Hi,
A Question for the group. Ever since I started buying bolt-action rifles (I have a Browning BAR MK2 30-06semi, A Noreen 300WM SEMI, STAG AR10 300 WM SEMI, STAG AR15 SEMI, S&W 22 SEMI, everything else is bolt-action) Then I started acquiring scopes , a few rings, and 85% of the rest are “cantilever” mounts whenever any of the above were on sale I buy. Recently, i decided to have my gun smith to mount my scopes and everytime I would make a trip up north (3-hour drive each way) to have background check started on a new rifle I would take 2 to 3 rifles and scopes for each plus a cantilever for each maybe a couple more for him to decide what cantilever is best for each scope. Till the last two trips. first time a month ago he did not use any of the cantilevers and ordered rings, I had given him permission, and had me pick up up my boxful of Trijicons, MPAs, vortexes and Steiners. and my invoice instead od being under $400 turned into over $800. now this time around tomorrow, he did two scopes and returned the cantilever mounts to me take home two weeks ago. one scope, Arken mide range magnification for my Ruger Gen II Predator, and a Trijicon Tenmile 6-24X50 for Ruger RPR 338LM and he bought rings to mount both. if he would have used my ccantilever mountd my bill would have been only $150, but now it is $450 b/c according to him “Cantilever mounts arefor AR style rifles and rings for anything else?” obviously by rejecting the cantilever mounts and buying rings he is generating extra sales for the store I can see. but if that statement is a bunch of b.s. I will not have him mount anymore scopes for me. I buy all my ammos from them. But I wanted to check with you guys to see how much truth there is to his statement, if nit, I will stop using him to mount my scopes. What do you think?
Some cantilever mounts can be great on rifles. They are a bit less common because it many times puts the scope up too high and adds weight, but it really just depends on the rifle.
I’m sorry that was a surprise bill. That’s no fun at all.
Thanks for the info. Appreciate it.
I read somewhere that cantilever mounts go well on ar-15s bc the receiver is so short and it allows the optic to be pushed forward but still contact only the top of the receiver as opposed to having to contact the top of the handguard picatinny rail. That being said, if the weight is acceptable, the height is right and the eye relief is right, I can’t see why a cantilever mount wouldn’t work or even be desirable.
I disagree with your gunsmith not consulting you on the issue however i agree with his reasoning.
I would not put a cantilever mount on a bolt action almost ever. It would set the scope too high (in my opinion). Alot of your ballistics programs are set up for a scope height of 1.5 most of those programs you can adjust that number.
I’ve always been told that the closer the center of your scope is to the center of the bore the better.
I don’t know the veracity of this claim, but how I learned is a cantilever mount is well suited to the AR platform because of the aformentioned ability to push the optic forward while not bridging to the handgard for proper eye relief and height. I think it is true that you can get the optic mounted lower to the barrel with rings. That said, so long as you can comfortably get a good picture through the optic with the cantilever I don’t know why you couldn’t use it on a bolt gun.
Mohsen Raghian nucrph@gmail.com 
10:07 PM (39 minutes ago)
to Mark
Thank you all for the information
Interestingly enough, when I started having him mount the scopes to the rifles I took him, initially he did not raise an issue. I should say I started about 5 sessions ago have him start mounting. But, by the time we got to the third session he became more assertive and stood his ground and I went along with him. After all he is the gunsmith with over a decade experience.
Initially, when I started acquiring scopes plus mounts, I consulted my colleague who introduced me to firearms. He reasoning was cantilever mounts are much more solid, better built, handle recoil better and hold on to the railing better…
Now, what I am faced is to contact every company I bought the cantilever mounts from and offer an equal exchange for rings and see if they would go for it.
Of course the first excuse they are going to use is that it is way past return or exchange time. Or maybe they would take them back at a steep discount and offer me store credit.
Otherwise, I will be sitting on thousands of dollars of high quality cantilever mounts!
Alternative use, as a paper weight.
That was an expensive lesson.
BTW, I picked up my Ruger Gen II Predator .
I have posted 3 photos.
Well the mounts are still worth what they’re worth in the open market. (Used) unopened whatever.
Its seems you have aquired quite the collection in a fairly short time. You may find that some of those rifles either dont meetbyour expectation or dont meet a need, and you’ll end up trading or selling as well.
Its just part of the hobby.
One piece non cantilever mounts could be a good option that might be what friend meant?
Well, the friend meant well. I should have done a bit more research than just taking her words (She is also a gun collector, primarily shotguns, antique shotguns I might add is her latest hoby. But she also have some heavy hitters in her arsenal that she has acquired over the years.) You are correct Jack, I went on a spending spree in the last two years and I have narrowed my focus on Long Distance/Sniper precision rifles and also rifles of great wood craftsmanship (Mostly European category) and I might add, they do cost an arm and a leg. At the end, it is my latest hobby, and I can tell you it is not that hard to get out of hand once you start acquiring.