I’m currently thinking of upgrading to a new tripod sometime over the summer. I’m using a BogPod death grip aluminum tripod currently. I shoot an Sig Cross rifle which has an M Lok rail. I’ve been looking at new tripods but some of the stuff loses me when you get to the options. What do you all recommend? I’m thinking something with a Swiss arca rail perhaps?

Lots of good tripods and heads out there. But that depends pretty heavy on what your budget is and what you really expect out of one. With so many options most guys have their favorites. Personally I like the Two Vets stuff, that is what I use. I also like more of a lightweight tripod because I carry a lot and stalk pigs across wide fields. The Two Vets No Name for my style is a good combination of light weight and yet being pretty solid as well.

And for sure go ARCA plate. Once you get used to a plate you will never go back to any kind of clamp system. ARCA is way lighter and way more solid.

In my limited experience the arca is the way to go. Way toooooo many tripod options out there. I run a leofoto with their 35mm ball head for a Ruger American compact topped with a thermion xg50 with no issues. Total weight is 8#. The ball head is a must in my terrain.
JTPINTX has posted on here his way of using tripods which helped me a lot. Alf also posted some stuff on here which lead me to leofoto.
Mike

I have 2 Feisol with RSS leveling head set-ups. And have been outstanding...IMO a leveling head is the way to go...plenty of angle adjustability and smooth motion and position locking.

Feisol Cretac 3372 topped with RSS TA-2U-SC is my suggestion from my experience...

I played with a leveling head and do agree that it is the way to go in relatively flat ground. My shots in any given set might be 60deg up or 60deg down which the ballhead allows

..exactly !!! I have one on another tripod I use for woodchuck hunting some of the hillier farms and it works great.
The one thing I'll add is that I prefer to stand almost straight up with minimal lean which also affects close negative angled shots.... not in a good way(from experience). All I would have to do is lower overall height to get better angles but it works good for out terrain north of ya ...ya we have some steep ravines and such...but nothing like them hills you have

You can put a ballhead/acra setup on your dg(remove the top).

So several things to add here but first and foremost you need to consider how you intend to hunt, standing or setting???

I stand while night hunting like most people do and I MUCH prefer a tripod with 2 leg sections. They are way faster to setup and less joints to get loose or mud to infiltrate. They are also more robust and stable because the leg sections are much larger in diameter. I also prefer the bottom section to slide OVER the top section, not many brands do this. This helps keeping mud and junk out of the joints or collecting on the other leg sections.

I run a 2vets QDT, its solid, my only gripe is the legs are traditional and the bottom section collapses inside the top section and I am continually retightening the bolts because I literally use it on hundreds of stands throughout the winter.

I would recommend a RRS, Fatboy (inverted legs), 2vets QDT, and the Leophoto SO362 Inverted Legs.

If you plan on setting down while hunting or want something that collapses down more you will want a multiple section tripod. Again the brands I would trust are in order depending on your budget. RRS, Fatboy, 2vets, Leophoto and also the Innorel RT90 on a budjet.

I've used/owned various heads and NOTHING is as solid as a leveling bowl, period. Unless you need an excessive amount of travel forget ball heads. I love RRS products but Leophoto makes good stuff on a budget, in particular the YB75LC.

As for the attachment to the rifle the Swiss Arca is the way to go IMO. A word of caution here however, I see guys cheap out and get the little plates that only have two Mloc screws going into the firearm. MAKE SURE you get an Mloc plate that attaches with at least 4 screws to the rifle and HAS STOPS ON BOTH ENDS.

Once you get your tripod, I recommend setting it up where your rifle is about level with the bottom of your sternum. Setting it up low like this allows you to shoulder your rifle on varying terrain. If the rifle lands perfectly in your shoulder on level ground while you are standing strait its TOO HIGH, trust me on this.

Once you find your sweet spot, mark each leg so you can easily set up and return to that exact height. I leave my tripod extended and ready to go. Breaking your tripod down between sets is a waste IMO and its noisy, adds wear and tear, and takes time in the dark. I pull up to a stand, park, pull out tripod and open the legs, attach the rifle and balance the whole rig on my shoulder and I'm gone! I can literally be gone from the truck in less than one minute and be completely silent. Breakdown to go to the next stand is just as fast.

Thats my experience and hopefully helps you to get started right the first time. Expect to end up around $400 and up, closer to 1k or more if you want something to last the next 25 years.

Great post by Kino and I agree with 98% of what he said. I do most of the things he is talking about, marking legs, not breaking down, the height he uses, etc. Run and gun on pigs sometimes you have to be fast and efficient to get on them. Great advice I think.

My only disagreement is I have tried a levelling bowl, it was either a leophoto or feisol, I don't remember which. But for me I was using it stalking pigs where we get lots of running shots, and it would tighten/loosen on me as I panned back and forth. Drove me crazy. I do agree if you are getting on target and locking down for a shot then nothing is more solid. But for me using a lighter weight tripod I'm not sure that I would even realize that added stability anyways. Honestly I rarely shoot past 250 and what I am using is plenty stable for that. So only a minor quibble point Kino, lol.

Thanks JTP, its hard to hit on every point! I do agree that if panning a lot that the leveling bowl could potentially tight up on its "own" if you pan a certain direction with it not loosened enough. I ran one so long now its muscle memory! If I didn't run a leveling bowl it would be a RRS Anvil 30 or something with that design with a lever. Fatboy has one similar but uses a knob to tighten down. They are very similar and IMO would be the next best option over a ball head.

Another thing I left out is camo. Is it necessary, absolutely not but what can tell you is the solid black legs stick out like a sore thumb. You don't realize it until you go to drag a coyote back and at distance you can plainly see your rifle. A rattle can of FDE and other lighter shades makes it disappear. I don't have issues with the coyotes that I know are coming, its the ones that just "appear" at 40 yards that I'm concerned about spooking and breaking up the outline really helps. Not only do you help hide the tripod but the legs also break up your outline because its typically between you and the coyote!

That's the difference between a leveling bowl and a leveling base.

With a bowl, it does tighten or loosen while panning. With practice, you get used to running the handle with your off hand, but it still can be a PITA.

With a leveling base, you can set the tension to let the gun balance on it's own, but you can still tilt and pan w/o touching the tension adjustment. You could spin multiple 360's till you screwed yourself into the ground, & not touch anything but the gun.

What heads would work with my current tripod?

And to answer some questions I hunt standing 100% of the time

BOG isn't compatible with anything we have suggested, its honestly an entry level tripod. The suggested carbon fiber tripods and leveling bowls, heads and such are a DRASTIC difference in stability, quality and are actually lighter.

This is what I have in my notes to help answer your question :

Bog Pod Death Grip conversion to a Ballhead

https://youtu.be/1iw6tI1a6PE

The answer to your question about a quality tripod from what I’ve observed is $
Just like everything else, you get what you pay for !
Tripod/ RRS ( reallyrightstuff.com ) or https://thermalopticsplus.com/

TFCT-33Mk2
Series 3 Tripod + Anvil-30 Ballhead is AWESOME !

The first picture Alf posted is exactly what I use.

Fairly light. Easy to connect in dark.

I have tried a few others- which I have sold. The leveling bowl just works.

KISS method works for me .