Scope Rings and Internal Travel Question

[StraitShot]

Looking for guidance on two questions. The first is regarding scope rings. I recently removed a truly bad set of rings and bases from a Tikka 7mm-08 and am replacing them with a picatinny rail and better rings. My scope has a 1"tube and a 40MM objective so I have to clear .92" at the bell. The question is which set of rings. I am looking for something solid and dependable?? I have been looking at the following:

Burris Xtreme Tactical Signature Picatinny Rings
I like these but they have inserts for scope cant and it looks a little like a gimmick. These rings have been on the market several years. Not sure what to think about these

Vortex Optics Pro Picatinny Rings
These meet the criteria but I can't get them in medium high

Weaver Tactical Picatinny Rings
I think these would be ok but the reviews are mixed.. apparently they need a lot of lapping that I don't have time to do right now.

Next question? my apology if this is truly dense? but how do you determine the internal adjustment available in a scope ? Two scopes of the same power - say 3x9 - from different makers will have different internal travel. I suspect it is simply the number of adjustments at 100yrds multiplied by the highest power?.

[VASCAR2]

I can’t help you on which rings to use but the scope manufacturers list the amount of elevation/windage available in the scope specification. A fixed power optic generally has a lot more elevation travel than a variable power optic. Many variable power scopes have around 70 MOA adjustment, in essence 35 MOA up and 35 MOA down. With 6.5 Grendel rifles I use 20 MOA mounts so I have enough elevation to shoot passed 800 yards at or near sea level. If the scope has mil based turrets the specification will be supplied or you can convert s similar model scope in MOA to Mil to get an idea.

[Arkhangel5]

SS,
I have experience with the Burris Signature rings. They are not a gimmick, they actually work quite well. I use them on a 300WM that I use to shoot out to a mile.

With these rings configured to give me +30moa, I have the full internal adjustment range of my scope available to me to shoot at a mile, it looks kinda weird but it works.

In regards to what height you might need for height, I will give an example. I have a Nikon Monarch 4-16x44mm, I can get by with low rings, but lose being able to adjust the eyebox because the ocular/objective will touch the pic rail. Don't have that issue with medium rings. This is with the regular Burris XTR rings in 1in.

Hope that helps.

SY

[grayfox]

Vortex makes good rings, pro and hunter, I use them both.
with a pic rail underneath you probably don't need a med-high, the rail gives you some height as well.
look on amazon and usually you'll find info about what scopes will fit with what rings, height-wise.
medium, maybe even low, will handle a 40 mm scope bell.

[BobinNC]

Looking for guidance on two questions. The first is regarding scope rings. I recently removed a truly bad set of rings and bases from a Tikka 7mm-08 and am replacing them with a picatinny rail and better rings. My scope has a 1"tube and a 40MM objective so I have to clear .92" at the bell. The question is which set of rings. I am looking for something solid and dependable?? I have been looking at the following:

Burris Xtreme Tactical Signature Picatinny Rings
I like these but they have inserts for scope cant and it looks a little like a gimmick. These rings have been on the market several years. Not sure what to think about these

Vortex Optics Pro Picatinny Rings
These meet the criteria but I can't get them in medium high

Weaver Tactical Picatinny Rings
I think these would be ok but the reviews are mixed.. apparently they need a lot of lapping that I don't have time to do right now.

Next question? my apology if this is truly dense? but how do you determine the internal adjustment available in a scope ? Two scopes of the same power - say 3x9 - from different makers will have different internal travel. I suspect it is simply the number of adjustments at 100yrds multiplied by the highest power?.

The Burris rings you mentioned are very good, but they do tend to place the scope a bit too high for any scope with a 42mm objective or less.

Unless you have the scope actually in your hand the only way to determine the internal adjustment available is by the makers specifications. Many scope makers don't even list their adjustment range. My experience tells me if they don't list it, it's usually pretty bad.

For example from several 3-9 power scopes:

SWFA SS 3-9x42mm 27 Milrad (93 MOA) of adjustment
Zeiss Terra 3-9x42 48 MOA
Meopta MeoPro 3-9x40 70 MOA
Zeiss Conquest 3-9x40 64 MOA

[FLshooter]

I own Vortex rings.They work fine.I assume you will get the Vortex Tactical or Hunter rings.You’ll need the High rings to clear .92”
And when buying the lower-priced Vortex rings such as the hunter or the Tactical line you’ll need to lap them and they’ll work well for you.

[Klem]

Unfortunately there's no formula that marries the optical power of a scope to its internal reticle travel. It's up to the manufacturer to decide on the reticle range and design that into their scope, that's why they are all different. To determine elevation travel you can go searching for the specs on their website or forums. Or, if possible, actually get hold of the scope and dial elevation to one end and then count all the way to the other. Usually the specs of a scope are slightly less than the actual available travel which is a bonus. Obviously don't go cranking it hard against the ends with the strength of a thousand guinea pigs.

Your 0.92" clearance on a bolt gun is huge. It pays to get the scope axis as close as possible to the bore axis, to mitigate inaccuracy caused by canting. 0.2" or 0.3" is better and more normal. You probably have some sort of protective caps on your lenses so it will need clearance but only by a tiny bit.

As for advice on rings, there are so many that to be honest it's difficult to recommend one when there are so many brands I haven't tried. For me, I currently use Vortex and SPUHR. SPUHR make 1" hunting rings at half the price of their military rings (their military rings are arguably overkill anyway). The 1" rings are only available in Optilok, not Pickatinny. You have a Tikka however which along with Sako have receivers designed for Optilok. Most of their receivers anyway, is yours Optilok compatible?

Optilok bases will be lighter and probably more solid than Pickatinny. It might also work out cheaper if you use Optilok.

https://spuhrwebshop.com/en/hunting/sakotikka/1/

Here's a picture of a 42mm scope on a Tikka with Pickatinny using individual SPUHR rings. These are solid and well machined but expensive and don't come in 1". There is 0.35" clearance at the bell.

[StraitShot]

Thank you for the advice guys....

I may have misstated on the scope.... It is a Leupold VX-III 4.5-14 X 40mm, 1" tube. The diameter at the bell is 1.834". So, 1.834/2 = .917 from the outside to the middle of the objective. The Vortex Pro rings are .75" from base to middle and the picatinny rail I just put on should lift another .363", so .75" + .363" = 1.113".. by that measure I should be .196 to the good which looking at my calipers should be plenty of clearance.

Regarding the internal travel... I still have all my papers for the scope but there isn't anything there... I can try Klem's method though...

I am heading for a mule deer hunt in West Texas and have four tags... shots are between 200yrds to 400yds.... I shoot 200yrds as a standard.. but 400 not so much... so I got rid of the crappy mounts on my Tikka and am upgrading to something more solid..

If I goofed in my assumptions on the measurements, my apology... I've been working late and weekends for about 7 weeks to my evenings can get kinda fuzzy....

[BobinNC]

64 MOA for that scope.

https://www.leupold.com/scopes/compact-scopes/vx-3-4-5-14x40mm