Leupold rings and bases

novice

Well-Known Member
Does anyone have any experience of Leupold scope mounts, good or bad? I will relate my experiences below, and would appreciate any input as to whether I am at fault, or the mounts themselves.

I chose leupold mounts as a good value alternative to the (in my eyes) over priced optilocks. I fitted my Meopta 6x42 Artemis 2000 to my Tikka 595 in .243. Initial zeroing, with the help of a pro stalker up in the borders, went well and I grassed 2 deer on my 1st outing with my new set up. Good times!

I did have some problems with my rifle zero for the remainder of the trip, but put that down to the removal of the mod between outing (I have discussed this on a previous thread).

After some more erratic performance, a reasonably lengthy zeroing session seemed to sort things out and a succession of successful outing followed. Things took a turn for the worse on my most recent trip to Dumfries. Bad times!

As a lot of you will know, the leupold system relies on a twist and lock system to anchor the front mount, and windage adjustment screws to hold the rear mount in place. My rifle's zero went to pot and on examination, one of the rear windage screws had worked loose and fallen off.

At the moment I'm well cheesed off with the mounts, but what can be done for the best??? I had initial reservations over the effectivness of a system that relies on pressure from the windage screws to hold the mount in place, especially when used on centrefire rifles. I had deliberately refrained from messing with the screws and trying to tighten them once the zero had been set, in the belief that this would affect the zero. Is this right? It's not as if my rifle is a beast, being a .243 with a PES T12 up front.

Apologies for the length of my rant, but I guess I'm looking for a response to the following:

1. Has anyone experienced something similar?
2. Can you purchase leupold mounts where both mounts are held by twist and lock?
3. As a temporary measure, I'm using some Tikka branded 'quick release' (they are held to the scope rail by oversozed screws) mounts. Will these hold zero, given that they aren'y actually fixed to the rifle action?
4. Can anyone suggest a good value alternative to the leupolds?

I hope someone can provide some sage words of advice, as I have completly lost faith in my set up and refuse to consider another shot at live quary until this is well and truely sorted.

Regards,

Novice
 
On my 35Whelen I have had Leupold mounts since -92. Started off with a Leoupld 1-4x20, until I took it off last yaer to mount a Zeiss it never came loose, it was just tigthend-no locking compund. I am in the progress of making a 1-pice Leupold-style base for my CZ in 6,5Grendel, just need the time to finnish it.
A proper fitting screwdriver is needed for this mounts, make or buy one!

I find the Leupold-mounts to be a very good, no fuzz mount. If you glue one of the screws it will return to zero when scope is removed and reinstalled. It doesnt have any more parts than needed (more parts-more trouble!) and it looks good.
 
novice said:
I chose leupold mounts as a good value alternative to the (in my eyes) over priced optilocks.

Might have answered your own question there Buddie...

I was always told, buy the best you can for Scope, Bino's and Mounts.

I have 2 Tikka's

Apels on one and Optilocks on the other.

Might need to "bite the bullet" and get the Optilocks, I have never had a problem with them accept one that I caused, :oops: which I sorted. :)

TJ
 
Novice, I have had all three makes and types of mount that you mention and with no problems at all.
I currently have Optilock on my Tikka, expensive yes initially but worth the money in my opinion. I have also had the older type of Tikka mount years ago on a M65 Tikka, worked perfectly never moved.
Yes you can get Leupolds where both mounts twist into place there being no windage adjustment on the mount. I have used the type that you mention and had no problems with shift of zero, is it possible that you did not tighten both scews? Leupolds usually represent good value for money and while not perfect it is more often human error rather than the product at fault. Personally if selecting scope mounts for a Tikka or Sako again I will go for the Optilock.
 
About 20 odd yrs ago I had a Parker Hale 1200 super clip in 308 Win on which I had a Leupold scope and leupold mounts the scope was one of their cheeper models and I was never that impressed with the whole rig. However the only decent thing about the set up was the mounts, in the five years or so that I owned it and three different scopes being fitted they worked just fine. There was never any need to address the issue of movement.

Remmy7
 
Novice,

I've seen the Leupold mounts you have, but always avoided them for the reasons you've discovered.

In general with mounts go for steel and try to get the simplest, most solid system you can find..

In general, I prefer ring-mounts ie units where the rings and bases are "all in one" which avoids all that twist and lock crap the Leupolds need.

I'd take a look at a set of Warne Maxima Fixed mounts that are designed to fix directly to the Tikka rails...I am guessing the Mediums will be plenty high enough for your scope.

If you go the route of the Optilocks, they are more expensive but well worth it..Again, I recommend going with the Ringmounts as opposed to the more common units comprising of separate bases and rings..

Don't skimp on your mounts as your rifle and scope is only as accurate and reliable as your mounts as you've already found out...
 
The mounts I'm using in the interim are similar to the Warne, in that they are one piece quick release. My only concern with these is that they aren't 'fixed' to the rail, other than by the grip afforded by the tightening of the quick release screw. Will this be enough to maintain zero following the recoil from a .243 :eek:

Pete E said:
Novice,

I've seen the Leupold mounts you have, but always avoided them for the reasons you've discovered.

In general with mounts go for steel and try to get the simplest, most solid system you can find..

In general, I prefer ring-mounts ie units where the rings and bases are "all in one" which avoids all that twist and lock crap the Leupolds need.

I'd take a look at a set of Warne Maxima Fixed mounts that are designed to fix directly to the Tikka rails...I am guessing the Mediums will be plenty high enough for your scope.

If you go the route of the Optilocks, they are more expensive but well worth it..Again, I recommend going with the Ringmounts as opposed to the more common units comprising of separate bases and rings..

Don't skimp on your mounts as your rifle and scope is only as accurate and reliable as your mounts as you've already found out...
 
novice said:
The mounts I'm using in the interim are similar to the Warne, in that they are one piece quick release. My only concern with these is that they aren't 'fixed' to the rail, other than by the grip afforded by the tightening of the quick release screw. Will this be enough to maintain zero following the recoil from a .243 :eek:

I am not that familiar with the Tikka rail: does it have the facility for a recoil stop and if so, do your mounts have such a stop? I assume we are talking about the standard parallel sided rail, not the Sako style tapered rails that I believe are now used on some Tikka rifles as well?

FWIW, the Warne mounts I recommend are "fixed" not QD..

I use the Warne QD's on a CZ550 in 9.3x62mm..This set up does include a recoil stop and so far I have had no problems loss of zero or the mounts becoming loose ect...

As cjm1066 recommends, regardless of the design/brand, a touch of lock tight will help to keep screws from coming undone. Use a little lighter fluid to degrease the various screws and surfaces before you put it all together.
 
Carefull with those Warne mounts, it is not unusally that they break from recoil. I have seen it happen on a 9,3x64 and been warned :))) enough times of it from very well reputated hunters and gunsmiths.

If one wants a really strong mount one should look into "S&k Scopemounts", a pain in the ... to fit but it will stand whatever abuse it recives.
 
thenorwegianguy said:
Carefull with those Warne mounts, it is not unusally that they break from recoil. I have seen it happen on a 9,3x64 and been warned :))) enough times of it from very well reputated hunters and gunsmiths.

The Maxima range is a bit stronger than their standard mounts, plus a .243wn will have slightly less recoil than a 9.3x64mm!

In what way did the Warne mounts you saw, fail?

Warne are made from a type of "cast" steel so I don't think they are as strong as say Talley's, which are machined from a billet of steel, but the Warne should be strong enough for this sort of application.

I actually looked at getting a set of Talley's but they weren't easily available in the UK, and I don't think they incorporated a recoil stop into their design, which the Warnes did..
 
If my memory serves me right the Tikka quick release rings that I have previously used should have a recoil "lug" on the rear mount that hooks into the back of the ejection port.
 
Leupolds are not crap imo.
I have always used Tikka/Sako Optilock until I changed to a Sauer 202, the Optilocks would not fit so I had the Leupold Quick Release, they have been on a .308 since last March and had hundreds of rounds down it, no probs at all.

Thats my experience, I would not label anything is crap just because of one bad experience.

And by the way, the Leupold are made from solid steel as well :confused:
 
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