Arca swiss in the dark...

baitpile

baitpile

Active member
I posted this in the hunting section over on Accurate Shooter and thought I would get some input here as well. Much appreciated!


How many are running a tripod with arca ball head at night? My problem is getting the rifle mounted quickly in the dark. I fight this almost every set. The dove tails are fine enough that it takes multiple attempts to feel my way into the mount. I can see somewhat in the dark, but also have to feel the plate set down into the mount, only to not grab as I tighten things up. Works great in daylight, but getting very frustrated with night ops.
I have looked at the ADM lever mounts and such, but the arca specs/dimension would be the same, so not thinking this would cure my issues. Are there any better ideas? I even painted the mount white, with a black arca plate to possibly see the contrast better at night, to no avail.
I do have a side pressure saddle mount, but, with my external battery and cables m-lok'd to the side of the rifle, I really can't "pig saddle" the rifle. The arca plate works good, just fight getting it hooked up in the dark. Gotta be a better idea out there.
All thoughts appreciated!

bait
 
Me and my hunting partner were just talking about this. It is a PITA for sure. He just switched to a long MDT Arca and last night was the first time trying it out and he said it was a lot easier. I think the length of his new mount is 10 to 12 inches, all the other mounts we use are 3.5 inches and can be a challenge when it is really dark. I am going to be going the same route because he was able to get mounted up way faster than me with the shorter mounts. I tried the white paint thing as well and it didn't really make it any easier. Randy
 
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Randy, thanks for the input. Glad I'm not the only one, I don't feel so bad now Lol. I am running the 3.5" MDT plate as well. Will have to think about the longer one maybe... Wondering why the length makes a difference. My plate is longer than the clamp, so thinking, it should lay down in there with some feel, but don't know.
 
I struggle at times too.

I think my biggest problem probably comes from opening up the jaws just enough to release the gun at the end of the previous stand, rather than opening it all the way, which should make it easier to hit the hole on the next stand. I'm using an Area 419 4.25" plate.

I generally prefer to stay in the dark, but using a headlamp with a red lens on low helps.
 
I do have mine wide open and come down from the top. I have also used a headlamp at times. The headlamp works awesome, but, can maybe sometimes irritate your hunting partner
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who, I will say, is standing over there having the same issues.
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It can be a circus...
 
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I have seen a lighted arca plate being sold. Just enough light to see what you’re doing.
If I remember right, I Think Darknightoutdoors sells them.

Might be just what you need. I’m a mechanic by trade so I am used to not being able to see things while working on them. If ya do it enough, it gets easier.

Lighted arca plate
 
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Originally Posted By: Shooter222I have seen a lighted arca plate being sold. Just enough light to see what you’re doing.
If I remember right, I Think Darknightoutdoors sells them.

Might be just what you need. I’m a mechanic by trade so I am used to not being able to see things while working on them. If ya do it enough, it gets easier.

Lighted arca plate

Shooter, thanks for the link. That looks interesting, will check these guys out and do some digging.
 
So, a few points of input. Honestly in the end it is like most things, muscle memory. The more times you do it the easier it gets. I have gotten to where 95% of the time I can hit it pretty quick. But still every now and then I have an issue.

So, IMO some things that help:

Do it the same every time. Muscle memory only works if you are doing it the same every time. If it is in the dark and you either can't see, or minimal at best, then muscle memory is what you have to rely on. It is really all you have. For me that starts with when I pull the gun off the tripod. My tripod has a foam wrap on one leg. Since I shoot lefty I always put that leg to the right, where I grab it with my off hand. So, before the gun comes off I have that leg to the right, the butt of the gun is straight back between the rear two legs, AND THE GUN IS LEVEL IN ALL PLANES. To me that is the trick. A ball head being slightly canted makes it a real PITA to line up an ARCA plate back on it in the dark.

An additional point to the above. I have my tripod legs marked with silver sharpie. Top section is nearly all the way out, but with 3" of emergency addition travel telescoped back in from fully extended. That way if I need some more elevation on a leg I have it right there up top without having to pick up or go all the way to the ground. Next section is fully extended. Bottom section I have adjusted to my "standard height" and marked with silver sharie. Doing it this way no matter what I do out on a stand when I get back to the truck I can quickly set my tripod back to my standard settings. Might not seem like a big thing but it really helps me with quickly getting set to a standard reference point I can work from. NOTE, this is for shooting standing which is how I do 95% of my stands.

Now, back to the ARCA hookup in the dark. You have a standardized system. Get your gun set back to your repeatable standard. Turned the right way, proper leg orientation and extension, dead level. Lock it down on the adjustments. Now take your gun out and fully open the ARCA clamp. Net time when you go to drop the gun in it will be right where your muscles remember it to be. Level and repeatable is the key. It doesn't take much off level to really throw you off and fight the slot hard.

Mounting back up, when I drop the gun back in I drop the edge away from the clamp side in first. Tilt the gun slightly at an angle to drop that edge in, and let it "find" the bevel/groove of that side. Grab both pieces with your hand and guide them if you need to. Then let the gun go down flat on the bottom of the mount. Rock it a little front/rear or side/side to let it find where it needs to be. Start closing the clamp and give a wiggle as you do to make sure it is closing up where you want it, then fully close the clamp.

I use the Henderson Precision plates, they have a stop built in to them. Lots of other plates have a stop as well. The extended screw stop types can cause issues if you are trying to drop in on top of a screw head. Anyways, I mount my plates where the stop is to the front of the gun. I drop into the plate towards the rear. I partially tighten, wiggle/slide the gun real quick to make sure I am in the slot, then I pull the gun all the way to the rear (hitting the stop on front), and lock it in.

That is just how I do it. Maybe something in there to help someone out.
 
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Man, I wrote a lot of words, lol. But maybe I need to write a few more so people understand my system better, and maybe why/how it works for me.

Like I said I almost never shoot from sitting at night. Sometimes in daylight zeroing a rifle or doing some precision shooting I will use a tripod. Daylight calling I sit but don't use a tripod. I use sticks during the day. Calling at night and stalking pigs at night is where I use a tripod. To be honest if I knew I was going into a night stand where I was going to be sitting I would probably use sticks and not a tripod. But that is just me.

What that means is we are bouncing around here and there in the truck at night rolling from stand to stand. Easing up close to a calling location blacked out. I never collapse my tripod I leave it fully extended to my "normal" position all the time. Just throw it in the back of the truck ready to roll. Grab it out of the back of the truck, swing out legs, and drop the rifle in. In a pinch I would say I could have the tripod out of the back of the truck, rifle on and ready to acquire target in as fast as 15 seconds or so if no hiccups.

When we stop if we aren't walking far from the truck I will drop my rifle in the ARCA plate right there and just carry it with the rifle locked in like we do when stalking pigs. I run my tripod on the low side. It is tougher on the back while scanning set up low but more stable to shoot from and easier to carry with the gun locked in.

To carry mounted up squat a bit, put the magazine/trigger guard on your shoulder, and stand up. All of the weight of the gun is on your shoulder, rock the legs up in the air a bit to the front, you can carry a long ways like that no trouble. As long as you aren't fighting weeds and brush with the legs. In that case just wait until you get to your stand to mount it up.

We hunt lots of open fields at night just using fencerows, random trees, cattle pens, pivot towers, old junk or whatever to break up our outlines. That is one reason I can carry a rifle mounted up on a tripod a lot because generally I am not fighting the weeds and brush. I like a weedy fence row that I can stand behind and shoot over the top of as cover.

If we are walking a long ways (or brushy area) then I might throw the gun over my shoulder on a sling (bolt gun) or two point sling across the chest muzzle down for AR, and carry the tripod folded. Slung up works fine if you have a scanner to navigate with. If you are having to use your guns thermal to find your way then maybe already mounted up on the tripod.

I know a lot of this last post was not mounting the gun to the ARCA mount. But to me a whole lot of it is interrelated. it is about finding a system that works for you at night. Different people have different approaches to it. People hunt different styles and methods. So if anyone can take any of my bits and pieces that work for me and it can help them out, that is great. Never hurts to have various things and ideas in the mental toolbox because who knows when you might need them.
 
Mine is an RRS lever style. With the lever open I just tip the gun slightly top to the right, with my left hand I guide the mounting plate right side into the dove tail then rotate the gun back level which drops the left side into the dovetail then as it's sitting in place I move my thumb to the rear of the mount and my index finger to the front of the mount to slide it slightly forwards or backwards to center it then flip the lever and it's ready. Most of the time it goes in and locks in 4 or maybe 5 seconds but if the lever gets flipped partially closed etc there are occasional hiccups when it might take a few more seconds. Tipping the plate straight down into the dovetail is way faster than trying to slide it in. I wouldn't own a screw style clamp system.
 
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...I have an RRS leveling head and lock the gun in tripod at truck and throw it over my shoulder.
I also have the same procedure steps unloading and loading gear into truck.
And keep tripod protected from elements when traveling.
Not to say I don't have an occasional mounting glitch...like when the lever gets closed and I don't realize it...
 
I have that very one, and I've only had it out once so far and I needed the light to help me, so I thought it was worth it. What I don't like about it is that below the arca clamp is the picatinny mount, so it's easy to accidentally catch your rail in that bottom part.
 
It's going to be a learning curve coming from using a death grip clamp. But the leveling bowl and arca clamp was very very nice to shoot off of compared to the death grip. No comparison.
 
i have,nt tried it yet since i put my gun on as soon as i get out of the truuck so a little red light is not going to hurt much but there is times when my light is not handy and i struggle some. i have been thinking about super glueing a small 3/8 wooden strip on the opposite side of the lever so you got something to slide your mount against until it bottoms out . im thinking wood would be quiet
 
I posted on this 6 months ago and since it has become muscle memory. I break down my tripod and strap it to a backpack between every stand
 
Originally Posted By: Infidel 762I posted on this 6 months ago and since it has become muscle memory. I break down my tripod and strap it to a backpack between every stand

I hunt with an Eberlestocks pack with a gun scabbard. I carry my gun, and my tripod slides in the scabbard between stands.
 
To put it in perspective- if one can get dressed and undressed, put boots on and off in the dark…..this process shouldn’t be an issue.
Whether the clothes and boots are put on correctly in the dark…welll.
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