ELEVATION ADJUSTABLE SCOPE MOUNTS

“Range, dial, shoot,” is a well-known mantra for long range shooters. And for good reason—it works. However, the “dial” portion of that mantra is always interpreted to refer to the adjustments working inside the optics of a quality riflescope. What’s not very well known is that there are scope mounts on the market where the “dial” is outside the scope and part of the mount.

Recknagel’s ERA-TAC Mount Lately, I’ve been testing a German made scope mount that offers this adjustable elevation. Made by Recknagel, and sold under the ERA-TAC name, this mount installs on any Picatinny rail and offers an elevation adjustment range of 0 – 70 MOA, in steps of 10 MOA. If you need to shoot at extended ranges, this is the answer to running out of scope adjustment.

Note, however, that the Recknagel ERA-TAC mount is not meant to be a dialing system which replaces your scope’s internal adjustments. It’s a set-it, lock-it and forget-it type of mount. A T-30 locking screw must be loosened first, then the adjustment wheel can be turned by hand, to one of its seven settings. Cinch the locking screw tight again and you’re ready to go. I tested 20 MOA worth of base adjustment using a tall target and an accurate rifle and found the bullet impact moved exactly that amount, in a perfectly vertical line. German engineering. Need I say more.

How far can you shoot with a mount like this? The math is simple; let’s say there’s 20 MOA in a typical base, 70 MOA in the ERA-TAC mount and 90 MOA of internal adjustment in something like a Leupold Mark 8. That’s 180 MOA, and enough to get a 168gr. 308 Win. past 2000 yards, while still using a centre hold in the scope. Shoot a faster, sleeker bullet and you could go a lot further, especially if you use a hold point on the lower half of the vertical crosshair.

Or perhaps you have a favoured scope that just doesn’t have a lot of internal adjustment. This is the answer. The model I have is equipped with 30mm rings, but inserts which step down to 1 inch are also in hand. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m planning to shoot out to one mile with a 1 inch scope tube. It should work.

The scope testing I’ve done over the years has shown me that riflescopes can sometimes have erratic internal adjustments when you’re clicking them at the extremes of their adjustment range. It’s led me to believe that it’s always better to set up riflescopes, so they are working in the approximate centre of their internal adjustment range. This ERA-TAC mount provides that ability, and using it should help keep internal scope adjustments consistent and reliable.

Be aware that this is a relatively high scope mount. When set at 0 MOA, I measure 0.818” from the top of the Picatinny rail to the bottom of a 30mm scope tube. That’s the same measurement I get on another rifle which has 30mm Leupold Mark 4 rings, although I don’t recall if those rings are “high” or “super-high.”

The ERA-TAC adjustable inclination mount is an impressive piece of engineering that oozes quality. It’s not cheap, but I’m sure you didn’t expect it to be. At least it’s available quickly. My unit shipped from Germany and was here in less than a week after ordering. The manufacturer’s website is here. Work the web if you want one, as they have dealers around the world.