Dumb question about scoping an AR

[BobTheTomato]

So I am building a flattop ar and want to put a standard 3x9 hunting scope on it. I have seen a lot of mounts such as from Aero that run in the 70 to 80 range and some that sell for in the 30 range. What is people's opinion of the various mounts and what to use to mount a 1" or 30mm tube scope?

 

[JDGray]

Check out the AR Stoner mount at Midway, it was on sale last time I looked.

 

[cdb1]

Definitely use a riser, if you use rings you will probably not get a good cheek weld. Haven't used the mount you referenced but the two I have are in the same price range and work fine - Burris PEPR.

 

[Theohazard]

Not a dumb question at all. Scope mounts for the AR can be confusing because there are so many of them and it's not always clear why they're designed the way they are. For example, it took me a while to figure out why so many AR scope mounts are cantilevered like this:



The reason for this is that on many scope/AR15 combos, the front scope ring would need to be mounted on the handguard. Even if you have a railed handguard, you can still lose zero if any part of the scope mount is on the handguard because it's not as rigid as the upper receiver itself. Also, these cantilevered scope mounts put the optic at the correct height for an AR-15.

The difference in cost with these different mounts usually comes down to factors like the quality of aluminum used, the quality of the finish, the number of screws used to secure the rings, and whether it uses a quick-detach mechanism and how well that mechanism holds zero when removed and re-attached.

Notice a high-end mount like the American Defense AD Recon mount:

[resize=700] [/resize]
https://www.americandefensemanufacturing.com/view/product/5/

It uses high-end aluminum with top-quality anodizing, it's very precisely machined, it has four screws for each scope ring so the scope is held very securely, and it has a very consistent and easy to use quick-detach mechanism. It's a great mount, but for most people's needs it's not necessary to have a mount this expensive.

 

[Jackal]

With Aero you are paying for its extremely light weight. If weight is less of a concern, then most any mount will work.

 

[badkarmamib]

I used a $30 cantilever mount from Ebay to put a Tasco 3-9x40 scope on a 6.8SPC2 upper that I bought for whitetail deer hunting. It may not be the high-dollar perfect rig, but I bought all of it for deer within 150 yards, so the zero will hold better than I can aim at that distance, and I will NOT remove the mount without rezeroing, as this has a strict purpose. This setup has worked well for me. If I were setting up a platform where I was switching out optics on a regular basis, I would invest more in it, to assure the return to zero capability. So, I guess it would come down to what you intend to do with it, at what range, if you will be swapping optics without rezeroing, and what your budget is, but close-range work without changing optics, I doubt you would see a whole lot of difference for the price, except as applies to the finish (my Ebay mount finish isn't pretty, but it is for hunting, not impressing others).

 

[Jurist]

AR Scope

I put the Stoner on my S&W Sport after trying many other mounts,no regrets.

 

[bfoosh006]

What the added cost is for is consistent precision.... those cheap mounts can sometimes not fit the Picatinny rail worth a poop....as in a Monkey could have made it better.

Cheap ones can be a hit or miss.

 

[Zerodefect]

Every single one of my AR's uses a Larue Mount. LT104 would be the one for a 3-9x.

 

[burrhead]

I use a Nikon P series two piece mount on my varmint AR with a 4-12 Leupold and it works very well. A two piece mount is handy for finding the sweet spot on the rail.

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-835-P-S...60697310&sr=1-1&keywords=Nikon+2+piece++Mount

 

[Aim1]

Zerodefect, which Larue mount would be for a Leupold VX-R 1.5-4X?

 

[SVTOhio]

I use a primary arms forward mount. Works great and was approx 60$. It's gets the scope way forward so I can do the nose to charging handle hold. Pic is from the Google machine.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Grizzlyone]

I use a Leopold IMS and a Leopold MK AR scope. Real nice set up.

Semper Fi
Grizzly

 

[Rollis R. Karvellis]

On my S&W Sport I mounted the SWFA S.S.A.L.T. for use with my SWFA SS 10x.

It is being used purely for load development as this rifle will be used with open sights.

I plan to use this scope setup for swapping around onto gun's that haven't had the ''permanent'' scope mounted yet.

With the limited use of it on the Smith so far, the results have been good.

 

[MistWolf]

For the money, you can't beat the mounts from Aero Precision

 

[Ks5shooter]

LaRue LT104 on all my ARs,put a LaRue 111 on my Ruger Precision Rifle.Also you get lotsa cool swag with your order as well .

 

[chicharrones]

For sub $80, the Aero is very nice. It is definitely a good choice if you are concerned about porking up your AR. However, it is not a quick detach mount which is likely not a big deal on a hunting gun. Yet, the Aero comes with a well made Torx tool that you can stuff into a pistol grip storage or in your pack.

Shown below is the Aero Extended with 1" rings. The Extended version has the rear ring forward for short scopes in the 3" to 4" eye relief range. With a lightweight scope and an Aero mount, you will likely stay under a pound of added weight. The Leupold and Aero below is about 11 ounces all together.

 

[chicharrones]

Here's the differences between the standard 1" Aero and the Extended version.

http://aeroprecisionusa.com/ultralight-1inch-scope-mount.html

http://aeroprecisionusa.com/ultralight-1inch-extended-scope-mount.html

 

[RainDodger]

Although I do use Leupold IMS mounting systems on several ARs, on others I have used a simple rail riser... this allows me to use scopes off of traditional hunting rifles that have regular rings. It's nice to be able to easily move a scope from a hunting rifle to an AR without having to put it in different rings.

 

[1911 guy]

Another vote for the P-series rings from Nikon. I have them on a rifle and they work very well.

 

[CapnMac]

The difference between the $80+ mounts and the $30 ones is that the latter ones merely look like the former, but do not necessarily perform like them.
A rather surprising number of the cheap knockoffs are meant for airsoft (if without saying so). In airsoft, no one much has to worry about cheekweld, or nose-to-charging handle positioning, or any associciated eyepiece-to-eyebrow smacking.

You want known weight, and known fit for scopes, you need to spend some bucks. Sad, but the way it is.

 

[greyling22]

I've used a $30 cantelever mount off amazon, and you know what, it worked just fine. That said, I upgraded to the stoner mount and like it better. (It's a little sleeker, a little lighter, and I'm about 90% certain it is made by warne) That said, I like the lighter aero mount even better, but again, more dollars.....

 

[JohnMc]

+1 on the SWFA S.S.A.L.T.
In addition, they have deals to buy it with a scope for $20-$30 more, with some, but not all, scopes. Their base scope prices are competitive.
If you already have the scope, in addition to the ones mentioned above, consider the Weaver SPR-1. I have no experience with it, but it gets good reviews.

Whatever you buy, torque it properly.

 

[BrocLuno]

Aero if weight is a concern...

 

[cdb1]

Although I do use Leupold IMS mounting systems on several ARs, on others I have used a simple rail riser... this allows me to use scopes off of traditional hunting rifles that have regular rings. It's nice to be able to easily move a scope from a hunting rifle to an AR without having to put it in different rings.

I never thought about that. I don't move scopes around but if I did I'd do what you do.