Hi Scope Or Low Scope

[from the Hip]

Gentelmen:
All other considerations being equal; Cheek weld, Ridgidness, heat Mirage. Do you prefer your optics well above the barel or with 0.005 clearnce between bell and barel, or have you even considered it? I have heard arguments for and against both. So what are your thougts?

 

[FirstFreedom]

LOW = Good

But it depends on the purpose of the rifle:

If you're shooting at a fixed distance, such as a competition gun that is always used at "X" yards, then it doesn't matter at all - it can be a foot or more above the barrel - I've seen pistols like that which are held down near the waistline with the scope up at eye level.

But, if you're shooting over varying distances, such as hunting, or competitions involving practical shooting at various distances depending on the course, including some up very close, then you want the scope a low as it can possibly go and still have a natural/comfortable cheek weld & line of sight. I like scopes low, low, low! This reduces the error amount at short ranges (low POIs). Makes your PBR hits more precise at close range, with no negative effects at longer ranges within your PBR. Beyond the PBR, it doesn't matter, though - you've got to know your holdover regardless. So I guess I'd say at a fixed distance for a given rifle, high is fine. If always shooting on the far side of PBR or beyond PBR, then high is fine. But if shooting *sometimes* on the short side of PBR, then lower is always better, IMO. When I mount a scope, I'll buy rings that should just barely work, AND buy the rings the next step down and try them first, JUST IN CASE I might be able to mount the scope a little lower, where the bell is all but touching the rifle. Then, take back for refund the rings that aren't used. I've probably got 4 or 5 rifles that I can't even get a scope cover over the objective bell.

 

[hoghunting]

I agree with FirstFreedom. I want the scope mounted low so that when I put the rifle to my shoulder, I am looking directly into the scope. I don't want to be lifting my head to get a sight picture.

 

[skeeter1]

+The above. I like my scope mounted as close to the barrel as it will get. Some mounts will enable you to look under the scope and use the iron sights, but I just don't like them.

One rifle doesn't have a scope, and I think it's going to stay that way. There's something to be said for good-old buckhorn sights!

 

[Fremmer]

Lower is generally better, and faster to boot.

 

[Wild Bill Bucks]

All the guys are telling it right. LOW LOW LOW
I had a 30.30 I put a see through the rings scope on, thinking it would be good for those quick shots, and after carrying the rifle for several hunting trips, realized that the open sights were to slow when shaded by the scope on top. If the scope is mounted properly, the targt acquisition, is as fast as you can shoot, and you don't have to put up with as much trajectory problems.

 

[TJ Freak]

Yup, closer to the barrel the better I think. Just common sense.

 

[MeekAndMild]

Sure lower is often better but not necessarily. None of us would have the exactly same cheek weld, because some of have long faces, some short, some fat and some skinny. Some of us have eyes which are close together and others wide apart.

My 2 cents is to get a buddy to measure your best eye distance over the barrel and then go from there to find the best scope height.

 

[killseeker]

High or Low

well if you shoot at a fixed Target all the time it will not matter at all. High or Low.
i shoot for a living, you might say, and my targets are never in the same place, or same distance.
you have a longer sight window with a high mounted scope.
back up from where the bullet comes up and crosses the sight-line the first time, so you think of 1/2 inch under your sight-line, half way to 2nd crossing of the sight-line 1/2 inch over it, back to 1/2 under sight-line. is a pritty good piece.
now you lower your scope, you shorten that distance a lot.
that is a long hit-box window for just a 1/2 inch off the Cross-hairs, over or under it..
you go a low mounted scope, that window is a lot shorter.
and your guess work has to be a lot better now..
it verys a little, with what Cal. you use. but still works out about the same.
that is just one way to look at it. i sight in for a dead bulls eye at about 135 yards, 1/2 inch under is about at 80 yards, and it comes back dead on at about 225 yards 1/2 below is about 240.
so now 80 yards to 240 yard, is a hit-box window of around 160 yards 1/2 inch under or 1/2 inch under your cross-hair. not a bad way to set up if your on the move.