Before I go off and experiment, does anyone know if a scope will remain zeroed if you remove it from a ruger rifle mounted with their rings and then put it back on?

That is not what I have found. I just took the glass off my buds gun for a REAL good scrubbin and it was close after reinstall but needed several clicks to be back on at 100.

I've removed the scope and replaced it with no problems on my Rugers.

passport, did you also remove the rifle from the stock for the cleaning.

Swapping between NECG peep and a scope in Leupold mounts usually requires 1-2 settling shots. Don't know how the heavier Ruger mounts do.

i wont say they will go back to perfect zero but they have been close enough for me that at 100 yrds i can't tell if it was me or the rings. in fact i would not have an issue with useing a second pair of rings & haveing a second scope sighted in to used as a back up should something happen to the first scope (yes i did fall one year and when i raised my rifle up to check my scope the lens was cracked, so it does happen)

I have found that they do within .5" to 1" at 100. If I am going to use this feature I shoot a group removing and mounting the scope between shots to feel good about it.

I have a number of rugers, most short actions these days and do swap scopes every now and then. I also have a NECG sight.

I also can zero a back up scope and bring it along in lieu of a spare rifle.

I suspect that in some of the cases where you don't get a return to zero its because there was some torque in the original mounting.

I was once told on the internet by a gunsmith that the Ruger rings would not RTZ ,and that was counter to my own experience ,......so I got out my old M77 flatbolt and fired a 5 shot group at 100 yards , dismounting and re-mounting the scope between every shot . The group measured 1.5 inch ......

Mark the alignment of the screw slots with a little white out so you can tighten them to the same position.

Any ring which clamps onto a dovetail base and uses one solid side with an opposing clamp will return to zero. This includes the Ruger. The caveat is that the rings must fit correctly in the first place.
With the Ruger rings, this means the ring must sit square on the top of the integral base on the receiver, with contact on both sides of this surface. The recoil lug has to contact at the front of the notch. The position of the screw slots is absolutely meaningless as long as the screws are sufficiently tight to seat the ring against the base.
Base and ring systems by Talley, Warne, and Weaver return perfectly as do any of the rings which fit Weaver style bases; provided they are of the type mentioned above-a solid side opposed by a clamp. This includes such as the Leupold QRW, the Warme Maxima and a host of "tactical" rings. GD

No scope mount is absolutely perfect is this regard. Ruger rings are probably as good as any, at least good enough to get you back on the paper at 100 yards. Consistency of technique in installing and re-installing helps. Alternate tightening the screws, tighten to the same torque each time, and slide and hold the scope forward each time to take-up any play in the lugs while tightening the screws (there IS play there).

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If each time you tighten the bases you use a torque wrench and alternate between the bases so that you creep up on the final torque, you'll get very close to return to zero.

Just using a screwdriver and alternating back and forth I've found that the 100yd POI is within 1" of the previous setting.

I would rezero any scope that I removed, as it would be an exceptional mount that would perfectly return the scope to zero when removed. Scope bases are roughly 6" apart, at 100 yds moving one of those 0.001" equates to 0.6".

Agreed. My experience has been roughly the same.

+1. My experience mirrors JimHnSTL's. In fact I have a back-up scope ready to go on my Ruger MK II in the event my main scope craps out.

Do you do anything specific when putting the scope back on to make sure it RTZ?

+1

Yep, and its not bedded.

Pabucktail,

I do have a routine, when putting a scope back on my Ruger but it's pretty simple. I first install the rings into the integral mount (making sure the rings are fully inserted into the mount) by hand-tightening each screw. Then, I use a small T-handled tool to alternately tighten each screw 1/2 turn, until each is tight. I only tighten these screws until I can't go any further by hand with the tool. While tightening each main ring mount screw, I push down and forward on the scope. I then do one final check to ensure that the rings are fully inserted into the integral mounts. I do this because one time I had tightened my scope rings and went to the range to sight-in. I ran out of scope adjustment trying to do this. Since I had bore-sighted this scope on this rifle, I knew something wasn't right. When I checked the rings, I noticed daylight between the rear ring and the mount. In other words, I had not fully seated the ring into the mount. If you're in a hurry (as I was) this is possible to do. So, I fixed it and everything then worked as it should. That's it.

I don't know if I clearly explained my procedure (and used the correct terminology) but it really is much easier to do than to explain.

That may well have been where the several clicks came from.

Pabucktail: Interesting question AND replies!
I am a notorious scope robber (swapper!). I have several Rifles that are used strictly either for spring/summer Varminting or for fall Big Game Hunting - thus I swap scopes often among a handfull of Rifles.
I open the rings and remove the scopes on my swappings.
My mind is racing now to figure a way to "simplify" my swappings on my Rugers!
Thanks again for the great question.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Agreed

I gotta say that I've never done an "off and on" check of Ruger's rings. But, I do have some rugers with their rings on them. Just looking at the mount design, and assuming a good scope, I can see no way that they wouldn't return to zero. But, I'd test that theory before using the system on a hunt. The only difference between them and QD rings is you have to use a screw driver to get the Ruger rings off. And I see Ruger's system as being superior to a QD set of rings for Ruger rifles.

DMB,

Its been mentioned on here before, but there is a small US company that makes a set of levers/screws that turn the Ruger ring-mounts into a true QD set-up.

I've no idea of the name of the company, but I bet soembody on here would know..

Regards,

Peter

That would be excellent. Ruger should do something like that from the factory. Anyone know the name of this company?

I would be interested in the name of the company as well. I have set up my Ruger rings as QD by having a set of Warne levers fitted to the cut down sloted knob. Have done plenty of on and off to test and they work well, at least for hunting purposes anyway. I did this so I could have a 4.5-14 and a 2-7 for differing situations.

Von Gruff.

Close enough for government work in my experience

I can take the scope off my 77/.357, to use the irons, and replace without a re-zero.

The variance isn't enough to worry about.