Tall Tripods

Tall tripods can be used for mountain hunting, but they are generally better suited to woodland and other hunting environments where there is more room to build a shooting position. In steep mountain terrain, space is often limited and a smaller tripod can be easier to work with.

For hunts dominated by steep slopes, crags, and awkward shooting positions, a more compact tripod such as the Hoplite may be the better fit.

There is no single "best" tall tripod for hunting. Your rifle, the game you pursue, and the terrain all matter, but your own height is just as important when choosing a tripod for standing shots.

As a general guide, the tripod head should sit around shoulder height when fully deployed for comfortable rifle support. This gives you room for the rifle and attachment system above the tripod while helping you build a natural standing shooting position.

A greater working range gives you more options when building a shooting position. The Ascent Woodland Tripod, for example, adjusts from 12 in / 31cm to 70in / 177cm, allowing the same system to work across low, seated, kneeling, and standing positions.

That range also makes a tall tripod easier to adapt between different users and setups. Change the leg height to suit the shooter, the ground, or the equipment mounted above it to cover every situation.

For standing use, aim for a tripod with a head that reaches approximately your shoulder height. Taller shooters can still use a tripod such as the Ascent Woodland, which extends to 70in / 177cm and provides plenty of working height for a wide range of users.

More height is not always better. Your rifle, spotting scope, or binoculars still sit above the tripod head, so a tripod that extends beyond your natural working height can leave the final setup unnecessarily high. In general, the further the rifle sits from the ground, the more opportunity there is for movement, so it's worth using only as much height as the situation requires. Match the tripod to your shoulder height first, then account for the equipment mounted on top.