Know your scope/rifle before buying rings or ringmounts - Sako Optilock Ring Mount

I purchased a Sako 85 Finnlight (long action) and decided to go with the Sako Optilock Ringmounts. Looking at both options, I though the ringmounts were a better choice.

There is no question the ringmounts are well constructed, if a bit heavy. The plastic inserts that protect the scope work well enough. The issue I had is with the "integral tapered dovetail rail." The rear ringmount was not an issue. The front rail also tapers. Since the ringmounts only tighten from one-side, there is only one point (about midway along the front rail) where the scope is properly aligned with the receiver. I realize this is difficult to explain in prose, but all it takes is a look at the ringmounts and the rail.

This probably isn't a problem for many scopes but I was mounting a Zeiss Conquest 2-10 HD5. This particular scope has a very long front objective bell tapering gently back... the scope of equivalent of a 300 H&H cartridge. Long story short, the ringmount has to move all the way back flush to the receiver to hold the scope properly. This means the scope is pushed considerably out of left to right alignment.

The Sako separate (two piece) rings/mounts are different. The front mount location is flush with the receiver which will probably work. While I appreciate the tapered dovetail concept, a Weaver mount or picatinny rail allows a user to move a scope "fore and aft" without changing the alignment of the scope to the receiver.

If you have a scope with odd geometrics, particularly a long, objective bell, it's probably safer to do the two-piece rings. In the alternative, drop the fairly large sum of money for a picatinny rail and use Talley or other mounts.