What bases and rings should I get?

[Rick]

I am venturing out into areas I know nothing about and need some good advice.

I am presently putting together a 6.5x284 using a Savage action, Creighton (sp) 26 inch varmint stainless steel barrel and a Savage laminated stock.

I have purchased a used 12x42x56 Nightforce NXS to mount on the rifle.

I am wanting to set this rifle up for long range shooting and I wonder is I should get some bases for the scope to mount on that have some built in elevation allowing for plenty of elevation of my scope out to say 750 yards or further.

Other than the standard Leupold rings and bases I have no experience with the bases and rings one should have for long range shooting etc.

I am open to suggestions and your reasoning why a particular brand would be better than another.

Thanks for your help.

Rick

 

[15Tango]

With that cartridge you'll only need around 13 or 14 minutes to get to 750 yards, well within the adjustments of that scope.

Burris Signature Zee rings won't add any wear to that scope and they hold about as tough as it gets.

Wayne

 

[jlmurphy]

The 12x42 only has 45 minutes of elevation, meaning 22 minutes after mounting in a 0 incline base. Without checking ballistics tables and depending on you bullet B.C. and velocity, I think you will only get to 900 yards. A 10 or 15 MOA base would reach 1,000. I have a N.F. Benchrest 12x42 on my Savage long range rifle with a 15 MOA base. It is a barrel block, switch barrel rifle, and the base was made by Cameron at MurphyPrecision.com.

 

[Phil]

You could look at Ken Farrell`s stuff.....It`s really nice.


http://www.kenfarrell.com/

 

[jonbearman]

Which action is it,round back or square back(older).This would help. Is it a long action or the short action.

 

[boogershooter]

I agree with the Burris Zee. You can use a 20 minute base and if its more than you want, you can play around with the inserts and take some back out of it, or vise versa.

 

[dreever]

Look at a 20 MOA rail and rings from Seekins. http://www.seekinsprecision.com/

Danny

 

[deadlyswift]

This might not even help, but with my Savage 308 shooting the 175gr bergers LR BTs at 2750 It takes 34 moa to get to a 1000yrd zero from a 100yrd zero. I have a 20moa egw base with burris extreme med. rings. Currently I'm using a Mark4 Leuplold scope. Dialing in 34moa it leaves me with about 15 MOA left. If I was using the same set up with the 6.5x284 and with the 140s class bullets, and running them close to 2950 I'd have to say you would be good to go with a 10 or 15 moa base. That is without running any #s and off the top of my head. I don't mind using the top end of my moa in my scope but don't like to max the scope out if possible. Having just a bit more than needed seems to be a lot better. Or at least I'm more comfortable with it anyway.
Good Luck
Mark

 

[Kenny474]

I use a Bench Source base and Burris Zee rings. The rings are great and the base, well it's a base and it works and it looks decent and I didn't pay a ton for it.

Get a 20MOA Ken Farrell or Bench Source base and the Burris rings with standard inserts and another set to cancel the 20MOA so you can use a 100yd zero if you want to. Sharp Shooter Supply sells all of the above components for decent prices.

That is the best part of the Burris rings, the inserts allow you to add or remove a good bit of elevation. So you can use a 0MOA base and use inserts to add about 20MOA to get out to 1000yds, or use a 20MOA base and use the inserts to cancel the 20MOA from the base or add even more to it for a total of around 40MOA. You could go in the middle with about 30MOA as well. Just a very versatile set of rings.
But with the round you are using, you have the potential for some serious reach, that is why I suggested the 20MOA base. That way if you want to really reach out there, you could go to 30MOA by adding inserts to the rings and still have plenty of adjustment in the scope.

Just to clarify though, the inserts are not calculated in MOA. They are sold in .005", .010" and .020" and the amount of elevation depends on the ring spacing. Below is an article discussing how ring spacing effects the actual elevation that the inserts will add or subtract.
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2010/10/tech-tip-burris-signature-rings-calculating-actual-elevation-changes/

 

[Rick]

Thanks for all the information you guys provided. It is just what I was looking for.

I have tried calling Sharp Shooters Supply for several days to order a single shot follower for a center feed Savage and I can't get through......the line is always busy. I was going to inquire about Ken Farrell rings and bases as well based on the info you guys gave me.

My action is the new style which is rounded. It is also a short action.

The Burris rings sound good but a Farrell base might give me more scope adjustment because of the Picatinney type base which also more adjustment for scope placement.

A lot to consider. In the meantime I mounted the scope using some Leupold rings and bases that I had so I can shoot the rifle some over the Holidays.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions.

Rick

 

[bighorn06]

+1 on the Zee Rings. I bought a used Benchrest Light Gun, with a Remington action and a 20 MOA base already installed. When I mounted my new scope it took almost 20 min of left wind to get back to zero, so I turned the inserts up sideways. It worked perfect. by the way two 0 inserts and one each of + 10 and -10 come with each set. Mike

 

[itchyTF]

Getting through to Lisa at SSS is a real PITA. Try as soon as they open. Also try email but their response to that is not great either.

I also vote for Farrell bases and Signature Zee rings. The other benefit (as mentioned before) is no ring marks.

Bighorn,
Maybe this is what you meant but the set comes with four 0 inserts and two +10 and two -10 inserts.

 

[bighorn06]

I should have said pairs and it is important to keep the Zee ring inserts paired up or they wont fit the scope.