Leupold vx-6 opinions

[Pdvdh]

One-piece rails held by 4 screws are more secured against movement than two separate rails, each held by two screws.

Saying four screws holding one piece of steel/aluminum will always be more securely held in place (less apt to be knocked/moved affecting POI), than two separate sections, each held by only two screws.

Buy an aluminum one-piece picatinny rail. Your potential weight savings is much more impacted by the scope you'll mount on the rail, than by the scope rail.

 

[Rick Richard]

As stated, go with a one piece setup. I have a rifle that had the two piece setup and would shoot between 1/2 to 5/8 inch groups. I decided to change scopes and the new scope would not work with the two piece setup. I then ordered a picatiny rail and new mounts. The rifle now shoots 3/8 inch groups...go figure.

 

[Timber338]

Just to provide another viewpoint on mounts, I use two piece Talley mounts, and have never had a problem with them shifting point of impact. Not exactly the same as two piece picatinny mounts, but very similar. I have these mounted on my heaviest recoiling 338 caliber rifles too, and my RUM is a proven sub 1/4 moa rifle out to 1000 yards.

Others are correct in stating that a solid 1-piece picatinny rail is more durable/solid, but I have never been able to see any weakness in a 2-piece setup. I backpack hunt with my rifles and they really get bumped around and my 2-piece setups just hold solid.

 

[Pdvdh]

My experience with rifles shifting POI over the past 40ys are due to the following causes, estimated by frequency of cause:

1) Knocks, bumps, falls, drops, and tumbles which have jarred the rifle/scope and resulted in POI changes - 50%; this includes a couple of bent scope tubes.
2) Scopes which fail internally, sometimes slow, prolonged, progressively incremental deaths, causing POI changes - 25%;
3) Poor quality rifle stocks which allow the action screws to compress, and poor bedding jobs which allowed unpredictable POI changes - 25%.

With current-day quality stocks and bedding jobs, cause #3 cause can be eliminated, to the point that current-day causes of shifting POIs on my rifles would be estimated as:
1) 75%
2) 25%
3) 0%

I've wounded game animals due to a jar to the rifle/scope which shifted POIs, unbeknownst to me until after the fact. I've experienced this with 2-piece mounts, and yes, also with one piece mounts. All of my rifle scope mounts were converted to one-piece picatinny rails 10 years ago in the effort to reduce shifted POIs due to source/cause 1) above. The last two rifle actions I purchased both have integral picatinny rails. This completely eliminates shifting POIs due to scope rail movement. But even then, scope rings remain as a potential source/cause of shifting POI.

Any time my rifle incurs a known impact to the ground or anything else, especially if the scope takes the leading blow, I seek to confirm POI as quickly as possible.

 

[Timber338]

Any time my rifle incurs a known impact to the ground or anything else, especially if the scope takes the leading blow, I seek to confirm POI as quickly as possible.

+1 to this !

 

[dmj]

+1 to this !

And one reason I always have a backup rifle and I can't get to it soon enough .

 

[WildRose]

Thanks for your opinions guys. I do have another question. I was thinking of going with a 2 piece rail to save a little weight. Are there any negatives to a 2 piece?

Kevin

The two piece gives up the added strength you get from a one piece rail and transfers any flex to the scope directly which can have negative effects on your scope long term.

 

[WildRose]

One-piece rails held by 4 screws are more secured against movement than two separate rails, each held by two screws.

Saying four screws holding one piece of steel/aluminum will always be more securely held in place (less apt to be knocked/moved affecting POI), than two separate sections, each held by only two screws.

Buy an aluminum one-piece picatinny rail. Your potential weight savings is much more impacted by the scope you'll mount on the rail, than by the scope rail.

I've had great luck with the EGW HD aluminum one piece rails. I have them now on I think six or seven rifles from .204 Rugers up to and including 300Rum's and a whole lot in between.

 

[WildRose]

+1 to this !

Absolutely. Always better to waste a shot than to waste an animal with an errant shot.

When it comes to success at long range one of the essential factors is having absolute confidence in yourself, your abilities, your rifle, scope, stock etc, etc.

You don't want to be getting down to the nitty gritty squeezing off a shot wondering in the back of your mind if that bump against the tree or bouncing off of a rock knocked your scope off.