Lap Rings for .22 Squirrel Rifle?

Buck Wilde · Wednesday at 7:02 PM

My Athlon Helos arrived today, and tomorrow, Vortex Pro rings.

I am used to lapping my rings, but I thought smarter people here might have something to teach me: is there any point in lapping rings for a .22 that will not be used at distances longer than 100 yards?

I know I'll end up lapping them no matter what. It will bother me if I don't.

45-90 · Wednesday at 7:11 PM

Your choice, I usually lapp rings for most rifles. Although I do not remember if it's been done for my accurate 22s.
It's one of those things, it may not be necessary for the 22 LR, but if it gives you confidence and peace of mind, by all means do it...it's your rifle.

Buck Wilde · Wednesday at 7:18 PM

The base is from DIP, so it's supposed to be pretty good. I don't know how good Vortex Pro rings are.

striped1 · Wednesday at 7:24 PM

If they are the seekins ones that are Vortex branded I would not lap them. I don't lap any rings. If they are well made you aren't going to improve them with lapping.

Buck Wilde · Wednesday at 8:50 PM

I think those are the Vortex Precision Matched.

Shoots 700's · Wednesday at 9:02 PM

Never lapped a ring in my life

FuhQ · Wednesday at 9:26 PM

I don't anyone who's lapped a ring in over 10 years. Most high-quality modern precision CNC'd rings made for a 1913 pic rail won't need it, provided you have a high-quality rail, as well.

Buck Wilde · Wednesday at 9:32 PM

Figures. I learned how to do it 4 years ago.

Next you'll tell me I don't have to replace the points on my distributor.

Shoots 700's · 2025-01-09T12:48:52-0500

dude you are shooting at 100 yards with a rimfire. we don't lap and are shooting 1/4 inch targets at 50 yards ...come on.

Buck Wilde · 2025-01-09T12:50:52-0500

I have seen people claim that bad contact and misalignment can scar scopes up and put pressure on the innards.

Shoots 700's · 2025-01-09T12:52:31-0500

Again, all the more reason you should use quality products and proper tools for install.

I bet you do more harm trying to fix a issue that isn't there

Buck Wilde · 2025-01-09T13:08:46-0500

Well, I have a lapping kit, and these are $85 rings.

Shoots 700's · 2025-01-09T13:09:50-0500

Buck Wilde said:
Well, I have a lapping kit, and these are $85 rings.

Then by all means have at it.

KnowNothing256 · 2025-01-09T13:20:55-0500

Well, you've said yourself that you're going to do it, so I'm left a bit curious at what you hope to "learn" as you put it, or why you would bother if you aren't going to alter your plan no matter what you hear. But you're gonna do what you're gonna do.

I'll tack on to what many others have said: If you buy quality parts (and all the components you've mentioned are sufficiently "quality") then lapping is unnecessary. I've used PMR rings, among many others, and have never been hampered by ring quality or damaged a scope using them.

And squirrels at 50-100 yards are VERY large targets, relative to what my PRS22 rig can deliver.

roostercogburn98 · 2025-01-09T13:28:51-0500

Buck Wilde · 2025-01-09T13:36:01-0500

This is kind of interesting. I'm watching a MidwayUSA video, and the rings the dude is lapping are extremely rough. I don't think I've ever seen rings that badly machined.

Shoots 700's · 2025-01-09T13:37:47-0500

Its called marketing so people who buy junk will get the lapping tool

striped1 · 2025-01-09T13:51:27-0500

Buck Wilde said:
Well, I have a lapping kit, and these are $85 rings.

stealing the intent and paraphrasing this from another on this board but by all means lap them - you will ensure that they fit the lapping rod, not the scope.

Buck Wilde · 2025-01-09T16:36:50-0500

Wonderful to hear all sorts of helpful and cheerfully-provided viewpoints. The consensus here is pretty clear.

I was not totally sure I should do it, but I gave it a whack. I looked around. Seems like precision shooters are fighting about this all over the web. I started thinking maybe the pro-lappers were right.

I had some thoughts, which I'm sure will be received with all sorts of gratitude and respect.

First of all, how does anyone know a scope ring's registration on the mount is repeatable? I had to take the rings off to clean the lapping compound off, and it made me wonder if I was undoing all the work I had just done. Maybe I was.

Second, it's not easy to keep the compound from getting on threads when you remove the caps to check the work. Once the compound is in there, how do you get it out? Seems like that grit would do its best to embed itself in aluminum, and then you have threads that may not torque accurately due to the grit increasing the friction. I worked pretty hard to clean everything, but I don't know whether the rings are attached exactly the way they should me.

I used a sonic cleaner and brake cleaner to clean the grit out. Don't know if it actually worked.

Anyway, it's always fun to play gunsmith, and I'm sure none of this will matter much at 50 yards.

Maybe I'll just buy Seekins next time, as I have in the past.

jbuck88 · 2025-01-09T17:04:51-0500

Can't tell if your serious, or just trolling?

If serious reread every comment above that says don't need to anymore.

If trolling, once you get done lapping your rings clean everything with acetone then bed the scope in the freshly lapped rings with jb weld. Best to bed the rings to the rail or reciever as well just to make sure it's going to stay aligned.

Buck Wilde · 2025-01-09T17:10:55-0500

I'm serious. I read everything people said here. I also read stuff other people said elsewhere.

Now I have to read up on bedding.

Shoots 700's · 2025-01-09T18:46:26-0500

Yep,troll

Buck Wilde · 2025-01-09T19:41:35-0500

Forums aren't really your thing.

Buck Wilde · 2025-01-09T20:50:00-0500

Emerson0311 · 2025-01-09T20:52:18-0500

Just a troll having some laughs I think.

Rob01 · 2025-01-09T21:01:25-0500

Anyone in 2025 who thinks they still need to lap quality rings just deserves a little chuckle and a bless your heart if they won’t listen to people trying to explain why it’s ridiculous.

Buck Wilde · 2025-01-09T21:17:25-0500

The "troll" thing is asinine. I asked some questions, looked at advice I got here, looked at advice I saw elsewhere, and did something someone here doesn't do. And I said I wasn't sure I had done the right thing. Believe it or not, this is not trolling. This is normal. But I am aware the shooting community attracts a lot of unpleasant people. If you want to be part of a gun forum, you have to expect rudeness along with old wives' tales, bad physics, bad engineering, and lies about how well people shoot.

As for the condescension about not being an expert on lapping, nice job for a moderator, Rob01. Are you planning to block new registrations from everyone who doesn't know everything you know? If so, you should call this forum something like "OnlyExpertSnipersAllowed.com." Does Frank encourage you to crap on people who don't know everything?

Did you know forums die without new members?

I pay for videos, I support the site, I recommend the site to others, and a MODERATOR is rude to me. Now there's a business plan.

If you want, I can post links to about 200 posts on other forums in which people who claim to be as smart as you are swear lapping is important. Maybe you can tell me how I'm supposed to know who is right.

Rob01 · 2025-01-09T21:34:08-0500

Buck Wilde said:
The "troll" thing is asinine. I asked some questions, looked at advice I got here, looked at advice I saw elsewhere, and did something someone here doesn't do. And I said I wasn't sure I had done the right thing. Believe it or not, this is not trolling. This is normal. But I am aware the shooting community attracts a lot of unpleasant people. If you want to be part of a gun forum, you have to expect rudeness along with old wives' tales, bad physics, bad engineering, and lies about how well people shoot.

As for the condescension about not being an expert on lapping, nice job for a moderator, Rob01. Are you planning to block new registrations from everyone who doesn't know everything you know? If so, you should call this forum something like "OnlyExpertSnipersAllowed.com." Does Frank encourage you to crap on people who don't know everything?

Did you know forums die without new members?

I pay for videos, I support the site, I recommend the site to others, and a MODERATOR is rude to me. Now there's a business plan.

If you want, I can post links to about 200 posts on other forums in which people who claim to be as smart as you are swear lapping is important. Maybe you can tell me how I'm supposed to know who is right.

View attachment 8588068

Man you got your panties in a bunch tonight huh? Did I even mention you in my post? Nope. A generalization on someone who thinks they need to lap. So save the paragraphs of trying to talk me down and feel guilty as it’s not happening.

You can do as you like but remember you are the one asking. I got a lapping bar I can sell you though. It has low miles and hasn’t been used in almost 20 years.

B y r o n · 2025-01-09T22:20:12-0500

Buck Wilde said:
My Athlon Helos arrived today, and tomorrow, Vortex Pro rings.

I am used to lapping my rings, but I thought smarter people here might have something to teach me: is there any point in lapping rings for a .22 that will not be used at distances longer than 100 yards?

I know I'll end up lapping them no matter what. It will bother me if I don't.

Since you already stated you're going to lap them, apparently you're not ready to listen to what others may have to say!

Nik H · 2025-01-10T11:57:23-0500

What FUDDs in other forums say is of no consequence to the members here.

brianf · 2025-01-10T12:54:30-0500

A few ways to think about it

Hard core BR guys lap and sometimes epoxy the scope in the rings

Modern rings and quality scopes dont need it

We just had 3 sets of higher priced rings that let the scope slips so they were sent back and they were out of spec

If you action isn’t perfect then the rings aren’t going to line up.

Some BR guys believe single piece mounts may put stress on the action and cause stress

Last but not least..who cares you can’t shoot the difference. Slap on a set of rings and shoot. Personally I’m a one piece mount guy for no reason other than I am

oldrifleman · 2025-01-10T15:34:51-0500

If a set of rings need to be lapped it also needs to be scraped. In this day and age with computers running the milling equipment they should not need it.

Criver600 · 2025-01-10T16:44:22-0500

In the past Remington, Winchester, Savage, etc. receivers and the available bases (two piece) you "could" have some mis-alignment. Lapping would take care of the difference in height, and if front or rear base was tipped forward or backward.
Recently dug this out of the safe, Winchester Pre-64 Model 70 .308. Sent the 3X12 Schmidt und Bender off to get refurbed. And believe it or not I had lapped the rings in 25 some odd years ago, no ring marks on the steel tube, shoots great. These are Leupold's quick release rings and bases. I was tempted to get a Murphy Precision Pic rail and replace the existing set up, but decided I like the vintage look. It depends on what you have on the bench. If you're dealing with older rifles, two piece rings and bases and have a clue........

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