MidwayUSA - Tipton Ultra Gun Vise - Comes with Wheeler Professional Reticle Leveling System

[Muddyboots]

If you don't have a decent vise to set rifles for optics etc. ,this may be the ticket at a great price ($50 off at $129.99) plus it comes with Wheeler Professional Reticle Leveling System which is $49.99 by itself. Just thought I share in case someone is in market for something like this.

Link: Tipton Ultra Gun Vise

Muddy

 

[tobnpr]

I've read too many crap reviews on that unit.
I wanted to add another one, and was pleased with my first Tipton (for what it is)...
Read a lot of lousy reviews, and talked to one guy that threw his away.
Supposedly the vertical posts slip easily and cannot be positively locked in place, just friction fit that fails.

 

[Muddyboots]

Well this may be good opportunity to give it a once over and report back on opinion. I will look at the vertical posts etc as part of review. Anything else? My older Tipton is about done and thought this might be good replacement, hopefully it is.

At least it comes with the Wheeler Reticle Level which my son can use. His BD is coming up!

 

[Muddyboots]

Vise came in today and took all of 1 minute to set up. First impression is that it will hold a rifle snugly to level a scope or clean. It is not a bench steel vise but just a product to hold your rifle firmly in position. The large knurled knobs are threaded on a large plastic style hub that looks durable but time will tell. My impression is if you decide to crank down on the knobs you will probably strip the plastic threads. Then again don't try to make it into something it is not intended to do. Fully adjustable legs and locking stations for the butt stock and fore end that look nice enough. I can't speak to the center AR holder since I do not use it. The bottom is all steel and it does weigh a bit so it should be nice to clean without having to worry about it moving around isnce the adjusters have rubber bases. It should be easy to level scopes and I will be checking a few sinec I am socially distancing like everyone else. As I use it for a variety of tasks, I will try to report out on how well I thought it did. The plus was it did come with the Wheeler Reticle Leveling System as a freebee. Not a bad $50 throw in when it was also $50 off.

 

[Muddyboots]

Update: I used the vise to hold a 700 in a Magpul stock and adjusted the front cradle up and secured it with twist knob to put pressure on the "cradle". The slightest pressure caused the cradle to collapse down to bottom. The two surfaces are straight plastic and not possible to get enough torque on the knob without breaking it to hold. Simple solution was to drill several holds in each cradle in the center of the support to place a pin so it cannot go down under any pressure at all. The adjustment knob is simply then to keep it snug. Pic added for clarification. The vise is still decent enough to hold and center scopes so I am still OK with it even with this flaw.

 

[tobnpr]

A shame they make what's otherwise a practical unit with this defect.

Any room/way to modify the tip on the screw, to add a hard rubber tip to make it more non-slip?
This way it would still be infinitely adjustable rather than just where you've got the holes drilled for a pin.

 

[Muddyboots]

tobnpr: If you could find a thin self adhesive rubber sheet that could be added to the side screw plate, I think it might work OK and provide enough "grip" to hold under pressure. This was just an quick fix and I am looking for the right material. There is not a whole lot of room so it has to be quite thin and durable. I will take a photo of that area to show what I mean.

 

[Timeout]

Rubber roofing material and super weatherstrip adhesive.

 

[Muddyboots]

Think it may be too thick, very little clearance to get something to work.

 

[Timeout]

Rubber roofing is quite thin. Have some in my shop. I'll measure it later but we're talking like 1/16".

 

[Muddyboots]

Thx for idea, I will see if I can measure the gap as well. But I have to say I kind of like the pin setup with the side screw tightener just to snug it in place with the pin.

 

[Timeout]

Not exactly sure what you are asking to do but rubber roofing is just under 1/16".

 

[nksmfamjp]

I wonder if you just sanded both horizontally if you could get enough mechanical lock to hold it.

I also if electrical tape placed vertically maybe wit some sanding of the screw tip would do what you want.

 

[Muddyboots]

The plastic is kind of smooth and rather doubt it would "rough" up enough to grip for downward pressure on the cradle. Could have easily molded in very small steps that would have grabbed the side screw. I will take some pics and post up more clearly what it looks like.