Just ordered a Bassett low rail mount for my M1A. For those of you running scoped M1A s what do you recomend for scope and rings ? I am thinking aluminum rings. My goal is not for this to be just heavy bench rifle, but something you could carry for limited distance deer, hog, and still go bang steel out to 500. Maybe a scope with exposed elevation turrets.
Scope for M1A
- Thread starter mshootnit
- Start date
DetBrowning
Contributing Member
Primary Arms is running some great BF sales, I just bought an aluminum mount for my AR15
gotboostvr
Member
If weight is a concern, look over leupold's line up.
Theyre amongst the lightest on the market, sometimes by quite alot compared to other similar models.
Theyre amongst the lightest on the market, sometimes by quite alot compared to other similar models.
nettlle
Contributing Member
This is what I use on my M1A.
Any “decent” scope will do; that said, I have an SWFA Super Sniper on this one:
Before the Super Sniper it wore a plain Jane late model Redfield Battlezone ($100 from Natchez Shooters Supply) I had laying around:
My SOCOM wears a “blemished” Leupold 3X9X40 AR tactical picked up from Midway on the cheap:
Both use Basset low picatinny mounts and work fine.
That said, the Basset mount on the SOCOM had to be “fitted” so as to work properly as the receiver was out of spec.
Before the Super Sniper it wore a plain Jane late model Redfield Battlezone ($100 from Natchez Shooters Supply) I had laying around:
My SOCOM wears a “blemished” Leupold 3X9X40 AR tactical picked up from Midway on the cheap:
Both use Basset low picatinny mounts and work fine.
That said, the Basset mount on the SOCOM had to be “fitted” so as to work properly as the receiver was out of spec.
Last edited:
lightman
Member
Something in the 3.5-10 range should work well. I've always been a Leupold man but have saved my coins and purchased a few Nightforce lately.
Charlie98
Member
You guys with scopes... you don't use cheek risers?
Mine's in an Archangel stock to accommodate for that...
nettlle
Contributing Member
I use a Tac Pro cheek riser. Prefer the slotted adjustment over the holes that are in the Bradley.
Nature Boy
Member
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2015
- Messages
- 8,256
I second this
My buddy veteran sent his back to the factory to have a military base put on his. He was having problems with a tactical Leupold scope with extended adj. knobs being hit as shells were be ejected from the rifle. The factory tech said they could fix that problem.
bangswitch
Member
Whatever rings you use, get them as low as possible. The scope will ride high on the action because of the clearance needed for the cases to eject without hitting the mount. A cheek riser is a must (at least with a standard stock), make sure it will elevate enough to give to a proper cheek weld for your chosen mount and scope. Pay good money and get a good scope, whatever you decide on. Don't worry too much about weight, regardless how you go the rifle will be heavy , it's heavy without a scope. It will make an excellent bench gun though. I wouldn't want to hump mine through the boonies very far unless it was the only thing I had to carry. I'm almost 70, maybe I'd feel different if I were 30 years younger.
This is my rig, I've taken it out to 800 yards on steel, but it has legs for longer than that. The mount is a Fulton Brookfield type DMR. Scope and rings are Millett, the reticle is second focal plane and graduated in Milrad, the turrets in MOA and lock in place. Reticle is illuminated and the tube is 35mm. Has parallax adjustment and is 6-25x with a 56mm objective. It grabs enough light that you can see to shoot when it's dark enough to want a flashlight to walk. I made my own cheek riser.
Charlie98
Member
That's why I was asking... I mounted a low-mount red dot on my Socom, and I still needed a cheek riser. I was seeing all those photos... and no risers.
bangswitch
Member
It's the mount that rides high, for the reason I described above and depending on the size of your scope tube, rings might not be low enough to keep the scope as low as you could get it on a bolt gun or other type of rifle. Without my riser, I almost have to prop my chin on the comb of the stock to get my eye to the proper level. The tube on my scope is large enough that even the lowest rings made for a 35mm tube don't get the scope as low as I would like, but the scope is awesome for low light shooting. I don't know why the others didn't have cheek risers.That's why I was asking... I mounted a low-mount red dot on my Socom, and I still needed a cheek riser. I was seeing all those photos... and no risers.
DustyRusty
Member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2020
- Messages
- 290
I have thought about scoping my M1a for quite a while. The strength and mechanics of the mounting points have always been a concern to me.
Do they loosen over time? Is lock tight required. What power scope and is it variable? These days my interest is reloading for her and shooting her from the bench.
What do the installation instructions look like? A riser is always necessary for me as well. Do the scopes sight over the bore or to the left? Any detailed photos of the install?
Do they loosen over time? Is lock tight required. What power scope and is it variable? These days my interest is reloading for her and shooting her from the bench.
What do the installation instructions look like? A riser is always necessary for me as well. Do the scopes sight over the bore or to the left? Any detailed photos of the install?
Charlie98
Member
Which is why I don't have a scope on mine...
I did the same thing when I mounted a scope on my A2 H-Bar... with that scope mount on top of the carry handle. Ugh... what a terrible setup.Any scope will do, it's the mount you have to pick. There are several different ways to mount a scope on an M1a... you would have to figure out exactly what you wanted out of your scope, first, and then pick the right mount for it.
AlexanderA
Member
Sadlak mount (updated Brookfield Precision).
