Rifle Scopes Choosing a Scope Mount, and other advice for a newb

[BORD]

Hello All, I have been lurking for awhile, but finally took the plunge and bought a bolt action rifle to check out this type of shooting. I bought a Tikka Tac A1 in 6.5 creedmoor. I also have a Vortex Viper PST II 5-25x50 and a harris bipod I plan to use.

I will be shooting at my local range that has a 100 and 300 yard rifle range, and hopefully I will eventually have access to the 1000 yard potion of the range. I am not sure when/where or if I will have access to longer ranges in the future.

As I understand it, the Tac A1 has a 0 moa rail, so I am trying to determine if I should buy a 20 moa mount/rings or not, as I am not sure if I will need it with the rifle/scope and range limitations.

So my questions are:

1) Should I buy a 20 moa mount/rings?
2) In the up to $200 category, what mount or rings would you recommend? I want something that will work well with my setup/purpose, but I have no need for the best available. A size recommendation would be great to, as I don’t know squat about mounting scopes.
3) What other items should I prioritize getting first, ie. range finder, binoculars, bags/socks, etc

Thank you for any guidance, it is appreciated!

 

[generalzip]

1. No. With a 6.5 and 0 moa rail you should be fine to 1000.

2. ARC M10 rings. Eventually when you become a full blown snob like the rest of us you’ll get a spuhr. If you get a spuhr off the bat you can get a 20 moa mode so you don’t need to buy a new rail and you’ll have an extra 20moa. Have your cake and eat it!

3. Rangefinder is very important. Chronograph. Ballistic app or kestrel

 

[Heyitsclint]

I'd say get a 20 MOA one piece mount. Plenty of good options out there in that price range. I got the MPA, and it is well built.
You are starting off with a very good setup. I think both your rifle and optic are pretty much best bang for the buck.

 

[Georgedubya]

I don’t see any reason not to buy a canted mount on that rifle. You won’t need it right away, but maybe someday you will. I have one, and use a 20 MOA mount. My favorite mount lately is the Desert Tech one. I’ve had a lot of success with them. They’re a bit outside your price range, however. You can probably grab one of the NF mounts for around $200, and they’re great.

 

[Crews]

I wouldn't pass over a 20moa mount if you found a good deal on one, but it's really not necessary.

And there's no doubt you can find a solid set of rings for under $200. Seekins is the first thing that comes to mind for me. There's not a damned thing wrong with dropping your scope in a good set of rings and going to town.

However, there is a really cool option you could also consider. Spuhr has a simpler, more affordable unimount that will go directly on your receiver. This eliminates the pic rail all together. It's just a few bucks over your budget, see link: Spuhr mount I will have to say, if I was in your shoes this is exactly what I'd get. It's not like a base + rings is undependable by any stretch, but if you've got an opportunity to use one piece instead of two, that's always a good thing. Only caveat may be getting the Tikka rail off the top without stripping the screws.

 

[spife7980]

With a 6.5 creed you can get to 1000 with a flat top. I suspect you’ll run out of elevation at 13-1400. So a 20 wouldn’t be nice but I would get a set of arc m10 rings myself.
You could go with the Burris rings that use inserts that allow you to adjust the cant yourself, I’ve heard good things about them.

 

[brianf]

get a 20 moa used spuhr if you dont want to spend a ton
i like most on here have spent a ton etc.
for me the best scope mount i used so far (and have been switching all my rifles over the last few years) is a spuhr

 

[260284]

I wouldn't pass over a 20moa mount if you found a good deal on one, but it's really not necessary.

And there's no doubt you can find a solid set of rings for under $200. Seekins is the first thing that comes to mind for me. There's not a damned thing wrong with dropping your scope in a good set of rings and going to town.

However, there is a really cool option you could also consider. Spuhr has a simpler, more affordable unimount that will go directly on your receiver. This eliminates the pic rail all together. It's just a few bucks over your budget, see link: Spuhr mount I will have to say, if I was in your shoes this is exactly what I'd get. It's not like a base + rings is undependable by any stretch, but if you've got an opportunity to use one piece instead of two, that's always a good thing. Only caveat may be getting the Tikka rail off the top without stripping the screws.

You will need to keep the factory Tikka rail on the TAC A1 if you want it to line up with the handguard. The TAC A1 factory rail is higher than the factory CTR rail. If you get a Spuhr or any one piece mount, get a 20 moa that is AR height so your scope will clear the handguard.

 

[generalzip]

If you had a 34mm scope this would be perfect

https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/34mm-arc-m10-qd-l-20-moa.6952303/

 

[260284]

If you had a 34mm scope this would be perfect

https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/34mm-arc-m10-qd-l-20-moa.6952303/

I have one of these in 30mm. They are a good mount for the $$.

 

[Dustysa4]

Better to have the extra elevation and not need it. Also, check out the Burris XTR Signature rings. They're typically under $100, and they use polymer inserts to offset your optic from 0 to 40 moa, in 5 moa increments. Added bonus, the polymer inserts grip like crazy and won't leave marks on your scope.

 

[generalzip]

Better to have the extra elevation and not need it. Also, check out the Burris XTR Signature rings. They're typically under $100, and they use polymer inserts to offset your optic from 0 to 40 moa, in 5 moa increments. Added bonus, the polymer inserts grip like crazy and won't leave marks on your scope.

Not necessarily true. You will notice shadowing and even distortion of the image when you get near the extreme ranges of your erector assembly. If you shoot mosting between 50-400 yards and you put a 30-40 moa mount on there you will have some undesirable optical artifacts and possible reduction in image quality. A scope looks best in the middle of it's erector range (generally how they ship from the factory)

 

[Dustysa4]

Not necessarily true. You will notice shadowing and even distortion of the image when you get near the extreme ranges of your erector assembly. If you shoot mosting between 50-400 yards and you put a 30-40 moa mount on there you will have some undesirable optical artifacts and possible reduction in image quality. A scope looks best in the middle of it's erector range (generally how they ship from the factory)

I agree completely. He should be okay at 20 moa though (5.8 MRAD). And if he's shooting at distance often, it'll keep him in that visual sweet spot out further.

 

[86alaskan]

sent you a message about a nice nightforce unimount with 20moa. It'll work great for what you're looking to do. I run the 20moa on all my rifles. It doesn't really hurt and helps at longer ranges.

 

[Currycure]

You can go wrong with a American Defense Scope Mount AD-RECON-S 30MM

 

[BORD]

Thank you all for the feedback, I am working to digest it all now!