Define "close enough" for scope ring alignment

[r0tt3n1]

When installing scope rings, what is "close enough" when it comes to the ring alignment? I lost a great Weaver T-Series XR scope to misaligned, twisted rings recently, an expensive mistake on my part. And now I am obsessing over the new rings (actually a one piece DNZ Game Reaper mount...). The picture is from the top down. To me it is off just a hair, and a blond one at that, but is it "close enough"?

 

[Dud]

If you use a ring reamer it will be close enough.

 

[BoydAllen]

Unless they are Burris Signature rings, with the plastic inserts, I lap all rings....period. What is this close enough stuff? The scope alignment tool that your picture shows is IMO junk. Although I never use twist in rings, if I were installing them for a friend this is what I would use. to line them up before lapping. http://www.kokopelliproducts.com/scopeb.html

 

[olddav]

Is it close enough? Maybe, depends on your intended application. For hunting within 150 yards I would say yes.
I am however slowly warming up to the idea that everything matters when it comes to rifle accuracy and with that in mind I would refine or redefine my response.
“It’s never close enough”.
Bed the base and then lap the rings or perhaps bed the rings as well.

 

[boltfluter]

Close enough does not cut it when we are talking scopes. Period. Any variation will play hell with your scope. Lap them, bed them, or replace them are the only options in my book.

Paul

 

[jds holler]

That amount of error is easily corrected by lapping so-- why not. jd

 

[r0tt3n1]

Thanks for the replies. I was doubting the accuracy of the points on the so-called precision ground bars as well. Cheap tools are usually just that... I was trying to think of a way to actually measure something so thanks Boyd for the link, it gave my pea brain an idea, so I flipped around the bars and started used feeler gauges to get some actual measurements and a visual. The caveat of cheap tools still applies, but at least I can actually measure something now.
After thinly bedding and very lightly lapping the mount, I think I have a result that is more than close enough.
Going straight up and down, there is only ~.002 difference. A .010 gauge slips thru all the way, and a .011 gauge fits in from the bottom to about 1/3 the way straight up. A .012 gauge will just barely catch at the bottom edge.
From side to side it is even less than that; a .010 slips all the way thru and the .011 just catches at the left edge.
Seems to me anyway, that this is a viable way to actually measure "close enough"?
From top down:

From the side:

 

[r0tt3n1]

To try and verify if the measurements I got were meaningful, I turned the bars in the rings about 90 degrees and re-measured:
.010 guage: all the way thru both up/down and side-to-side
.011 gauge: 1/4 the way in from top down, 1/3 the way in from bottom up
1/4 way in from either side
.012 gauge: just catches top down, 1/8 the way in bottom up
just catches both sides
So this result is ~.002 again, which I am very comfortable with.
I use the .010 gauge to set the bars initially and tighten the caps to spec before taking measurements.

 

[Brians356]

Is it close enough? ...
“It’s never close enough”.

(In)famous musician Arlo Guthrie said: Once you've taken acid you realize there's no such thing as "in tune".
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