Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Leupold Dual Dovetails

You couldn't pay me enough to ever use Standard Leupold Bases again, but what about the dual dovetails? I have 13 oz 1" tube scope (Burris FFII 3-9X40 ballistic plex) that needs to mount on a sporter weight rifle. (My sons custom 6.5) I want go another route outside Talleys but not a full rail/pic rings setup.

I assuming, like all other Leupold rings I have ever played with, they will need lapped...

Why not use Burris Signature rings for dual dovetail bases?

Good suggestion - hadn't thought about those - that surely would save some lapping.

Only downside is height of the Burris - only avail in med, with Leupold you can go lower.

I've used Dual Dovetails on a number of rifles. They've worked well for me.

My choice every time for Rem 700 type applications.

I have a set of dual dovetail rings on a Kleinguenther. It’s always kept zero. I canned all the regular Leupolds for Talley two split rings and bases.

I have no use for anything with dovetails. One is enough on the standard bases, sure don't want 2. Most of my "nice" rifles have Talley Lightweights on them. I also like the Burris, but still have some Weaver bases and Weaver 4x4 rings on some budget rifles and 22's. Not pretty, but they are cheap and work.

I've got two with Leupold DD. I like them, but most of the rest have plain old Weaver Top Mount. The Weavers were cheaper and easier to set up.

Leupold DD bases with Burris Sig DD rings is the way I roll most often.

It pains me that Leupold doesn't make the DDs for Mausers. One of mine has Talley LWs, the other Weaver bases with Burris Signatures, which I've used since about 2000 when I put my first set on a Browning Low Wall. If I ever upgrade either, it'll probably be with Talley detachables, since both wear irons.

Used standards for decades without issue on .270s and such FWIW. The windage saves clicks, which can be helpful sometimes.

I have Leupold DDs on my Model 70 300WM. They have worked well. I did not lap them though. I think as long as your rifle was properly drilled and tapped and the receiver heights are correct and obviously the mounts are correct the DD are good to go.The signature rings would be a nice insurance.

They also have a nice clean look.

They are a pain in the ass to get right, but they are golden when they are on.

What makes you say that?

I've been using the old front dove tail with rear windage screws for nearly 40 years. My secret, I use Medium Strength Loctite(I think it's blue or purple, I'm kinda color blind) on the rear windage screws. Here's how I do that. I run the windage turret adjustment until I hit the end. Then counting the clicks (Yeah, this is the tedious part). Then I run in it back to half the total clicks. I put em on without Loctite and bore sight the rifle as close as I can get using the windage screws. Then take it to the range and shoot it in. I use the windage screws to get the rifle on with an equal amount of clicks left on both sides of zero. Then I take the rifle home, and take one screw out and put Loctite on it and run it back in and tighten it to the same torque as before I took the screw out. Then take the other screw out and repeat. Then I take it back to the range and shoot it to see if this got it out of adjustment. If so I use the turret adjustment and make adjustments to get it on and don't touch the windage screws on the mount.

The screws don't move or I haven't had them move. No horror story. Try it you might like it.

Yeah, I too like the DDs but like was said they don't make 'em for every rifle. I have 5 Mausers and I use this method and never had a screw move. And to be fair I only started using the Loctite a few years back only because I heard some of these horror stories on another forum. However before I used Loctite on the windage screws I never had a problem with them. So just to be safe I use the Loctite, the same grade Loctite I put on the other mounting screws. So if you want some class hardware or they don't make the double d's for your rifle, you might try this method.

The DD's have always worked well for me. I preferrer the older ring sets that do not have that Leupold brand on the top ring. The beauty of the original design of the rings and bases to me was the rock solid design and the clean profile.

When Redfield made 'em they were nice looking too. They were actually a Redfield design, designed by Mr. Redfield himself. I'm talking about the Dove Tail-Windage Screw design, not the D-D. He had the original patent on them. But then again, I don't mind the ones branded Leupold either. They're both tasteful looking and they're both high quality.

I have had trouble getting them perfectly aligned to avoid marring the scope and as others have said, they should be lapped. But when they are in place, the are solid and look good. Not much to go wrong once they are set. I have them on about six rifles.

I've never had to lap them. I have one scope a gun smith put on for me and he lapped a VX-1 in for me. But I would think lapping would work great for the DD's.

A friend of mine was trying to set up a new rifle with Leupold DD's and Burris signature rings. He couldn't find any medium height signature DD rings anywhere. He called Burris and they told him they discontinued the DD signature rings.
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