Sunwayfoto T3240CS: The Collar-Lock Carbon Tripod for Shooters Who Don’t Need a Giant (2021 Look Back)

T&E disclosure: Sunwayfoto provided the tripod and accessories in this video for testing and evaluation. The company did not see the video before it was published and had no editorial oversight.

Squat Squad, this one is a look back to November 25, 2021, when I put out my first look at the Sunwayfoto T3240CS. Shooting off a tripod had become all the rage with hunters, long-range target shooters and competitors, where a lot of stages get shot off sticks. I had already reviewed the Vortex Radian, and it’s a fantastic tripod. But for a lot of people it’s too expensive, too big, and honestly, not everyone needs a tripod towering over their head. That’s where this one comes in.

This is an unboxing, features walkthrough and outdoor first impressions after about four or five range trips, not a long-term durability test. Specs are as described in the video and its description from 2021, so check Sunwayfoto for current models.

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Why look at the collar-lock version again?

If you’ve read my Sunwayfoto TL3240CS review, you know that tripod is basically this same platform with flip lever locks. The T3240CS came first, and it’s the twist-collar, sealed version. So this article is the other half of that story: why you’d pick collars over levers, and what this smaller tripod does that my bigger sticks don’t.

Twist collars that work with gloves and small hands

Like most hunting tripods, the T3240CS uses twist collars, and for hunting and shooting I think that’s the better fit. They’re nice, big, oversized molded grips. Even with smaller hands you can grab all three collars together, give them about half a twist, pull the legs out and lock them back up. Even the smallest sections aren’t super thin, so I wasn’t worried about stability.

The collars are also weather sealed. If you’re out in rain, dust and mud while hunting, that’s a good thing to know, and it’s the main reason I’d pick this one over the lever-lock TL version for field use.

Height: eye level for me, low enough for kneeling

Fully extended with the legs at the standard angle, it put a rifle at perfect eye level for me, and I’m 5’8″. There’s no center column to go higher, so if you’re taller you’ll need to hunch down a little bit. Most people probably won’t need more.

Each leg has a spring-loaded metal angle lock, so you can splay the legs out and go much lower. Sunwayfoto lists the range at about 4.7 inches to about 57 inches. You can get it low enough to use it almost like a bipod while prone, but honestly, prone it’s more mass to move around and a bit clunky. Where it’s really, really fantastic is kneeling, with a few sections collapsed.

The head: Arca on top, Picatinny underneath

The ball head has a quick-release lock. As a righty, my favorite way to run it is with one hand on the rifle and the thumb of my other hand on the lock: loosen, adjust, lock it in tight. There’s a separate adjustment and release for the ball head itself on the other side, and two screws if you want to remove the head entirely.

Now the really cool part, and something I hadn’t seen on other tripods at the time: besides the standard Arca rail clamp on top, the bottom section is cut for a Picatinny rail. If you’ve got an older AR-15 with a quad rail, you just set it in and lock it down. One note: because of the lock in between the Picatinny slots, you can’t slide the rifle forward and back like you can on Arca. But you can attach it quickly and easily.

Shooting a traditional hunting stock? Grab a sling swivel stud to Picatinny adapter, the same kind of thing you’d use for a bipod, and you can clamp that right into this head too.

Quarter-20 points and the stone bag

On the sides of the base there are additional 1/4-20 threaded mounting points. With a couple of clamps you can hang a spotting scope or a wind meter right on the tripod. That’s a big win, and it’s something I hadn’t seen on our bigger Vortex tripod either.

The one thing I wished it had was a hook at the bottom of the center to hang a bag. That’s where Sunwayfoto’s stone bag comes in. Fill it with a couple of big rocks and you lower the center of gravity, which helps a lot when you’ve got a rifle up there in heavy wind. Where I actually like it most is as a junk holder: phone, spare ammo, laser rangefinder, Kestrel. I think that’s what it’s better for.

Strength and real-world use

The head is rated at 55 lb, and I believe it. I don’t have anything that heavy, but we tried it with a couple of rifles in the high 20s and it locked up terrific. The tripod itself doesn’t have a listed rating, but I was able to hang right off of it, and I’m a bit over 170 lb, and it stayed really stable. For a lightweight tripod, that surprised me.

By the time I filmed this, I’d had it at the range four or five times with no issues. And if my regular camera tripod ever breaks, I can mount my camera or spotting scope on this one and be fine.

T3240CS vs. the bigger tripods

Side by side with my larger four-section Vortex Radian, the difference in height is obvious, and the Radian costs quite a bit more. If you’re deep into competitive shooting and need the extra height, you’ll know you need it. If you’re not, and you mostly want a really good tripod for hunting and range days, the T3240CS is a fantastic option and a really, really good value.

More tripod reading on the site:

• Sunwayfoto TL3240CS: Ideal All-Around Shooting Tripod? (the lever-lock sibling)
• Vortex Radian Tripod: You Need THIS?
• Athlon Optics Tripods: Lifetime Warranty Value Kit?

My take

Not everyone needs a 6-foot competition tripod. The T3240CS gives you carbon legs, sealed collars that make sense in the field, a height range from prone-ish to standing for an average-height shooter, and a head that takes both Arca and Picatinny. Add the stone bag and you’ve got a spot for all your range junk too. If you hunt or shoot from a bench, kneeling or standing more than you run PRS stages, this is the lane it was built for. Just remember this was a first look from late 2021, so verify the current version before you buy.

Gear and support

• Sunwayfoto tripods, heads and accessories: Sunwayfoto store
• Eye pro, ear pro, lead wipes and everything else I run: SlavGuns Amazon storefront
• Support the channel: join the Squat Squad on YouTube

Collars or levers for your tripod? Tell me in the comments. Thanks for reading, and keep on squatting!

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