Choosing the Right Picatinny Mount for Your Bering Optics Thermal Scope: A Comprehensive Guide

Selecting the appropriate Picatinny mount is a crucial aspect of enhancing your thermal scope experience. This includes factors such as the proper placement of the thermal scope on the rifle, the reliability of the mounting system, and the ability to quickly remove and reinstall the scope without losing zero.

Not every mount will lock on any Picatinny rail. Some manufacturers recently decided to modify the standard rails to make the scope axis about ¼” lower. It provides certain advantages but rules out some mounts designed for standard rails.

The price difference between the most economical and the most expensive Picatinny mounts used by Bering Optics to equip its thermal scopes and clip-on units can be as much as $200.

In this article, we will review the pros and cons of all Picatinny mount models offered by Bering Optics, helping you make the right choice without overpaying if it's not necessary. Currently, there are four such models available.

Bering Optics Standard QD Mount 

• Pros:
• Lower price
• The lip-type clamping mechanism allows installation on any type of Picatinny rail available on the market (including non-standard ultra-low-profile rails).
• Cons:
• The Standard QD mount doesn’t have a tactical lock on the lever to prevent the release of the Picatinny mount if the lever is accidentally pulled.

The relevant text from the manufacturer's manual is provided below for a more detailed explanation of how the mount works.

Bering Optics Tactical QD Mount

• Pros:
• Has a sliding lock on the lever.
  
  When the lock is engaged, the lever can't be opened, which prevents the release of the Picatinny mount if the lever is accidentally pulled. 
• The lip-type clamping mechanism (#2 in the picture) allows installation on any type of Picatinny rail available on the market (including non-standard ultra-low-profile rails).
  
• A solid D-ring in the front part of the mount is very convenient for attaching a lanyard when the thermal scope is used as a thermal monocular for scouting.
  
  
• It is offered at a very reasonable price considering all its features.
• Cons:
• The tension control is very reliable but less advanced than in the LaRue mount.
  
  Similar to the Standard Mount, the Bering Optics Tactical mount has an adjustable tension to accommodate different Picatinny rails. You need to press the spring-loaded handle for the nut on the opposite side to come out of the slot, then you can tighten or loosen the nut. Ensure the nut goes back into the slot when you release the handle, and the spring will push the handle out. This allows users to achieve the proper tension, but it can be difficult to remember the correct position of the nut for each rifle. Therefore, the rule of thumb should apply: When you close the lever, it should almost freely close up to 30 degrees, and then you should have to force it to lock.

The relevant text from the manufacturer's manual is provided below for a more detailed explanation of how the mount works.

LaRue Tactical QD Mount

• Pros:
• Extremely convenient adjustable tension mechanisms to accommodate different Picatinny rails. Unlike Bering Optics mounts, the LaRue Mount has a sprocket on the bottom (#1 in the picture). Rotating the sprocket will adjust the tension. You may count clicks. You may also mark the position of the sprocket to remember the tension for each rifle with which you have zeroed your thermal scope. The perfect repeatability of the tension force after taking a thermal scope off the rifle and clipping it back directly influences the 100% precise repeatability of zero, which is especially important for long-range shots.
• Sliding lock on the lever (similar to Bering Optics Tactical mount) to prevent the release of the Picatinny mount if the lever is accidentally pulled.
• Very solid.
• Cons:
• Unlike Bering Optics lip-type clamping mechanism, LaRue Mount features a cam-type lock (#2 in the picture), which will not engage on a non-standard ultra-low-profile Picatinny rail. Choose Bering Optics mounts if at least one of your rifles has a non-standard low-profile Picatinny rail.
• The sharp edge of the cam-lock may scratch a small groove on softer-material Picatinny rails after multiple engagements and disengagements.
• Expensive.

Extended Picatinny Mount

This mount is primarily designed for bolt-action rifles, where it is necessary to extend the thermal scope toward the shooter's eye. It is functionally very different from the other three models, so there is no point in comparing it with them. A detailed description of this model and the available lengths can be found HERE. Note that any thermal scope from the Hogster, Super Hogster, and Super Yoter series can be equipped with an Extended Picatinny mount as a custom order with a customizable overall length. The fulfillment time for this is about one week.

VERY IMPORTANT: Bering Optics installs Picatinny mounts on Super Yoter, Super Hogster, and Hogster family thermal scopes using special tooling to ensure that the mount is 100% coaxial with the scope. The mount is then permanently glued in that position. Therefore, it is crucial to choose correctly the first time, as you cannot change the mount later yourself. If you have any questions after reading this, do not hesitate to contact us, and we will gladly help.