How do you use QD rings/mounts...if at all?

[BeeMaa]

It was suggested by another member (thank you @Andrew62) that a poll be created to ask how/if people use QD rings & mounts.

All of my rifles have QD mounts on them. I like to take the optics off for travel and when cleaning. No reason to subject the optics I spent so much money on to damage from solvents when mounts like this have a return to zero that's perfect.

I also use multiple optics on the same firearm, so one firearm can fill multiple roles.

Anyone using a QD mount on a shotgun or pistol?

If you are not using QD rings/mounts, let's hear why.

Here are a few that I'm using...

 

[spike.t]

QD on all with scopes down to my 22 hornet....others only iron sights....didn't vote as not really that option

 

[Bwgunslinger]

Talley Lightweight non-QD here.

 

[375Ruger416]

I only have qd mounts on my Blaser R8. A number of rifles/shotguns do have picatinny mounts which I like for removing to clean firearms as well. I also prefer the lightweight one piece Talley’s over the qd mounts for general use rifles. If I add any more DG rifles they will also have qd mounts.

 

[mark-hunter]

All my hunting rifles have QD mounts and iron sights.
All my hunting rifles, did not have zeroed iron sights out of box.

My procedure is following:
Take the rifle to the range, zero iron sights. Iron sights which can not be zeroed, I will go to gunsmith and keep changing sights till getting zero with new sights
After that, I fit the scope on QD mounts and zero the scope.

Usage:
Often I go as a guest to driven hunts. SOmetimes miles away. I dont want ruined hunt due to problems on a scope
QD sight purpose is if rifle drops on ground, and scope gets misaligned or damaged, I will have back up option to switch to iron sight. I still can hunt.
This never happened, but I am ready for that eventuality.

For safari:
I remove the scope, and keep it in carry on luggage. In this way, I prevent damage to scope during the travel.
When fitting the scope back, I never had problems, rifle remained zeroed.

During driven hunts, with scope I had clean misses at extreme close ranges. Like at less then 10 meters. Scope is not for extreme close range.

When hunting in Africa, my back up plan for extreme close range is just to remove the scope, and use iron sights.
Having said that, I know many of hunting rifles today do not have iron sights.
In that case, QD would be essential to have for eventual back up, for spare scope. Or, for back up,with spare red dot.

For optimum usage, there is possibility for rifle to have wide angle scope, and good light gathering scope, two scopes for all field conditions, this for those who travel with one gun on safari.
Also for that, QD is essential.

I am now considering to get such red dot for my 375, as a back up for scope.

 

[mdwest]

Only on my DG rifles.

On "tactical" rifles I have optics that co-witness with the irons.

On everything else its just standard rings.. none of my PG/Deer guns have irons on them.. so being able to quickly remove the optic really doesnt do me any good unless Im carrying a second optic thats already zero'd to the same rifle (I dont)..

 

[BeeMaa]

If I were to do it over again with the Blaser rifles, I'd choose the INNOMOUNT for rail scopes. I bought one for my Pulsar and absolutely love it. Not to mention it's a good bit less expensive than the Blaser QD's but the same top quality.

 

[pilar]

Brother and I both have QD rings on our.375’s , I have never removed mine, because I like a scope, he took his scopes off mid trip and shot everything with open sight
After having to many bump ins with cow elephant and a crazed hippo
He still hasn’t put his scope back on yet

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I prefer QD mounts. I like Talley. But not all my rifles have them. I have used the old weaver rings as QD and they work well also, if you carry a quarter in your pocket.

 

[Bob Reed]

Hello,

I've exclusively used Warne QD Rings & Mounts for about 25 years now.

 

[Nhoro]

I didn't vote either. I don't have any QD mounts simply because I don't really need them- i have nothing against them. I have rifles that I use a scope on and just have regular mounts and then my 458 has open sights only. I will probably put an RMR on my 458 in a few years- when my eyes cannot cope with open sights.so no real need to remove a scope

 

[JimP]

All my scopes are on my rifles as solid as they can get.

In over 50 years of knocking them around along with the baggage gorillas every one of them are still shooting right where I originally sighted them in at.

As for damaging them during cleaning, how are you cleaning your rifles? Submerging them into solvents?

 

[Finprof]

QD mounts on an inline scoped muzzleloader are a necessity because the scope shoujd be removed for proper soapy water cleaning.

 

[JimP]

QD mounts on an inline scoped muzzleloader are a necessity because the scope shoujd be removed for proper soapy water cleaning.

The only muzzle loader that I use soapy water on now is my TC Renegade. There are modern cleaners for those muzzle loaders that you can remove the breach plug on that do just as good of a job and is a lot less messy.

But then again that muzzle loader doesn't have a scope on it.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I presume .22 rimfire and collectibles dont count. Plains game/deer 30-06 and dangerous game 404J both wear optional Winchester Safari Express iron sights and Warne QD rings.

 

[Troubleshooter]

Similar to Mark-Hunter, I have a couple of rifles with QD mounts. Both for versatility and to allow access to the iron sights as required.

1. One rifle has a 2-barrel set and is fitted with Talley QD rings in order to mount a dedicated scope for each caliber.
2. A pre-WWII drilling equipped with a vintage claw mount.

QD mounts on an inline scoped muzzleloader are a necessity because the scope shoujd be removed for proper soapy water cleaning.

QD mounts are not required on a muzzleloader, you should be using a flintlock with buckhorn sights. Get with the program, man!

 

[Aaron N]

If I were to do it over again with the Blaser rifles, I'd choose the INNOMOUNT for rail scopes. I bought one for my Pulsar and absolutely love it. Not to mention it's a good bit less expensive than the Blaser QD's but the same top quality.
View attachment 700621

Why rail mount? It seems like you’d be limiting yourself to options. Is there some added value I don’t know about?

 

[Nevada Mike]

QD mounts are great when traveling. I can remove my scopes and put them in my carry-on luggage, remount the scopes when i arrive in camp. Easy-peasy.

 

[SaintPanzer]

I have a type of QD mount known as the Dentler mount:

Zielfernrohrmontagesysteme - Dentler Jagdwaffen

Montageschiene Basis (Optik)

dentler-jagdwaffen.de

My use right now is limited, I use it on one rifle, but I have two scopes for it.
I have a Swarovski Z6 1-6X24EE that I use for driven hunts. Bought the EE for my MS1903, and didn't use it for that, but am now saving it for something "larger". That Z-6 also has a ring mount for my thermal.

But when I want something with a bit more zoom, or a bit more objective, I have a mount on my Trijicon 2.5-10X56. The 10X zoom is also useful for load development. That is to say, the additional zoom is helpful. And the tritium never requires batteries. Two scopes, same rifle. Changing between is one lever with a 180 degree twist, and it does NOT lose zero.

But here's the thing about the Dentler. They also make a Vario mount. This mount is special. You put it on a second (or third, or fourth, ad nauseam) rifle, and when you BZO, you adjust the mount not the scope. So you can flip the same (or several) mounts between rifles, and keep the reticle settings on the scope the same. So buy one really nice scope. And use it without changing settings on the scope with every rifle you own.

Oh, and one more thought on QD mounts. My safes were all bought in Germany. There is simply no room in them to store a rifle with the scope mounted. So they always come off to go in the safe.

And on a completely different subject, the M1903 I mentioned? Vienna Snap Mounts. Have them on my M1910 as well, as intended by Johann Springer Erben. There is something to be said for tradition.

 

[BeeMaa]

Why rail mount? It seems like you’d be limiting yourself to options. Is there some added value I don’t know about?

Scopes that have an integrated rail for mounting have several advantages.

First is mounting. There are no rings required. This means one less point of failure. Normal rifle has the action, scope base, rings then the scope. The integrated rail removes the rings from the equation.

Plus the scope is already level. Forget about having those PITA scope leveling magnets. Not to mention if you have to make an eye relief adjustment and now you are starting over.

It takes me about 15 minutes to mount an integrated rail scope vs 45 minutes to an hour for a traditional scope to get things to my level of perfection.

Not sure if there is a difference in weight for the those counting ounces and grams. Probably a push for most people who aren’t sheep hunting.

Sleeker design. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I like it. But I also understand that it’s not for everyone.

Integrated rail scopes are more popular in Europe than here in the US, but the advantages are clear. The mounts are also typically European and of exceptional quality. I have three different brands of mounts and all lock up like a bank vault.

I see more advantages to this design than a traditional scope and will sacrifice the traditional look and style of the rings for them. YMMV.