scope mounting

[Mike Morrison]

Anyone with advice on lightweight mounting ideas for rails/rings preferable one piece setups to mount a Nightforce 12x42 (30 mm) scope on my Savage model 12 rifle?

 

[hogan]

Lightweight mounts with a heavy scope is not a good combo...

If you intend to shoot longrange, probably want a 20moa or better inclined scope base, IE Picatinny Rail. Not familiar with Savage receivers, but might consider having your receiver threaded for 8x36 instead of using standard sized 6x42 for heavy recoiling cartridge. Might try aluminum tactical rings like Leupold Mark4 or TPS TSR which come in Aluminium. For great strength, there is also the Leupold Dual Dovetail system.

I would not skimp on your mount system if you intend to be competitive.

 

[Mike Morrison]

Lightweight mounts with a heavy scope is not a good combo...

If you intend to shoot longrange, probably want a 20moa or better inclined scope base, IE Picatinny Rail. Not familiar with Savage receivers, but might consider having your receiver threaded for 8x36 instead of using standard sized 6x42 for heavy recoiling cartridge. Might try aluminum tactical rings like Leupold Mark4 or TPS TSR which come in Aluminium. For great strength, there is also the Leupold Dual Dovetail system.

I would not skimp on your mount system if you intend to be competitive.

Thanks for the advice and NOT wanting to skimp... is a direct mount a good idea as I am not moving this scope as it will be dedicated to this rifle... Nightforce has some on its website but they don't specify if it has a 20moa.. it would seem that multiple part assemblies would be prone to errors

 

[hogan]

I was looking at their 20moa one-piece mount a couple weeks ago. I have had real eye-openers with LaRue side lever risers and Leupold QR bases, when transfering scope from a flat top AR to a boltgun with those systems. Like being 20moa off left or right from bore centerline.

Was writing this when you posted, Mike:

jt,
By any chance, has that scope been on any other rifles? If so, I was recently advised by a scope tech for a reputable scope company that sometimes, when changing a scope to a different rifle, the old settings need to be "taken out" and the internals need to be re-zeroed like when it left the factory. Food for thought if that situation applies, especially on a 20 MOA base. You might consider calling Nightforce yourself for directions.
Alex

Always have to rezero, each rifle and how it delivers its payload is a law unto itself. But... if you keep a log and use a scope collimator and record where that rifle zeroes on the grid, you will be much closer to your zero.

There is an article in the Precision Shooting Benchrest Primer by TJ Jackson where he describes how he worked the scope mounting for a 6BR he built for Dave Brennan. He uses a collimator like Bushnell 74-3333 from start to finish, never removing until done. Pretty involved with his enlarging the mount holes (in the bases!) to get a left or right shift so as to be Dead Centered, then he glues them up... This with the scope sitting in the bottom half of the rings and rings lapped to full contact and top portions relieved if they touch. 1500 words on mounting a scope for benchrest precision delivered with the usual schmaltzy good buddy talk of PS... Worth the price of the book... Forgot to mention that one reason TJ goes to such extremes is to keep the reticle centered as closely as possible to avoid much adjustment. Better, he says, not to have to adjust at all, but that's in a perfect world...

I still think just learning the hold-under for your 100yd zero would solve your situation. Nice to have hash or dots for this

 

[hogpatrol]

Check out Pierce Engineering amongst others. Aluminum 30mm and can cut any moa.

 

[Mike Morrison]

I was looking at their 20moa one-piece mount a couple weeks ago. I have had real eye-openers with LaRue side lever risers and Leupold QR bases, when transfering scope from a flat top AR to a boltgun with those systems. Like being 20moa off left or right from bore centerline.

Was writing this when you posted, Mike:



Always have to rezero, each rifle and how it delivers its payload is a law unto itself. But... if you keep a log and use a scope collimator and record where that rifle zeroes on the grid, you will be much closer to your zero.

There is an article in the Precision Shooting Benchrest Primer by TJ Jackson where he describes how he worked the scope mounting for a 6BR he built for Dave Brennan. He uses a collimator like Bushnell 74-3333 from start to finish, never removing until done. Pretty involved with his enlarging the mount holes (in the bases!) to get a left or right shift so as to be Dead Centered, then he glues them up... This with the scope sitting in the bottom half of the rings and rings lapped to full contact and top portions relieved if they touch. 1500 words on mounting a scope for benchrest precision delivered with the usual schmaltzy good buddy talk of PS... Worth the price of the book... Forgot to mention that one reason TJ goes to such extremes is to keep the reticle centered as closely as possible to avoid much adjustment. Better, he says, not to have to adjust at all, but that's in a perfect world...

I still think just learning the hold-under for your 100yd zero would solve your situation. Nice to have hash or dots for this

Scope and rifle are new, just out of box