Author Topic: Scope Mount (Read 515 times)

Tad Houston · « **on:** September 01, 2003, 10:10:05 AM »

I would like to put good rings & bases on my Winchester M70 post 63. I was thinking leupold, but what is better- one piece or two piece? Also I was thinking about the duel dove tail bases. I like the simplicity of them, but are there disadvantages in strength or durability? This is a 30/06 and i plan to lap the rings. Thanks for any advice-Tad :grin:

gunnut69 · « **Reply #1 on:** September 02, 2003, 07:10:17 AM »

Actually there is precious little difference between the mounts on a rifle like your 30-06. The single rotary dovetail mounts typified by those from Redfield/Leupold are great mounts and universally accepted. They are made from relatively soft steel and the front ring is all that truly holds the scope down to any real degree but they work great and are my usual mount. For light weight and strength on heavy kickers the old style Weaver mounts are really great. They are alloy and the screws sometimes cause problems but they almost never slip. Talleys are great also. I do not like the millet angle locks. They look ungainly and seem weak.. The S&K's and ConeTrol are great rings and there are others but most suffer from the same flaws. They are quite pricey and give little if any real advantage

Tad Houston · « **Reply #2 on:** September 02, 2003, 10:11:46 AM »

Thanks Gunnut, I was just wondering if there was any advantage to having the rear windage mount as opposed to the duel dovetail. Also do you prefer the one piece over the two piece? Thanks again-Tad

Dave in WV · « **Reply #3 on:** September 02, 2003, 10:51:15 AM »

I have the duel dovetail rings. I like two piece bases because they give more clearance to load the rifle. The rear windage adjustable was designed when most rifles were not drilled and tapped for scope mounting. The design allows the shooter to have more windage adjustment to make up for holes drilled a little off. They may be strong enough but not as strong as duel dovetail types. Dave

Bullseye · « **Reply #4 on:** September 02, 2003, 05:40:54 PM »

I say Dual Dovetail. I think they would have to be stronger and I think they look better. Thing I never have understood about the windage adjustable is this. You line the rings up, lap your rings and everything fits like it should. Now you adjust the windage with those dang screws and you just screw up your alignment of the rings up unless you start over and rotate the front dovetail ring also. Looks like it would lead to scope stress to me, and I have never had a scope that would not adjust in right to left with the internal adjustments. Most of my guns are always real close to optical center when sighted in anyway.

I like the one piece base with the DD rings. I think it is easier to keep everything on the same plane but the other poster might have a good point about it getting in the way. All of mine are on single shots where I do not have that problem.

gunnut69 · « **Reply #5 on:** September 02, 2003, 09:12:10 PM »

The rear adjustment was most convenient when everything wasn't drilled just so.. Today that is for the most part irrelavent. It does have another positive side though. Scopes, especially the higher powered ones and higher powered variables most of all, function best near the center of their lens systems. While the difference is small it is a difference. By centering the scope's internal system and using the mounts adjustment to get everything close, the scopes internal adjustment only is used to fine tune the zero(windage anyway) and the image stays closer to the optical center of the lense'. As for as them being strong enough, I suppose anything can fail.. I've only had 1 set of Redfield mounts fail and that was simple scope slippage. Cured the slippage and replaced the damaged adjustment screws and the weapon was happy again. The adjustment screws were over tightened in an attempt to stop the scope from moving. It was slipping in the rings so the adjustment screws were damaged without reason..I lube the front dovetail with a high pressure lube at assembly time and work it a bit to allow the adjustment screws to easily rotate the scope left-right to center things. Actually this type mount almost cannot maintain any stress on a scope tube as the front ring will turn to face the rear ring. The only possible stress then being in an up-down direction. As to clearance there is precious little difference between the 1 piece and the 2 piece. all access is from the ejection port which is on the right and the 1 piece bases are clearanced. The real advantage of the 2 piece mount is the ability to buy bases that will reverse. This can allow more latitude as to the positioning of the scope front to back,. With some of todays short coupled scopes eye relief and scope position can become a problem. It can be solved with offset rings but these while usually OK are weaker. Much better to turn the bases around to change the mounting position of the scope..