Educate me on scope rings

[The Wiry Irishman]

Ill be beginning to accumulate parts and accessories soon for a long range rifle project. I know the gun, optic, caliber, etc already, so I wont be starting one of those rehashed threads. However Im a little hazy on rings. There's quite a wide price range out there, from fifty or sixty for Burris tactical rings that seem beefy and well made all the way up to two hundred plus for US Optics and the like. What is the supposed benefit of the more expensive rings? They seem like fairly simple parts and its seems to me like it would be a good way to trim cost from the project budget without comprimising performance. Are my assumptions correct or am I way off?

 

[pwillie]

First we would need to know the species of rifle you will be mounting your scope on???

 

[redneck2]

And, what is "long range"?

For my Remington 700 in 7 mag, I needed .020 offset mounts to get to 1,000 yards, and that's a flat shooting rifle.

 

[The Wiry Irishman]

I plan on mounting a US Optics sn3 on a savage 110 BA in .300 Win Mag for shooting out to 1000 yards, possibly beyond if I can find a place to do it and develop the proper skills. The 110 BA top rail already has a 20 MOA tilt.

 

[dubbleA]

I have Leupold MK IV, Seekins, Near, Nightforce, Farrel, USO, They all make tough top notch stuff. Personally dont have any experience with Burris tactical picatiny rings but they just look goofy to me.



I certainly like Badger Ordance steel rings for HD applications. Be aware that another limiting factor to toughness in a scope system are the screws used to attach the base. Standard screws are 6-48's but I prefer to go with 8x40's for extra strength.

 

[taliv]

the expensive USO rings are windage adjustable.

some rings are machined better so as to not need lapping, imho. rings can cause scopes to bind if they put stress on the tube unevenly.

 

[BrocLuno]

A bunch of factors, some of which are covered above. Strength and precision are two of the most important factors for long range mounts. Even a minuscule shift <0.0001 will throw your groups around at 1000 yds/m. I'd start with the best hardened steel screws I could get to hold the base(s) down, then carry through all the other fastening points. The rings themselves should be fine as long as they fit tight to the bases and maintain fastener torque.

 

[trex1310]

Steel rings and bases are a good place to start.

 

[madcratebuilder]

I think a quality set of steel rings are best for your long range goals.

I have a set a Burris Xtreme tactical rings on a M1A and they have been great for years. This rifle seldom shoots further than 600yds. The last several sets of rings I have bought have been Warne. They are made local and I have friends that work for them. I have a few sets of QD's, 30mm's and 1". The steel versions are very nice, the machining is excellent. I always check new rings with a lapping bar and these need no lapping at all. No issues with ring marks on the scope tube.

http://swfa.com/Warne-Maxima-Rings-C1278.aspx