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The Sportsmatch One-Piece Adjustable Scope Mount
By Brad Troyer
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One of the biggest problems that many airgunners in counter when mounting a scope to their favorite airgun is mounting the scope so that it is optically centered and on target. Many airguns have a tendency to shoot very low with optical sights and of course the windage can be a problem too. All of my scopes have had to be shimmed to some degree for windage and elevation, especially my spring guns.
Having tried various adjustable mounts in the past most didn't impress me as being reliable or rugged. So when the opportunity presented itself to try a new adjustable scope mount from Sportmatch I jumped on it. The new mount is based on their popular one-piece mount that grips the scope rail like the jaws of a Rotwieller however it is adjustable for both elevation and windage. These adjustments allow an airgunner to rough zero the scope before turning the adjustment knobs on the scope.
As with the other Sportsmatch mounts, this mount is made from aircraft grade aluminum and has a built-in scope stop that can be used for shorter scopes on spring guns. The pin can be tapped up into the mount for use on a PCP rifle. I planned to test the mount on my HW97 with one of my Bushnell Elite 4200 6-24x scopes so I tapped the scope stop into the mount and slide it up the scope rail. The scope was then mounted with the target turrets centered between the rings. I was a bit weary of not using a scope stop on a spring gun but the mount's grip on the scope rail is plenty tight for the smooth power of my HW97.
Four screws tighten the base of the 4 ¼" long mount to the scope rail and hold it tight. One nice thing about this mount as compared to other adjustable mounts is that it can be adjusted without removing the scope from the rings. However to adjust the elevation the mount and scope must be removed from the scope rail. The elevation is adjusted using two screws located underneath the mount. The larger 4mm hex screw is a clamping screw while the smaller 2.5mm hex screw is the elevation adjustment.
Elevation Adjustment Screws
To change the elevation, loosen the clamping screw, adjust the elevation screw clockwise to raise the point of impact (POI) and then retighten the clamping screw. The mount and scope is remounted on the rifle, test fired and then the process repeats until the POI is on target. It is best to adjust the elevation first since mounting the scope on and off the rifle will affect the windage POI and adjusting the elevation is easier with the windage adjustment screws loosened a bit.
Four screws must be adjusted to move the windage POI. The windage adjustment screws are located below both rings, two in front and two in the rear. The directions that come with the mount calls the rear screws the locking screws and the front the adjusting screws. To adjust the windage you must loosen the rear locking screws and then use the front adjustment screws to move the windage impact point.
Rear of mount showing Windage & Elevation Adjustments
To move the POI to the right, turn the right hand screw counter-clockwise. To move it left, adjust the left-hand screw counter-clockwise. After the adjustment, tighten the opposite side adjustment screw and then tighten the rear locking screws. Take care when tightening the rear locking screws as they can move the POI slightly. Alternate tightening from screw to screw to minimize the effect on the POI.
At first it seemed that adjusting the mount was a bit of hit and miss proposition, I had to guess how much to adjust the screws to get the scope on target. After a trial and error process I stopped to look at the directions again and realized that included in the directions were approximate measurements on how much movement could be expected at a given distance with one turn of the adjustment screws. This helped to reduce the trial and error process but I found that the numbers weren't exact for my setup. They were close enough to make the process quicker.
| Distance (yards) | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| POI Shift (in.) | 5.7 | 8.6 | 11.5 | 14.3 |
This was the first time I have used a mount on a spring gun without a scope stop and I was a bit worried that the mount may creep backwards over time. I decided to mark the action in front and behind the mounts to see if it moved. After shooting over a thousand rounds with this setup, neither the scope nor the mount has moved one bit and I am very pleased with that!
I look very hard for flaws and problems in the items I test and I didn't see many with this mount. The only down side that I have seen with this mount is the fact that it is a one piece mount which may make it a bit more difficult to mount and a PCP rifle unless it bridges the loading port area. Perhaps the next step in the development is to make a two piece adjustable mount? I think there would be a market for that mount too.
Sportsmatch has created a rugged yet cost effective adjustable mount that can reliably mount and zero a telescopic sight with having to move the scope far from it's optical center. I found that the HW97, B&L 6-24x scope and this mount has proven to be a very good combination. Once I got everything adjusted and dialed in, it has been extremely consistent. I expect that this new mount is going to be a good selling product for Sportsmatch. I am very pleased with the test mount and I believe that I am going to spend some of my hard earned money to get a couple more mounts for my other rifles.
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| Model | Adjustable One-Piece Scope Mount |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Sportsmatch UK, England (Part# AOP55) |
| US Importer | Beeman Precision Airgun (Part# 5039) |
| Length | 4 1/2" |
| Retail Price | About $50 |
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© Copyright 2006 by Brad Troyer & American Airguns