Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Rings for heavy scope

I am contemplating putting a heavy scope on my .338 WM. I have used steel Warne Maxima rings with heavy scopes and heavy recoil with success but was considering something potentially lighter weight.

Does anyone have experience with either steel Talley Screw Locks or Warne Mountain Tech rings with heavy scopes AND heavy recoil? I really doubt breakage would be a problem with either, but slippage under recoil could be.

405wcf

I have a steel Kahles 6x42 on a .30-06 in Talley QD mounts and it stays put but that is not a really heavy recoiling rifle

What make and model rifle out of curiousity?

I use the Warne Mountain Tech and Leupold Backcountry rings on about everything from a 6x Leupold to a 2.5x10 NF and 3x9 SS. They’ve worked well in all cases. The TPS Alloys are also very good as well.

I've used Talley Screw Lock rings for years. Totally bombproof. Leupold Mark 4 would be my 2nd choice.

I like Seekins and have used them on a .375 with a 22 oz scope. They are lighter weight, fairly low (.82), solid machined in lug, and have a wide surface area.

Custom Model 70

How do the Screw Lock bases compare in thickness to a Warne Maxima or Leupold dual dovetail?

I have used the Warne QD rings on a .45-70 Marlin Guide Gun with a Leupold Scout scope and the recoil was pretty stout with some loads and they held in place

Conetrol

I've successfully used Badger Ordnance 34mm Alloy Low Rings (P/N 306-23) and 4 oz. in weight to hold a 36 Oz Vortex Razor 3-18x50MM on a 300 Winchester Mag.

Leupold dual dovetail have worked for me. Consider upgrading the mounting screws to 8-40.

I prefer Seekins rings and their picatinny base, which has a built in recoil lug, that takes the shear force away from the screws.

About 6 ozs or so for the pair.

New Leupold Back Country unitized like Talley Lightweights are very beefy but also look much nicer imo. Four screws per ring cap too. You might consider 8-40 base screws while you're at it.

The Talley screw lock and quick detachable have worked on rifles up to 375 H&H well. I have not used them for heavy scopes bigger than a 3.5-10x42mm scope. I put form a gasket or tape inside the rings and never had one come loose. Never had a Conetrol come loose either. Only mounts I have had issues with are the Leupold single dove tails. The entire scope is supported mostly by the front ring, the back didn't even make contact at the base. Had one come loose and another I sheared the screws trying to engage the back ring.

Heavy scopes do try to crawl forward on recoil. I try to position one ring against a "stop" on the scope, such as the flare before the eyepiece, or the center housing, so it can't move.

I like seekins as well. Talley came out with a MSR ring similar to the seekins.

Burris XTR Signature is my go-to.