Quick question about bases/mounts

stig

Well-Known Member
So hopefully I'll pick up my new T3 tomorrow. Quick question about bases/mounts... The shop has quoted about £80 for scope mounts and bases (Leupold I think)... I'd thought that scope mounts would cost (top of the range) £40... any thoughts/advice? Does £80 sound massively overpriced?
 
So hopefully I'll pick up my new T3 tomorrow. Quick question about bases/mounts... The shop has quoted about £80 for scope mounts and bases (Leupold I think)... I'd thought that scope mounts would cost (top of the range) £40... any thoughts/advice? Does £80 sound massively overpriced?

Top of the range £40??????????? I suggest you check other prices. A set of Apel mounts will set you back in excess of £200 now possibly even £300. Optilocks I understand are around £110. the Leupold Q/R lever operated bases and rings are just over £80 I think you'll find. Heck I see they charge over £30 for those horrid alloy sportsmatch air gun jobbies.

Use the net and do a search.
 
I got quoted £120 from Gregor for a set of stainless optilock bases and rings for my T3, needless to say, I kept my blued Apel mounts and rings. £80 sounds cheap for a set. Ask in the classifieds, someone may have a set of Optilock's or other reasonably good quality kicking around in a drewer somewhere. Worth while getting a known good set, money down the drain otherwise.

TJ
 
I would suggest Scope mounts are the biggest single probem with accuracy. Think of the stresses every time you fire the rifle - basically the rifle recoils backwards, with the scope staying still. You have just spent £700 plus on the rifle and same again on the scope so don't skimp on the mounts. Cheap mounts may look OK, but the quality of the materials is not good. I am sure Gregor will keep you right.

If you can get a knowledgable gunsmith to mount the scope for you and to ensure that the rings are correctly set up with no stress on the scope that will be money well spent.

And once you have it al set up nicley and sighted in - leave it alone. If you are going down the route of detachable mounts, suggest sight in your open sights, mount the scope and leave it there - only removing it in case of emergencies.

If you have it set up properly with good mounts you cn then forget about it. I have apel mounts on the Heym. Ten years ago I swapped the 4x32 Zeiss scope (which I stupidly sold) for a 6 x42 Meopta. Sighted it in and haven't touched it in ten years. I took it out of the cupbaird the other evening - first shot bang on target, second round clipping it, and did expect anything else.

Have fun with the new rifle.
 
Top of the range £40??????????? I suggest you check other prices. A set of Apel mounts will set you back in excess of £200 now possibly even £300. Optilocks I understand are around £110. the Leupold Q/R lever operated bases and rings are just over £80 I think you'll find. Heck I see they charge over £30 for those horrid alloy sportsmatch air gun jobbies.

Use the net and do a search.


Those horrid sportsmatch airgun jobs are standard issue on the militaryAccuracy International sniper rifle!........they do a set of bases for th tikka rifles which allows any of their mounts to be fitted, and the whole set up doesn't cost the earth!!
I hear many of you saying 'but they are alloy and will shift'......well after having an issue with my optilocks moving (backwards, in the same way a scope would move on a spring airgun) on my old sako after i moderated it i went to see a chap who is both a very reputable riflesmith and also an engineer....Peter jackson of Jackson rifles. I asked about the one piece SAK mounts that he was selling for the sako and tikka rifles and he said that because they are made of alloy they grip better on the action and so they wouldn't shift even though they have no locating peg. So i bought one!...£70 at the time, and i got my money back from the optilocks. The SAK indeed never shifted and now when i think back....neither did any sportsmatch mounts on my spring airguns!
I don't think Peter sells them anymore, perhaps due to peoples misconception regarding alloy mounts and them not selling too well. If i hadn't got my optilocks thrown in with my rifle when i bought it i would definately have gone for the sportsmatch set up......and not only sved money but also had the option of different rings!
Another option is to get hold of a picattiny rail for the tikka...and again there are many other manufacturers who make rings to fit the weaver/picatinny rails, sportsmatch included!......and again this gives you alot more options regarding the changing of scopes.

Shop around and do a bit of research before rushing into buying mounts and bases, because there are many options out there that are cheaper, give you more choice, and yet are as good if not better than the 'recommended' optilock option.

regards

steve
 
Steve whilst I may be glad that the Sportsmatch worked for you I still say that are horrid. They are also not a new idea nor original. They are more than likely copied from the old Rhino once piece Air Rifle mounts sold by Surrey guns but designed and manufactured by a small company called Mican Engineering. The gentleman who owned and operated the company "Mike" was an excellent marksman and quite a competative shooter until ill health forced him to quit. It was the problems with the Weirauch HW35 and the Feinwerkbau Model 127 that prompted their development and I understand it.

I have an early Feinwerkbau Rhino one piece model on my 127 and another made for the BSA Meteor/Mercury/Airsporter laying around somewhere. The difference in the Rhino mounts being that they are were machined out of high grade Aircraft alloy and not extruded or cast from some softer alloy and yes I also have a Sportsmatch mount here and as I say it's horrid and actually looks cheaply made..

Having worked on the contract to make parts for the SA80 and seen the crap used in that contract I can honestly say just because it's used by the military does not mean it's good quality. All it means nowadays is that the right people have made a nice little backhander or that seems to be the way it works! Like stainless steel used in knife blades there is stainless and then there is stainless same goes for alloys.
 
Thanks for all the info chaps... I'd done a quick search and seriously only come up with Leupold rings max about £45... I understand the error of my ways now... Anyway, I believe I now have Optilock bases and Leupold rings fitted to my new T3 Lite Stainless collected today :D
 
Back
Top