Coin trick for choosing ring height - 08/30/16
I know I'm bound to not be the only one to do this, but since I still hear questions about what height rings fit what scopes on what rifles, I thought it might be worthwhile to illustrate this handy method. I also still run into people who don't necessarily understand the concepts of cheek-weld and non-critical eye relief, they just know that their scope/stock combo doesn't fit their face and eye correctly. For me, I typically like as low a mounting position as possible, depending on the stock choice.
Since many manufacturers list ring heights online these days, a person can easily find out what best fits them with nothing more than their rifle, their chosen scope, a set of calipers, and a handful of pocket change. If using a weaver, piccatiny, or dual dovetail base, it is best to go ahead and get the base mounted on the rifle. Put the rifle in your vice and start stacking quarters where the rings are going to sit. Gently place your scope atop the coin stacks and see if the bell clears the barrel and your bolt handle clears the occular. If need be, a strip of scotch tape across each coin stack will help keep it from toppling. Fine tuning for height can be done with thinner coins or combinations of multiple coin types. Pay attention to eye relief length to make sure the test positioning isn't way off from front to back, as a rearward position may often have increased likelihood of the objective bell making contact with a tapering barrel shank.
This stack of coins measures roughly .250" with my calipers and when situated atop the Burris bases, provides just enough clearance to allow the 4-16x50 Viper PST. Looking around at rings in the desired price range, SWFA 30mm lows are .250" in height. Who'd think that low rings on relatively slim base would clear that scope? Not me, but the coin measurement proved it. It works. I can fit a couple of business cards under the front of the scope, but that's about it.
On the flipside, a person can also look at available listed ring heights for the rings they want to use and do mock-ups before ordering. Mixing and matching coin combos can get very close to nearly any available ring height. If a one-piece unit is desired, such as the Talley Alloy, the coin stacks are simply placed atop the naked front and rear action bridges. Scotch tape does come in handy when working with round top actions and it bears remembering that front and rear heights are different on many actions. A few long strips of masking tape across the scope and down onto the stock can allow you to shoulder the rifle to check eye-relief. I did this one just last week and found that Talley 30mm Extra Lows should work on my 223AI #4 contour M700 with my 2.5-10x42mm Nikon Monarch X. That's what I ordered and cheek-weld is great.
Since many manufacturers list ring heights online these days, a person can easily find out what best fits them with nothing more than their rifle, their chosen scope, a set of calipers, and a handful of pocket change. If using a weaver, piccatiny, or dual dovetail base, it is best to go ahead and get the base mounted on the rifle. Put the rifle in your vice and start stacking quarters where the rings are going to sit. Gently place your scope atop the coin stacks and see if the bell clears the barrel and your bolt handle clears the occular. If need be, a strip of scotch tape across each coin stack will help keep it from toppling. Fine tuning for height can be done with thinner coins or combinations of multiple coin types. Pay attention to eye relief length to make sure the test positioning isn't way off from front to back, as a rearward position may often have increased likelihood of the objective bell making contact with a tapering barrel shank.
This stack of coins measures roughly .250" with my calipers and when situated atop the Burris bases, provides just enough clearance to allow the 4-16x50 Viper PST. Looking around at rings in the desired price range, SWFA 30mm lows are .250" in height. Who'd think that low rings on relatively slim base would clear that scope? Not me, but the coin measurement proved it. It works. I can fit a couple of business cards under the front of the scope, but that's about it.
On the flipside, a person can also look at available listed ring heights for the rings they want to use and do mock-ups before ordering. Mixing and matching coin combos can get very close to nearly any available ring height. If a one-piece unit is desired, such as the Talley Alloy, the coin stacks are simply placed atop the naked front and rear action bridges. Scotch tape does come in handy when working with round top actions and it bears remembering that front and rear heights are different on many actions. A few long strips of masking tape across the scope and down onto the stock can allow you to shoulder the rifle to check eye-relief. I did this one just last week and found that Talley 30mm Extra Lows should work on my 223AI #4 contour M700 with my 2.5-10x42mm Nikon Monarch X. That's what I ordered and cheek-weld is great.