Scope tube length -- long action rifle.

[Bart Solo]

I want to re-scope a 30-06 Savage 110.  Are there any brands that are better than others when it comes to long action rifles?     

[Graybeard]

The Leupold 3-9 has always worked well on long action Remington rifles for me. I actually prefer their VX-III 2.5-8 over the 3-9 but find it problematic to mount on the LA guns. It can be done but it's not so easy. You can of course use extended bases and mount most anything.

[kyelkhunter3006]

Get a one piece weaver style or picatinny base for it, and you'll not have any problems with scope mounting.  B-square makes one that I've used on several Savage rifles in the past, and EGW makes one that you can get with 0 degree, 5 degree (I think), or 20 degree cants to it.

[Bart Solo]

The reason I ask is my son is  complaining that he has to move too far forward to pick up his sight picture.  He thinks he might have to use extended bases on his Savage to move his scope back just a little.  I want to avoid extended bases if possible. 

I have also heard that sometimes people install bases backwards which pulls shooter up the stock. 

My son is about 6 foot so I don't think the stock is too long. 

I have been thinking about a Leupold 3-9 since  a little more eye relief might do the trick.  The standard Leupold eye relief is about 3.7 inches.  The scope on the Savage came with the rifle and is an el cheapo of unknown origin.

I haven't taken a look at the rifle. My son knows he has a problem. He just doesn't know how to fix it.   The Leupold might make a nice pre-season Christmas present.

A one piece mount.  Now there is an idea!!  Thanks.

[Graybeard]

I hate one piece bases in general and wouldn't even consider one in Weaver style on a bolt gun. You really gotta have some room to get rounds in and out of the action ya know. At least the old Redfield pattern was cut out to allow this. If you cut out a Weaver style similarly I can't see any advantage to it over a two piece base system.

[kyelkhunter3006]

The b-square base has a slight curve in the side of the base where you'd load the gun.  It's got 3 or 4 slots on the tang area and 3 or 4 slots on the front ring.  I don't have one on hand, but I'd guess that it gives you around an inch, maybe more, of movement back and forth for the scope, that you wouldn't get with regular bases, or extension rings. 

It also allows you the space the rings to give the most support to the tube.  Sometimes, it will even allow you to use an extra ring if you want to.  I had one a Savage 16 in .308, and I had a Simmons Whitetail Expedition scope on it, a 3-9x42, which was a bit longer in the tube than average for a scope in that range.  I was able to use three Weaver Quad rings on it with that base.  Needless to say, that scope never moved at all.  It was a slightly heavy scope on a light rifle, so I figured that I'd nothing to lose with using the extra ring.

I haven't had any problems with loading the magazine, although I will admit that I have slightly smaller hands than the average guy.  I have put the bases on guns for other guys as well as mine, and they've  never complained about loading problems.

[Bart Solo]

I am not sure but don't manufacturers often use single piece bases on their package rifles?

[Dave in WV]

I recently got into a quest to find a scope with plenty of eye relief that would fit on my M70 30-06. I checked measurements on several scopes and the Leupold 3x9x40mm, the 6x38mm, and the 6x42mm would work. I bought the 3x9 with the matte finish and post & duplex reticle from the Leupold custom shop. I got a great deal. The Zeiss Conquest 4x will work. I'm not sure about the Conquest 2.5x8 or 3x9 but I think they will. The Sightron SII bigsky may work without extension rings. Measure from the front edge of the forward ring and to the rear of the back ring and you'll know how much tube length you need.