Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters One-piece vs two-piece scope bases?

Makes you wonder how we ever competed in matches, shot varmints and big game back in the 70's and 80's with the weak, poorly engineered and nonprecise Redfield, Weaver, Leupold and Lyman mounts we used. If you want to spend money on low volume production scope mounts feel free, but don't fool yourself into thinking they make your rifle any more accurate. Try shooting some groups to test your theory about action flexing not asking "well known gunsmiths".

I always use two-piece bases on a hunting rifle, so I can carry the rifle by using the scope as a handle!

The guys from Hill Country Rifles suggest staying away from one piece scope bases because they stress the action. I think they know what they are talking about.

Been called stupid a hundred+ times for saying the same thing. Thanks John!!!!!

I have 1 piece bases on BAR's and 7400's but have gone to two piece bases on about everything else. I like the Leupold DD mounts quite a bit. I have yet to try the ones that have the base and lower part of the ring as one piece but think they would be good. The two piece bases on bolt action rifles give me better clearance so that I can load more easily and so that I can carry the rifle upside down with my hand around the action. I am surprised more gun makers don't build integral bases into their receivers the way Ruger and Sako do.

1 piece machined base from steel with 4 screws is the best. Two piece bases are fine too without the rear windage screws, and have never given me trouble.As for the 1 piece putting stress on the action well guess the world record bench rest shooters have it all wrong? Grin

Glad they don't

I have used both. On bolt guns, I prefer 1 piece mounts with integral rings or cross slot design, assuming there are no alignment issues, which you can also get with 2 piece bases.

Not a big fan of dove tail mounts, but I have those as well.

I am not aware of any studies that concluded a well fitting one piece mount introduced any significant stress into an action.

It's a non issue.

JM

Why are you glad about that? after reading this post I am thinking that the Savage folks are on top of it once again. the mounts on my Predator are part of the reciever. They are more like two piece weaver mounts so your ring choice is larger

Hank

I just bought a 700 Varmint and now I am really confused about my mounts to be used

I don't want to be stuck with rings that are too high. All the intergal rings are too high IMO.

Talley 2 piece LW combos are the best for the 700. $29.00 at Natchez and you don't have to buy bases.

But what about the Remmy Faux talleys...????

And what about the Talley faux Remmys....????

Good one Swampy..I missed that earlier..


Your trolling skills improve...

Get it right....

"Best selling and most accurate production centerfire rifle in the world."

I thought we were talking about rings and bases, not rifles....

Wrong again swampy.

DNZ

Browning X Bolt - Short Action - Right Hand - 30MM scope tube - Low mount - Black. Measurement from bottom of mount at the front of the receiver to the centerline of the scope tube is .937".

Scope has 44MM objective. Centerline of scope is 1.477" to centerline of bore. I don't call that high.

Those are hideous. Not even if they were free & still too tall. Had a pair once that were given to me. Sold them on eBay.

I'll bet you are the guy that took a file to the barrel of a HB Sako Varmint I found in Rapid City so the objective bell could clear the barrel with Weaver Low bases and rings.

He was probably just trying to file the brand name off the barrel so his buddies wouldn't think he was gay.

Too high? As long as there is minimal clearance between the bell and the barrel and as long as there is minimum clearance between the bolt and the scope then I don't consider the mounts to be too high. I use mainly scopes with 40mm objectives and have never had any problems getting the scopes as low as the dimensions of the scopes allow with the several Rugers I have. I don't like overly high scope mounts either.