Value of expensive scope rings

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Z

zebra

Member
Sep 29, 2015
1,779
70
New York
Is there any value in expensive scope rings? 

I underderstand what people are paying for with expensive scopes or air guns but what extra performance do you get from $300 scope rings?

To me scope rings are a very functional item and it's binary - they either hold my scope without causing POI shifts, or they don't. 

So far, I am not experiencing any poi shift from my $20 rings. I'm not sure that I don't get similar performance from the rings that came free with my first Walmart springer but what do I know...

I know that for $60-$100, you can buy fairly decent adjustable mounts and some people need that but that's not what I am talking about here. I am talking about those $300 rings that seem to offer no additional features like adjustability or bubble levels etc. 

They don't seem to be made of precious metals either. They aren't diamond encrusted....

I know at least one of you would not have been able to resist the temptation to be better than everyone else so give it up. How has your life improved from these magic rings?
 
I had a bobro quick detach mount with burris xtr2 scope once. It was the only mount that would truly return to zero repeatedly taking the mount on and off. This was convienent because you could have one expensive scope for all your rifles. Just choose whatever rifle you were going to shoot......5 seconds later your scope is mounted and zeroed. It really did work that well. I sold it when I got into airgunning. Because I shoot airguns way more now.
 
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People have different experiences of scope rings and expectations.

I have had duff rings from two well-known 'makers' and I've had 'no-name flimsy rings' that seem perfectly OK.

However, I don't risk it anymore and look for certain engineering qualities. I don't like mounts / rings that only clamp from one side, and I prefer the maker to have some interest in 'matching' :). QR is an appealing idea which, to me anyway, fails on the fact that every gun is different even my two 5.5mm (.22") FX Cyclones (and a W&S Spectre in the same bore) shoot quite differently.

My base level would be BKL mounts (never heard of a problem with these at all), (quick tip - try NOT to buy these s/hand as they may have got jumbled-up - BKL New are matched at the factory). I would say these are fine for general PCP use. (Fullbore / Centrefire or Powderburners are a different matter).

Above BKL, the world is you oyster !
 
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So the general point is that they have no benefit for air guns but... for powerful firearms they are more durable because they are made from stronger metal. 

It sounds so simple. The only thing I'm not sure about is if there is any alloy of aluminum that is so expensive it could account for the price difference. Then again, I'm not exactly an aluminum expert... Now that I think about it, I have seen some titanium rings and that stuff is expensive.

I guess there is also a potential benefit if you use springers as they recoil worse than powder burners. 
 
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Most all the cheap rings are very cheap cast aluminum. When the price goes up for aluminum rings it normally is better quality and or stronger alloys and machined, not cast. I have had cheap rings crack when tightening because of poor quality junk cast aluminum, but that has only happened to me twice. I see no value in high end rings/bases unless it is for a springer or high recoiling powder burner.

Years ago it was a must to lap rings to avoid scope tube damage and proper mounting. While I still feel lapping rings is the proper way to go, even today's cheap rings are precise enough to function and not damage scope tubes straight out of the blister pack.
 
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An area not discussed here yet is the Dovetails themselves - there is no set definitionof the geometry of these.

'Airguns' were somewhat late to the party regarding Scope Mounting and there have been some lamentable attempts to offer scope dovetails in the past (HW, BSA, esp.) but the angles and width are still not fully defined ("approx 11mm, approx 45 bite").

That's another reason for distrusting standard rings that clamp only from one side.
 
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Maybe I have been lucky, but I have owned over 100 different scopeable airguns and never had an issue with how the manufacturers cut dovetail grooves in relationship to scope ring alignment. I will admit that I never get to concerned with optically centering scopes either. As long as I am not at the extreme ends of range, I don't care as I never click scopes, just dope and run.
 
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Dovetail rings are designed to clamp to rails that vary in size (within reason). As long as they fit the rail and clamp on firmly then there is no problem usually. 

The only rail I ever had an issue with some rings not fitting is on the career 707 which seems to have a bizarrely thin dovetail rail.

Some weaver rails seem to be wider than average too, but that only presents an issue for me if I try to use dovetail rings. Either way, I can't see how expensive rings would solve the problem in the very rare cases it has been one for me. 

BTW, cast metal can be as strong a piece that is milled from billet. You can find poor quality cast product but you can also find poor quality milled stuff (as well as good examples of both). 

Also, of all the commonly used alloys of aluminum, I haven't come across one that is significantly more expensive than the rest (although they do vary a little). They all have slightly different properties and you would typically choose based on what you are doing with it rather than the price. I.e. Some are stronge, some machine better, some are better for bending etc.

My $20 rings were CNC milled I believe. I guess that's another technology which is bringing down costs while improving tolerances. 

I can't imagine wanting to buy expensive accessories for a springer. The more I learn about them, the more I dislike them. 
 
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