Let’s start with the most recognizable item, Spartan’s Ascent Tripod. Crafted from 7075 aluminum and carbon fiber, the Gen 2 Ascent Tripod paired with the Davros Pro head is essentially an extremely strong standard tripod built to work with Magnaswitch, albeit with a few, fun little extras. For starters, the Ascent is almost ridiculously strong for its weight. With legs fully extended giving it a 50-inch or 70-inch height depending on whether you bought the Mountain or Woodland Configuration, the maximum weight limit is an impressive 44 lbs. At mid height, however, we’ve seen 150-pound folks do pull-ups off them, which is an almost mindblowing level of structural integrity.
The Mountain model weighs in at 3 lbs., 1.4 ozs. and shrinks down to a mere 11 inches, while the Woodland tips the scales at 3 lbs., 12 ozs. and compresses down to an even foot. Packed length with the head attached is 24 inches for the former, and 29 inches for the latter. Both have a packed diameter of 3.6-inches. The Davros Pro head has an adjustable center column with a removable hook for stabilizing weights, 360 degrees of traverse, 45 degrees of elevation adjustment, friction control and a 90-degree notch. One of the coolest parts of the Ascent though, is it ships with trekking pole handles, enabling the user to unscrew one or two legs, readjust their twist locks, and put those tungsten carbide tips to use as trekking poles—something Managing Editor David Herman did all throughout the Bob Marshall chasing elk this season, and they held up great.
Next up comes the Springbok Tripod, which has quickly become a team favorite around the American Hunter offices. Build for those who prioritize light portability and lightning quick setup, the Springbok eschews any sort of traditional head for silicone that can be twisted for added stability. This is hooked to three, multi-layered carbon fiber legs, that extend via twist locks for a maximum usable height of around 60-inches, and a minimum of around 35-inches with the legs at a standard tripod angle. Here’s the cool part though. That silicone top allows the legs to be quickly splayed out to 90-degrees, to drop the tripod down to a mere three inches, meaning a hunter can go from Prone to standing in literal seconds, with no cumbersome adjustments required. It does all this while maintaining 360-degrees of traverse, enough stability to take hunters out to the edge of standard hunting distances and likely beyond, while weighing in at just 1.7 lbs. The Springbok Tripod’s minimum packed length is 36 inches, while it's maximum is 63.
Last but not least comes with SpringBok Quad Sticks. Built around the same sort of silicone based adjustment as their tripod sibling, the Quad Sticks allow competent hunters to take rapid standing shots out to 300 yards, but can also be used seated and kneeling. The trick behind the Quad sticks is the total rifle support it offers. The front utilizes the standard MagnaSwitch attachment system, while the rear boasts a wide U on which to rest the butt of the rifle. The primary elevation adjustment is accomplished with twist locks, while smaller, more rapid adjustments can be made on the fly by splaying the legs out further apart or closer together. Despite having four legs, the Quad Sticks maintain just two points of contact with he ground, which further eases adjustment. A V cradle is also included with the Quad Sticks, for those who prefer to simply set the rifle onto the sticks rather than utilizing a MagnaSwitch, which sacrifices a touch of stability for even faster setup. The Quad Sticks stand 57.5 inches high at max, or 28 inches at minimum without leg extensions. With extensions, you can get the sticks up to 77 inches, though they will bottom out at 34 inches in that configuration. The standard sticks pack down to 20 inches for portability, and tip the scales at an even 3 lbs.
The Springbok Quad Sticks retail for $499, the Springbok Tripod for $350, and the Ascent Tripod for $1,099.99. For more information on any of them, visit JavelinBipod.com.
