I use my spotting scope for both target shooting and for some backyard birding and other wildlife viewing. When shooting I use a stand that clamps to a bench so like a mount that allows for quick scope change from that stand to my tripod.
I have been using a QD mount called a Kentucky Slider, made by a gentleman in Louisville, Kentucky. He makes several scope stands and mounts and has a website called gearbuggy.com. THis slider is a very substantial aluminum blid dovetail. The female part attaches to the tripod top via the usual 1/4" screw, the male part to the telescope, or camera and they slide together. The dovetail is a blind dovetail so it has a positive stop, plus there is a large captive screw in the bottom part that then screws to the top part locking it all together.
It's probably not the most elegant solution, but is efficient and very robust. Another plus is that the scope will not suffer constant wear of being screwed to a tripod. My Manfrotto tripod has a removeable plate but that is not compatible with my bench stand so the slider attaches to the plate, so by having multiple female base parts I can move my scope back and forth with ease.
I have been using a QD mount called a Kentucky Slider, made by a gentleman in Louisville, Kentucky. He makes several scope stands and mounts and has a website called gearbuggy.com. THis slider is a very substantial aluminum blid dovetail. The female part attaches to the tripod top via the usual 1/4" screw, the male part to the telescope, or camera and they slide together. The dovetail is a blind dovetail so it has a positive stop, plus there is a large captive screw in the bottom part that then screws to the top part locking it all together.
It's probably not the most elegant solution, but is efficient and very robust. Another plus is that the scope will not suffer constant wear of being screwed to a tripod. My Manfrotto tripod has a removeable plate but that is not compatible with my bench stand so the slider attaches to the plate, so by having multiple female base parts I can move my scope back and forth with ease.
