BT-20 Ridge Warden Ball Tilt Head

Bought this primarily to cut weight on my tripod setup for using optics only, and not necessarily shooting off of. I tend to be somewhat of a gram weenie. I found that my tripod was not properly set up to accept the tilt head and needed to get an adapter to build up a 1/4 inch post to a 3/16 inch one. Wiser Precision did the homework for me so I could make the necessary adjustments to make this head work. Loving the weight savings, versatility, and customer service Wiser Precision has offered. Keep up making great gear. I definitely will be recommending your products and customer service to everyone I know.

Great in general, super smooth. The tensioner handle is too long though....and requires you to tilt the head up or down, if you need to significantly tension/detention the head

I now have both the Ridge Warden and the Nighthawk. Both made by Wiser Precision. Both are amazing heads! The Ridge Warden is slightly easier to use because it only has one adjustment lever. It's smooth. It works very well! I like that I will be able to use it to support my rifle in the field. Big plus! There's nothing that I don't like about it. It pans and tilts just like a dedicated pan head. The Nighthawk is absolutely great too! The Nighthawk will tighten up a little tighter which could be better for use with a heavy spotting scope. I have the little Swarovski ATC spotting scope, so both heads have no problems with this scope. I have not used the Ridge Warden with a heavier spotter, but my observations tell me that the Nighthawk would possibly be better with the heavy scopes. That being said, they both are amazing heads. Clearly the best on the market. I have the Nighthawk on my dedicated truck Tripod, and the Ridge Warden on my Aziak Backcountry tripod.

Haven’t had the chance to use Timon the field yet, leaving this week. But so far this seems like an awesome solution to the panhead/ballhead issue, and an incredible weight,

The Wiser Ridge Warden blew me away the first time I used it. At just 3.8 oz with the carbon fiber handle, it’s ridiculously light, yet somehow still rock solid and smooth in every movement. You’d expect a head this light to have some play or chatter, but it feels as stable as setups two or three times its weight. The adjustable carbon handle is a huge plus—it lets me dial in the feel depending on whether I’m glassing or shooting, and it packs down easily in my kit. The smooth pan and tilt motion make long glassing sessions effortless, and you can tell Wiser really refined this from their Nighthawk design. Built in the USA from billet aluminum and stainless, it’s tough as nails, and the anodized finish holds up great in the elements. For anyone who values ultralight gear without sacrificing performance, the Ridge Warden hits the sweet spot.

I paired the Ridge Warden with my Swarovski 10x42 NL Pure binoculars, Aziak Bino Clamp, and Backcountry Tripod. It securely held both my binoculars and my STS 65 spotting scope with confidence.

I’ll admit, I debated this purchase. My first thought was, “There’s no way this little ball head can really do two things—pan and tilt like a panhead, and orbit like a ball head.” Add in the fact that it isn’t cheap, and I hesitated. But Wiser’s 30-day satisfaction guarantee gave me the confidence to give it a try.

After a full week of use in the field, here’s the bottom line: the Ridge Warden truly does both jobs well, blending the control of a pan head with the orbiting freedom of a ball head. That versatility didn’t fully click until I had several days of glassing under my belt. With my binoculars locked on the tripod, I mostly used it as a pan/tilt, but whenever I needed to adjust to new angles on the hillside, the ability to rotate and orbit the head in any direction made glassing feel far more natural than with a traditional pan head.

The result? Less time repositioning my body or tripod, and more time staying in the glass. The action is smooth, arca-swiss clamp is solid and the ability to easily change the handle’s orientation is a thoughtful, practical feature.
In short, Wiser nailed it.

Started using this ball head and it’s working great so far.

This thing is awesome, it's extremely lightweight and yet still smooth as butter. So far I've only glassed with it, and shot at targets but I'd def rec it if you're looking for a ultralight setup.