Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Scope Clearance

Is this scope to close? VX-R 3-9x50 in LW talleys. It's on a 30-06 with a Vais brake. I measured the clearance with feeler gauges and it is .025" clear. Pic attached.

Also, I have a vx3i 4.5-14x40 30mm tube with CDS and some low LW talleys that would give me about .175" clear. Can't decide if I want to swap them out.

I've had them closer than in that pic. In fact used a shim before using a coke can cut with scissors at the range as well as a business card, in the lower rings to clear a barrel. Only needed a hair....never had any issues when rings are locked down right - and I see daylight...

Others - YMMV.

I've shot them for years with less clearance than pictured. You're good to go.

I have a scope bell so low I can get a lens cap over it.

I like scopes mounted low, given 3 considerations:

1) It clears the barrel
2) On a bolt action, the bolt lift clears the ocular well
3) My position on the stock, syncs comfortably with the "Eye Box"

I have yet to have a problem with one being "Too Low" assuming it clears the barrel. I have had ie. a bolt handle barely able to touch and rub the ocular, a 77/22 with lows, using a 4x B&L Balfor compact. I just put a piece of black electrical tape on the scope where the bolt could touch to protect the finish.

Provided the eye alignment is good, I love it when a scope will mount with minimal clearance. There is nothing worse than almost clearing with one height of rings, but having to step up to the next height for clearance reasons. I want my rifle as compact as possible, including mounting the scope low to the receiver. If it works for your eye, there is no reason you should not leave the rifle with .025" objective clearance to the barrel.

One thing I can say about the setup - when I throw the gun up, the crosshairs are right there. Everything just falls right in. It is a tight and compact setup. I was only concerned about barrel harmonics, heat and scope/barrel deflection causing interference because I haven't ever had a scope ride so low that I can remember. I really don't want to chage anything because it fits me so well. I appreciate everybody's input. I think I will leave it alone for now.

+1 ...

OP - your concern was a valid one. I too asked but like JPro learned over time IME - no issues. Enjoy your well set up rig.

I am building some rifles.
The IOR scope has 0.018" clearance.
The Nightforce has 0.019" clearance.

I've shimmed with little squares cut out of a Coke can too.


Then it's right for you. As long as you have a sliver of clearance, you should be good.

Here's one of mine:



Yes, there is clearance between the scope and the barrel.

Damnit I thought there was a link to a clearance sale of some sort :-)

All you need is enough to not touch the barrel! Your good to go!

How about this one? .013" clear of the talley base.

What I like about Talley LW's is that being aluminum, it is easy to take a flat file and put a chamfer on the front or rear base to allow greater fore/aft adjustment for eye relief.

Hell, put it so low that it tensions on the barrel!!! Think of it as a pressure point... every manufacturer wouldn't use them if they didn't work better than a free float [snark off]

I'm not buying Low rings anymore. Twice in two months had a clearance issue. For what? An 1/8" or something dumb? MEDIUMS

This is the important thing....

The old myth that a scope has to be mounted as low as possible is just that...a myth.

Mount it so it gives you a good clear pic when you shoulder the rifle.

Yeah a myth lol
Thats probable why all the competitive shooters and military guys want to mount a scope at least an inch high... lol