Flubbed on my Foray with Burris XTR Signature Scope Rings

[Ezana4CE]

I was mounting some optics I had laying around and ended up swapping some around on different rifles and need new DOPE. So I took one of my Sightron S-Tacs in Burris Signature rings and mounted it on my Western Rattler. If you aren’t familiar with them, this he how they look.

I took 15 MOA from the elevation using the plastic inserts (lowering the objective lens). When I went to sight it in, I had shots hitting 1’ wide left. There are about 5 shots not even on the target paper.

I tried correcting using the windage turret and ran out of windage. This was a first, but I didn’t continue to investigate the problem because the heat drain ones that day. To even get inside of the white ring I believe that I held right 8 MOA.

The next time I picked up the Rattler I noticed the gap between the plastic inserts were canted instead of being aligned with the gaps in the rings.

When I looked in the XTR Signature rings manual it had an illustration that this is a method of adding cant to your scope.

So today I corrected that. I’ll see how well the correction worked when I shoot the Rattler again. I think I need to re-torque them because there’s only a gap between the inserts on one side, but I still wanted to share this bit that I’d overlooked.

 

[bchannell]

I'm not sure what you mean you flu bed. Yes the inserts are off a hair, but that would make only minimal change in poi. Also, I'm not sure why they say to keep a uniform gap in the inserts. It doesn't make much difference. I've used signature rings for years and never worried about insert gap, and they worked as intended.

Those rings can cure a lot of ills especially in switch barrel guns that's for sure. Good luck finding the right can't.

 

[Ezana4CE]

I'm not sure what you mean you flu bed. Yes the inserts are off a hair, but that would make only minimal change in poi. Also, I'm not sure why they say to keep a uniform gap in the inserts. It doesn't make much difference. I've used signature rings for years and never worried about insert gap, and they worked as intended.

Those rings can cure a lot of ills especially in switch barrel guns that's for sure. Good luck finding the right can't.

@bchannell I say flubbed because I wasn’t trying to cant the inserts or the scope. I found it difficult to get the scope situated at a comfortable eye relief and level while keeping the bottom inserts straight. I figured if there were off a bit then they would be pushed even by the top insert upon tightening.

I initially glossed over the instructions. I went back and read the cant portion of the instruction sheet after the fact. I assumed that the inserts needed to have equal spacing between them once both halves were centered. This was my first time using these rings on a rifle. They’d just been sitting on another scope for a while that wasn’t a good fit for the intended rifle.

 

[Airgun-hobbyist]

@EEzana4CE I have used these rings for a while now and have found that removing them and reinstalling doesn't ever hsve them as centered as the first time instslled. It's because the two floating wedges don't always align good or consistent. I found that a bit of lube or wax on the steel wedges and wiggling the scope mounts side to side as I initially tighten them up helps to center their alignment.

 

[Ezana4CE]

@EEzana4CE I have used these rings for a while now and have found that removing them and reinstalling doesn't ever hsve them as centered as the first time instslled. It's because the two floating wedges don't always align good or consistent. I found that a bit of lube or wax on the steel wedges and wiggling the scope mounts side to side as I initially tighten them up helps to center their alignment.

@Airgun-hobbyist That wiggling makes it a pain to get right when your tying to get the scope situated before torquing the rings down. I’ve never spent so much time mounting a scope. Where are you placing the lube/wax? Between the plastic insert and the scope body? Or between the plastic insert and half of the scope ring?

 

[Tumblinginflight]

So you mounted these before but never shot with them, correct? As mentioned, the cant in your inserts might account for 1-2 MOA if that.

Lightly applying a lubricant to the Picatinny rail on the gun, the bottom of the ring bases, or the steel clamps that secure the ring base to the rail can help the ring slide into natural alignment rather than sticking as you tighten the base screws.

I install the ring bases to the gun. Place bottom inserts into the mounted rings, scope into those inserts. Adjust eye relief and rough level. Install the top inserts into the top of the ring caps and place them gently over the scope and press down toward the ring base. Use a methodical cross pattern for tightening while keeping an eye on levelness. It is tedious, but I’ve mounted dozens this way and have it down to a few minute process.

Last note that I’ve mentioned in other Burris ring threads, some rings are just poorly machined. Most of mine have been good, but I have a 30mm set that requires almost 15MOA of windage correction to center the scope. If you have the time and curiosity, try switching rings front to back or rotate each one 180 degrees in place and observe what happens to your point of impact. Good luck.

 

[Airgun-hobbyist]

I lube along all the mating V grooves as highlighted. My initial tightening is with just bottom ring/clamp half. I push it forward to the rail lug and tighten each screw a little at a time as I wiggle it side to side so both wedge pieces and the ring body "find their center" with each other and the picatinny rail. Once these are torqued down I do the inserts and ring caps.

If I take the scope off for whatever reason and re-mount it then I'll push it forward and give it the side-to-side wiggle while torquing. If I don't do this the horizontal plane is usually off quite a bit.

 

[Ezana4CE]

So you mounted these before but never shot with them, correct? As mentioned, the cant in your inserts might account for 1-2 MOA if that.

Lightly applying a lubricant to the Picatinny rail on the gun, the bottom of the ring bases, or the steel clamps that secure the ring base to the rail can help the ring slide into natural alignment rather than sticking as you tighten the base screws.

I install the ring bases to the gun. Place bottom inserts into the mounted rings, scope into those inserts. Adjust eye relief and rough level. Install the top inserts into the top of the ring caps and place them gently over the scope and press down toward the ring base. Use a methodical cross pattern for tightening while keeping an eye on levelness. It is tedious, but I’ve mounted dozens this way and have it down to a few minute process.

Last note that I’ve mentioned in other Burris ring threads, some rings are just poorly machined. Most of mine have been good, but I have a 30mm set that requires almost 15MOA of windage correction to center the scope. If you have the time and curiosity, try switching rings front to back or rotate each one 180 degrees in place and observe what happens to your point of impact. Good luck.

@Tumblinginflight You’re correct I’d had them for a while, mounted a scope in them, but didn’t shoot with it until recently placing a bother scope in these rings. I think there was a Sidewinder in these rings prior to my Sightron. The Sidewinder needed a different set of rings for the rifle I wanted to pair it with.

The way you describe mounting a scope does not read too different from what I do. What took more time than usual was trying to make slight leveling adjustments once the scope was set down into the inserts. When I moved the scope the inserts clung to the scope body and moved with it. I can usually tap a turret lightly with my finger to make slight leveling adjustment. Not with these inserts. Trying to keep them even with the bottom half of the rings was the issue after moving the scope. i guess I thought if they were slightly off, once I put the top half on and tightened them down the inserts might straighten out. I’m guessing here because I do not recall what I was thinking. Well I found out that they don’t and I’d have known this is if I took more time to read through the instructions before swapping scopes.

 

[cavedweller]

I was mounting some optics I had laying around and ended up swapping some around on different rifles and need new DOPE. So I took one of my Sightron S-Tacs in Burris Signature rings and mounted it on my Western Rattler. If you aren’t familiar with them, this he how they look.
View attachment 582586

I took 15 MOA from the elevation using the plastic inserts (lowering the objective lens). When I went to sight it in, I had shots hitting 1’ wide left. There are about 5 shots not even on the target paper.
View attachment 582582

I tried correcting using the windage turret and ran out of windage. This was a first, but I didn’t continue to investigate the problem because the heat drain ones that day. To even get inside of the white ring I believe that I held right 8 MOA.

The next time I picked up the Rattler I noticed the gap between the plastic inserts were canted instead of being aligned with the gaps in the rings.
View attachment 582574
View attachment 582576
When I looked in the XTR Signature rings manual it had an illustration that this is a method of adding cant to your scope.
View attachment 582585

So today I corrected that. I’ll see how well the correction worked when I shoot the Rattler again. I think I need to re-torque them because there’s only a gap between the inserts on one side, but I still wanted to share this bit that I’d overlooked.

I use these rings all the time and they are my favorites… bit overkill but nice. just make sure you take your time and properly pair the inserts as done wrong it can affect your parallax… ask me how I know
IMO lubing is unecessary, just press them in flush and maintain flush when dropping the top insert over. Always retorque 15-18 inch lb max… with six bolts securing one ring ya don’t need much

 

[Ezana4CE]

I use these rings all the time and they are my favorites… bit overkill but nice. just make sure you take your time and properly pair the inserts as done wrong it can affect your parallax… ask me how I know
IMO lubing is unecessary, just press them in flush and maintain flush when dropping the top insert over. Always retorque 15-18 inch lb max… with six bolts securing one ring ya don’t need much

@cavedweller Where’d you see this bit of information on the torque specs for the ting screws? I only saw the torque specs for the base screws for 40-70 in/lbs. I torqued my rings to 20 in/lbs.

Also, how would you improperly pair the inserts? I added 15 MOA (+5 bottom rear, -10 bottom front with the opposite on the top rings).

 

[Ezana4CE]

@cavedweller Where’d you see this bit of information on the torque specs for the ting screws? I only saw the torque specs for the base screws for 40-70 in/lbs. I torqued my rings to 20 in/lbs.

Also, how would you improperly pair the inserts? I added 15 MOA (+5 bottom rear, -10 front rear with the opposite on the top rings).

All I had to go on for torque specs are from the FAQ section on the scope manufacture’s website.

Sightron Riflescopes | FAQ

The Sightron team answers Frequently Asked Questions

sightron.com

 

[cavedweller]

All I had to go on for torque specs are from the FAQ section on the scope manufacture’s website.
View attachment 583016

Sightron Riflescopes | FAQ

The Sightron team answers Frequently Asked Questions

sightron.com

Torque specs as listed with scope
as for inserts, they must be paired +5 -5 in front or back but the same number used in one ring - plus or minus…etc… you can’t mix them so if I want twenty MOA I have to use plus twenty bottom rear and minus twenty top rear. And both front rings would be the zero inserts

 

[Ezana4CE]

Torque specs as listed with scope
as for inserts, they must be paired +5 -5 in front or back but the same number used in one ring - plus or minus…etc… you can’t mix them so if I want twenty MOA I have to use plus twenty bottom rear and minus twenty top rear. And both front rings would be the zero inserts

@cavedweller That’s what I thought about the inserts. My 5s are together as are my 10s regarding my top and bottom inserts. I had to learn about torque specs because with cheaper rings there are sometimes torque specs in the box. I only used to buy cheap rings. Then I learned more about mounts and bases. It generally it seems that 15-20in/lbs is safe for scope bodies, but I’ve seen some where the manufacturer recommends lower torque. Hawke and Vortex are two that come to mind.