Scope Stands

[PD999]

Can anyone recommend the best shooting stands for holding the heavy 80mm type spotting scopes when in the standing/kneeling positions ?

I've tried camera-type tripods, but they seem to encroach on neighbouring firing points when the legs are fully outscretched when in the standing position.

However, the standard bipod/tripod shooting stands with metal poles (Freeland, Ewing etc) seem to be precarious when used to support the 80mm scopes at standing height.

What has anyone else found the most stable but compact, without busting airline weight allowances ?
Thanks,
Peter

[Guest]

lots of shooters screw a heavy weight on the bottom of the rod, between the bipod legs. adding even a free weight plate will help.

[pdeal]

Can't remember if it is champ choice or champ shooters but one of them has a new and improved model that has 3 legs that come out from the center and thumb screws for leveling it. I think they bill it as being satisfactory for the heavier scopes. I have seen a few of these in use and they seem like a big improvement over the old freeland bipod type.

[davidgoerndt]

I've seen a lot of highpower shooters with stands that have 3/4"-1" shafts instead of the 5/8" of the normal smallbore stands. The thicker shaft is more rigid with the heavier 80mm scope.

[Guest]

You're really going to have to figure out where you'll be using it. The catch with those humungous 3-leggers is that they most certainly do take up a huge chunk of real estate, and it does make an impact when shooting on a crowded firing line indoors.

[Jose Rossy]

Shop here: http://www.ray-vin.com/fshootcat.htm

[PD999]

Thanks for the link Jose.
Do you have any experience regarding how the Ray-Vin stands compare against the Ewing stands ?
I will be using the heavy 80mm Kowa 800 scope model, so I am looking for the most stable stand out there, especially in the standing position.
Peter

[Jose Rossy]

Peter, I have never used a Ewing, but I have examined one of them. I think you get the same functionality at a lower cost with a Ray-Vin. I will say that the Ray Vin head is superb. Easily the best there is. Engineering elegance is how I like to describe it.

Plenty of highpower shooters use the 80mm Kowas with Ewing and R-V stands. You can't go wrong with either.