Bed or Lap Scope Rings?

[Ledd Slinger]

Good answer. Now here is a question or maybe a joke. Did the first guy to bed rings do it as a repair from over lapping? I always look at your post and learn from them. This is just one we will have different thoughts on. Looking forward to your reply, None of those big boomers for me, no more moutian treks, I can trip walking across the lawn. Have a good evening.

Good question. I bet it did start as a repair job but I wouldn't bet against the benchrest guys for coming up with it on their own.

Most of the advancements we enjoy today with modern actions, triggers, optics, stocks, barrels, rifle rests, and everything to do with the machining and other work involved to build some of the most accurate rifles at long range can be greatly accredited to benchrest community members testing everything they could think of to squeeze every last drop of accuracy from a rifle.
...I think that was the longest continuous sentence I've ever written...But anyhow, my point is that even if a gunsmith was said to have first bedded rings as a repair job, I would bet money that some benchrest shooter somewhere had already been bedding rings to test for accuracy gains but never made the knowledge public at the time. There's really nothing I've ever figured out on my own for improving rifle accuracy that I later found has already been tested in the BR world and I just didn't know about it.

 

[JEFFPPC]

Good question. I bet it did start as a repair job but I wouldn't bet against the benchrest guys for coming up with it on their own.

Most of the advancements we enjoy today with modern actions, triggers, optics, stocks, barrels, rifle rests, and everything to do with the machining and other work involved to build some of the most accurate rifles at long range can be greatly accredited to benchrest community members testing everything they could think of to squeeze every last drop of accuracy from a rifle.
...I think that was the longest continuous sentence I've ever written...But anyhow, my point is that even if a gunsmith was said to have first bedded rings as a repair job, I would bet money that some benchrest shooter somewhere had already been bedding rings to test for accuracy gains but never made the knowledge public at the time. There's really nothing I've ever figured out on my own for improving rifle accuracy that I later found has already been tested in the BR world and I just didn't know about it.

Yes the orange keeps getting squeezed for another drop of juice. In my 25 or so years in the bench game I would say the only 2 things I consider big advancements are the use of chronographs by many and tuners. With tuners being in my mind the number one thing. I omitted borescopes but they have made us appreciate first hand the beating our barrels take. But actually, its probably forums such as this and the intetnet that allow us to learn, argue with, trade thoughts, become friends but never meeting, with shooters from across the world. I appreciate those who try and test, even if I disagree, rather than those who I refer to as typewritter shooters.My parting thought, get a good Springer air rifle and enjoy fine accuracy, no loading, and almost no cleaning for .04 per shot.

 

[Ackman]

Neither. I use the Burris Signature Zee 30mm Rings with inserts.

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Burris Signature Zee Rings — Great Value, Great Performance « Daily Bulletin

More and more folks are using Burris Signature Rings these days. These unique rings feature polymer inserts. That allows you to pre-load some elevation in your scope set-up, or you can center-up the windage. Additionally, the polymer inserts hold your scope securely without leaving marks on the...

bulletin.accurateshooter.com

One tip though -- with the inserts, if you move your scope along the barrel axis, you may need to re-confirm your zero. With one rifle I moved the scope about 1.5" forward at home, and my zero went off 18" or so at 600 yards.

Yes Yes Yes. Rings are just tubes that hold the scope. Unless the hole is perfectly straight and they're in perfect alignment with each other, they'll stress/flex the aluminum scope. I've lapped rings and it was a pita.....no more of that. Started using Burris Signatures on everything and voila, perfect alignment and no ring marks. Those inserts are also very handy for putting crosshairs where you want them in the adjustment range. I even used them to raise the scope enough to where a flip up front had barrel clearance.

Once out of curiosity I measured and whole slew of conventional ring pairs off of bought rifles.....Leupold, Burris, Ruger, etc. From mating surface on the base to bottom of ring. NONE of them were the same, the closest having about .005" difference one to the other, the worst up to .015". Plus, front to back each ring was out also. In other words, the hole wasn't straight. That's gonna bend a scope or dig one side into it, ie ring marks. Now these are rings from up to 30yrs ago, takeoffs which were switched to Burris Signatures. Maybe current ones are better, I don't know. But Signature self-aligning inserts eliminate alignment and steel on aluminum problems. They're a must for anything that uses two-piece bases, Sako for example. Also the best rail I've found is the picatinny by Hanks Precision gun parts, 7075 aluminum, or stainless, and dead nuts flat. Disclaimer.....my actions are Rem 700, Sako, T/C and a couple Savage.