Heavy Recoil Scope Mount

[nhcruffler]

I built a 35 Whelen on a Mauser action. I bought the one piece Redfield base where the front ring turns in and the rear is captured in two "cups" so you can adjust the ring left or right. I then put a 3-9x40 illuminated scope on it. Well, after a few shots the "nubs" on the rear ring seared off! I figured I just did not the screws tight enough. I then bought another set and the same thing happened. I talked to Redfield and they said that the scope was just too heavy for the recoil produced by the rifle. The rings I bought from Brownells were replaced free of charge. So now my question is , has anyone else ran into this before? Should I just get a lighter scope , like a 4x30 shotgun scope or should I be looking into a different base? Warne makes one that has the cross slots on a standard Weaver style base. That would work with new rings. Most all of my shots are under 100 yrds so magnification is not a real issue. I just like to have a bit of magnification because the woods can be quite dark even during hunting hours. I appreciate any input you may have. NH

 

[rcmodel]

I talked to Red field and they said that the scope was just too heavy for the recoil produced by the rifle.

Thats BS right there.

That type Leupold & the old colorado Redfield rings & bases have been used successfully for 50+ years on all sorts of rifles that kick way harder then a .35 Whelen.

And a 3-9x40 scope is not a heavy scope as scopes go.
It has become the "standard size" hunting scope over the years, and there are a gazillion of them mounted in Leupold mounts like your Redfield mount..

In the first place, the front ring dovetail should be taking most all the recoil G-Force, not the side clamp screws on the rear ring.

Did your scope slip in the front ring and transfer the load to the rear clamp screws???

Sounds like that, or a run of defective screws to me.

rc

 

[nhcruffler]

Yeh, I thought that was a good mount myself. That is why I bought it. The first time really caught me by surprise and yes it did slip. The second time I tightened / checked the screws every shot and the same thing happened within a dozen rounds. No slippage this time. The gun is not light at all. It is actually heavier than planed at over 10 lbs. I can throw the rings on and try again but after two failures I am wondering what others are using on similar rifles / set ups. NH

 

[Craigman]

I have grown fond of Warne Steel bases and Maxima rings on my heavier calibers. On the lighter ones I use the Talley one-piece ring/bases

The Warnes' have a solid bar in the ring base that is very tough.
http://warnescopemounts.com/product/rings/

 

[Old Dog Man]

Scope Ring Failure

Not enough information to really solve your problem. 1. Is the base mounted correctly? Have you checked the rings after installing them to see if scope sits flat in both rings? If not thats where I would look first. Putting a base on an old military action is something that has to be done right, they can be canted to one side or twisted when tightened down on a reciever that may have been buffed too much. Try putting the front screws in tight and see what the back of the base does, then reverse it and see what the front does. The base may not be sitting flat on the reciever, if not it may need some shims under the end that doesn't sit flat. Some times lapping the rings will give more surface tension on the scope to stop slippage. Check it out and let us know what you find. Al

 

[nhcruffler]

Those Warne bases are nice but pricey. It would be nice to find a similar base at a better price. The base seemed to sit flat though I did not tighten the front and then check the back , or visa versa. I was very careful when mounting the scope and it sat perfectly in the rings. I always use a 1" rod to turn the rings and check alignment before mounting the scope. I have had good luck with this ring base set up before and never an issue. I will probably save the rings and base for another project and go with the Warne. NH

 

[XD 45acp]

NH... It very well may be you just got a bad set of rings machined wrong. I have a Simmons 8 point ( low line scope ) mounted by Burris Zee rings on a weaver brand base, all on a .458 Winchester magnum and it does OK. I put it on there as a temporary setup until something better could be afforded,.. Cheezy setup, but it works... Have had no problems from recoil.

 

[osprey176]

I have experienced the same failure you described,but on a T/C Contender in 444Marlin; a little stouter recoil than your 35 Whelen. I think something else is going on with that rifle.You could switch to a Weaver style setup without going to the Warne if cost is an issue.Several different companies offer Weaver style rings that look much better than the original Weavers. Laying a one piece mount on the action may help you see if the holes are misaligned,or drilled off-center.These situations might lead to the failure you've had.

 

[Kp321]

As previously said, the front ring should be taking most of the recoil. Try putting some powdered rosin in the rings before tightening the scope in. The rear mount should not be seeing any movement. As an absolute solution, try Leupold dual dovetail rings.

 

[roklok]

I use the dual dovetail Leupolds almost exclusively. They are stronger and cleaner looking than the windage adjustable mounts. On my .375 H&H I went with Warne QD mounts, simply so I could easily remove the scope. Either one should solve your problem.

 

[sage5907]

I've installed and used many Redfield/Leupold STD mounts on rifles and have never had one move or come loose, let alone break. In fact I have never had the screws come loose and I never use Loc-Tite. It makes me wonder if you had the back ring slightly cocked when you tightened the large windage screw head down. You would have known this if you would have looked carefully because you could have seen a space under one side of the ring base. The secret to installing the rear ring is to place the lower half of the windage ring on the base and lightly tighten the windage screw before placing the scope into the ring base. Also, you should not adjust the windage screw left or right when the rear ring screws are tight because this places the scope in a bind and possible base alignment in jeopardy which could have been your problem. Also, like roclok said, the Leupold dual dovetail mounts are very strong. BW