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I'm shopping rifles and looking very seriously at buying a Blaser. After watching YouTube Videos till I'm dizzy, I really like the looks of the built in rail mounting system on Swarovski and Zeiss scopes.

Anyone have experience with this system?

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Interesting question! I do have a Blaser and I recently mounted a reail-eqiuped scope (Zeiss 3-12X56) on it. I have not test-fired this rifle+scope combination at the range yet but I have tested the zero optically using a bore-sighter (It is a device mounted at the muzzle and when you look throgh the scope you see a virtual grid whose center is aligned with rifle barrel).

The rail mount on my Blaser R8 looks fantastic. laugh It is much more pleasing to the eye than the traditional ring system. It was very easy to mount the scope and you get a lot of room to position the scope forward or backwards to suit your natural head position on the stock. The zero was also near perfect once the scope was mounted (elevation and windage dials are both centered). Of course, a few clicks will be needed to adjust the point of aim once I actually shoot the rifle but as far as mechanical alignment goes, the scope is parallel with barrel. Now, there are several rail-mount systems which you should make your self familiar with before going with such a system:

There is the classic European rail mount which is in the form of a solid dove-tail attached underneath the scope. This system requires drilling a hole and installing a pin once you decide the correct position of the scope on the base. Then there is the Zeiss system which is the de-facto standard of rail mounts and used by some other companies (e.g. Docter Optics) too. This system has the advantage that it does not require drilling or installation of a pin. Swarovski and Schmidt and Bender have their own (copy of Zeiss) rail mount systems with slight modifications. Make sure you know clearly what system your scope is using before you order one. Schmidt and Bender makes scopes with both classic mounts and their own model (called convex) so it is important that you know which one it is.

The rail system is superior to the ring system from virtually every mechanical aspect. There might be some cases that you might not be able to get a rail mounted scope low enough if you use EAW or similar bases but this is not the case on a Blaser which comes with a dedicated rail base.

Now, I do want discuss the pros and cons of the Blaser rifle itself but that's a separate topic so I just mentioned my experience with the rail mount. If members are interested, we can talk about the rifle too... cool


Cheers
-Omid

PS. An example of classic European rail mount (requires pins) on my Sauer 80 built in 1976:

[Linked Image]


[Linked Image]

Last edited by Omid; 10/18/17.
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I have a couple of scopes with integral rail. Mine have the older-style rail which is trapezoidal in cross section, with the “leg” members (which join scope to base) secured in place by clamping and crosspins. There are a couple of other, proprietary systems now, with various ways of securing the leg members in place on the rail. Zeiss and Swarovski scopes of current production each have their own individual systems.

I think there are a number of advantages. Among them, you tend to have more latitude for placement fore and aft. With a crosspinned system, or one with teeth such as Swarovski uses, you are not depending on friction to prevent the scope moving under recoil. You don’t have the risk of damaging or adversely affecting the scope’s function by overtightening rings. The rail may also add some stiffness and robustness to the tube too, and of course it allows the designer a free hand in choosing tube diameter.

Disadvantages, if you could call them that, are that you are limited to a fairly small number of suppliers of mounts, and the mounts and scopes tend to be at the expensive end of the scale.

There’s no good reason for the latter though, save that only the expensive makers seem interested. FWIW there was at least one scope line made, a generation ago, which was fitted with integral rail but was not at the premium end of the price scale, and that was the original (Japanese made) Nikko Stirling Silver Crown Mountmaster. I had one of these on a .22 for years, and it gave good service.

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I have a swarovski PH with the integral rail. It has adapters that allow it to be mounted on weaver style bases. Just a cursory look will tell you that it's extremely strong, stronger than any ring mount system could ever be in my opinion.

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I have a Swarovski and a Zeiss rail scope that I use on my Blaser. It's simply the finest mounting system in the world. I wish American shooters thought more of the rail mounts as it would push other manufacturers to increase the rail offerings.

There are only 4 manufacturers that I'm aware of that make rail scopes. Swarovski, Zeiss, Leica and Schmidt & Bender.

Last edited by OSU_Sig; 10/18/17.

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Originally Posted by OSU_Sig
I have a Swarovski and a Zeiss rail scope that I use on my Blaser. It's simply the finest mounting system in the world. I wish American shooters thought more of the rail mounts as it would push other manufacturers to increase the rail offerings.

There are only 4 manufacturers that I'm aware of that make rail scopes. Swarovski, Zeiss, Leica and Schmidt & Bender.


How many make mounts to fit those rails? I would happily buy rail scopes if a manufacturer would make mounts that would adapt to popular american rifles. The rail system would solve all my mounting issues. I was under the impression that at present mounts can only be found for rifles like Blaser and Sauer.

Do any manufacturers make mounts that adapt to american bolt patterns?

Last edited by R_H_Clark; 10/19/17.
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Originally Posted by OSU_Sig


There are only 4 manufacturers that I'm aware of that make rail scopes. Swarovski, Zeiss, Leica and Schmidt & Bender.


There's a few more than that. Meopta, Docter, Nickel, Kaps, and Minox spring to mind.

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Originally Posted by R_H_Clark


How many make mounts to fit those rails? I would happily buy rail scopes if a manufacturer would make mounts that would adapt to popular american rifles. The rail system would solve all my mounting issues. I was under the impression that at present mounts can only be found for rifles like Blaser and Sauer.

Do any manufacturers make mounts that adapt to american bolt patterns?


There's a number of makers of bases to suit rail mounted scopes, and bases are available for a range of rifles including Remington 700, Winchester Mod 70 and others. You can also get legs to suit Weaver or Picatinny bases, as well as ones to suit various dovetail bases. Have a look at Recknagel's catalogue for example, or EAW's.

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Originally Posted by dan_oz
Originally Posted by OSU_Sig


There are only 4 manufacturers that I'm aware of that make rail scopes. Swarovski, Zeiss, Leica and Schmidt & Bender.


There's a few more than that. Meopta, Docter, Nickel, Kaps, and Minox spring to mind.

But are those scopes offered here in the US? I think all the European manufacturers offer rail mounts but not here.


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Originally Posted by R_H_Clark
Originally Posted by OSU_Sig
I have a Swarovski and a Zeiss rail scope that I use on my Blaser. It's simply the finest mounting system in the world. I wish American shooters thought more of the rail mounts as it would push other manufacturers to increase the rail offerings.

There are only 4 manufacturers that I'm aware of that make rail scopes. Swarovski, Zeiss, Leica and Schmidt & Bender.


How many make mounts to fit those rails? I would happily buy rail scopes if a manufacturer would make mounts that would adapt to popular american rifles. The rail system would solve all my mounting issues. I was under the impression that at present mounts can only be found for rifles like Blaser and Sauer.

Do any manufacturers make mounts that adapt to american bolt patterns?


RH, dan_oz has more knowledge of mount manufacturers than I do. I do know that Swarovski made a weaver adapter mount but I have no personal knowledge beyond that.


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Omid,
That Sauer is beautiful! I had a 90 in 375 H&H. Wish I hadn't sold it.



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Originally Posted by jackmountain
Omid,
That Sauer is beautiful! I had a 90 in 375 H&H. Wish I hadn't sold it.


Thank you. Sauer 80 (aka Colt-Sauer) and Sauer 90 are probably the most beautiful and the most elegant bolt-action rifles. I have a Sauer 90 too, it is in 300 Win Mag and I haven't even fired it yet.

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