I just aquired a .223 Remington VSF and will be placing a Leupold VX3 4.5-14x40 AO on it. Any suggestions on a mounting system?

I like the Burris signature Z rings on Weaver style mounts. This set up allows you to keep your recicle pretty close to optical center in the scope. Evan if the receiver/mounting system is fairly far off.
The plastic inserts also provide for pretty much strain free grip on the main tube.

muck

I second the Weaver style bases, but steel not aluminum, and the Leupold QRW rings add a nice versitility, especially when cleaning.

Get Talley, if you want the really good stuff.

just a suggestion, if you havent all ready purchased the 4.5-14 personally I would get the 6.5-20 LR with the 30mm tube and 40mm objective.
I had a 4.5- 14 and wish that I had never looked through my mates 6.5-20 I just had to have one!!! So now I do.
Buy once, buy right.
but if you already have it, theyre a great scope, I still have mine!!!
Just my 10 cents.
Regards Runas
Ps I know that dosent help with the mounting question SORRY

Hey all,

Thanks for the feedback it is helpful!

Runas, unfortunately I already have the 4.5-14... because I do agree with you that for a varmint rifle you can never really have too much magnification. Maybe one day.

Cobra, I have Talley one-peice alloy mounts on my 270WSM and I love them but lots of people have bean recommending the picatinny base (modified weaver style)... What type of Talley mounts are you suggesting?

x2 what muck said, works for hunting, target, hasen't let me down yet. if your eyes are young you'll do just fine with your 4.5 x14 scope, regards jjmp

forgot to ask you what rectial did you go with?..jjmp

I am actually pulling the Leupold scope off my .270WSM and the reticle is a fine duplex. I am replacing the .270's scope with a Swarovski AV 3.5-10x40 TDS Plex.

I have been tossing around the idea of changing the Leupold fine duplex reticle to their Varmint reticle...?

I have put scopes on dozens of rifles, with Weaver mounts 99% of the time. But I have done a few S&K and Ruger rings.

The bases made of steel look better, cost more, and are heavier. Aluminum is cheaper.

The rings made by Burris, Warne, Millet, and Weaver are nice.

Rings imported by Kwik-site, B-SQUARE, and Tasco are cheap, but seem to work.

I buy from brownells:
http://www.brownells.com/categories.aspx?c=4805

I buy from Midsouth:
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/deptsearch1x.asp?dept=%4F%70%74%69%63%73

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I put epoxy between the mount and the receiver with the screws loose, and then align the mounts. When the epoxy is hard, I tighten the mounts.

I do this with not just sporterized rifles, but recently with a new Marlin factory sporting rifle that came with the mounts in the box.

That way I can move scope and rings from rifle to rifle and never lap rings and never bend the scope.



The fit between the mount and rifle may have gaps, but that gets shimmed and glassed until the rings are aligned with each other and parallel with the bore.

The top of a Mauser never fits the bottom of a mount. If it did fit, it would probably not fit in a way to align the rings co- linear and parallel with the bore.

First I drill and tap, not with the mill, but with a fixture.

Then I put the mounts on the receiver. If the fit is too bad, I put the mounts in a fixture I made and mill until the fit is close enough.

Then I put the mounts on the rifle and the rings on the mounts and a scope in the middle of it's vertical and horizontal adjustment range in the rings.

I bore sight align the scope and barrel with a distant target OR use a Leupold “Zero Point†magnetic illuminated boresighter.

Then I shim and dam until the scope is parallel with the bore.

Then I put oil on the screws and put the mounts on the receiver loosely with wet Devcon Steel Putty epoxy between the mount and the receiver. I put the scope and rings on the mounts tightly. The scope acts as an alignment fixture for the mounts. I verify that the bore and scope align on the same target while the epoxy is setting up. I can only glass mounts during the day.

When the epoxy is hard, I remove the screws and clean the holes and screws with alcohol. I put blue Loctite® on the screws. I tighten the mount screws.

I have 100 rifles and 50 scopes.
I have Weaver mounts and rings.
Any scope can move from any rifle to any rifle and take the rings with it.
There is never a bind or a mark on the scope.
The scope always starts out on the paper.

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I don't lapp scope rings.

If a set of lapped rings got into the system, it would be contaminated.

If someone lapped the rings on one of my rifles, I would take them off and throw them away.



I align the two Weaver bases with each other and the barrel bore with epoxy between the bases and receiver.

The quality of the job when done is checked:
1) Edge of both mounts should touch a flat surface with no light showing between the edge of the Weaver mount and the flat surface.
2) Top surface of both Weaver mounts should fit flat on a flat surface with no wobble or light showing under the mounts.
3) A scope that has vertical and horizontal adjustment in the center of their range should have the cross hairs on a target that is bore sighted.

The (4) 6-48 screws and holes in the receiver are cleaned of cutting oil with alcohol, dried, and coated with Loctite 242 and torqued down.

I believe the results are functionally superior to lapping the rings.

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I don't pay big money for long range 20 moa bases.

Put a shim under the rear base or the rear of the one piece base.

Adjust the scope cross hairs down 20 moa and bore sight for alignment.

[20moa = 20" @100y] [6"between mounts]/100 yards =.033" thick shim

swarovski, I have the light weight aluminum on a couple of my light weight rifles, and a couple sets of the steel bases/rings on varmint and big magnum rifles. They have all worked flawlessly.

I like the Burris Signature rings. They don't bend the scope or leave ring marks, and they dont put any stress on the scopes internals. I have not had to use any of the special centers, everything I have used them on was on the paper or very close. I have them on both Weaver style and dovetail type bases.

On my two heavy barrelled rem 700's a .300 RUM and a .243 win I have used Badger bases and rings, while pricey there the best mounts and rings I have ever used.

So for your gun I would buy a set of badger rings and a badger zero cant base.............it's an expensive out fit you have so top it off with the best quality mounts, buy once cry once.

Conetrol!!

Weaver bases rule.
I also like the Leupold QWR rings, mainly for cleaning and for rifle storage in the safe. Scopes get in the way in a confined safe. I store scopes on a safe shelf by themselves. Works well.

Don