It wasn’t Talley - it’s apparently me. Scope won’t stay fixed - Update: fixed. Added to first post

[Bluto]

Chalk this up to what aesthetics over functionality gets you. Toss the Talleys in the trash.

Lol - so there’s no functioning way to mount a scope other than $400 rails and multiple parts?

Function is the premise of the purchase. Lightweight. Simple. Able to load the rifle while keeping the skin on my thumb. (Not to mention perfectly effective for a hundred years or so pre-YouTube.) The aesthetics are on the list but nowhere near the priority.

This set of Talley’s may not work. Just busted out the backup rifle out of the safe in case. Shockingly - Talley lightweights. They’ve been on there since 2012.

 

[Bluto]

I hate to say this, but that’s common with Talley’s. If you want to stay with them, you have two choices. Lap away. Or, just tighten. That aluminum will conform around your scope tube and will clamp down to round. Yes, there will be stress, which will likely leave ring marks and could, in rare cases, crack down the line. Or lap and remove the stress. Your choice. It just the nature of the beast. Or ultimately, if you don’t like those two options, a trip to the trash can is in order.

All true enough. One rail and rings show up tomorrow, another set on Wednesday. One will get it done, but unless Brian at Talley wants me to try something different, I may lap these later just to see. And for education.

Honestly, the marks don’t bother me that much for what they are. It’s a hunting rifle. It’ll probably get dropped, or at some point I’ll fall. Everything will get dings or scratches at some point. Makes better stories anyway. It only bothers me for what it’s (maybe) doing to the scope.

 

[SDHNTR]

All true enough. One rail and rings show up tomorrow, another set on Wednesday. One will get it done, but unless Brian at Talley wants me to try something different, I may lap these later just to see. And for education.

Honestly, the marks don’t bother me that much for what they are. It’s a hunting rifle. It’ll probably get dropped, or at some point I’ll fall. Everything will get dings or scratches at some point. Makes better stories anyway. It only bothers me for what it’s (maybe) doing to the scope.

With a quality scope it’s not doing anything to it. That’s why the rings crack. The rings will fail before the scope tube. Well, assuming you don’t go full silverback gorilla with the screw tightening.

 

[ODB]

Following and now I’m worried…my VX-5 mounted to a Christensen RL 300 win mag with lightweight talley’s decided to turn clockwise today after about 120 rounds…

My theory: lightweight rifles have a very slight rotation (due to barrel twist) at the instant of ignition. It’s imperceptible to the shooter, but not to the scope which rotates in the rings a tiny bit.

 

[freddyG]

Chalk this up to what aesthetics over functionality gets you. Toss the Talleys in the trash.

This stuff is so easy it’s not even funny, and some are still in denial. This is what happens when a manufacturer builds oval rings for round scopes, and says that it’s supposed to be that way. People are easily brainwashed.

 

[Bluto]

Legitimate question, because I have zero idea if Talley has changed their design over the years - but considering the number of rifles currently (and for many previous decades) wearing Talley rings without issue, how do they not work? Is it a design change for some reason?

Individual set failure aside, which can happen with any mechanical product.

 

[amassi]

Another option
Leupold dual dovetail base
30mm medium rings

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

 

[SDHNTR]

Legitimate question, because I have zero idea if Talley has changed their design over the years - but considering the number of rifles currently (and for many previous decades) wearing Talley rings without issue, how do they not work? Is it a design change for some reason?

Individual set failure aside, which can happen with any mechanical product.

My take on this: I think the reason why this issue has come to the surface more frequently in recent years is because people are pushing the envelope of what these rings were intended to do. 10+ years ago most all hunting scopes in the field were simple 3-9 x 40 or similar scopes that weighed less than a pound. And most were on lighter recoiling rifles like 270s and the sort. With a 270 Winchester, a 13 ounce scope, there’s unlikely to ever be an issue with Talley’s.

Along comes the long range hunting craze where now every rifle makes a huge boom to shoot critter a mile away, and every scope is a 2 pound Nightforce or similar wannabe. Talley’s ain’t meant for that. Cracks form. Plus, along with the LR craze, people require a lot more precision and pay closer attention now.

10+ years ago, Bubba grabbed a box of Corelocts off the shelf at Wallyworld, slapped his featherweight Leupold VXSomething on his RugeRemChester .270, in a set of Talley’s, cranked home with just his meaty fingers, eyeballed for level, never shot over 300yds and if he did it was with good old Kentucky windage, and he never gave his scope mounts a second thought. Never had to.

Times have changed, equipment has changed, Talley’s concept hasn’t. Just my guess.

 

[Bluto]

I’ll certainly by that. And craze is a good term for it, without broaching the subject. And all of those are within the stack of reasons I wanted to stick with a .308, 3-9x42, and a stock rifle. I considered at fixed 6x just for weight.

19-ish oz on the scope maybe is a tad heavy. If not for the reputation of the CDS on the Leupold’s I’d probably have bought one. Still might, because I will probably eventually build a rifle that actually “needs” a reliable dialing turret. But for Elk to 300, *maybe* 400 yards under perfect conditions makes the SWFA maybe a little overkill.

 

[yycyak]

SWFA is good for all things hunting. Mostly cause it doesn't break or do weird stuff. No such thing as overkill. (Just wish the jokers in Texas would ship direct to Canada...)

I'm gonna leave this here again. Total cost is roughly $90. It'll solve your problem, with zero dicking around. No lapping, epoxy, measuring, holding your breath just right...

-- Warne steel bases here.
-- Sportsmatch weaver rings here.

If you don't like it, return the bases, and I'll buy the rings from you, for real.

Don't let Perfect be the enemy of Excellent. Start with gear that you know will stay zeroed. Everything else doesn't matter.

I’ll certainly by that. And craze is a good term for it, without broaching the subject. And all of those are within the stack of reasons I wanted to stick with a .308, 3-9x42, and a stock rifle. I considered at fixed 6x just for weight.

19-ish oz on the scope maybe is a tad heavy. If not for the reputation of the CDS on the Leupold’s I’d probably have bought one. Still might, because I will probably eventually build a rifle that actually “needs” a reliable dialing turret. But for Elk to 300, *maybe* 400 yards under perfect conditions makes the SWFA maybe a little overkill.

 

[JFK]

Get some two piece pic bases, then a quality 30mm ring. I’ve got the two piece steel Burris bases on a rifle with the Warne mountain lites and very happy. I have Talleys on another rifle and thought they were great until I tried something different.

 

[freddyG]

It’s not a design flaw, as older talleys worked just fine. The price hasn’t changed much, so something had to give. Just like everything else, you get what you pay for.

 

[Bluto]

At the range, 6 rounds, movement again.

Differences: Talley’s but ditched the torque wrench, *thoroughly* cleaned everything. Again. Mounted dry, no loctite this time. Snugged with as much as I could get on them with the short end of the torx key.

Oddly enough, no rotation. (Scope moved forward in the rings. Index marks on the back side of the rings are now under them.) Stopped shooting at the first sign of movement.

Pic rail and Seekins and another pic rail and Vortex Pro’s show up Wednesday.

 

[SDHNTR]

At the range, 6 rounds, movement again.

Differences: Talley’s but ditched the torque wrench, *thoroughly* cleaned everything. Again. Mounted dry, no loctite this time. Snugged with as much as I could get on them with the short end of the torx key.

Oddly enough, no rotation. (Scope moved forward in the rings. Index marks on the back side of the rings are now under them.) Stopped shooting at the first sign of movement.

Pic rail and Seekins and another pic rail and Vortex Pro’s show up Wednesday.

Very odd. Are the cap screws still tight? Or are they backing out somehow?

 

[Bluto]

Get some two piece pic bases, then a quality 30mm ring. I’ve got the two piece steel Burris bases on a rifle with the Warne mountain lites and very happy. I have Talleys on another rifle and thought they were great until I tried something different.

Yup. Tried like hell to find two piece pic bases, they don’t exist for a non magnum/6 lug W’by. So rail it is. For now.

 

[nobody]

At the range, 6 rounds, movement again.

Differences: Talley’s but ditched the torque wrench, *thoroughly* cleaned everything. Again. Mounted dry, no loctite this time. Snugged with as much as I could get on them with the short end of the torx key.

Oddly enough, no rotation. (Scope moved forward in the rings. Index marks on the back side of the rings are now under them.) Stopped shooting at the first sign of movement.

Pic rail and Seekins and another pic rail and Vortex Pro’s show up Wednesday.

Vortex Pro or PMR? If you bought the PMR, it's just a re-branded seekins ring

 

[Bluto]

Very odd. Are the cap screws still tight? Or are they backing out somehow?

Nope. Indexed those too, that would be my first guess especially after mounting them twice. They still show true.

 

[Bluto]

SWFA is good for all things hunting. Mostly cause it doesn't break or do weird stuff. No such thing as overkill. (Just wish the jokers in Texas would ship direct to Canada...)

I'm gonna leave this here again. Total cost is roughly $90. It'll solve your problem, with zero dicking around. No lapping, epoxy, measuring, holding your breath just right...

-- Warne steel bases here.
-- Sportsmatch weaver rings here.

If you don't like it, return the bases, and I'll buy the rings from you, for real.

Don't let Perfect be the enemy of Excellent. Start with gear that you know will stay zeroed. Everything else doesn't matter.

I don’t doubt ya. Tried that route, but time is killing me (my fault.). Can’t get them here for up to another 10-12 days. And I totally agree on what works. I ordered two rails and two ring sets for just that. (Although sportsmatch are now on the radar for a permanent solution. Thanks for that!)

Vortex Pro or PMR? If you bought the PMR, it's just a re-branded seekins ring

Yeah I saw that. These are Pro’s so I had two different ones. I almost ordered the Seekins off of Amazon. But, in true Amazon fashion (F those guys) lots of reviews showing the rings in Seekins packaging but stamped UTG or some other brand.

 

[glazer1972]

I’ve never had a set of Talley Lightweights slip. I do however always lap them.

 

[260madman]

Lol - so there’s no functioning way to mount a scope other than $400 rails and multiple parts?

Function is the premise of the purchase. Lightweight. Simple. Able to load the rifle while keeping the skin on my thumb. (Not to mention perfectly effective for a hundred years or so pre-YouTube.) The aesthetics are on the list but nowhere near the priority.

This set of Talley’s may not work. Just busted out the backup rifle out of the safe in case. Shockingly - Talley lightweights. They’ve been on there since 2012.

LOL! Who said a $400 rail is the only solution? I certainly didn’t. Warne has 2pc base that will work but unfortunately they’re out of stock. That Loopy rail is short in height on the rear for the Weatherby so you can bed it to take up the space and then chop it. You can chop the EGW. Weaver has 2pc bases they’re cheap but they work.

People have been complaining about Talley 1pc cracking and being oval for quite a few years. If you want, use them but research Al Nyhus on the 24hr campfire to see what he does with them.