Another bad set of rings

[warbirdlover]

First of all I've been playing with guns and mounting scopes for over 40 years and never had a problem until this year. Always careful, use loktite etc etc. Have the gauges to make sure the rings are alligned etc etc.

A year ago after buying a new scope for my Ruger 77 I bought a set of Millett Ruger 77 rings (I needed "high" to clear the 50mm bell) and they "tilted" when tightened and dented my scope.

Then I recently bought a set of Redfield Ruger rings and had them on and one of the rear base "star" screw heads popped off and I lost the clamp. I don't overtorque scope mount screws. I've never had one break before. Being a retired metallurgist the surface of the break looks like these screws were made in China.... seriously. They are not quality screws.

I'm now ordering some Leupold rings.

 

[5RWill]

Man i know the feeling, hate crappy rings. Also can't stand the star screws, i've had to take some bases off a couple of old hunting rifles and the star points just strip too easily, verses an allen key. Ended up having to let my gunsmith tap it with a drill. Other than my sako i've gone to picatanny rails for everything, most picatanny rings are pretty decent, have some 15$ weavers that i got to use on an AR until i get my 30mm rings for a mk4. Was your scope still able to function properly with a dent in the main tube? That would be a worse case scenario IMO rings damaging a scope and all.

 

[arizona98tj]

First of all I've been playing with guns and mounting scopes for over 40 years and never had a problem until this year. Always careful, use loktite etc etc. Have the gauges to make sure the rings are alligned etc etc.

A year ago after buying a new scope for my Ruger 77 I bought a set of Millett Ruger 77 rings (I needed "high" to clear the 50mm bell) and they "tilted" when tightened and dented my scope.

Sorry to hear of the problem you had. It is never fun to have a project go south.

Just curious....did you check your ring alignment using alignment bars, usually done just before lapping the rings? Am trying to figure out how the misaligned rings cause the problem when you had equipment to verify proper alignment.

 

[geetarman]

I have several Ruger rifles and use Ruger rings with no problems. Is there a reason you are not using Ruger rings?

http://shopruger.com/searchscopering.asp

Looks like 5b and 6b should work and allow you to use a 50mm bell.

My rifles are the older 77V with tang safety but a quick look at other rifles indicates same part numbers for high base rings.

Geetarman

 

[warbirdlover]

Was your scope still able to function properly with a dent in the main tube?

Blackops_2

Scope functions okay. Dent didn't hurt it luckily.

Just curious....did you check your ring alignment using alignment bars, usually done just before lapping the rings? Am trying to figure out how the misaligned rings cause the problem when you had equipment to verify proper alignment.

arizona98tj

Yup. Always do that. The dent was not caused by alignment problems but "tilt" on the front ring. I didn't catch it because after aligning I had to move the rings to the right to have enough scope adjustment travel. I didn't recheck but Ruger has that slot and tab fit under the scope ring to center them. I initially had them centered but the stupid Millett rings were not made right (tab midpoint not centered to ring center) and when I moved the rings it caused that slot and tab to not be centered and tilted the ring, denting the scope. I won't buy anymore rings with clamps on both sides. They are the problem.

I have several Ruger rifles and use Ruger rings with no problems. Is there a reason you are not using Ruger rings?

geetarman

I'm not using Ruger rings because I draw a limit on what I'll pay for the damn things and they are over my limit. I know I could have spent that money and been cheaper off now. I might bite the bullet and buy the Rugers now. Leupolds are around $50. Rugers around $70 (pair).

 

[geetarman]

I hear what you are saying. Magazines for Mini 14 are the same way. They cost a lot. They do work fine and that cannot be said for some others.

I have a box full of Mini 14 magazines that ought to be thrown away.

I spent the money to get the factory magazines and they perform perfectly.

We all live and learn. Hope you get it all ironed out.

Geetarman

 

[Dre_sa]

For what it's worth, I've had good luck / success with Burris...

They make some fantastic rings, but the little tool they come with to tighten them down leaves a little to be desired. However, there is still a way around this slight gripe...

 

[taylorce1]

I'm not using Ruger rings because I draw a limit on what I'll pay for the damn things and they are over my limit. I know I could have spent that money and been cheaper off now. I might bite the bullet and buy the Rugers now. Leupolds are around $50. Rugers around $70 (pair).

Scratching my head on that one. You spend a couple of hundred dollars if not more on a quality scope. (Of course I'm assuming this, and that could be trouble.) Yet you are willing to cheap out on rings?

I usually use Warne, Leupold or Burris. I'll admit however I do have a few sets of Weaver rings as well. My favorites are Warne and Leupold in QRW but of course that will not work on your Ruger.

 

[warbirdlover]

$50 is not cheaping out on rings IMHO. $20-$30 probably is. $70 is taken a screwing. As a former engineer I know how much it costs to make this stuff. Especially in China. I'm bullheaded enough that I'm going to try the Leupold rings first as they only have one screw on the bottom similar to the Rugers. This is the cause of all my problems I believe. If they don't work I'm an idiot. If they do I'm a genius. Stay tuned.

 

[taylorce1]

I didn't say the Leupold ring set you mentioned for $50 was cheaping out. I was refering to your choice of Millet and Redfield rings. I figured they were in the $30 range for either set rings, where as one set of $70 ruger rings would have only been $10 more than what you probably spent already and would have worked from the start.

 

[GURU1911]

Scope rings---my opinion

SINCE THE MID-1970'S, HAVE INSTALLED AT LEAST 50 SCOPES MAINLY ON BOLT ACTIONS. THE BASES & RINGS OF THE OPTICAL SYSTEM CAN BE CONSIDERED AS THE "FOUNDATION" AND IS NO PLACE TO GO CHEAP. MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES HAVE PROVED TO ME THAT LEUPOLD, BURRIS, OR CONETROL ARE THE BEST MADE WITHIN A REASONABLE PRICE RANGE, FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF HUNTERS & RECREATIONAL SHOOTERS.

CHOOSE THE RING HEIGHT WHICH WILL MOUNT THE SCOPE EYEPIECE & OBJECTIVE AS CLOSE TO THE RECEIVER & BARREL, WHICH DOES NOT HINDER PROPER MECHANICAL FUNCTION OF THE OPERATIONAL CONTROLS.

GURU1911'S RULE OF TELESCOPIC SIGHTS: "THE PRICE OF THE OPTICAL SYSTEM (scope, rings, & bases) SHOULD EQUAL OR EXCEED THE PRICE OF THE FIREARM"

GURU1911 OUT !!!!!

 

[ndking1126]

I'm now ordering some Leupold rings.

That, my friend, is the correct answer. I've never had a problem with Leupold rings, even their basic, standard models. I've never lapped them, though.. they might need it? Maybe not though if I've not had problems

Leupold or Burris is the only ones I will buy.

 

[warbirdlover]

Update.

I wrote Redfield Scope Mounts (seperate company from Redfield Scopes) in Onalaska, Wisconsin a "scathing" e-mail on their mounts and how I looked at the screw fracture surface (mentioned I was a retired metallurgist) and that it looked like some I've seen from China.

Their response was to send the mounts to them for review as they have switched manufacturing from China back to the USA!! Then they'll send me new mounts.

HA! (And you should see the crappy gears China tried to sell us)....

 

[warbirdlover]

Had to order the Leupold rings today. $53 for the set. Not bad.

I checked the price of the Ruger rings at Gander Mountain.

$46 EACH RING!! That's $92 for a set of rings. Ridiculous.

 

[madcratebuilder]

I had been a Burris ring fan for many years until a few years ago I found a local manufacturer, Warne. They make a large selection of rings and supply oem's. Check them out here.

http://www.warnescopemounts.com/home.html

I have three sets of their QD rings now on 5.56 and 7.62 rifles, quality is superb.

 

[thallub]

I'm now ordering some Leupold rings.

Sorry to hear of your scope ring problems. i install several dozen scopes every year. Beginning about 4-6 years ago some Leupold rings got problematic-made in China. Typically, they required a lot of lapping to make them straight. i no longer install any made in China ring or mount.

 

[warbirdlover]

Got the Leupold rings. All went together with no problems. Scope is bore sighted (using Leupold Zero Point magnetic bore sighter. Ready to fire.

When I mounted the rings (clamp and screw on one side only) I had to tighten, wiggle, tighten and wiggle a few times to get them "seated" solidly. Something to remember if you ever buy Leupold Ruger 77 rings.

But they are dead nuts centered. I hardly had to move the scope adjustments to put on zero.

 

[PoiDog]

I put a set of Warne rings on a Ruger Charger I bought recently. I could not get the scope to zero. Until I bought that set, I had never even heard of that company. I guess I don't get out much.

It's a Bushnell Trophy scope; a pretty nice scope. Using a bore sighter, arbor based, it wouldn't come up to match crosshairs like it should.

I never thought about the rings being suspect. I thought there was something else wrong. I took the Charger to the range, and it would not shoot to POA. It was always about 1-1/2" low.

Took it home, reversed the position of the rings, reinstalled them. Using the bore sighter, it came up to about 1/8" shy of the center of the crosshairs. Close, but no cigar. My shooting buddy suggested the rings being an issue.

Looks like he might be right, since the scope is up to the max elevation and it still isn't correct. Hopefully it isn't the scope.

I'll pick up a pair of Leupold rings and try them. I've used them before with zero problems.

 

[PawPaw]

SINCE THE MID-1970'S, HAVE INSTALLED AT LEAST 50 SCOPES MAINLY ON BOLT ACTIONS. THE BASES & RINGS OF THE OPTICAL SYSTEM CAN BE CONSIDERED AS THE "FOUNDATION" AND IS NO PLACE TO GO CHEAP. MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES HAVE PROVED TO ME THAT LEUPOLD, BURRIS, OR CONETROL ARE THE BEST MADE WITHIN A REASONABLE PRICE RANGE, FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF HUNTERS & RECREATIONAL SHOOTERS.

Since the mid '70s I've mounted a few scopes myself. Leupold and Burris make some pretty good bases and rings, but I've never found reason to use caps locks to get a point across.

GURU1911'S RULE OF TELESCOPIC SIGHTS:"THE PRICE OF THE OPTICAL SYSTEM (scope, rings, & bases) SHOULD EQUAL OR EXCEED THE PRICE OF THE FIREARM"

I've heard that in more than one place, and I've always shook my head at folks who'll spend that kind of money on a scope. It's okay, I guess, but I've never seen the utility of it. Someone needs to buy those high-dollar scopes, but that's not me. I do refuse to buy a scope that's packed in a bubble-pack, but optics, like most other consumer products has come down in real-dollar prices over the past several years. The mid-road scopes these days are light-years better than the best scopes we could buy 40 years ago.

But hey! If you feel better spending that kind of money on a scope, it's a free country.

 

[Palmetto-Pride]

I know we are starting to beat a dead horse here, but I prefer Talley one piece mounts or Warne Maxima rings when I am using a picatinny or weaver rail.