Dead Center Arca Plate

🎯 Before completing your purchase, please watch our Compatibility Video to make sure the Dead Center fits your spotting scope.

The Dead Center Arca Plate lets you match the point of aim of your optics, so you can relocate animals instantly when glassing from a tripod.

The problem

You're glassing from your tripod and you find an animal. You go to switch from your binoculars to your spotting scope and they aren't aligned to the same point of aim. That costs you critical time relocating game, and sometimes you're unable to find them again at all.

The solution

The Dead Center has built-in adjustable incline, with 6.5 degrees of adjustment. By adjusting the front and rear set screws, you're able to perfectly match your optics left/right and up/down. When you find an animal you simply lock down your tripod head, switch to your spotting scope, and the animal is right there in your field of view. No more burning critical minutes trying to find your buck of a lifetime before he goes over the ridge.

Before you buy — check your spotting scope

This plate will not work with every spotting scope. It will NOT fit if:

• Your scope is angled. Angled scopes require adjusting your tripod between optics
• Your scope has only a threaded screw hole and no flat foot
• Your scope's foot has deep holes where the adjustment screws land
• Your scope's center mounting screw sits too close to the edge of the foot

The plate fits straight scopes with solid surfaces spaced .625" or 1" front and back of center screw.

Specifications

• Length: 2.75 in
• Width: 1.49 in (37.85 mm)
• Height: 0.44 in
• Weight: 1.41 – 1.69 oz installed, depending on which mounting screw is used
• Adjustment range: 6.5 degrees
• Mounting hole spacing: .625 in and 1.00 in, from mounting screw center
• Material: 6061 aluminum, black anodized
• Hardware: 18-8 stainless steel

Built to RRS spec, the most widely adopted Arca-Swiss dovetail pattern. Other plates vary, and while most are compatible, some may require adjustment.

Tools required — not included

• 1/8 in Allen wrench for the adjustment screws
• 5/32 in Allen wrench for the 1/4-20 mounting screw
• 7/32 in Allen wrench for the 3/8-16 mounting screw

In the box

• Dead Center Arca Plate
• 3/8-16 and 1/4-20 mounting screws
• 2 medium adjustment screws
• 1 short adjustment screw
• 1 long adjustment screw

The story behind it

Dioni wrote up why he built this one, from years of shimming his own spotting scope to the podcast conversation that convinced him others were doing the same: Why We Built the Dead Center Arca Plate.

Machined in Idaho. Patent pending.