The Primos Jim Shockey Tall Tripod is primarily a mobile rest for the forestock of firearms.
A trigger lock mounted at the top of the unit allows the operator to adjust to any elevation from 24 to 62 inches. The legs may be deployed as a monopod, bipod or tripod.
The tripod was originally designed as a quick-deploy shooting support while in the field, but it can also be used as a light-duty walking stick and gear hook when stationary.
The yoke, handle, trigger lock and hinge frames are made from synthetic materials with quality feel. The telescopic legs are made from aluminum and operate independently from one another.
They are capped with thick rubber feet that get good traction on most surfaces and are quiet when making height adjustments.
Operators may secure the tripod to their wrists with the handle strap. A rubber strap may be used to keep the feet together to minimize noise while moving.
The yoke’s angle and height are easily adjusted one-handed once the feet are spaced apart, thanks to the placement of the trigger lock.
I was particularly impressed with deployment speed and the solid support that the tripod provides on uneven ground. It was comfortable and easy to use from kneeling, chair seated and standing positions.
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The telescoping mechanism operated without problems, even in freezing conditions.
The tripod also has secondary uses:
- It may be used as a walking stick, but it would be unwise to overburden the aluminum with too much weight.
- The rubber feet make an excellent way to deploy chemical attractants on the ground to easily establish a scent trail while walking.
- While stationary in a ground blind, the yoke and handle strap can be used to hang lightweight hunting items such as binoculars and game calls without impairing shooting support.
- The removable yoke reveals a standard screw for mounting optics such as a camera or spotting scope. I found the optic mount to be particularly useful as a spotting scope at the shooting range for a solid shot placement observation platform.
I was hard pressed to find many flaws in the tripod’s design and execution. Using support sticks is slower than off-hand shooting, but the accuracy gain should be seriously considered for certain shooting conditions.
One must be careful when the temperature falls below -15 C because the internal trigger mechanism does not seem to be engineered for anything colder. Deploying the tripod in a ground blind in these temperatures seems fine, but using it as a walking stick will likely cause it to permanently malfunction.
The tripod costs about $190, but you are definitely getting what you pay for in comparison to similar products on the market.
