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Target/Varmint Scope under $500

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tiredeyes View Drop Down
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    Posted: May/27/2010 at 20:55
I'm looking for a 1" scope with variable up to 16x or 20x and an objective lens around 42 or 44mm.
I want adjustable objective and BDC reticle or at least mil-dot.
It will be mounted on a new Ruger KM77VT (big heavy barrel) .308.  It will be used for paper punching at 100 yards and occasional coyote/big game hunting up to 550 yards. Weight is no consideration, I want a rugged scope. I'm new to long range shooting.
I'm thinking of a Burris 4-16x44 Signature BDC or a Nikon Monarch 4-16x42 or Monarch 5-20x44 BDC which is a little over budget.
 
Will 16x be a little underpowered for coyotes at 550 yards? How forgiving is the eye relief on the Monarch 5-20x44?  Am I trying to get too much magnification for the money at $500?
 
What other variable scopes mett these requirements? The Bushnell Elites have either 40 or 50mm objectives which I might consider but I prefer about 44mm.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote neilbilly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/27/2010 at 21:58

Welcome


Howdy Tiredeyes


There are a lot of good scopes in your ball park. To do everything you are wanting to do you may want to check this out in addition to what you're looking at.

http://swfa.com/Weaver-6-24x42-Classic-V-Rifle-Scope-P2089.aspx

There are also some Browning scopes on the sample list that might interest you.


You may need more magnification with your vision than the next guy or vice/versa. I personally can shoot out to 400 yards at a coyote sized target with 9x. I'm getting older and have started going 10-14x on the high side, but have more than I need. 


2 scopes I'd consider were it me wanting to do what you're wanting to do would be these.


http://swfa.com/Vortex-4-12x40-Diamondback-Rifle-Scope-P13289.aspx

http://swfa.com/Burris-45-14x32-Timberline-Rifle-Scope-P11004.aspx


With either of those you could spend the rest of the budgeted money on shells and have a good time. That's just me though, you have to do what makes you happiest. 


Happy hunting.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tiredeyes Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/27/2010 at 22:54
Thanks for the reply Neilbilly. I didn't know about the sample list. I was just drooling over this Monarch http://www.samplelist.com/Nikon-6-24x50-Monarch-Rifle-Scope-DEMO-B-P841.aspx  .
I ordered the rifle but it won't be in my hands until Monday so I'm not sure if the Ruger medium rings will accomodate a 50mm scope.....if so I'll include them in my parameters.  Also I'll ask the dealer if I can trade for 30mm rings if I find a good deal in a 30mm scope.
My eyes are pretty old and I don't think any less than 16 power will please me.
 
I have a Mueller 8.5-25x44 mil-dot that I can use temporarily and to calculate maximum bell diameter I can use. The Mueller has great glass but the eye relief is extremely unforgiving and thus no good for hunting. By the time I could get an animal viewed thru this scope it would be long gone. One of the turret handles came loose and rattled and caused me to lose some confidence in it. I'll keep it as a test/target scope though.
 
I want a quality scope that won't lose it's zero for this new Ruger.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SVT_Tactical Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/28/2010 at 07:08
http://swfa.com/Vortex-Viper-Rifle-Scopes-C1410.aspx
 
Vortex 4-12x40 Viper Rifle Scope Dead-Hold BDC Vortex 4-12x40 Viper Rifle Scope
Stock # - VPRM04BDC
  • Matte
  • Dead-Hold BDC
  • 1"
  • Side Focus
$399.95 
Vortex 6.5-20x44 Viper 30mm Rifle Scope Dead-Hold BDC Vortex 6.5-20x44 Viper 30mm Rifle Scope
Stock # - VPRM05BDC
  • Matte
  • Dead-Hold BDC
  • 30mm
  • Side Focus
$399.95 
Great glass and great price.........can't go wrong.  Argueably the best Customer Service in the optics world....within its price range

Edited by SVT_Tactical - May/28/2010 at 07:09
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote supertool73 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/28/2010 at 08:59
#1 on the Vortex  Thunbs Up
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tiredeyes Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/28/2010 at 09:32
I have used mostly Leopold scopes most of my life. Many people characterize Leopolds as overpriced, but one thing I have noticed is that when I throw a Leopold equipped rifle to my face I can see through it without wasting 20 seconds trying to circumvent blackout.
 
The eye relief shown on this Vortex, which seems great otherwise shows a relief tolerance between 3.1 and 3.3 inches, which is less than a quarter inch. http://swfa.com/Vortex-65-20x44-Viper-30mm-Rifle-Scope-P11231.aspx
 
Compare that to a Leopold  http://swfa.com/Leupold-6-18x40-VX-II-Riflescope-P2581.aspx which shows more than four times as much tolerance.
 
This doesn't make much difference to me when paper punching, but when I'm hunting I want fast target aquisition.
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 3_tens Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/28/2010 at 09:36
Burris Siginature Select Euro Quality glass. Burris is the best at providing the support needed to use the B-plex 
Burris 4-16x44 Signature Select Rifle Scope Ballistic Plex Burris 4-16x44 Signature Select Rifle Scope
Stock # - 200768
  • Matte
  • Ballistic Plex
  • 1"
  • Adjustable Objective
$519.95 


Edited by 3_tens - May/28/2010 at 09:37
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote supertool73 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/28/2010 at 10:07
Originally posted by tiredeyes tiredeyes wrote:

I have used mostly Leopold scopes most of my life. Many people characterize Leopolds as overpriced, but one thing I have noticed is that when I throw a Leopold equipped rifle to my face I can see through it without wasting 20 seconds trying to circumvent blackout.
 
The eye relief shown on this Vortex, which seems great otherwise shows a relief tolerance between 3.1 and 3.3 inches, which is less than a quarter inch. http://swfa.com/Vortex-65-20x44-Viper-30mm-Rifle-Scope-P11231.aspx
 
Compare that to a Leopold  http://swfa.com/Leupold-6-18x40-VX-II-Riflescope-P2581.aspx which shows more than four times as much tolerance.
 
This doesn't make much difference to me when paper punching, but when I'm hunting I want fast target aquisition.
 
 


They are talking about the variance of how close your eye needs to be to the scope between magnification ranges.  Meaning at low power you would have 3.3 inches or relief, at high power 3.1  The lower those number the better.  Some Leupolds (such as the one you are showing) have an 1 inch or more of variance between high and low power, which is not a good thing.  That means your head will never be in quite the same spot on your stock as you change your power.  Which means you will be more likely to have a black rings in the scope until you get your head positioned to get the proper eye relief.  Personally I don't care much for scopes that I have to move around to much on. 

Now 3.1 inches or eye relief is certainly not very much.  I like to have at least 3.5 on all my guns with the least amount of variance as possible.

Another thing that can cause black rings is the exit pupil.  They higher you turn up the mag the smaller the band of light being transmitted through the scope is.  Which means the higher you have the mag the more perfectly centered your eye has to be behind the scope to get a perfect sight picture. 

Take a 4-12x40mm scope.  At 4x that scope will have 10mm of exit pupil which is more than double the size of the pupil in your eye.  So that means you have a lot of variance about how close your eye is lined up behind the scope without seeing the black in your scope.  Now turn that same scope up to 12x  suddenly you only have 3.3mm of exit pupil.  So now that band of light is most likely smaller than the pupil in your eye and you have to be lined up perfectly behind it or you will get those black rings. 


Edited by supertool73 - May/28/2010 at 10:13
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tiredeyes Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/28/2010 at 10:24
Originally posted by supertool73 supertool73 wrote:


They are talking about the variance of how close your eye needs to be to the scope between magnification ranges.  Meaning at low power you would have 3.3 inches or relief, at high power 3.1  
Thanks for explaining, I didn't know that.
So how does an online scope shopper determine how forgiving a scope's eye relief is going to be?
When I bought my Meuller 8.5-25x44 everyone on the gun forums was saying that they were the latest and the greatest, that the glass was a good as a Leopold at a fraction of the cost and so on, which it may be.....but that doesn't do me any good if the eye relief is so unforgiving that I can't hunt with it....or if the turret handles fall off when I need them.
I want to buy a scope that I can rely on, one that won't eventually be relegated to my "scope drawer".
There has been some mention of a scope rating chart on this forum, can you link me to it? I can't find it.
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SVT_Tactical Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/28/2010 at 10:52

the 2010 ratings aren't out yet.  The group of folks on this forum are very knowledgable and well tell you up front if a scope is a waste.  Example. SWFA is the owner and operator of this site.  They own the SuperSniper line of scopes.  IF they put out a SS scope that was crap no one person on here would hesitate to call them out on it.  While we have loyalty to them we will give honest opinions and they appreciate that.   In other words we will not say buy this scope if we wouldn't use it ourself. Nor would we tell you to buy something we felt you would be disappointed with

There are several guys on here that test optics all the time Ilya's reviews and expertese is valued by multiple people on here and I hope will chime in for you.  Another factor is the CS of a scope maker in the event something happens to the scope. Vortex is IMO in a league of there own in the price range you are wanting to stay within. 

Edited by SVT_Tactical - May/28/2010 at 10:54
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote supertool73 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/28/2010 at 10:59
In the case of your meuller it is the exit pupil that is the problem more so than the eye relief.  Anything above 10x is going to have such a small band of light going to your eye that it will be nearly impossible to use for hunting as you have probably discovered.  Most of the time hunting requires quick shots from awkward positions.  So you need a large band of light so eye position is not so critical.  As you stated before they may work great for bench/target shooting but suck for hunting.

Many of us on this forum preach that a low powered scope is always going to be better for most hunting situations.  Sure there are a few niche hunting situations like p-dogs where a high powered variable will be better.  But 95% of the time a 1-4x or a2-8x or a 3-9x40 or similar scope is the best choice for hunting.  They offer enough magnification, plenty of exit pupil to allow you to take those quick shots and not have to be lined up perfectly.

For mid to longer range varmint, I think you are on the right track with a 16x scope though. 

People think they want 25x magnification scopes so the scope makers make them to appease the masses and mall ninjas.  But really they are just not suited for most hunting situations. 

Here are some good ones at different price ranges.  For least to most.    44mms are not that common, so finding an exact fit for you will be hard.
Sightron, the Big Sky is better than the SII
http://swfa.com/Sightron-4-16x42-SII-Riflescope-P6047.aspx
http://swfa.com/Sightron-4-16x42-SII-Big-Sky-Riflescope-P9168.aspx

Bushnell 3200 and 4200
http://swfa.com/Bushnell-5-15x40-Elite-3200-Rifle-Scope-P240.aspx
http://swfa.com/Bushnell-4-16x40-Elite-4200-Rifle-Scope-P11606.aspx

Weaver
http://swfa.com/Weaver-45-14x40-Grand-Slam-Rifle-Scope-P40574.aspx
http://swfa.com/Weaver-3-15x50-Super-Slam-Rifle-Scope-P40564.aspx

Nikon
http://swfa.com/Nikon-6-18x40-Buckmaster-Riflescope-P42257.aspx
http://swfa.com/Nikon-4-16x42-Monarch-Riflescope-P42336.aspx

Also don't take this in a derogatory way.  But do you understand the limitations of a BDC reticle and a mildot retilce with a second focal plane scope?  Meaning they are only accurate on one magnification.  Really they take quite a bit of work to learn to use and get your load setup to work with them.  You would be better off getting a scope with both a mildot and target type knobs and learning how to use them.

And here is the scope thread.  http://www.opticstalk.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=16515







Edited by supertool73 - May/28/2010 at 11:03
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tiredeyes Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/28/2010 at 12:52
Thanks for the replies, guys.
Originally posted by supertool73 supertool73 wrote:

In the case of your meuller it is the exit pupil that is the problem more so than the eye relief.  Anything above 10x is going to have such a small band of light going to your eye that it will be nearly impossible to use for hunting as you have probably discovered.  Most of the time hunting requires quick shots from awkward positions.  So you need a large band of light so eye position is not so critical.  As you stated before they may work great for bench/target shooting but suck for hunting.
Agreed, but I think the design of the scope factors in as well. I just took my Mueller, my ancient Burris Fullfield and my Leopold VX-III  and set them all on 10 power and looked through them several times. The Leopold was best, the Burris was second and the Mueller was distant third place . This is not about clarity or anything else other than "blackout". Coincidentally, the shortest scope was the best and the longest the worst.
Quote

For mid to longer range varmint, I think you are on the right track with a 16x scope though. 

People think they want 25x magnification scopes so the scope makers make them to appease the masses and mall ninjas.  But really they are just not suited for most hunting situations. 
25x is OK for punching paper but I want a variable scope with a high of 16 to 20.
Quote
Here are some good ones at different price ranges.  For least to most.    44mms are not that common, so finding an exact fit for you will be hard.
Sightron, the Big Sky is better than the SII
http://swfa.com/Sightron-4-16x42-SII-Riflescope-P6047.aspx
http://swfa.com/Sightron-4-16x42-SII-Big-Sky-Riflescope-P9168.aspx

Nikon
http://swfa.com/Nikon-4-16x42-Monarch-Riflescope-P42336.aspx  
These will be on my final list. I think I prefer the "Hunter Holdover Reticle" on the Sightron better than the mil-dot.
 
Where would this one rank among those? http://swfa.com/Burris-4-16x44-Signature-Select-Rifle-Scope-P2985.aspx    I like the fact that it has some heft. I have never bounced a Burris but assume that weight translates into ruggedness.

Quote Also don't take this in a derogatory way.  But do you understand the limitations of a BDC reticle and a mildot retilce with a second focal plane scope?  Meaning they are only accurate on one magnification.  Really they take quite a bit of work to learn to use and get your load setup to work with them.  You would be better off getting a scope with both a mildot and target type knobs and learning how to use them.
I barely have my head wrapped around that concept.  I know how bad my memory and ability to memorize procedures is and I was planning use the BDC at only one magnification level. If I started twisting knobs on a zeroed scope I would make too many mistakes. That said, do you think the BDC type reticles would suit me? I don't plan on shooting varmints smaller than coyotes at 550 yds.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote supertool73 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/28/2010 at 13:05
Originally posted by tiredeyes tiredeyes wrote:

Agreed, but I think the design of the scope factors in as well. I just took my Mueller, my ancient Burris Fullfield and my Leopold VX-III  and set them all on 10 power and looked through them several times. The Leopold was best, the Burris was second and the Mueller was distant third place . This is not about clarity or anything else other than "blackout". Coincidentally, the shortest scope was the best and the longest the worst.


I think you are right.  The Leupold would be the best quality scope out of those 3 so it would make sense it would be easier to use.

Quote These will be on my final list. I think I prefer the "Hunter Holdover Reticle" on the Sightron better than the mil-dot.
 
Where would this one rank among those? http://swfa.com/Burris-4-16x44-Signature-Select-Rifle-Scope-P2985.aspx    I like the fact that it has some heft. I have never bounced a Burris but assume that weight translates into ruggedness.


I don't have much experience with Burris, but base on price a lone it should be a decent scope. 

Quote I barely have my head wrapped around that concept.  I know how bad my memory and ability to memorize procedures is and I was planning use the BDC at only one magnification level. If I started twisting knobs on a zeroed scope I would make too many mistakes. That said, do you think the BDC type reticles would suit me? I don't plan on shooting varmints smaller than coyotes at 550 yds.


Honestly to hit consistently at 550 yards I don't think a holdover reticle will do you very well. At least not one of the types you are looking at.  Maybe one of the Zeiss rapid type reticles would work.

 Turning knobs is not hard.  Get a scope that has target type knobs, after you get your scope sighted in, then you just reset the knob to the "0" on the dial per the instructions.  Then you get a ballistics program plug in your data.  Take that data to the range, and verify it and make adjustments if needed.  Get your data for every 50 yards out to 550 yards, tape it on your gun somewhere and then when you need to make a shot you just dial in the correction.  IT seems like a lot of work, but it is fun and you will be a lot more precise than just holding over.  Yotes are pretty small and are easy to miss at 500 yards. 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SVT_Tactical Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/28/2010 at 14:54
Originally posted by supertool73 supertool73 wrote:

Honestly to hit consistently at 550 yards I don't think a holdover reticle will do you very well. At least not one of the types you are looking at.  Maybe one of the Zeiss rapid type reticles would work.
 
I forget who on here has the 3x9 with the z600 on a 223 bolt gun..... who remembers?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tiredeyes Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/28/2010 at 21:04
Originally posted by supertool73 supertool73 wrote:


Honestly to hit consistently at 550 yards I don't think a holdover reticle will do you very well. At least not one of the types you are looking at.  Maybe one of the Zeiss rapid type reticles would work.

 Turning knobs is not hard.  Get a scope that has target type knobs, after you get your scope sighted in, then you just reset the knob to the "0" on the dial per the instructions.  Then you get a ballistics program plug in your data.  Take that data to the range, and verify it and make adjustments if needed.  Get your data for every 50 yards out to 550 yards, tape it on your gun somewhere and then when you need to make a shot you just dial in the correction.  IT seems like a lot of work, but it is fun and you will be a lot more precise than just holding over.  Yotes are pretty small and are easy to miss at 500 yards. 

Aren't the Zeiss Rapid Z reticles magnification-specific just like the mil-dots?  http://swfa.com/Zeiss-45-14x44-Conquest-Rifle-Scope-P8671.aspx   This sounds like a great scope if I could find one used or blemished at a discount. It seems that Zeiss Conquest owners are very satisfied. Deciding which Rapid Z reticle to choose would be complicated because the only one designed for the .308 is the 1000 yard one with the 100 yard hash marks way above the center of the scope. http://www.opticstalk.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=6132  I wonder how inconvenient that would be for 100 yard work.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dhdoyle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/30/2010 at 06:11
[QUOTE=tiredeyes]TAgreed, but I think the design of the scope factors in as well. I just took my Mueller, my ancient Burris Fullfield and my Leopold VX-III  and set them all on 10 power and looked through them several times. The Leopold was best, the Burris was second and the Mueller was distant third place . This is not about clarity or anything else other than "blackout". Coincidentally, the shortest scope was the best and the longest the worst.
[quote]
I've quit listening to public opinion about gear reviews. I figure that most folks don't really know what they're saying or are quite satisfied with mediocrity. Across a sporting goods store, or looking at a 100-yard target in bright sunlight, the Mueller APV I bought for my 10/22 looks pretty good. Hence the positive comments. Across the valley, that APV looks like I took my Leupold Vari-X III and rubbed a greasy finger on both the lenses. My current rule of thumb is whether I'd buy a scope if it were a camera lens attached to my Canon DSLR. Most times, the answer is no.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tiredeyes Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/30/2010 at 07:33
Originally posted by dhdoyle dhdoyle wrote:


I've quit listening to public opinion about gear reviews. I figure that most folks don't really know what they're saying or are quite satisfied with mediocrity.
LOL!...Whether or not I own something has no bearing on how good that item is. Unfortunately many people won't seperate the two. When I look up gear reviews, I only read the ones with less than 5 stars. I figure 2/3 of the population are idolators whose self-esteem is attached to their material posessions. The other 1/3 can make objective comments on material items whether they own them or not.Big Smile Five star comments are simply not worth the time to read. Nothing can be learned from them.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/30/2010 at 11:36
SVT_Tactical and supertool have been giving you all sorts of good advice here.  I am not sure there is much I can add to it, but I will reiterate a couple of points.

-If you want to use high magnification, consider a fairly large objective lens.  That does not make much difference at moderate magnifications, but really matters once you you crank it up.

-To hit comparatively small targets at 500 yards and beyond, I suggest you learn to crank the knobs, rather than use holdover.  It is doable with some holdover reticles, but, in my opinion,  more difficult and more limiting.

Scope recommendations:
Under $500, there are really two high magnification scopes I often recommend: Vortex Viper 6.5-20x44 and 6.5-20x50.

Burris Signature Select 4-16x44 is very good as well, but I am put of by the very limited adjustment range.  That pretty much rules it out for any long range applications.

Some time ago I put together my recommendations for different price ranges.  You may find some of them helpful: 

ILya
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Optics GrassHopper
Optics GrassHopper


Joined: May/27/2010
Location: Western Montana
Status: Offline
Points: 12
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tiredeyes Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/30/2010 at 11:58
Originally posted by koshkin koshkin wrote:


-If you want to use high magnification, consider a fairly large objective lens.  That does not make much difference at moderate magnifications, but really matters once you you crank it up.
Thanks, Koshkin. I learned something new today. I thought it mainly just effected light gathering.
The Ruger KM77VT rifle with medium rings I ordered will accomodate an objective bell outside diameter of about 52 mm without lens cover. If I go with a 50 mm objective lens the OD of the bell will exceed that. I may decide to go to the expense of taller rings, in which case I might even consider 30 mm rings.
I have never delved into 30 mm optics before but I assume it would increase the field of view. In any case, the option would open up a lot more choices in available scopes.
 
I'm beginning to think I may have to increase my scope budget to $650 or so.
 
From past experience I found that Ruger is not helpful in disclosing maximum bell diameters for the rings they offer on their various rifles. The tech support woman who answers the phone insists that rifle barrel diameter has no bearing on maximum permissible bell diameter.
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onfinal View Drop Down
Optics Apprentice
Optics Apprentice


Joined: April/28/2009
Status: Offline
Points: 135
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote onfinal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/30/2010 at 12:34
Tired, it's been my experience that, with Ruger, you are on your own when it comes to specifics regarding ring and scope mounting on Ruger products.  I called them about their recommendation for in/lbs of torque that should be applied to the screws on the Ruger rings that came with my Mini-14 and was told there is no specific number or even range, just "finger tight."

I think it is absurd that a major firearms mfgr has no recommended torque pressure for their own rings, but I must have got the same woman you did because there was no reasoning with her. 

In the absence of anything specific from Ruger (SOP in my experience), I use my standard 18 in/lbs, but they are frustrating.
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