Gregor and gldprimr - Thanks for the tips on the Conetrol and S&K mounts. Those are good looking mounts and are definitely a step up from the dove-tail style mount. Plus, they do stock bases for the 1885 High Wall. However, I am still a little concerned about the potential for the windage adjustment to put some torgue on the scope. Is there some mounting technique which would avoid such torque?
Marcus - Thanks for relating your experiences with scope mounts on your B-78. I am pretty sure I could get a solid mount with a dove-tail style mount, I am just concerned about putting torque on the scope with the windage adjustment. Additionally, I really like the simplicity of a one-piece base and mount - just lap the rings and the scope is mounted with zero stress and no ring marks using the minimum number of parts.
I tried the Weaver (not Warn, like I had said in my original post) bases and Burris Signature Z-rings, with the self-aligning plastic inserts, including the Posi-Align Offset Inserts in the rings. The Posi-Align Inserts allow the scope to be mounted crooked in the rings, thereby mitigating any misalignment in the bases.
Using the plastic Offset Inserts, I was able to gain 0.040" inches of offset in the rings (+0.20" in the front and -0.20" in the rear, the maximum offset provided). Once I was on paper at the range, I learned that the Weaver front base actually needs about 0.055" inches of shimming.
The other .015" (equivalent to 15" at 100 yards) I gained by dialing in 15" @ 100 yds of elevation to the reticle adjustment with 45 clicks (1/3" per click at 100 yds) on my Kahles CL scope.
This system was working, however, it looked all cobbled-together with the scope sitting crooked in the rings, plus the crooked mounting seemed to be asking for reliability problems (possibly in the Colorado backcountry miles from any road while hunting elk). I also didn't like having the reticle adjusted so far from the center of the scope's optical axis.
I decided to cry "uncle" and got in touch with DNZ Products, and they will provide a one-piece mount that they have machined to fit the 1885 High Wall Hunter. It should arrive sometime this week. It cost $120 total, which is much more than the Weaver/Burris system I was using, but it should address all my concerns and be ultra-reliable.
--shinbone
