Brass Scope Ring Shims

[mtnGhost]

I need to add some elevation MOA to my (March 3-24) scope, I prefer to use the set of rings that I bought with it.

Here is the caveat - I want to keep everything feather light. My scope naked weights 24oz, the rings that I got for it (high, 30mm March) are 2.61oz each. I just got a set of Burris XTR rings delivered (comes with adjustable shims, and combined they weigh just under 8oz.

I have been aware of other long range shooters shimming their scope rings using aluminum from cans. When I searched around recently, I saw a recommendation that someone had made for using strips of brass instead of aluminum, which intrigued me enough to get 9' of it in various widths and thicknesses.

With all of that said - has anyone used brass to shim their scopes? My concerns would be around 1) cosmetic damage / general to the scope 2) screws becoming loosened as the brass forms to my rings 3) elevation consistency over time.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated  

 

[mtnGhost]

One more thing to add, I have a few 20MOA risers already, they're in the 4-6oz range.

 

[JamesD.]

Bro, I have 20 sets of feeler gauges. You can shim by the thousandths if need be. You can have but I get for $1.00 at flea market. Maybe $5

I just got a 3rd Starrett 1” micrometer. They’re over $250.00 & I paid $12

 

[marflow]

plastic water bottle would be my first choice, the material is free and will damage nothing as material

9 feet of brass shim material, well that will last a life time

so you have some unknowns how much will be needed and what is to much angle for the rings to be inline with each other you don't what to damage that March scope

so I would start with small pieces of black electrical tape to build up to what you might need measure the tape and times it by layers and get a thickness idea

also you can use piece of printer paper for your build up, there is R&D work to be done

and in the long run you might have to use the Burris rings and they might not weigh as much as they said they do

 

[mtnGhost]

Meh, screw it! I'm just going to use these big XTRs for the time being. I can deal with some extra ounces of weight more than the thought of turning a new scope into a paperweight lol

@marlow - the first thing that I did when after they were delivered was weigh them.. I figured they wouldn't be light, I have to wonder how much the steel ones weigh though! 

In case any poor bloke on the internet is wondering, combined - the 30mm 1.5" high Burris XTR rings are 7.90oz with the inserts (inserts are 0.32oz per set). 

Thanks for the replies!  

 

[Revoman]

I use and like the Burris rings, weight though is not a problem. Before I started using them however, I used cut pieces of empty shotshell hulls. Close to the right radius, thick enough to help and zero marking issues. You can find empties at shotgun ranges of course and they come in a lot of colors.

 

[mtnGhost]

I use and like the Burris rings, weight though is not a problem. Before I started using them however, I used cut pieces of empty shotshell hulls. Close to the right radius, thick enough to help and zero marking issues. You can find empties at shotgun ranges of course and they come in a lot of colors.

Brilliant!!! That sounds even better than brass. The Burris inserts are some sort of hard plastic composite material, and I just didn't want to risk screwing up a not so cheap scope experimenting with metal.

 

[jps2486]

Never use metal! Best stuff is plastic 2 liter soda bottle or a piece of gallon milk jug. It will never scratch your scopes. Optimum, of course is Burris Signature rings with plastic inserts. Unfortunately they only make the 30mm rings with Picatinny mounts. We need to pester them to make them with airgun mounts.

 

[mtnGhost]

Never use metal! Best stuff is plastic 2 liter soda bottle or a piece of gallon milk jug. It will never scratch your scopes. Optimum, of course is Burris Signature rings with plastic inserts. Unfortunately they only make the 30mm rings with Picatinny mounts. We need to pester them to make them with airgun mounts.

Yeah, I was also not too thrilled when I found that the XTR signature rings didn't line up evenly with the UTG dovetail to pic adapters! Here's what I mean..