Athlon sent me their Midas CF32 Shooting Tripod. This is a telescoping carbon fiber leg tripod with a heavy duty ball head. The ball head features Friction Control, Fluid Pan Control, Ball Lock, and ARCA/Swiss compatibility (the popular photography mounting system).
The box includes the tripod, accessory hammock, shoulder pad, sling, padded case, and optional spiked feet. Overall weight was around 8lbs, while heavier than travel tripods, the extra weight comes from the heavy-duty vibration dampening legs and 32mm ball head which is able to withstand recoil from large caliber rifles and support over 175lbs. Fully extended the legs raise the ball-head to over 65″ tall.
At the range, I mounted my 20″ Aero Precision AR15 DMR to the tripod. The found the friction control knob allowed me to precisely adjust my rifle and cinch down the main locking knob confidently on target. There was just enough flex to make fine adjustments in aim. The tripod kept me pointing on target for quick and precise follow-up shots. This was such a pleasure to use compared to the BOG Great Divide tripod head I tested last year which could not keep my rifle level after the first shot.
Athlon makes this tripod with a 40mm, 36mm, and a 29mm ball head. The larger size ball heads can handle larger and heavier rifles. Overall, I found this tripod to be robust, rugged, and capable for back country hunting as well as competition target shooting.
Available at Optics Planet
https://shrsl.com/3im33
