Advice on mounting swaro z5 to tikka

Hi all,
I have been doing research but nothing really replaces experience and from what i've noticed this is the place to come!(the dragons den) I am looking for point in the right direction. i have recently purchased a Swarovski z5 3.5-18x44BT 4W from rivers to rangers, to put on my tikka t3x lite 7mm remmag it currently has a 20 MOA pic rail on it. what is your guys best opinions on rings ? do I remove pic rail and go optilocks? if I keep rail what height and brand rings are you guys running ? I'm away overseas and not back till Christmas (sending myself way to many Christmas presents) and can't really take the rifle in to test ring height. once I'm back in nz I will be in Auckland for a month or so so will also love recommendations on best place to mount the scope.

Cheers
Anthony

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Originally Posted by anthony

Hi all,
I have been doing research but nothing really replaces experience and from what i've noticed this is the place to come!(the dragons den) I am looking for point in the right direction. i have recently purchased a Swarovski z5 3.5-18x44BT 4W from rivers to rangers, to put on my tikka t3x lite 7mm remmag it currently has a 20 MOA pic rail on it. what is your guys best opinions on rings ? do I remove pic rail and go optilocks? if I keep rail what height and brand rings are you guys running ? I'm away overseas and not back till Christmas (sending myself way to many Christmas presents) and can't really take the rifle in to test ring height. once I'm back in nz I will be in Auckland for a month or so so will also love recommendations on best place to mount the scope.

Cheers
Anthony

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I have a couple of Tikka T3X rifles with Z5 scopes. I just set the scopes up in Sako / Tikka Optilocks rings, mounted directly onto the receiver. I think they are Medium height rings. They are a good, solid system and I like the internal nylon liners that don't mark the scope tubes. Also have Optilocks on a couple of Sako rifles. As I said, solid, and I've never had any issues with them ( apart from paying the asking price - hahaha )

Ditch the rail get a set of optilocks or Talley rings.

Sent from my CPH2145 using Tapatalk

cheers for the reply mate, I'm defiantly getting convinced on the optilocks option.

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Originally Posted by 30.06king

I have a couple of Tikka T3X rifles with Z5 scopes. I just set the scopes up in Sako / Tikka Optilocks rings, mounted directly onto the receiver. I think they are Medium height rings. They are a good, solid system and I like the internal nylon liners that don't mark the scope tubes. Also have Optilocks on a couple of Sako rifles. As I said, solid, and I've never had any issues with them ( apart from paying the asking price - hahaha )

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I've had a Z5 3-18x44 on a Tikka light. it was in a set of talley low rings. perfect height for the 44mm objective lens. If you want to keep the rail go for a set of Leupold low rings. Not quite as low as the talleys but good solid steel rings and lower that most pic rail rings.

My advice is put the fat end at the front! Haha. But seriously, if you are shooting very long ranges and don't have enough elevation adjustment in the scope use the pic rail, these are endless options when it comes to picatinny rings, if you don't need the extra elevation Talley rings are a very good affordable option and you can get an anticant bubble level top cap for the rear ring which is great, Tikka Optilocks are more expensive but a good solid mount and the plastic insert allows the scope to align itself in the rings with no tension of damage to the scope tube, if you go for Talley's I recommend buying their alignment tube for mounting the rings, much easier than lapping the rings. As far as ring heights go Tikka Optilock RM lows or Talley lows should have the objective bell clear of the barrel. I then check my eye alignment with the scope by closing my eye, shoulder the rifle as you would for an off hand shot then open your eye and see if you're looking thru the center of the scope ie not black blurring around the edge of your field of view and eye relief is correct. I may have missed something or someone with more knowledge than I may have better suggestions. Cheers Brett.

I have a set of Tikka Talleys here for sale that are perfect for a Z5. I might even sell a Z5 with them

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Originally Posted by anthony

Hi all,
I have been doing research but nothing really replaces experience and from what i've noticed this is the place to come!(the dragons den) I am looking for point in the right direction. i have recently purchased a Swarovski z5 3.5-18x44BT 4W from rivers to rangers, to put on my tikka t3x lite 7mm remmag it currently has a 20 MOA pic rail on it. what is your guys best opinions on rings ? do I remove pic rail and go optilocks? if I keep rail what height and brand rings are you guys running ? I'm away overseas and not back till Christmas (sending myself way to many Christmas presents) and can't really take the rifle in to test ring height. once I'm back in nz I will be in Auckland for a month or so so will also love recommendations on best place to mount the scope.

Cheers
Anthony

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Get some Tikka one piece Optilocks.
I only have a set for Sakos with the tapered dovetails.
No problem with objective clearance. I have two on Sakos.
PM me if you want. I’m in Sth Auckland and can install for you, with correct torques and I have a scope level.

I can boresight down my hall way to get you on the paper……

B

optilocks

Optiloks z5s have being known to malfunction in none lapped tally’s or lap some tally’s their a fantastic rings ditch the tail 100%

+1 low talleys

Go for Talleys, lighter than Optilocks

Mixed suggestions here, can't find wrong with either really.

Just found the set of low Talley rings that I had my Z5 attached to on my Tikka in my collection here. PM me if your interested.

Low optilocs. Have a t3 and z5 mounted in them.

A bit late, but perhaps this experience is helpful for others.
I bought Optilock ring-mounts for a T3, after looking at and trying the clamping arrangement I sold them.
From what is see the clamp area has only 2 pegs adjacent that make contact with the action dovetail base. These pegs are small and sit on the very edge of the action. The pegs look cosmetic and undersized when compared to the other side.
Also the supplied T3 alu ring-mounts are not 1 inch, the hole diameter is 26mm, with the scope tube sitting in the base piece it can easy move about, it is not cradled solid with full contact, this results in line contact only at the tube which leads to a crush point as clamped and a good chance of movement, which happened.
I finally bought Sportsmatch ring-mounts as they are well designed and solid.

Optilocs prevent garking of the scope tube, my pet HATE. Swaros aren't known for over-engineered tube thickness.

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Originally Posted by LCtikka

A bit late, but perhaps this experience is helpful for others.
I bought Optilock ring-mounts for a T3, after looking at and trying the clamping arrangement I sold them.
From what is see the clamp area has only 2 pegs adjacent that make contact with the action dovetail base. These pegs are small and sit on the very edge of the action. The pegs look cosmetic and undersized when compared to the other side.
Also the supplied T3 alu ring-mounts are not 1 inch, the hole diameter is 26mm, with the scope tube sitting in the base piece it can easy move about, it is not cradled solid with full contact, this results in line contact only at the tube which leads to a crush point as clamped and a good chance of movement, which happened.
I finally bought Sportsmatch ring-mounts as they are well designed and solid.

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You will probably struggle to get anyone to side with you on opitloks being a bad ring very solid the standard tikka rings arnt flash but I also never had a problem with them

got talleys on all my tikkas...

the honda civic among scope rings...

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Originally Posted by STC

got talleys on all my tikkas...

the honda civic among scope rings...

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Me two but if mounting a swaro I go for Optis their weak as weak and doesn’t take much to bend the tube and disable the parralax they need the inserts

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Originally Posted by Kelton

Me two but if mounting a swaro I go for Optis their weak as weak and doesn’t take much to bend the tube and disable the parralax they need the inserts

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You need some nightforces Kelton!

Sent from my SM-A556E using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by andyanimal31

You need some nightforces Kelton!

Sent from my SM-A556E using Tapatalk

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Just to clarify I don’t have any swaros more a “if I was” than a “when I am”

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Originally Posted by Kelton

Just to clarify I don’t have any swaros more a “if I was” than a “when I am”

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After the Duley incident with the bent swaro and the stag of a lifetime I would be hesitant to use on a serious mission rifle.

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Originally Posted by LCtikka

A bit late, but perhaps this experience is helpful for others.
I bought Optilock ring-mounts for a T3, after looking at and trying the clamping arrangement I sold them.
From what is see the clamp area has only 2 pegs adjacent that make contact with the action dovetail base. These pegs are small and sit on the very edge of the action. The pegs look cosmetic and undersized when compared to the other side.
Also the supplied T3 alu ring-mounts are not 1 inch, the hole diameter is 26mm, with the scope tube sitting in the base piece it can easy move about, it is not cradled solid with full contact, this results in line contact only at the tube which leads to a crush point as clamped and a good chance of movement, which happened.
I finally bought Sportsmatch ring-mounts as they are well designed and solid.

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Yeah nah.

I'll agree with you that Sportsmatch rings are good, but it seems like you didn't understand how the Optiloc ring/dovetail connection works on the T3 rifle.
The clamp side dovetail remnants don't do any clamping -the clanp screw is what contacts the action dovetail and secures the ring to the action.
The plastic insert is meant to deform around the scope - that is the point of the design, and why it works so well. The Burris insert rings work the same way - and equally well.

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Originally Posted by Kelton

Me two but if mounting a swaro I go for Optis their weak as weak and doesn’t take much to bend the tube and disable the parralax they need the inserts

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Fair enough and good point thank you!

It is 15yrs since I had Optilocks, looking at the old pics, the pegs are square on the inside & small. The only contact at the action is the tip of the pegs and the clamp. Current T3 Optilock mounts show the pegs has a dovetail shape, indicating a design change.

[QUOTE=Ross Nolan;1589841]Yeah nah.

but it seems like you didn't understand how the Optiloc ring/dovetail connection works on the T3 rifle.
The clamp side dovetail remnants don't do any clamping -the clanp screw is what contacts the action dovetail and secures the ring to the action.

Ross, I replied below.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LCtikka

A bit late, but perhaps this experience is helpful for others.
I bought Optilock ring-mounts for a T3, after looking at and trying the clamping arrangement I sold them.
From what is see the clamp area has only 2 pegs adjacent that make contact with the action dovetail base. These pegs are small and sit on the very edge of the action. The pegs look cosmetic and undersized when compared to the other side.
Also the supplied T3 alu ring-mounts are not 1 inch, the hole diameter is 26mm, with the scope tube sitting in the base piece it can easy move about, it is not cradled solid with full contact, this results in line contact only at the tube which leads to a crush point as clamped and a good chance of movement, which happened.
I finally bought Sportsmatch ring-mounts as they are well designed and solid.

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+ 1 sportsmatch. Same set up on my rem mag.

Yeah Sportsmatch are great. Very solid mounting system and you won’t have any issues with them Benxi g or marking the scope- they are fixed to the integral dovetail after all. A set of Sportsmatch rings are so solid, your Z5 will be the weak link in the sighting chain. They’re only about $90 so you will save a heap that you can spend on ammo (or a custom turret for said Z5)