Patrik Orcutt 01.19.24
Leupold, a renowned name in the world of optics, has a rich history that spans over a century. Established in 1907 by German immigrant Markus Friedrich “Fred” Leupold and his brother-in-law, Adam Voelpel, in Beaverton, Oregon, the company initially focused on repairing survey equipment. However, their expertise soon expanded into crafting precision optics, and by the 1940s, Leupold became a key contributor to the U.S. war effort by producing rifle scopes for the military. Over the years, Leupold has continued to innovate, setting industry standards for optical performance and durability. Today, the company holds its quality and reliability in high regards, with a diverse range of products catering to hunters, sports shooters, and outdoor enthusiasts worldwide. Today, we will be looking over an item from them that has nothing to do with optics! The Leupold Pro Guide Carbon Fiber CF-436 Tripod Kit is a lightweight and rigid tool to help you secure a more stable platform for shooting bullets or even pixels.
Leupold Coverage on AllOutdoor
The Leupold Pro guide CF-436 TRIPOD was sent to me by Leupold for this review and while I am allowed to keep this rangefinder indefinitely, this will not change my current or future opinion on any Leupold products. Leupold has not been allowed to preview this review prior to its publication. I have been using this Tripod for the past 6 months to help create a more stable shooting platform for both my Rifle and Camera. While this is a versatile piece of gear, I do believe it is intended to be used for hunting primarily. Unfortunately, I live on the East Coast, and taking long-range shots at deer is not a thing like it is out west so I do not have any hunting data points for this tripod.
Specs – Leupold Pro Guide Carbon Fiber CF-436 Tripod Kit
- Leg Lock Type – Twist Lock
- Material – Carbon Fiber
- Plate Compatibility – Arca-Swiss
- Length when Folded in (in) – 18.5
- Height Max (in) – 67
- Height Min (in) – 6.7
- Weight (oz) – 64
- Load Capacity (lb) – 40
- Country of Origin – China
- MSRP – $599.99
PRO GUIDE CF-436 TRIPOD KIT
Quality and Construction – Leupold Pro Guide Carbon Fiber CF-436 Tripod Kit
Being a professional photographer, for many years now, I have used my fair share of tripods. Most of these tripods were designed to be used with cameras and not rifles, but I’ve seen many really bad-quality tripods and many really good-quality ones. This tripod is certainly a good one. Everything on this tripod is very solid and tactile and exudes quality. When you lock down the ball head it does not move, when you lock down the adjustment knobs everything stays in place. When you lock down the legs they’re going to stay where you put them. Everything on this tripod has very tight tolerances and that makes a world of difference when you’re either engaging a target at long range or just taking a Long Exposure picture.
One of the standout features of this tripod is the Arca-Swiss mounting plate. The Arca-Swiss has become the de facto mounting point for all things tactical when it comes to tripods in the last few years and it’s just a simple, robust, and good design. The aluminum ball head is lightweight and rugged with very smooth movement to it and can be tightened down to have your preferred amount of resistance. Of course, this is a carbon fiber constructed tripod when it comes to the legs. This is going to keep the weight of the tripod down while also improving the strength of the entire system.
The twist locks are up for debate as some people prefer them over camlocks. The twist locks on this tripod are easy to use and do not come loose. There an attached posts that can be added to give you more height on this tripod, along with a counterweight hook on the base of the tripod to way down the entire system, if needed. I think this tripod comes with everything you would need as a shooter or photographer.
Performance – Leupold Pro Guide Carbon Fiber CF-436 Tripod Kit
This tripod performs incredibly well, and while I must admit, I’ve been using it more as a photography tripod than a shooting tripod. In the last six months, it has handled both jobs very well. The design allows this tripod to be thrown in a backpack and taken up to the top of mountains. You can get good height out of the extension of this tripod even though when the entire thing is stowed, it’s only 18 1/2 inches tall. All the locks have a great feel to them and when you set this tripod up and lock it down, you can be assured that nothing is going to move. This is truly a premium tripod in all aspects. It also comes with a carrying case with a set of feet for snowy conditions and a couple of adjustment tools. I used this very tripod to engage large steel targets at 800 meters this past summer in Oregon. I was honestly astonished that this was possible from a standing position.
Likes
- Lightweight
- Solid lockup on all components
- Can be configured for many different uses
Dislikes
Wrap Up – Leupold Pro Guide Carbon Fiber CF-436 Tripod Kit
I think this is overall a very well-designed and built tripod and I have been really enjoying all of the time I’ve spent with her at this point if you don’t like the ball head on top of the tripod, you can change it out for anything else that fits it. I do feel that this is a pretty expensive product coming in at $600. Everything on it is nice but I still feel like that’s a lot of money for a tripod that is from China. if you’re in the market a new tripod for either hunting or photography or even birdwatching, this is a good option if you’re willing to show out the money for it.
