The T3240CSL is a lightweight carbon fiber hunting tripod that is essentially identical to the T3240CS that I reviewed a few months ago. What makes the CSL version different is the “L” in its name for “Long”. The CSL is 0.5lbs heavier because it is a head taller at 62″ full extension.
The tripod has 4 carbon fiber leg segments that have o-ring environmental seals to keep moisture and dirt out of the mechanism. The feet are rubberizes pads which are screwed in using standard 3/8″ tripod threads. Without tools, they can be user replaced with stainless steel spikes that Sunwayfoto includes.
The legs can be splayed out up to 85º wide allowing the tripod to almost lay completely flat on the ground. This side angle is ideal for low shots with a camera or shooting prone with a rifle. It can also be angled out to a more moderate 55º to position the tripod for a sitting shooting position.
The aircraft grade aluminum base has additional 3/8″ and 1/4″ screw sockets to attach accessories and arms. Within the base is a sunken/reverse 40mm ballhead. This design creates a lower center of gravity while providing 360º of rotation and up to 35º of elevation tilt. The ballhead is locked into place with a curved arm formed to the shape of the circular base.
Atop the ballhead the CSL comes with an Arca-Swiss compatible head and plate. A locking quick-release lever and tension adjustment screw allow for secure mounting of after-market plates. Which I’ve discovered, may not be created to Swiss levels of engineering.
Interestingly, the sample tripod sent to me from Sunwayfoto has the Asian style clamp head, which is also NATO/Picatinny compatible. You can mount a firearms or accessory that has a Picatinny rail directly onto the ballhead. RSS holds the U.S. patent on this design, so this particular feature may not be present on tripods shipped from U.S. stores.
The tripod is rated with a load capacity of up to 55lbs. In my testing I found it could handle much higher loads. I weigh 175lbs and the tripod could handle my weight without the segment locks slipping.
At the range I found the CSL handled identically to the T3240CS. It had the same steady hold on my rifle. It’s carbon fiber legs soak up vibration while retaining repeatable position. While I may not need the extra height that the CSL affords, for taller shooters or for those competing in PRS/NRL matches with unorthodox positions, having the flexibility of extending the tripod out 62″ may be a game changer.
Modern laptop with USB-C ports have the benefit of data speeds up to 5,10, or even 20Gbps. But to conserve space, many laptop and tablet makers also use the USB-C port as its charging port. This can be an issue when you want to charge and use multiple USB peripherals at the same time.
Some Thunderbolt 3/4 compatible USB hubs which also offer PD (Power Delivery) power passthrough can cost $30 or up to $200 for some “docking stations”. I use a laptop to conserve space and for portability, so finding a USB hub with a small footprint was also a primary criteria. Unfortunately many inexpensive hubs lack PD passtrough, are USB 3.0 or slower, or have HDMI or other peripheral connections I don’t need.
Fortunately, I found a Getatek USB hub on Amazon for under $18 (at the time of purchase, there was a 15% Prime discount). The Getatek hub has a mix of 2x USB-A and 2x USB-C ports that are USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports with data rates of up to 10Gbps. In addition, it has third USB-C port that allows for PD passthrough power. All in all, an ideal mix of USB ports and features.
In my testing, I was able to confirm that the PD port allowed a pass through approaching its claimed 100W capacity (my test charger is an older 90W Apple adpater). In my data testing using a SSD drive, I was able to get data transfer speeds over 8.5Gbps, which is close enough to its claimed 10Gbps max speed. I experienced some power drops initially but discovered this was caused by a poor connection in my testing cable and not the hub itself.
If you’re looking for one of the least expensive USB hubs with a mix of both old school USB-A ports and new USB-C ports, fast USB 3.1 speeds, and power passthrough, the Getatek may be an ideal choice. Or whatever brand this hub may be found under as it’s likely Getatek is yet another random OEM keymash brand.
RRS (Really Right Stuff) has a reputation for making some of the best tripods on the market. And some of the most expensive ones. Part of the cost is because their tripods and tripod heads are 100% made the U.S.A. and not China like most other brands. But mush of it is simply due to how much better built their gear is.
RRS tripods are so over-built and rugged, they are not only well known to lanscape and atrophotographers (who need rock solid tripods to take the sharpest images), but they’re the brand of choice among long-rang target shooters. RRS sent me their BH55 precision tripod ballhead to test and evaluate. I was curious to see if a BH55 was good enough to turn an old photo tripod into a shooting platform?
Out of the box, the BH55 is heavy and solid. It’s by far the heaviest tripod head I’ve used outside of heavy duty 35mm motion picture pan heads. The design is top notic and over-built, offering large diameter knobs to allow me to transfer more torque from my hands.
Heavy duty construction is required in a shooting tripod because the weight of the rifle on the tripod is often not the strongest force exerted on the mechanism. Firearms also produce recoil which is often multiple times more force than gravity. Moreover, a tripod head needs to be unwavering to allow repeatability in follow up shots using magnified optics.
For this test, I used a +20 year old photo/video tripod. I replaced the pan head with a BH55 using the tripod’s 3/8″ screw. This heavy all-metal tripod could handle the weight of a 10lb rifle but the legs aren’t able to splay out more than 20-30º so it is not as stable as shooting tripod with a wider stance. Furthermore, to achieve standing height, the center post has to be raised to max height, further destabilizing its center of gravity.
For the test I would be using my DMR style 5.56mm AR rifle with an ARCA-Swiss adapter plate. The BH55 has RRS’ patented Picatinny compatible ARC-Swiss mount which allows you to clamp down any rifle with a Picatinny 1913 rail. This is particularly handy for AR pattern rifles. This innovative design was created by RRS and not licensed to any other manufacturer, so if you see this feature on any other tripod head, they are illegally selling it in the U.S. (and there is ongoing litigation against some Chinese brands selling in the US).
Mounted on the BH55, my rifle was sold and secure despite the tripods less than ideal geometry. Shooting from it felt much more wobbly than shooting off one of my hunting tripods but was manageable. Follow up shots too a fraction longer to line up but the overall experience was far less severe than I imagined.
At 75yrds, my 5 shots groups were nearly identical to arm rested bench shots at about 2.5 MOA. While an old photo tripod isn’t ideal was hunting tripod, the experiment was a success. The heart of a good tripod is the ballhead. And while the BH55 is an expensive ballhead to be sure, it appears to be worth it.
Sunwayfoto sent me a T2830CS carbon fiber shooting tripod. This is the little brother to their T3240CS, which I reviewed not long ago as the “lightest hunting tripod”. Well I stand corrected because the T2830CS is a half pound lighter still. This shooting tripod weighs only 2.9lbs.
Lighter than the T3240CS while only slightly shorter (3 leg sections instead of 4) and retaining the same low profile ball head. The lighter weight makes the T2330CS a much more appealing tripod for hunters who have to trek or ride into back country. The direct from Asia model I was sent, is both Arca-Swiss and direct Picatinny compatible.
Like it’s big brother, the 2830 sports sturdy yet light carbon fiber legs with broad rubberized pads for a firm grip on hard surfaces; but which can be swapped for spikes in the wild terrain. The 36mm diameter ball head can tilt up to 35º of angle while keeping my +10lb rifle and scope combo rock solid. The legs can splay out to nearly 90º offering exceptional stability when shot from a seated or semi-prone.
The carbon fiber legs are not only lighter weight than traditional aluminum tripods, but they soak up vibration from recoil. With my 5.56mm AR, I was able to maintain a similar group on target, shooting with the T2380CS from both standing and sitting positions; which was comparable to shooting bipod off a bench.
What happens when you work at one of the best known brands in sporting optics and that company decides to get out of the rifle scope market? That happened to Jon Allen and Jon LaCorte at Nikon. Rather than join SIG, Bushnell, or another optics company, Jon and Jon started Tract Optics.
Tract quickly made a name for itself among competition shooters. Not surprising given the Toric is made with the same German Schott glass as other top tier brands like Leupold, Schmidt & Bender, and Zeiss (Schott is owned by Zeiss by the way). Another key feature in its popularity: a street price around a grand. While not cheap, this is less than a Vortex Razor, and significantly less than a Leupold Mk5 or a Zeiss S3.
Some have called the Tract Toric, a Zeiss S3 clone. While physically, I do not think they look all that similar, their performance specs are. So perhaps calling it a “clone” is not a derogatory statement. Both share an impressive 160 MOA of elevation adjustment, unusually tall turrets, and excellent fit and finish in their construction.
Tract sent me a Toric 4-25×50 MOA ELR to test and evaluate. My first impression was positive. The Toric sports a striking graphite grey color, excellent fit and finish, oversized turrets, and butter smooth knobs and rings. In my range testing, I found the glass to provide a bright, detailed image with little or no chromatic aberration at maximum magnification.
Ask 10 different people what they think about a reticle and you’ll get 20 different opinions. I like Christmas Tree reticles even though I have no business using them, since I mostly shoot 100yrd rimfire. I prefer less busy, finer reticles for shooting bullseye targets, so the Toric fits my style. The Toric MRAD ELR reticle has a a cleaner layout than a Leupold Mk5 PR2, while providing more subtensions in a tall column below the Christmas tree. And unlike the Zeiss S3 MOAi reticle, the entire column is illuminated and not just the center mini-cross.
The Toric box includes a sun shade, Allen keys, and a an easy to install zero stop ring. The scope comes with very basic plastic lens caps for shipping protection but these aren’t sturdy or secure enough for field use. Perhaps to make up for this, in the shipping box Tact included a sight in target and a branded chamber flag as swag. I asked Tract about the caps and they said they were planning on upgrading the caps to a silicone bra style in the near future.
An odd feature I noticed was what I thought to be a throw lever socket on the magnification ring. After contacting Jon LaCorte at Tract and asking him how to remove this and what levers fit it, he told me that cap was the Argon gas fill port. They recommend using clamp on polymer throw levers that can break away if and not shake and damage the scope internals, which can happen with screw in levers. Like better lens caps, I hope they include said polymer lever in future packaging of this scope.
Socioeconomics aside, $1000 is not a small sum, but in a world where a top-tier PRS/ELR scope costs a couple grand, a brand new Tract Toric is a deal by comparison. To keep costs down, Tract uses a direct to consumer model so do not sell through stores (though they are available from their store on Amazon).
Cronus is Arthlon Optics top tier product line and as such, command top-tier pricing. Their new Cronus 10×50 laser range finder binoculars have a street price around $1000. At that price range, I wouldn’t normally have reason to come across one but thankfully Athlon sent me a pair to test and evaluate.
These binoculars feature ED UHD glass which reduce or eliminate chromatic aberration and deliver bright, sharp, detailed images at 10x. I own a 25x Celestron Skymasters which I was thought was a pretty darn good pair of binoculars. But when compared to the image quality to the Cronus…it’s like being impressed with the image of a 720p 50″ flatscreen TV and then seeing a 80″ 4K TV; it will ruin you for anything less.
The image is bright, detailed, and sharp. At 50y I was able to make it resolution lines down to Element 4 in Group -1. on the USAF 1951 optical resolution chart. Its field of view is 338ft @ 1000y, which is average to middling in high end binoculars. For comparison, my Skymaster only has a field of view of 141ft.
The Cronus has a greenish plastic/rubberized, knurled body for added grip in cold or wet conditions. It features retained front lens caps with the Athlon logo and integrated telescoping eye-cups. The buttery smooth, focus knob is oversized to provide finer adjustments.
Its internal laser rang finder is powered by a CR2 battery housed in the pivot point between the scope tubes. Unfortunately the battery cap is located where I would normally expect to find the tripod adapter threads. Alas, if you want to attach this 2.3lb optic to a stable tripod, you’ll have to use a strap or clamp style mount.
The laser range finder is controlled by two buttons molded onto the top of the each half of the binocular. The digital display is visible through the right binocular eyepiece and appears similar to golf range finders with angle detection and even includes a golf flag mode! But both ocular lenses must be uncapped in order for the laser to beam and detect targets.
Athlon states that the Cronus has a maximum detection range of 2000y on a reflective object and 800y on deer. These numbers are under controlled and ideal testing conditions. In my “real world” testing on a city hillside, the maximum distance I was able to bounce off was a window on a house 1414y away. On a non-reflective rock, I was able to range out to 680y. While short of its maximum, these numbers are sill impressive for everyday use.
While the Crono’s performance is impressive, the reality of its price is still daunting. The typical hunter or even long range shooter would be able to get away with a cheap 1000y golf laser range finder and a 60mm spotting scope and be able to accomplish the same goals. But for those the means and budget to purchase a Cronus, the simpler one piece solution is worth the price.
Magnification:10 x Objective Lens: 50 mm Eye Relief: 19.3 mm Field of View: 338 ft @ 1000 y Weight: 38oz Length: 7 in Close Focus: 6.6 ft Exit Pupil: 5 mm Water Proof: IPX-7 Glass: UHD, ED Coating: Fully Multi-Coated Range Finder: Laser Max Range: 2000 y Range Deer: 800 y Warranty: Lifetime
A few years ago, I bought an OLIGHT PL-2 Valkyrie because it offered the best value in terms of price to lumen output. I liked the physical design of the Valkyrie and the PL-2 was one of the few +600 lumen lights priced under $150. When OLIGHT contacted me to review their soon to be released PL-Turbo Valkyrie I was eager to see how this new light compared to mine.
The PL-Turbo is an improvement on the Turbo Valkyrie offering a bump up from 250 lumens to a more blinding 800 lumens in the PL-Turbo, while sacrificing only a slightly shorter yet still impressive 515m throw. The other noticeable changes is a screw mount, an adjustable position mounting system, and surprisingly: a 60% drop in retail price.
Compared to my 1200 lumen PL-2, the PL-Tubo is 1/4″ longer and has a more matte black coated surface. Both are powered by a pair of C123A or rechargeable RCR123A batteries. Both share identical control button/panels which are some of the best in the category.
In my lumen testing I discovered that the PL-2 output 50% more than its specified 800 lumens. Many budget brand and knock-off weaponlights outrageously inflate their lumen numbers. It is laudable in that OLIGHT understated the PL-Turbo’s performance numbers.
The PL-Turbo retains the Turbo’s tight beam pattern; a product of its laser powered LEP illumination. Inside the narrow beam is an extremely bright and small hot spot. At 10ft, it appears as a 1ft wide circle that can function as an aim point. While the beam is narrower than OLIGHT’s other Valkerie or Baldr lights but its intensity offers sufficient bounce light to illuminate a residential room.
I don’t claim that any OLIGHT is as durable or as reliable as military tested weapon lights from US built brands. But this OLIGHT is more than sufficient to meet my average-civilian needs. With all of the PL-Turbo’s improvements to the older Valkyrie Turbo and at a lower price, its a no-brainer that the PL-Turbo is a good value.
At Shot Show this year, Athlon showed me their new Heras line of “cross-over” scopes. These scopes were designed to appeal to hunters and target shooters. The 10 yrds minimum parallax piqued my interest (for airgun matches and dispatching the occasional field rat in my backyard this distance comes in handy). A few months later, they finally released the Heras and they offered to send me one to test and evaluate. Seeing as they market this scope to hunters, I requested the MOA version but they also make it in MIL.
I didn’t fully appreciate the differences between this and my Midas Tac until I got it in my hands and took it to the range. The glass isn’t as good as the Midas Tac (not surprising given the Hera’s 25% lower price point). I appreciate that Athlon listened to complaints and added illumination that the Midas Tac is missing. But the only thing lit is the center dot, which isn’t daylight bright at max. Moreover the dot is too small to even see at low magnfication, so the the illumination feature is a wasted effort.
The Heras’ turret design differs from Athlon’s other scope line with much more data information, larger footprint, and aggressive knurling. It’s a marked improvement over the Midas and Helos in design and ergonomics. The elevation has a respectable if unremarkable 70 MOA of elevation adjustment.
The windage is lockable (pull up to unlock) which is a nod to hunters who prefer to use subtension for cross-wind compensation. Both turrets are resettable for zero. The elevation turret features Athlon’s easy-to-use and solid zero-stop, for competition shooters.
The illumination dial has an OFF between the 6 levels of brightness. Unfortunately in the MOA SFP version of this scope, only the tiny central dot (0.3 MOA) is illuminated; which is not daylilght bright and too small to use as a target dot at low magnfication. The MIL SFP version of this scope has the APRS8 reticle which illuminates the center cross which offers a more visible illuminated reference. The FFP version of the HERAS has APRS9 reticle which illuminates the entire Christmas tree.
One feature I appreciate in the HERAS is its usability at short range. The paralax focus goes down to 10 yrds., which is a boon for NRL22 and airgun shooters. When doing rodent control on your property, its rare to find varmints beyond 10 yrds.
I found the optics to be on par with Helos, which it likely shares its glass as well as price tier in Athlon’s lineup. The image was sharp with a modest amount of chromatic fringing at maximum magnification which hampers its clarity and detail at higher magnifications. I was still able to make out .22 cal size holes on plain paper at 100 yrds. Overall the scope seems to check all the boxes for both hunters and long range shooters.
Support my channel by purchasing this scope using the affiliate links below.
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When Feyachi offered to send me their newest 9mm in-bore laser bore sighter I wasn’t all that interested. Until I saw it’s newest feature, an off switch. It’s such a simple yet vital feature missing in this category until now.
Prior to this new version, the only way to turn on or off an in-bore laser bore sighter was to remove the battery. The hassle of this often lead to simply leaving the unit on while adjusting sights or reticles. Thus, leading to extra drain on the already tiny and anemic battery life from the tiny hearing-aid button batteries used to power the units.
The package comes with 3 battery packs. Each pack is a stacked set of L41 button batteries held together by tape. The packs slid easily into the laser and with a press of the button the unit was on.
The addition of a simple button switch in the approximate position of a primer in a cartridge turns the laser unit on. The position can be a bit awkward to get your finger inside the ejector port. But with a practice, pen, or other probe, you can reach the button.
Feyachi currently only has the 9mm and a .223/5.56mm version of this laser. It seems like a no-brainer to extend this feature to all of their bore sighters.
For a limited time, use Coupon Code: BTDN8948 to get 50% Off this laser bore sighter on Amazon.
