Rifle Scopes Rifle mounts - Must have vs nice to have ??

[WyCoShooter]

I am not finding any discussion on here for selecting rifle mounts, if I missed something please feel free share. What I am looking for is some input or feedback on conventional rings vs. going with a base like the Spuhr mounts. Are the bases worth the 300-400 dollar price tag vs something like vortex or seekins rings at 100-150 bucks? Are guys seeing less movement in hard use in one vs the other? I would appreciate any discussion on must haves vs nice to haves for precision shooting, maybe some use in a PRS match.

Thanks!

 

[Rob01]

Must have is hold the scope solidly. Everything else is just nice to haves. A good quality set of rings will hold the scope solidly. Been using Seekins rings on my rifles since 2005 and never had one slip.

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

Both are used widely in the PRS world. As long as they're torqued correctly, you shouldn't have an issue with either.

 

[WyCoShooter]

Appreciate the insight guys! What is the allure of paying 2-3x more for the Spuhr mounts? Is it just the name you are paying for?

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

Not necessarily. If you need more elevation, a mount can be purchased with it built in.

IE, if you have a 20 MOA rail, and want more elevation, you can purchase a 20 MOA mount for a total of 40.

I know there are rings available that can also provide additional elevation but I haven't used them.

 

[Athos300]

Appreciate the insight guys! What is the allure of paying 2-3x more the Spuhr mounts? Is it just the name you are paying for?

Peace of mind. Spuhr mounts are beautifully engineered and solid as a rock. If your Rifle is going to take a few knocks then they’re totally worth the money. If you’re just shooting off a bench then get some good rings. Don’t scrimp on the mounts though. Putting cheap shitty mounts on an otherwise good rig is like putting cheap tyres on a Ferrari.

 

[Rob01]

Appreciate the insight guys! What is the allure of paying 2-3x more the Spuhr mounts? Is it just the name you are paying for?

Spuhr make excellent products and there is a lot of work in making them so they cost more. Some like single piece mount set ups on they rifles. I tried them and they do the must have of holding the scope solidly on the rifle. Like anything in this sport you will find people who buy things just because they are more expensive also. They think they are getting more performance. They aren’t. Both a quality set of rings and a Spuhr both do the must have.

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

Peace of mind. Spuhr mounts are beautifully engineered and solid as a rock. If your Rifle is going to take a few knocks then they’re totally worth the money. If you’re just shooting off a bench then get some good rings. Don’t scrimp on the mounts though. Putting cheap shitty mounts on an otherwise good rig is like putting cheap tyres on a Ferrari.

Yeah, but it'd be fun burning tires off a Ferrari!

 

[Krob95]

I run Spuhr mounts as they’re aesthetically pleasing, I can opt to run more cant than my base gives me, and I know I’ll never have issues. Plus it comes in handy for the dope card holder I have that screws right into the side of the mount.

 

[SN13]

I'm have no reason to own a one piece mount. The inability to position rings independently is not ideal to me.

Parallax tubes move just in front of the turret.

Errector tubes move up and down just behind the turret.

To me, that means it's critical to get rings as Far back and as far forward as possible to avoid any interference.

One piece mounts force you into the one and only spacing.

Dont over tighten any rings in the wrong spot or the oblong tube that results will completely ruin your day.

 

[Steel head]

Rings.
ARC M-10 rings especially but the Seekins ring are GTGbb

Don’t need the features a Spuhr offers so why pay the premium?

 

[theLBC]

one piece mounts are also nth if you need to move the scope to other rifles.

 

[Rob01]

one piece mounts are also nth if you need to move the scope to other rifles.

Can do it just as easy with rings. I do it all the time.

 

[Bigskyguy]

I tried some XLR scope rings, work very well for me, for the price they're a steal.

 

[hafejd30]

I have both rings and spuhr

The spuhr holds an atacr on my AIAT. I wanted the best to hold the best together. so I splurged for the spuhr. It’s beefy, well built, the built in level keeps a clean look vs mounted to the tube or rail. You can attach accessories as mentioned above (I don’t) The wedge leveling system is nice but you can do the same with rings on a pic rail.

I have many scopes mounted in Leupold MK4, NF Ultralite, Badger rings etc. 260 up to 50 cal. Never had an issue with any of them. As Rob mention above I also switch several scopes around. Have 1 set up just for load testing guns. I run NF and Badger picatinny rails and never had issues swapping. If you went from a cheap weaver rail to a picatinny maybe you’d see an issue. But between the ring/base combos above I haven’t had an issue.

Both accomplish the same goal when properly set up

 

[TheOE800]

Appreciate the insight guys! What is the allure of paying 2-3x more for the Spuhr mounts? Is it just the name you are paying for?

Mostly, lots of keeping up with the Joneses. There’s plenty of solid aluminum unitized mounts. I’ve had Spuhr, Badger, Nightforce, Geissele, RRS, etc. and of those only the RRS and Badger remain for various reasons.

Your main reason to want a Spuhr should be to utilize the accessory mounting interface, but even that is something you can achieve with another mounting system. If I don’t need accessories and RRS fits the bill (1.25 or 1.5” height, no cantilever) then I run them. Otherwise Badger. Maybe considering one of neato Eratac Gen2 adjustable mounts.

 

[FuSchnicken]

The Seekins MXM is about the best mount you can buy for the money IMO. There is a significant price jump to the Nightforce, Badgers, and Spuhr, etc.

Edit: What platform are you mounting these on? Not sure what ring height you need.

 

[SRPowah]

I recently went a Spuhr mount on my AR because its one of the few mounts that allows me to suck the scope down to the rail with their 3026.
I run ARC M10 or NF Ultralights on my other firearms because all I typically care about is holding a scope reliably and weight.

If you can't justify spending a premium, don't.

 

[beetroot]

I've used Burris Signature Zee and Talley lightweight rings for years and have had no issues.

Expensive rings are nice and give you an extra peace of mind but there are less expensive options that are well made and will hold zero.

Buy quality rings from a reputable manufacturer that meet your requirements and don't over think it.
I've recently moved to Burris XTR rings for other reasons but am not expecting to see anything different to what I'm used too, other than a lower bank balance.

 

[WyCoShooter]

Appreciate all the insight everyone!

The Seekins MXM is about the best mount you can buy for the money IMO. There is a significant price jump to the Nightforce, Badgers, and Spuhr, etc.

Edit: What platform are you mounting these on? Not sure what ring height you need.

I am working towards buying an MPA, thats the current plan anyway. I recently picked up a vortex gen 2 4.5-27 razor for this rifle, all happening as the money trickles in. I just wasn't sure if I should be spending 80 bucks on a used pair of seekins rings or something or buying something like a Spuhr base and wanted to get opinions.

 

[Domingo]

Really glad you asked this question. I'm waiting on everything to come in for my first PR build. This place has answered almost every question I've had without even needing to ask but mounts for glass is where I've still felt unsure. I'm the opposite of you, I've got everything except glass on order. Still fighting that internal fight of how much to spend, is the price between Vortex-Nightforce-ZCo worth it to what I'm going to do and as such, was also trying to decide between rings, cheaper mounts, and Spuhr. Good info as always.

 

[WyCoShooter]

Really glad you asked this question. I'm waiting on everything to come in for my first PR build. This place has answered almost every question I've had without even needing to ask but mounts for glass is where I've still felt unsure. I'm the opposite of you, I've got everything except glass on order. Still fighting that internal fight of how much to spend, is the price between Vortex-Nightforce-ZCo worth it to what I'm going to do and as such, was also trying to decide between rings, cheaper mounts, and Spuhr. Good info as always.

I thought it was a good topic to try to get some feedback on from the Hide. That's too funny haha, what's the info on your build? You build a custom or buy or? Yes, it is an absolute plethora of information, I find myself spending too much time reading through the forum sometimes at work! It is addicting trying to soak up all the combined knowledge here. Ya I was in that boat, the glass was the first thing I could actually afford and I knew what my budget was so I was able to surf the PX till I found something for a good price. Seems like Vortex (which is what I bought) is probably the best glass for the budget buyer, NF and SB and ZCO follow suit in better quality but the price jumps, then tangent thetas seem to be the buzz but at a premium. It is almost stressful, there are so many options out there for everything, it makes my damn head spin! This rifle mount question being one of them! haha

 

[Domingo]

I wanted to start with a build vs a complete rifle. I learn by seeing how things work so for me to understand better I gotta see how it all works together. Started with a Defiant Ruckus action, Proof CFW 24" barrel in 6.5CM, Timney trigger, MDT ACC Chassis and the normal bipod and other accessories. I have a descent amount of tools but nothing that was gun specific other than pistol tools so barrel vise, action wrench and a torque wrench, and small torque wrenches for assembly all had to be added to the mix. I've even ordered five different brands of factory ammo to have a baseline of weights etc to see what it likes, but still no glass ha ha.

 

[IrishWind]

Depends on what you want to do with your rifle. I have Badger rings and base on my Remington700, and Leupold Standard rings and bases on my Winchester 52. Neither have budged in the ~20 years I've had both. But if I were to pick one style to go on a weapon to be dragged around a sandbox for a year, the Badger set it the clear choice.