Using Bering Optics Thermal Scopes Across Bolt-Action and AR Platforms: Solving the Mounting Challenge with a Picatinny Extender

by Basic Precision May 7, 2025

Many shooters own Bering Optics thermal scopes—such as the Hogster, Super Hogster or Super Yoter—and want to use the same thermal optic across multiple rifle platforms, especially between AR-style rifles and bolt-action rifles. While the scopes themselves are highly versatile and capable, mounting them properly on different platforms presents a setup compatibility challenge. The key issue comes down to eye relief and bolt handle clearance.

In this article, we explain in detail why standard mounts are not ideal for bolt-action rifles, why bolt-action extended mounts are not suited for AR platforms, how a properly selected Bolt-Action Rifle Picatinny Mount Extender provides a universal solution for mounting your Bering Optics thermal scope securely, reliably, and ergonomically on both rifle types—and what mistakes to avoid when choosing one.

Why Standard Bering Optics Mounts Work Best on AR Rifles

Bering Optics thermal scopes typically come with one of the following mounting options:

Bering Optics Standard QD mount
Bering Optics Tactical QD mount
LaRue Tactical QD mount

All of these are excellent options for AR platforms. They are low-profile, maintain a suitable optical axis height for AR-style cheek welds, and offer easy attach/detach functionality, allowing the user to quickly mount or dismount the scope from the rifle. They are rugged, proven, and practical—but specifically designed for flat-top AR rifles.

A detailed comparison of these mounts is available HERE.

Why Standard Mounts Don’t Work Well on Bolt-Action Rifles

When mounted on a bolt-action rifle, these AR-style mounts often interfere with the bolt handle, or causing the thermal scope to interfere with the handle, forcing users to mount the thermal scope farther forward. This pushes the eyepiece too far from the shooter’s eye, making aiming difficult or even impossible.

Why the Dedicated Extended Mount Ideally Works—But Only on Bolt-Action Guns

Bering Optics addressed this with a purpose-built extended mount—model BE80995. This extended mount is ideally suited for dedicated installation on bolt-action rifles. It comes in several lengths to position the thermal scope’s eyepiece in the correct location for proper eye relief while providing sufficient clearance so the bolt handle can move freely. This is the right solution when the scope is permanently assigned to a bolt gun.

Detailed information about this mount is available HERE.

Why the Extended Mount Doesn’t Work on AR Rifles

The extended mount has a major downside if you plan to use your scope on an AR rifle as well: it is too tall for AR platforms. Thermal scopes like the Hogster, Super Hogster or Super Yoter already have a relatively high optical axis. Adding the height of the extended mount puts the scope excessively high on AR rifles, making proper cheek weld and aiming very uncomfortable. In practical terms, you cannot use the extended bolt-action mount on AR rifles without a serious ergonomic compromise.

The Need for a Universal, Cross-Platform Mounting Solution

If you want to use your Bering Optics Hogster, Super Hogster or Super Yoter across both bolt-action and AR-style rifles, neither the standard AR-style mounts nor the dedicated bolt-action mount provides an ideal solution. You’re forced to choose between:

A low mount that interferes with your bolt handle
A high mount that ruins your cheek weld on AR rifles

This is where the Bolt-Action Rifle Picatinny Mount Extender from Basic Precision comes in.

What the Picatinny Mount Extender Does

The Picatinny Mount Extender is not a full replacement mount—it is a structural adapter that sits between your bolt-action rifle’s Picatinny rail and your thermal scope’s standard or tactical QD mount. Similar to the extended mount, it cantilevers the scope rearward while providing sufficient clearance so the bolt handle can move freely.

When switching to an AR platform, the QD mount simply detaches from the Picatinny rail of the extender and attaches directly to the AR’s Picatinny rail, exactly as it was designed to do. The extender stays mounted on the bolt-action rifle.

This provides the best of both worlds. Using this extender allows you to keep your AR-compatible Bering Optics mount and still run the scope on bolt-action rifles with correct positioning and functionality.

Why You Cannot Cut Corners on a Picatinny Extender

It is extremely important to understand that the Picatinny mount extender is a shortcut by itself. You are adding an extra structural part between your rifle’s Picatinny rail and the thermal scope’s QD mount. Your Picatinny rail is solidly integrated into the rifle, and the Bering Optics QD mount is not only bolted to the scope but also factory-bonded for maximum recoil resistance. Now, by placing an extender between the two, you are introducing a new potential failure point, and that part must be absolutely solid.

Any movement between the extender and the Picatinny rail, or between the extender and the scope’s QD mount, will nullify all the precision engineered into your rifle and thermal optic. This extender becomes part of the recoil-bearing structure. If it flexes, deforms, or shifts under recoil, your point of impact (POI) will change, and your shot will miss.

Cheap extenders found on the market often suffer from:

Weak or soft materials
No structural reinforcement of the cantilever part
Undersized hardware or even tool-less tightening systems that cannot be torqued

All these problems lead to flexing and recoil-induced shifting, which affects your POI.

A Solid, Field-Tested Choice from Basic Precision

Basic Precision offers a Bolt-Action Rifle Picatinny Mount Extender featuring:

✅ Reinforced Cantilever Design
The cantilever section features integrated structural ribs that prevent bending or movement under stress. This rigidity is critical because even slight flexing or bending can significantly shift your POI.

✅ High-Strength, Heat-Treated Aluminum Alloy
Made from 6061-T6 aluminum, this extender offers the perfect balance of lightness and rigidity. It is properly heat-treated to prevent deformation or mechanical instability under recoil.

✅ Properly sized Hardware for Solid Lockup
The extender uses correctly sized mounting nuts, which let you apply at least 30 ft-lbs of torque for a rock-solid attachment to the Picatinny rail to prevent any movement under recoil.

Choosing the Right Length: Medium or Long?

Basic Precision offers two extender sizes to accommodate a variety of rifle builds:

In general, long-action rifles often require the long extender, while short-action rifles are usually compatible with the medium-length extender. But this is not universal. Factors like Picatinny rail placement, bolt handle shape, and stock design vary by rifle. Before choosing your extender size, we strongly recommend using a caliper or tape measure, measuring directly on your rifle, and referring to the above dimensional image to ensure proper fit and bolt handle clearance.

Conclusion

Mounting a Bering Optics Hogster, Super Hogster, or Super Yoter thermal scope on both AR and bolt-action platforms doesn’t have to involve compromise. With the right hardware—in this case, the Bolt-Action Rifle Picatinny Mount Extender—you can maintain correct eye relief, avoid bolt handle interference, and ensure rock-solid mechanical stability across both platforms.

Don’t cut corners on this critical mounting component. Choose an extender that’s engineered for your accuracy.

📦 Shop the Bolt-Action Rifle Picatinny Mount Extender Here

📞 Need help choosing the right size? Contact Basic Precision

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