Scope ring prices? What the heck?

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WardenWolf

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What the heck is up with scope ring prices these days? I go to the local stores and all I see are rings priced $45 to $180. It's absolutely absurd. Then I go online and order a set of Leupold rings for $12, $22 shipped. How on earth can both scope ring manufacturers and local gunstores get away with charging this much? One block of steel or aluminum isn't that much better than another. The same goes for rail hardware. It's absolutely insane.
 
I don't know. I use $10-15 rings from Walmart. They hold my cheap scope well enough for my mediocre shooting.
 
AR guys will pay anything for "the best"

and if I was putting an $800 scope on a $1000 rifle, I'd probably pony up for $50-$80 rings.
 
i agree...

there is a lot of items around that cost manufactures $5 to produce that people will pay a lot more for because of brand name or hype.... i probably have over 20 sets of scope rings, some cheap, some more expensive (no $180 rings lol). ive only had one set that was actually bad. the machining was off and double checking them with a caliper, the rigns did not align. other than the one exception, they have all been good. i usually just get the cheapest that i can find that meet the criteria im looking for if i dont already have them laying around.
 
greyling22 said:
AR guys will pay anything for "the best"

and if I was putting an $800 scope on a $1000 rifle, I'd probably pony up for $50-$80 rings.
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Even there though. How "best" can something be when it's nothing more than a couple pieces of steel and a handful of screws? High price doesn't equate to high quality, regardless of what anyone says.

I don't think I'll ever own rings that cost me more than 20-25 bucks - regardless of the rifle and scope I own. I may spring for rings as expensive as $50 someday, but I would need to have a freakishly disappointing experience with $25 rings first - disappointing on the level that I can't even imagine. Like the rings corrode into dust before my eyes, or something.
 
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I've got an expensive set of Seekins ring on my precision rifle. It's a custom built Remington 700 by Tactical Operations, model X-ray 51. It wears a Schmidt and Bender PMII 4-16x50mm scope. Both rifle and scope are more money than one normally pays and it just seems fitting to pony up for the best rings as well. Maybe I got taken but this sucker shoots. Factory test target has 3rds in .08". I can get around .1" groups on occasion but stay in around .25 to .3 normally, I'm not the best shooter.
 
You know, I'm glad one company has stepped up to the plate and is providing reasonably priced, quality rail hardware: UTG. Their stuff is rock solid and you can get a quad-rail assembly for around $60. I wanted a rail assembly for my Golani that would let me attach a scope. Other companies? $450. UTG? $60. It's almost the same exact thing. And I've never heard a single bad thing about any of their rail products other than them being a little bit heavier. It'll take the abuse and I'd not hesitate to go into combat with it. When you see things like this, you realize the profit margins on these products are insane.
 
I'll have to agree with you! I was in Gndr Mtn. awhile back, to get some rings for a scope to be mounted on my Rem. 788. I wasn't in the mood to spend the $58 for the Bushnell rings, when the Weaver rings hanging right next to it were $24. The same exact rings, only thing different was the packaging. I took both pkg's to the checkout, I asked the guy why the Bushies were twice the cost, "Because the Bushies are made so much better." Ha I can't see the better pkg. making the rifle shoot straighter, left the Bushies on the counter when I left.
 
How on earth can both scope ring manufacturers and local gunstores get away with charging this much? One block of steel or aluminum isn't that much better than another
Click to expand...

Yet another person who needs to take Business 101 -how much does their material cost? How much is their taxes, insurance, labor rates, logistics costs, utilities, debt carrying cost, quality of manufacture, etc?

Don't like their prices, don't buy them - but folks who look at something and think that material costs are the only costs really need to get a clue about the real world
 
Sounds like somebody went to bidness school. What are logistics costs? And aren't many of these costs similiar for most businesses? The machinery, the labor, the materials, the lunchroom, the insurance...
 
If I was putting a Simmons scope on a NEF Handi Rifle, I'd go with the cheapo rings.
However, if I was putting a $800 scope on a really nice rifle, I'd prolly go ahead and get the good stuff.
 
I've had cheap scope rings come undone. On a lightweight .338 Federal I've seen cheap scope rings break. And when you get into "tactical" gear, I've seen cheap QD rings shake loose pretty rapidly and most (if not all) cheap ones won't return to zero if detached. I'm sure a lot of people overpay for rings but there is certainly a time and place to get nice ones.

As far as UTG - they make some useful stuff but their metal seems softer and more malleable than most. I've noticed quite a bit of flex in long canteliever mount rails.
 
As with any other offerings, many times it's just manufacturers and retailers taking advantage of consumer gullibility. I've seen scope rings selling for several hundred dollars and, when I questioned the sensibility of buying them, I was chastised for my ignorance of the necessity for "quality" rings for quality rifles and scopes... those costing thousands of dollars each. Oh well... my loss, I guess. :)
 
,"........ I've seen cheap QD rings shake loose pretty rapidly and most (if not all) cheap ones won't return to zero if detached."

Who made those 'cheap ones?

I just put Weavers on a Weaver scope (1960s) one a 1950s Savage 99. With freight and handling ($12) they were $40. They will last longer than my shooting. I have Redfields on an 03 (put on in 1967) that will do likewise.
 
Cheap rings and not lapping rings are why you see ring marks on so many scopes but who cares on a $40 Walmart scope.I don't trust cheap rings on my $500 scope on my $1000 rifle.

It is getting to the point of ridiculous though. A set Sako Optilock rings and bases cost $350.
 
I use Warne Rings on my Savage .308, they are bulletproof. My roomie picked up a Savage of his own and also got the Warne Rings. Still bulletproof. And they don't hurt the wallet, either. Best $40 I've ever spent.
 
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