Picany or direct mount?

[rooster740]

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the picany style or direct mount bases on a Rem 700 action in general. I am mostly curious, for this application refering to a Sendero 300 RUM. I am curently using a 6.5x25 Leupold VXIII, but plan on the Nightforce 8x32NXS shortly. What the heck is a 20-40 MOA taper? Is it basically a "wedge" if you will, shaped mount that lowers the front of the scope?

 

[Eaglet]

1 MOA = 1 minute of angle = 1.047" at 100 yards = 10.47" at 1000 yards.

If you look at the base mounted on the rifle in the picture above, the rear is very thick while the front of the base if pretty thin, that angle could be either 10 moa (minutes of angle) or 20 moa or 40 moa, the higher the number the more pronounced the angle which helps to obtain the most adjustment out of your scope's turrets for shooting at long range. Let's say you have a riflescope that has 40 moa vertical ajustment all together, that mean from center you would have 20 moa upward adjustement and 20 moa downward adjustment. By the time you zero it in, you would probably have 15moa of upward vertical adjustment left. Now is where you buy a 20 moa picatinny base and once installed you would probably end up having 35 moa of vertical adjustment left. Depending on the caliber you're shooting you may have enough adjustment for well over 1000 yards.
Well, I'll let some one elese answer the other part of the question.
Good Luck!

 

[Willys46]

Pros cons

Eaglet did a great job explain the MOA. For the pros and cons.

Cons--
Put the scope pretty high making a good check positon difficult. That is why most people have adjustable check peices.
Thats about the only disatvatage I had with mine.

Pros
Gets you more MOA adjustment.
I think they are a stronger mounting system (IMHO)
and the are tacticalcool! what more do you want

Willys

 

[rooster740]

Thank you! The picture is great! Any recomendations on type or brand?

 

[Eaglet]

Thank you! The picture is great! Any recomendations on type or brand?

That's not an easy question, it all depends on your pocket. You have a great choice of brands and prices going from EGW all the way to Nightforce picatinny mounts. You know the old saying you get what you pay for.
Badger Ordnance are popular also expensive.

I have one of these: