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  1. #1
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    High End Vs Budget Scope Mounts

    Regarding air rifles, what's the real difference between fitting high end scope mounts (Spuhr, Tier one, BKL etc.) as appose to the cheaper budget brands like Hawke, Atom, Richter Optik, Nikko Sterling that can be had for a tenner or less on fleabay?

    The reason I'm asking is that I've always only ever used the cheaper end of the scale and never had any issues with holding long term accuracy whatsoever even on springers.

    So, what's the point in spending a lot of money on more expensive brands when the cheaper one's do the job? Is it just marketing or do they offer something more that I'm not aware of?
    Last edited by rabbitslayer; 03-08-2018 at 11:08 PM.

  2. #2
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    I think that in all walks of like there is a point where diminishing returns kicks in. There's no doubt that the BKL and Tier One will work and the former do overcome the centreing problem, if indeed it is a problem in the real world?, although the BKL look to me to be a bit of a faff.

    Myself, I have had issues with Hawke and Nikko such as bad machining, offset easily stripped threads, terrible recoil pins etc, so I wont go near them now.

    In all honesty, I don't think you can go far wrong with Sportsmatch. In the main they are a couple of quid more than Hawke etc, they do the job, are British made, and don't look like something you would find in a Meccano Set, utilise a recoil hole and your scope is going nowhere.

  3. #3
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    I've seen plenty of budget 2pc mounts that weren't even a matched pair.

    If you're happy using cheapies carry on.

    I'll keep using BKL and Sportsmatch
    B.A.S.C. member

  4. #4
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    tried all sorts over the years,am more than happy with BKL now on all my guns

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by robs5230 View Post
    I've seen plenty of budget 2pc mounts that weren't even a matched pair.

    If you're happy using cheapies carry on.
    Yeah, I think I will unless I have problems in the future.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Portzy View Post
    I think that in all walks of like there is a point where diminishing returns kicks in. There's no doubt that the BKL and Tier One will work and the former do overcome the centreing problem, if indeed it is a problem in the real world?, although the BKL look to me to be a bit of a faff.

    Myself, I have had issues with Hawke and Nikko such as bad machining, offset easily stripped threads, terrible recoil pins etc, so I wont go near them now.

    In all honesty, I don't think you can go far wrong with Sportsmatch. In the main they are a couple of quid more than Hawke etc, they do the job, are British made, and don't look like something you would find in a Meccano Set, utilise a recoil hole and your scope is going nowhere.
    Hi Portzy,

    Don't get me wrong, I imagine that the more expensive mounts are very good, well made and with more than likely, better, higher tensile materials. It's just that I've always found the cheaper mounts I've used to have done the job of holding my scope in place, securely, very well and that's all I want them to do.

    No doubt I've been lucky going on what others had said about their experiences but I thought I'd ask the question because I couldn't understand (and I'm still not that convinced) that they make much if any difference when compared to a non faulty set of cheapies especially when used on low powered airguns.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by rabbitslayer View Post
    Hi Portzy, I thought I'd ask the question because I couldn't understand (and I'm still not that convinced) that they make much if any difference when compared to a non faulty set of cheapies especially when used on low powered airguns.
    With you all the way mate, especially the bit in brackets. The only thing I have done in addition to using SM's is invest in a torque driver but I do not follow the mount maufacturers figures, I deduce my own.

  8. #8
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    To be honest I feel sorry for the mount manufacturers. The machining of dovetails on air rifles (especially springers) has never been properly standardised, with the result that you might be faced with a dovetail size anywhere between 9mm and 16mm, with quite few half mils in between. The depth and angle of the cut may vary as well. All too often scope mounts don't quite fit and are over-tightened to compensate, and being usually aluminium, they don't cope well.

    It's tempting to think of mounts as a pair, but in reality they're being churned out in their thousands - we just happen to need two at a time.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Portzy View Post
    With you all the way mate, especially the bit in brackets. The only thing I have done in addition to using SM's is invest in a torque driver but I do not follow the mount maufacturers figures, I deduce my own.
    Can you recommend a small torque driver? I've always tightened by 'feel' and I'm always worried about overdoing it. I only ever use the small end of the Allen key as the lever when tightening, never use my screwdriver as it's too easy to apply too much oomph.

  10. #10
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    Once you used Sportsmatch, ther's no need to buy other makes.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by rabbitslayer View Post
    Can you recommend a small torque driver? I've always tightened by 'feel' and I'm always worried about overdoing it. I only ever use the small end of the Allen key as the lever when tightening, never use my screwdriver as it's too easy to apply too much oomph.
    The one I use is this;

    https://www.screwfix.com/p/wiha-vde-...1-pieces/2581k

    The only problem is that you get more bits than you need, I later came across the same driver/setter but with less bits and not as expensive because of having less bits.

    I also got this;

    https://www.screwfix.com/p/wiha-soft...3-x-75mm/2678k

    And this;

    https://www.screwfix.com/p/wiha-soft...4-x-75mm/8624k

    I needed these because the Wiha is a VDE instrument and the drive is not quite 1/4" for safety reasons.

    Over the top? maybe so, but I like prescision and repeatability.

    I settled on 1.6nm for the clamp bolts, and 1.0nm for the scope caps. This was equating to a tad under what I used with normal hex keys using the "tight with the short end plus 1/4 turn with the long end" method.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by rabbitslayer View Post
    Regarding air rifles, what's the real difference between fitting high end scope mounts (Spuhr, Tier one, BKL etc.) as appose to the cheaper budget brands like Hawke, Atom, Richter Optik, Nikko Sterling that can be had for a tenner or less on fleabay?

    The reason I'm asking is that I've always only ever used the cheaper end of the scale and never had any issues with holding long term accuracy whatsoever even on springers.

    So, what's the point in spending a lot of money on more expensive brands when the cheaper one's do the job? Is it just marketing or do they offer something more that I'm not aware of?

    Spend £1000 on a nice rifle, £400 on a reasonable scope & bugger it all up with £5 mounts

    Why take the risk .

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
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    Ashton under Lyne
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    163
    This is what I use for mounting scopes. It has everything you need.

    https://www.opticswarehouse.co.uk/pr...h-30mm-scopes/.

  14. #14
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    Jan 2016
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    Mine are either sportsmatch or hawke and never had any issues with either.

    My comp springer has had the same hawke mounts with 2 scopes. Not damaged either scope or the rails.
    I don't do mine up very tight though. Using a ball ended Allen, long end goes in the bolt, turn the short end finger tight going round each bolt a bit at a time.

  15. #15
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    SportsMatch are excellent. Only if they were 20% cheaper.

    A.G

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