Morning Dwayne - indeed our own preferences are hard won, and I'm comfortable in my rut as well
I have both tripods with a simple ball head and those with a handle for tilting and panning. I've relegated the ball head to use with my chronograph or photography after not being happy with it in the field with a spotter. I find the pan head tripod mount smoother, steadier and simpler to use in the field. The pistol grip with ball head is definitely easier to use than just a simple ball head alone, but I still prefer a pan head to either by a mile (or kilometer in your case)!
