Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Leupold quick release mounts

Anyone have any experience with them? I have a TC contender and was looking for an alternative to scoping every barrel. If I could install quick release bases to each barrel I could just buy one scope and move it around as needed.

I have used them twice before, and they work pretty much as advertised. Sometimes you might be a click off. I never moved them about dozens of times. But at least for several cycles they presented no problems.

I've used them on a lot of rifles and like them quite a bit. I think I have them on four rifles now. I've heard some say they've have had problems with them shearing off, but I've had them on a 300, a 338 and a 375 with no issues. They are reasonably repeatable too.

I've used them on a 45/70, and now on my AR15 (on riser blocks). They are very good, as they should be for the price!

Even the "low" version is fairly high, though.

-jeff

i use them on my marlin guide gun and i tested them, by take the scope off and mounting it back with no change of point of impact. they really work like advertised

I removed the barrel and forearm of a T/C prohunter ML twice and removed the Leopold 3X-9X scope 3 times from the Leopold "QR" mounts and the rifle maintained zero each time after re-assembling the rifle and shooting it at the range.

Made a believer out of me.

Doc

I have used the Leupold QR bases/rings, not the QRW, and had the locking levers snap-off a rifle that was leaning against my reloading bench and slid down onto the carpeted floor. This room has thick carpet and a thick pad under the carpet, so the impact couldn't have been too hard and both levers snapped right off, clean with the base. If I had been on a hunt and the scope had failed, I would have been SOL, 'cause I couldn't remove that scope to install the spare scope. BTW, I took the scope off by taking the rings apart, as the bottom 1/2 of the rings is still attached to the base.

Having 1 scope to swap between rifles only works when the mounts on each rifle handle the windage and elevation adjustments, like the old B&L Balvar series. If you swap a scope with internal windage and elevation adjustments, you'd need to rezero the scope each time you moved it from rifle to rifle and that is not, IMO, a cost effective or efficient way of doing things.

Jeff

Does anyone know if the B&L Balvar series mounts were ever available for the Contenders?

Have used most available quick detach scope rings, e.g., Leupold, Talley, Weaver, Warne, etc.

Currently have about a dozen Leupolds in use on swap barrel rifles.

Like them.

.

But as Jeff points out, and I agree with, don't the quick release rings require re-sighting of the scope when moved to a different barrel. The B&L Balvars did not, since the adjustments were in the base, vs the scope.

I doubt it, as I believe that the Balvar series of externally adjusted scopes/mounts was discontinued before TC introduced the Contender.

If you contact me via email, remguy260ATmsn.com, I'll put you in touch with THE B&L Balvar expert, Fred Warren.

Jeff

Jeff, Just sent you email again, since I don't think it went through yesterday. Do you know if Kuharsky or Buehler made anything for the Contenders?

Ken

Kuharsky Brothers of Erie, PA, made the B&L Balvar and Trophy series bases and rings.

I don't know about Buehler, but I think that they are still in business in CA, so you could probably find out directly.

Check my profile for the email address.

Jeff

With a high quality scope with demonstrated good windage/elevation adjustments, resetting the Leupold with quick detach rings is not a big deal. Do it frequently.

Establish a zero base line with the scope adjustments. Record how many clicks up/down and left/right for each change in ammo or each change in rifle. Keep notebook handy.

Swap Leupold, Nightforce, Sightron, Bushnell 4200 (and now 6500), Weaver T scopes from prairie dog rifle to prairie dog rifle all the time.

Swap barrels from prairie dog rifle to prairie dog rifle too and this may require keeping notes as to different scope settings.

Also do it on African rifles, but don't recommend swapping scopes during a cape buffalo charge.

This can be educational and fun.

.

I have Leupold QD`s on three rifles.They work as they should.Have them on a 338 WM,375 H&H,416 Rem.no problemo.On hunts I carry a spare scope sighted in,as that is about the only weak spot on modern rifles.I have never had a scope fail,but its cheap ins. in case one does. Huntz

I don't think that I ever said that establishing a "battle-sight zero" for a scope CAN'T be done. While I do think that it is a suboptimal solution, if it works for you, that is what counts, for you.

I bring an extra pre-zeroed scope in a QR style mount whenever I go hunting, since I might be in a situation where I couldn't shoot the rifle to confirm the zero when changing out a scope. Call old fashioned, but I like to shoot the rifle whenever I change sights, even if I know in my head and my heart that the bullet will hit close to the intended POA.

Jeff

Currentlty running six rifles on QRs '06 to .416 all have an extra 4X Leo and is sighted in for a common factory load, (Not much choice in the 35 Whelen and 340 WBY). If I am not happy with my load developpment or out of tinker time I can just 4X-it and skidaddle. The Warnes and other assorted rings and mounts are in the gun show box. Best wishes, Bill

Best of luck, but IF (the BIG IF/AND/CAN) any of your rifles so equiped ever fall over AND the locking/unlocking levers snap off flush with the side of the base, leaving you no way to remove the scope (if you should need to do so), don't forget that someone who has had that sad experience shared it with the 24HCF community. When I taught hunter safety, 1 of the key elements in safe firearms handling was that safeties are mechanical devices that CAN fail, so anyone handling a firearm was taught to always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. I doubt that safeties fail all that often, just as I suspect that Leupold QR locking/unlocking levers don't snap off flush with the side of the base too often, but it CAN happen, so forewarned is forearmed and a person can plan accordingly. I have a box full of Leupold QR bases and rings, some used and some new, that I would gladly trade for Warne 1" QR rings in like condition. If you're interested in trading, please shoot me an email at the address found in my profile.

Jeff

About a year ago someone carried a B&L scope-based Contender carbine barrel through a local gun show. He said he used just one scope for several barrels with no problem. IIRC, he used a Win 88/100 base, appropriately modified. Other similar shaped mounts might work, too.

Bruce

I used them on several rifles for a while, sight ins repeated nicely, but I broke a lever on one. They are made a little fragile, so I switched a few years ago to Talleys and never looked back. When on a hunt far from home, I like to take an extra pre-sighted scope as a spare-just in case.