Finish quality is better than the other's. I've never had any trouble with other brands, but I do like the Talley rings the best. I would think some of the higher cost comes from Talley being a small company and would need a higher mark up to stay in buisness.

The Talley rings and bases that I have are not as well finished as many other similar products. This includes Leupold, Burris etc. Talleys finish is in no way even close to the fine work that Beuhler or Conetrol does.

The design of the ring split at the top does not please me from a looks or design point of view either.

I see it as internet snobbery. Go to the Corvette forum and it's the same with the K&N filter stuff.

That said the company is polite and on top of customer service. I am not familar with their new one piece lightweight mounts but I have seen them.

I won't use any other system and I have tried them all I think...I'll stick with Talley..As to finish I think their as well finished as anybody elses unless you call shiney a good finish, I don't like shiney, it looks like patton leather ....

Not arguing with the last post, and at the risk of offending the "internet snobs" , I think that Talley makes it's reputation on some really bulletproof and very repeatable quick detach mounts. The only ones I own are on a .375 H&H and I can take them off and replace them and shoot into the same group - have proven this to myself three times in a row.

I'd have to agree that for a fixed mount the Leupold Dual Dovetail is just as strong as a Talley fixed system and probably aesthetically more pleasing, although of course aesthetics are a purely personal thing.

Also, I believe the quality of the finish might be misleading as they are matte finished which does not give as good of a first impression as a more polished metal product might. However, the proof of the quality is in the machining, not the surface polish.

The Talley Lightweights are a good idea in that few other scope mounts combine the rings and base into one unit.

We do tend to put certain companies on a pedestal when perhaps only one or two of their products are worthy of that honor.

However, overall I'd say that the friendly and personal customer service of Talley, their willingness to help and the - by any objective obversation - excellent machine work of their scope mounting systems has earned them a Doric positioning of at least modest height.

Let me take back the comment on Talley's customers being snobs. It was not a good choice of words.

The ones who trumpet their benefits are certainly tops in my view. Sorry for that.

I still don't like the mounts all that much.

Talleys are hell-for-stout strong, and are the most accurately machined rings and bases I have ever used - I've mounted a couple hundred scopes. They are great people with excellent customer service.
To me there are only 2 gripes. 1 they are sometimes a little high 2 they will leave a ring mark on just about every scope you use them on - I use a certified inch/pounds torque driver to thier recommended torque. If you want to move a scope around from rifle to rifle be very careful.
But overall if you want to leave a scope in the same rings and be able to take it on and off repeatedly they are the best choice short of full custom claw mounts.......DJ

My gripe is similar to that of DJ's. They're just higher than they should be. As to the ring marks, I have a custom 70 that Bill Leeper put togethor complete with custom bases for Talley rings. I have remounted and repositioned the scope and no ring marks. Things are lined up perfectly.

The finish on them is irrevelent in my case, as Bill finished them to match the rifle. Therefore, the finish is perfect.


Chuck

Chuck, Where did you get those bases? They look similar to the ones I have that were made in Arizona.
Shayne

I have used many different types of mounts over the years. Last year I had scope/base problems with some larger caliber rifles. I did a bit of investigation and inquired into different mounting systems. I decided to give Talley's a try. I installed Talley's just recently on my 15th rifle this year....I like them, they plain work, and live up to their reputation. The Company is first rate, great customer service and Gary will do all he can to please a customer. He even ansewers the phone from time to time and will definately help a customer who needs it!

Forget about the snob stuff...Talley's are worth every penny!

I have numerous sets of Talley rings and bases and in my opinion they are tops. I agree that I would prefer some thinner bases but the over all quality is there. It has been my experience that the Leupold quick detatchable rings are very critical on the quality of the drill and tap job at the factory both rifle and base, and the brand of scope you use. I only use Swarovski scopes and they seem to have less adjustability in them. The Leupolds never work out very well on those scopes. Gary Turner and his group of dedicated craftsmen will do their best to help out the shooting public. I once had a pre-64 Model 70 in 300 H&H that the rear bridge was ground too low for his standard bases as well as not being drilled truely inline. I described the problem to Gary and he fixed me up with a modified base in no time. No problem! That is customer service.

Shayne,yes they are from Arizona and built by Michael Scherz. Your's are as well I'm sure. Bill Leeper modified and hand fit them to this particular action.



Chuck

Chuck, The picture of your rifle is good example of why I like those bases, a clear loading port. It makes for a nice clean look, not to mention proper function.
Shayne

I just got my first 2 pairs of Talley's, as a matter of fact, I just mounted the first pair on a Lefty M70 Winchester tonight. I am very disappointed in the height, looks kinda silly with a Leupold 2.5-8 on it, sure would like them MUCH lower!! YMMV.

Huntr

Huntr338,

What height rings did you get? Give Talley a call and see if they will switch them. My experience echoes the majority here. I like Talley's.

Jeff

I like mine better



Just having fun with you. It's great we have so many choices.



Terry

TC1,



That's a good example of what I was thinking of. Look at the finish on your ring!



Here is a system that I prefer. You should check it out.

TC1,

Thanks for the cheerful response. I am in a good mood anyway but a little frisky.

As to mounts. They are really a hodge podge. I wish that there was a clear choice.

I think the height of the Talley mounts is just something one has to live with. The bottom of the rings has to have room for the stout tightening screw/lever, and the bases have to have enough room to accomodate the clamps.

For a fixed system on rifles that get one scope for life (yeah, like that ever happens, but you get the idea ), I go with the Leupold DD's.

BTW, that vertically split ring seems to be the culprit for marring scopes in my very slight experience, at least the mark appeared at the junction of the two halves. I lapped in a second set of rings and they didn't mar the spare scope. Keep in mind my sample here is a total of two sets of rings, one lapped and one not. YMMV.

Skibum,
I got the low rings.

Huntr

My experience has also been that the Talley rings need to be lapped. But then, most if not all others do too!

I have never lapped a Talley ring and was told that lapping would not work out well as they are split vertically. All of my expensive scopes do have a Talley mark. They all show the mark of the ring on the top of the scope. How do you know when to quit lapping a Talley ring????

I have my bases machined and can get a scope just as low as I want it...A good example is my 416 Searcy, the scope is very low and the rifle is set up to work with iron or scope because of that...Butch built it that way..It is the best set up I have ever seen...