A quick review of the Fotopro C4i tripod ...
I've been looking around for a tripod to use with precision shooting and ultimately for hunting. When the range gets grown up and when you're in the woods you realize really quickly that a 6-9” Harris bipod simply won't do the job.
I had been eyeing the PRS tripod and the Manfrotto XPRO line but stumble upon the Fotopro C4i at my local photography store. I was able to compare the Fotopro direcly to the Manfrotto and came away with a few impressions:
1) The Manfrottos are quite a bit more expensive (280$+) and do not come with the “head”
2) The Manfrottos are quite a bit heavier
3) The Manfrotto legs lock up with those plastic paddle clasps that I worry about breaking
Playing around with the Fotopro, I was very surprised with some of the features and can summarize them briefly:
1) The Fotopro is very light and is made of aluminium and magnesium
2) The Fotopro is quite strong and stable, certainly enough for a 20lbs rifle
3) The Fotopro can be lowered almost to the ground and the pole that the “head” screws into can be cleverly unscrewed (I had planned on hack-sawing a Manfrotto)
4) The locking mechanism are all metal in construction
5) The leg locking mechanisms are all tightened by twisting and leave nothing to get accidentally caught and snapped off
6) The “head” is quite compact and is easy to operate with one hand
7) The price isn't outrageous, just a little over 200$
I've only had the chance to hit the range once. The tripod isn't nearly as stable as a bipod but with a couple of tricks it really isn't bad. One clever trip I found online was to wrap the sling around the tripod and torque it with your left hand to pull the rifle down into the rest. There are expensive purpose build saddles out there that I haven't tried yet so I've settle with my 30 minute, 10$ PVC rest. I'm going to build another one using a different method and will see what the results are before buying a Hog / Pig Saddle.
The only limitation I've found so far is prone shooting. It doesn't get the rifle down to my comfortable bipod height, it's a couple of inches too high for my tastes but it is still usable in the prone. Other than that, the lock-up of the legs and head are solid and the rifle's weight is held just fine at maximum and minimum heights.
Let me know what's worked for you when tripod shooting. I'd like to practice more before hunting season in the fall. It will also be fun to change up shooting positions on the range.
I've been looking around for a tripod to use with precision shooting and ultimately for hunting. When the range gets grown up and when you're in the woods you realize really quickly that a 6-9” Harris bipod simply won't do the job.
I had been eyeing the PRS tripod and the Manfrotto XPRO line but stumble upon the Fotopro C4i at my local photography store. I was able to compare the Fotopro direcly to the Manfrotto and came away with a few impressions:
1) The Manfrottos are quite a bit more expensive (280$+) and do not come with the “head”
2) The Manfrottos are quite a bit heavier
3) The Manfrotto legs lock up with those plastic paddle clasps that I worry about breaking
Playing around with the Fotopro, I was very surprised with some of the features and can summarize them briefly:
1) The Fotopro is very light and is made of aluminium and magnesium
2) The Fotopro is quite strong and stable, certainly enough for a 20lbs rifle
3) The Fotopro can be lowered almost to the ground and the pole that the “head” screws into can be cleverly unscrewed (I had planned on hack-sawing a Manfrotto)
4) The locking mechanism are all metal in construction
5) The leg locking mechanisms are all tightened by twisting and leave nothing to get accidentally caught and snapped off
6) The “head” is quite compact and is easy to operate with one hand
7) The price isn't outrageous, just a little over 200$
I've only had the chance to hit the range once. The tripod isn't nearly as stable as a bipod but with a couple of tricks it really isn't bad. One clever trip I found online was to wrap the sling around the tripod and torque it with your left hand to pull the rifle down into the rest. There are expensive purpose build saddles out there that I haven't tried yet so I've settle with my 30 minute, 10$ PVC rest. I'm going to build another one using a different method and will see what the results are before buying a Hog / Pig Saddle.
The only limitation I've found so far is prone shooting. It doesn't get the rifle down to my comfortable bipod height, it's a couple of inches too high for my tastes but it is still usable in the prone. Other than that, the lock-up of the legs and head are solid and the rifle's weight is held just fine at maximum and minimum heights.
Let me know what's worked for you when tripod shooting. I'd like to practice more before hunting season in the fall. It will also be fun to change up shooting positions on the range.
