Homemade tripod saddle for PRS type shooting

[Mystic Precision]

Simple way to visualise... same mounting process as using a pic rail and QD clamp attachment.

The RRS rail/plate is quite thin and wide and the clamp engages a V groove on the sides. It really is an elegant solution and offers some excellent utility.

Some chassis have the grooved milled into the sides which make for a very clean appearance. Most use an adaptor plate which is bolted to the bottom of the forend. Kind of awkward looking and handling but it does allow for quick and easy mounting of various accessories.

If you have the means to make or source another sized clamp, you can make a similar plate to whatever you feel fits BUT the RRS spec has become a standard so off the shelf gear is coming fast.

Where did "ARCA" come from anyways?

Jerry

 

[Ryan.M.Anderson]

Visuals make this a lot easier.

Here is your generic RRS (Arca) plate:

Here is your RRS clamp:

Here is a full length RRS rail my buddy made:

As you can probably tell the clamping surface on the RRS stuff can be made much longer, and therefore sturdier, than the manfrotto style. RRS stuff is super pricey but it is super high quality. The crossover of gun stuff and photography stuff is small so expect to pay boutique style prices for it. However, you can find generic RRS clamps for much less on amazon or other websites.

A lot of the saddles used to (and I guess still do) use a Manfrotto style connection. I used to have one (pig saddle with manfrotto attachment) before I switched over to RRS gear. RRS actually makes a clamp style Tripod saddle called the "Vice". You can direct mount it to a ball head or leveling base or to the tripod if that is your thing. You could also put a RRS plate on it and then use it quick detach style.

Hopefully I made myself more clear. I think a RRS dovetail connection between your saddle and the tripod ball head would make things more secure.

The nice thing about the RRS dovetails is that they allow for more adjust-ability. On my new chassis which will arrive shortly there is a full length RRS cut along the bottom which means I can the run bipod all the way forward or right in front of the mag well.

 

[Black Jack]

That's cool, pretty easy to make too. It's just a long dovetail.

 

[rugbydave]

That's cool, pretty easy to make too. It's just a long dovetail.

Exactly and the spec for the RRS dovetail is open source and on their website.

Arca comes from Arca-swiss which is just another company that makes a similar style of dovetail. However there is no standard with "arca" which is why all the female plates have thumb screws instead of throw levers (like the RRS ones). Basically all "arca-style" dovetails will work in a female thumb screw type plate but not necessarily in a female plate with a throw lever/qd. Make sense?