I'm relatively new here and have a question on scope mounts. I read through the first two pages of posts that came up on my search before posting and very few discuss the situation I'm looking at. So please take a moment and help me out with your experience.

The rifle is a Whitworth Mauser 375 H&H in the Hogue overmold with Aluminum block. The scope is a 30mm Swarovski 1.5-6.

I'm taking it and a 300 Win Mag Steyr to hunt Plains game. May try and take an Eland, Kudu, or Wildebeest with the 375. This is my first time over and with the 375 with fixed sights there's lot's of talk about detachable mounts, just in case of scope failure, close quarter danger, etc.

I have Warne bases and QD lever rings in medium height. I don't like them they seem too cumbersome, there also seems to be less than ideal alignment, the rear base seems too tiny (likely is strong enough), and there is too little clearance at bolt knob height so lower would be better for bolt functioning and the stalk of the bolt has nearly an additional 1/4" of clearance.

So now the questions:

1) How many times have Quick detachable scope saved your (a) hide (b) hunt {I know it only needs to be once for your hide}
2) What about standard bases and rings, I typically use Leupold.
3) In the event we're in an area where we could meet some DG the PH caries a big double rifle. Should I feel comfortable enough with that?
4) Would there actually be enough time to remove a scope in anj emergency situation.
5) With a bottom magnification of 1.5 and the ability to clearly see as close as 5-8 feet away do I really need iron sights?
6) Is there a more user friendly solution than Warne? They are of obvious high quality just not sure of the concept.
7) Has anyone lost a scope because it was stolen easily due to QD.

I'm sure there's more but that all I can think of now. Thanks for your help in advance.

If you like Leupold stds and want QD function I have a solution. Roger Biesen did these up for me and they are exactly what I wanted (same delima as you).

check them out in this picture (sroll down to the bottom of the page):
http://www.biesen.com/roger.htm

to tell the truth i do use detachables on all my big bores and some mediums as well, but usually the only time i use them I took the scope off well before the actual shooting time arrived. the only time i needed to remove the scope quickly i had one of the old pachmyer swing overs , which though big and ugly, i still consider the best. I have warnes, talley, leupolds, claws and the quickest is the claw, the rest are about the same in my mind. In actual fact, if you have a belt tool, you could just just plain rings, take the screwdriver out on the belt tool and pull the scope. I'vee never lost a scope, and I generally pull them off the rifle for travel. If they're going to steal the scope, they're going to steal the rifle, don't worry about that.

I'm a proponet of detatchable mounts. I have used most of the better makes and have them on most of my rifles.
The coolest are claw mounts, The most practicle are Warne, the fastest are the Bock pivot,Putting all considerations togather I'd say the E.A.W. hebel schwank is the best.

I have on a couple of occations been in tight situations with charging bears. I have never had time to take a scope off during the course of a charge no mount is fast enough for that. In this situation your choice of scope has allready been your best bet. I really like the 1.5x6.
Having said all this I'd just stay with your Warnes.

IMHO, you don't really need detatchable rings unless you are hunting dangerous game, or hunting in an area where something dangerous is likely to be encountered. Simply make sure your opens are zeroed, then put on any scope mount and rings that fit your fancy. Then, if your scope (or rings) go south, you can remove it in about two minutes with the scope tool and continue the hunt with opens.

Or you can bring a back-up scope and zero it in the field if needed. (This I do on all my hunts)

I don't like QDs with levers and agree with GAHUNTER that they aren't necessary.

I just take along whatever hex/torx keys I will need in case I have to remove the scope and use the iron sights.

I fell on an icy rock and landed on my scope on time, breaking it. It was in detachable mounts and I had back up iron sights-which were not sighted in! Only time I needed detachables. But in heavy rain I think they are more huseful, as irons are easier than scopes in true downpours or heavy snow storms.

FWIW I hat eWarne rings and bases. I have a few sets of the old Warnes (they were on the S&B scope I broke as mentioned above). The new podwer metal rings and bases just seem cheap and they look terrible to my eyes. They are powder coated with ungodly concoction that borders on impossible to remove. I use Talleys now.

Quick detachable scopemount....

Traditional Einhack or Recknagel G8....won`t get any better...

In my world, if one wants a scope he uses a scope....otherwise.....

If you wish to take it off most of mine can be removed with a quarter as the only required tool.

I really see no good reason for "quick detachable" scopes as most can be removed to use iron sights in a few seconds.

If you're being charged by a buffalo it's too late no matter what you have for sights.....you use what you have!

In theese hills we hunt from sea-level to the top of the mountains. The highest peak is 5000feet, and the tree-border is at 2700 feet.







When the hunt is over and the game carried down in back-packs, we like to remoove the scopes to save them for accidents. One of the guys once fell in the first hour of the day, and broke the scope, he was rather pleased tobe able to continue the hunt with his irons.

quote:

Originally posted by hairbol:
So now the questions:
4) Would there actually be enough time to remove a scope in anj emergency situation.
5) With a bottom magnification of 1.5 and the ability to clearly see as close as 5-8 feet away do I really need iron sights?
6) Is there a more user friendly solution than Warne? They are of obvious high quality just not sure of the concept.

4: only if you have claw or swingmounts ala EAW, made to operate with one hand without taking your arm off the foreend. But there is of course a point were also this is to slow.

5:Yes, at fast mooving targets and in heavy rain, the difference is conciderable.

6:Again claw or Swing, but both have a tendency of very high mounting. I like the Warne for it leaving a sleek gun without handles when the scope is off, compared to Leupold QR, whilst the latter is my choise if you have one gun fitted for two scopes and no irons.

Put the scope on with mounts you like and when in the bush keep your scope on 1 1/2 power. Finn Aagaard (sp?) a well known PH believed all DG guns were more effective with a low power scope which is what he used for back-up. He wrote for some US magazines and had pretty convincing test data to support his findings. Take proper screwdrivers to take off the scope or replace it if is broken otherwise don't worry about it. Unless you shoot a lot with iron sights you are probably making a mistake removing a scope. This is just my opinion and I'm sure you'll hear just the opposite from the next post.

quote:

Originally posted by LJS:
Unless you shoot a lot with iron sights you are probably making a mistake removing a scope.

A very good point, LJS!
Fast shots at close quarters, both with scope and irons, should be practised a lot before entering DG country, otherwise anything but realying on your PH is a lottery.

If I'm hunting a long ways from home, I always use QD mounts and take a spare sighted in scope. This just makes sense, but since I'm prepared, I've never needed the spare.