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Ok, what difference does it make on which brand scope mount rail you buy?
Looking to buy scope rail for my model 70 rather than just cheap leupold mounts. What would you recommend for a decent quality for the money.
Thanks for any input.

EGW is fairly inexpensive, but works well. Why not a 2 piece weaver type mount? That is a step above your typical standard leupold 2 piece mounts. Very strong and not as tactical looking as a 1 piece mount. Less weight than a rail as well. I'd go 2 piece steel weaver type mounts on a hunting rifle, if not going with DD's or the like. Just me though. What is it exactly that you have and want to do. You need something to hold a 30 oz scope?

Talley bases and rings if it’s a nice looking rifle

Egw and several others are good for the money (under $100) I do like the Nightforce 2 piece base for guns that need to top loaded as rails of course somewhat limit access for loading.

For a 700 based rifle the Hawkins hybrids remove the need for a rail in most circumstances outside of short tube compared to ejection port length.

I went to rails on several rifles years ago. I mainly use Weaver Tactical rails on my 700's and Mountain Tech on my Tikka's. The reason I went to a rail is when I decide to play musical scopes between guns, it is fast and easy and I don't have to relevel my scopes.

Weaver rails work great, and are made in the USA.

Murphy’s Precision

The Leupold DD is definitely not junk

For the money, it’s hard to go wrong with Weaver Tactical rails, if they make one for the rifle model you’re interested in.

I like rails because they make it easy to move scopes between rifles without having to re-level them and because you have a lot more latitude with ring spacing. The downside is that they put the scope higher than it needs to be (in some cases a lot higher) unless you have a huge objective bell. Also, some of them are much longer than they need to be, which limits where the scope can go if you're trying to get it low.

That said, not all rails are created equal. A few years ago, I bought a cheap rail (can't remember the make) for a M-700 in 308. Something was badly wrong with it. The rear of the rail was visibly misaligned so it bent down and to the left compared to the rest of the rail. With a 200-yard zero, the 100-yard POI was to the left and the 300-yard POI was to the right.

My gunsmith replaced it with an EGW and the problem went away.


Okie John

I prefer Picatinny rail to the Weaver as Picatinny accessories will not fit on a Weaver rail, but Weaver accessories will fit on a Picatinny rail.

I have tried EGW. One worked perfectly the other not so well. By perfectly I mean that the radiuses underneath the mount (where the bolt opening is) lined up just right. See photo below for the one that did not line up well.
Murphy Precision makes a good variety of mounts for the Winchester Model 70 and that will be my next stop. Not cheap but, they are very well made (have used them before) and they do make them in Titanium as well.

You have to make sure that the scope base hole spacing matches up with the product you want to purchase. And, I would inquire about the radius issue mentioned above before purchasing.

The lowest pic rails I’ve used that are quality and a good value are Weaver Tactical and Area419. EGW rails are good but fairly high.

I like Area 419, especially on Tikkas, and Warne Mountain Tech.
Also like the Burris Xtreme Tactical 2 pc bases. Light. Low. Steel. You don’t get as much fwd/aft positional adjustment as a full rail and no inclination, but if you don’t need those things, it’s a great setup.

On hunting rifles I am also primarily using Burris Xtreme Tactical 2 pc bases, a great value.

I also like EGR and Warne Mountain tech.

Match rifles either OPS 2 Titanium (for FN-H SPR), Nightforce, or Badger...

I have a lightly used EGW pic rail that I had on a M70 30-06.
$25

Over here with a pencil and paper desperately trying to figure out how this would be possible...

I have a 30mm tube scope, meopta Meosport on a Winchester model 70 short mag. It’s kinda heavy. Just wondering if a picatini rail and rings wouldn’t be more stable platform than basic leupold mounts.

Thanks for the offer but I need a wsm action footprint.

It would be an upgrade in my book for sure.

When you say "basic", I interpret that as Leupold standard bases. So, yes, a rail would be a huge improvement in strength over those. However, you won't give up much if you go to a 2 piece steel weaver type mount. Such as the Leupold PRW/QRW mounts and Rings. That is a very robust set up. I actually run that on my lightweight 338wm, pre 64 model 70.

So you are wanting this type of set up?:

That is a Near Manufacturing 20 moa rail with TPS rings. 30mm scope^^^^ That rifle is a short action 300WSM FN built on a classic model 70 action. I'm showing a picture of that rifle because it matches your rifle closer than anything I have with a rail on it. The rail is a steel mil spec 1913 picatinny, that is very solid. The TPS rings are also steel. If you want strong, that is it.

There is a myriad of rings out there, that will work, as I mentioned in my last post. One of my favorites is the Nightforce ultra lightweight rings. I have a couple rifles set up with those rings and they are damn solid:

Some are 6 screw and some are 4 screw. Both seem to be very solid.

Again, however, the 2 piece steel weaver style bases and rings are plenty strong. The Leupold part # that will fit your rifle is: 49837

Then you can use Burris Zee rings, or similar rings


On a hunting rifle, they are a little more sleek and slightly less weight than the steel rail, like the one I pictured above.

I have rails on a few, but also tried one on my Fieldcraft and it was too high, futzing up what had been a very solid cheek-weld, so back to Talleys. One of my Howa Minis has Wayne York’s floorplate, and that’s tricky enough to load with two-piece bases, so no rail for it either. The other Mini has the crappy plastic mag setup replaced with an aluminum guard that takes CZ 527 mags, so it has a rail, and it’s still easy to drop rounds in the top for single loading. As a couple mentioned above, rails make running the optics rodeo easier, and if they’re precisely made, swapping between rifles without disturbing the rings is possible. While I like the inserts some Burris rings have, the Zee rings’ clamping slot may have to be pried open before you can get them off, not very convenient. For rings that will get swapped on and off, I like ones with 1/2” nuts, like Mountain Tech and the Chinese ones SWFA gives away during their sales.

My 10/22 CSC has a 30moa rail machined into the receiver, and I change optics on that about like I do my socks. Red dots, prisms, scopes, and lasers have all taken a ride on that one.

If your rifle has irons, you probably need a mount with a channel down the middle so you can see the sights. Weaver bases have that and some EGW rails too.

I'm a fan of Burris x Tactical 2 piece on hunting rifles, mainly due to leaving the area over the action open as well as their low height. Fit pic rings, still allow you to swap scopes but you may need to loosen one ring and adjust it....but as long as your receiver and holes are good it's not a problem.

Could it be that the holes in the rail were off so the rail was not in alignment with the barrel? Think side-by-side double rifle - it's only regulated (common point of impact for the two barrels) for one distance if the barrels aren't perfectly parallel. Substitute a laser beam coming from the scope - at 200 yards, the bullet and laser beam would cross but before 200 yds the bullet would always be left of the beam, and then after 200 yds the bullet would continue past the beam so it was to the right of the beam for the rest of its flight.

Those are what I have on my M70 7mm mag. They leave the action open for ease of access to the magazine and let you use any picatinny style rings. The weaver style bases don't let you use picatinny rings. If I don't need a 20 MOA base then they're what I use.

I ended up getting a leupold rail for my Model 7 saum. Here to hoping it works with meopta factory rings.

That's nice. What did you end up putting on your model 70, that was the rifle of topic in the OP.. ??

I'm sick of soft aluminum rails...what a racket....I'd rather have steel 2 piece bases. All my rails will be steel from Murphy's Precision from now on.

Ran Weavers forever, no problems.
But do think some are nicer.

So, for my Contender barrels, EABCO.
Other rifles will get upgraded to EGW or Recknagel.