Mounting Vortex Venom to Mk II Target

[vacextar]

I recently purchased a very nice Mk II Target model. I'm considering mounting a Vortex Venom. Of course, this older model Ruger does not have any drilled/tapped mounting holes, so I'm looking at available mounting bases that use the rear sight dovetail. I know EGW makes a custom mount for this:

http://www.egwguns.com/pistol-scope-mounts/docter-sight-mount-for-ruger-auto-mk-1-mk-2-mk-3-mk-4-p85-p90/

.......and I've also ran across this mount from a few different sources:

https://www.amazon.com/Burris-Fastfire-Mount-fits-Rugger/dp/B000UV3ZPG

Does anyone have any experience with either mount? The mount listed on Amazon....can anyone explain to me how this mounts to the gun? All I can figure out is that you insert the dovetail into the gun, the plate just sits on top and the screws that hold the red dot on just thread into the dovetail and traps the mounting plate between the sight and dovetail?

The only thing I don't like about the EGW mount is that it appears to be just flat on the bottom and not contoured to the top of the gun. Is this true, or is the photo on their website just a generic photo and it really does have a contour on the bottom of the mounting plate?

If anyone has any personal experience with either of these mounts (or others I'm not aware of), I'd really appreciate your input. Thanks!

 

[22/45 Fan]

I have the EGW plates on two guns and they work very well and are very secure. I also have Venoms on both of these guns.

They have to be fitted to the specific gun's dovetail they way you would any replacement rear sight, i.e. judicious use of a fine file on the plate's male dovetail until the plate will slip into the gun's dovetail part way and then it's driven to center with a brass drift and hammer. The EGW plates also have a small set screw to assure a non-moving fit and the fit is a combination of friction and the set screw. The Venom then sits on the plate (without it's Picatinny base) and is attached with two provided machine screws. These screws only go into the plate and not through to the gun. They are not contoured to the gun and really don't have to be since they overhang very little on either side.

 

[vacextar]

Thanks for your input! Another important thing to me is that the mount leaves no permanent marks on the gun should I choose to remove the red dot and reinstall the factory adjustable iron sights. Do you think the EGW mount would leave any permanent marks on the finish under the plate?

 

[Mobuck]

I recently mounted a Burris FF2 dot sight using the Burris base. I'm not as enthused with it as I'd hoped for.The dovetail plate isn't a snug fit in the dovetail so there's a LOT of side to side slop. Somewhat tricky getting it TDC.
Leave marks on the pistol? Hard to say but if the base gets a wee bit loose and shifts a little, then yes, there's the possibility of leaving some marks.
I'm not familiar with the Venom but if it's a "bottom battery load", removing it for a battery change puts you back to square one requiring a total re-zero. Some feel this isn't much of an issue but I see it as significant as there may be times when I can't spend that much time fiddling with a re-zero.
With a MK II series this is one of the better options but as mentioned it does have some "quirks".

 

[22/45 Fan]

No, removal of the plate won't leave any marks since it only touches the rear sight dovetail, not the receiver and the two EGW plates I've mounted needed to be fitted and wound up a very snug, play-free fit.

The Venom loads the battery from the top so removing it from the base isn't necessary for battery replacement. The older Vortex Viper does remove the battery from the bottom but the Venom is the newer improved model.