Thread: Advice on mounting swaro z5 to tikka

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

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.

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...

Originally Posted by STC

got talleys on all my tikkas...

the honda civic among scope rings...

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

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

You need some nightforces Kelton!

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Originally Posted by andyanimal31

You need some nightforces Kelton!

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

Originally Posted by Kelton

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

+ 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)