Back to the OP's question, I am very partial to mounting scopes as low as I can. It bothers me when bolt/ocular (eyepiece) clearance is the limiting issue as opposed to barrel/objective clearance. This often occurs on the Ruger 77/22, the subject here, as well as on the Pre '64 Model 70. In both cases, I have made good use of Leupold compact scopes with the smaller diameter ocular.
However, mounting the scope as low as possible is not without issues. Mounting a scope as low as possible can limit the fore and aft placement, as parts of the scope will contact the mount base where taller rings would allow more fore/aft movement. This can occur at either the objective end or sometimes at the other end, especially with variable scopes. One simply has to determine what is most important and what works for them.
