin

6/28/2026 3:57:40 AM EDT
[#5]
Thanks for all the reply's !

All of the suggestions have been helpful... now I have good basic understanding of what to look for !
*Hold on to your AR-15s. Their magic must be very powerful, or they wouldn’t want them.*
JAFOM.... Just another fat old man.

________________________________

TOGC,IADC
7/6/2026 11:57:46 AM EDT
[#6]
The fanaue tripods are pretty good for the price. You can get them for around 300-350. Leofoto is a step up
7/9/2026 6:08:41 PM EDT
[#7]
Figured I'd piggyback here since we're talking budget items, but does anyone have recommendations for a budget arca shooting rest table?
I'm not sure they all call it the same thing, but basically it's a table/plate for mounting a shooting bag or rest.  Some are fancier than others and have clamps and such; I'm just looking for a basic one to place a rest on.

Second item is a decent clamp that doesn't break the bank; looking more for my traditional rifles that have contoured stocks and therefore require a little more in the padding area to clamp securely without damaging the stock(s)
7/14/2026 1:26:27 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote History
Originally Posted By BrandonP:
The fanaue tripods are pretty good for the price. You can get them for around 300-350. Leofoto is a step up
View Quote



Fanaue are fantastic, really.  I need to pick one up, a friend got the one with the ball in the tripod frame for the legs, very tough.  Looks tight on the inverted legs, easy to adjust in fine moves.

Not sure Leofoto is a step up or lateral.  Both on Amazon.  I converted a BOG DeathGrip and it is fine but the Fanaue is MUCH better.  We have been shooting on these for about a year now.

As for the "plate" my nephew made several from 1/8 steel, glued on stair grip tape after bolting in ARCA attachment points.

ARCA is FAR from something new.  It is from the photography word and designed for little cameras to motion picture cameras.  For a tripod for rifles I would definitely recommend a 55-65mm ball head.

Amazon if full of good mounts, ballheads, rails, etc.

Absolutely get a 2Vets or any premium if you want, do you boo.  They are premium gear and demand that cost.  But you can get 110% solid kit for far far less money and replace it many times if you ever had to do so.
Then President Biden added “The only garbage I see floating out there is [TRUMP] supporters.
7/16/2026 11:23:06 PM EDT
[#9]
decided to go with a triclawps solo for my saddle.

In case anyone else is considering the fanaue, when ordering the inverted ballhead directly from their website, you can ask them to substitute the SC-ARC clamp (which is compatible with both Arca and Picatinny) for the standard clamp.

Basically, it's a budget $1200 fatboy setup for less than $360 bucks, add in my saddle, and I'm still under $500

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