scope mounts

[chris matthews]

Now that I have a scope picked out, I thought I knew what mounts I was going to use, that is until I read Ian's post in getting started(thanks alot, Ian!

)
Here's the set-up:
Savage 10P Tactical .308
Elk Ridge Tactical Laminate Stock (pillar and glass bedded)
Leupold 6.5-20x50 Long Range Scope

I was going to use Burris Signature rings(30mm) in the dual dovetail as I can't seem to find the 30mm Signature rings in the Weaver style or should I use a tactical base and rings and lap the rings?
If the tactical is really the way to go, then who do you reccomend? (I shop alot at Brownell's- do they have any that are good? I know they have alot like Leupold's MK 4 and others, but some of them I have never heard of.)

 

[Ian M]

Chris,
I sure did not intend to spoil your parade, but I mentioned about dovetails and dual dovetails because of info I got in the Redfield factory (when it was operating in Denver) and also from guys like Marty Bordson, owner of Badger Ord.

Someone might say - Redfield style mounts were used on the Marine Corps sniper rifles in Vietnam - in fact they were and many had been welded into a single piece rig, for obvious reasons. I understand that there was a lot of problems with them. They are still the same design and product today. I accidently slammed a rifle onto ice a couple of years back and found out the hard the way that Redfield style mounts will spring out of true.

I personally feel that an alternate to high dollar tacticals is a set of steel detachables such as the Warne Maxima. These mounts are rugged, and they are essentially based on the Weaver design. They lock very solidly, work beautifully as fixed mounts, and they are affordable. You can buy them and the bases from Brownells. Maximas work with steel Weaver bases, either tapered on flat. A similar set of rings is the Leupold QRW, they have slightly different positioning of the top bolts.

I can also suggest the beautiful detachables made by Dave Talley, but their only drawback is that fact that they require a unique base.

I recently tested all of the detachables on the market, mounting them on some accurate rifles and testing repeatability etc. They are very reliable mounts, particularly if you crank them down tight and leave them in place.

Back to tacticals, Badger Ord is the "in" maker these days, for good reason. Their rings and bases are setting the standard for quality and appearance. Most users do not lap them - that is a personal decision, but I have found that it is pretty close to a waste of time with Badgers. Lapping is a good idea with MK4's, at least for the sets that I have used.

What do you get for the big bucks that tacticals cost - you simply get to forget about your mounts, they will do the job under any circumstance. I admit that they are over-kill, you and I hopefully will never subject our rigs to the abuse that they are engineered for.

Having said all that there's a bunch of Redfield-style mounts out there that are doing an adequate job - I just prefer to have the best.