Rifle Scopes Scope rings differences in price but is there a difference?

[Machine13]

Ok I am new to this so please be understanding and practice a little grace in your replies/explanation. What is the difference in cheap scope rings and the very expensive ones? I get the glass on a scope can make a huge difference. But what about the scope rings? Why does it matter if you spend $30 on a set of rings vs the high end rings? Thanks

 

[Rob01]

Concentricity, quality of materials and how well they hold over time. Cheap $30 rings might work on a hunting rifle for two or three shots a year but if you are looking for precision and long term stability then buy a good set of rings. They don’t have to be $400 but there are a bunch in the $100-150 range that will work.

 

[308pirate]

Cheap rings are more likely to exhibit more deviation from perfect form and nominal dimensions than more expensive ones.

 

[308pirate]

Concentricity, quality of materials and how well they hold over time. Cheap $30 rings might work on a hunting rifle for two or three shots a year but if you are looking for precision and long term stability then buy a good set of rings. They don’t have to be $400 but there are a bunch in the $100-150 range that will work.

Truth be told, for years I got by just fine with Burris $65 "tactical" rings and SWFA scopes. Mechanically, both worked perfectly. But I don't roll down hills with my rifles.

 

[Rob01]

Truth be told, for years I got by just fine with Burris $65 "tactical" rings and SWFA scopes. Mechanically, both worked perfectly. But I don't roll down hills with my rifles.

You might get by with them. The new Vortex Pro Series are pretty nice at $59 too but it all depends on what the end user can afford and what they want. We all have used cheaper products over the years and learned from those experiences where it's best to be for our needs.

 

[XLR308]

Tolerance stacking, cheaper and smaller hardwear/fasteners, lack of machined in integral recoil lugs and so on.
The higher quality sets are machined as a match set and state that including concentricity measurements for center line bore dimensions which makes less likely to damage an expensive scope tube or need lapping to correct the issue.
Even the most expensive set of rings isnt anywhere here the cost of a quality scope.

 

[beetroot]

I've had rifles with dirt cheap rings in the past that have never had issues and worked for over a decade, I've also had dirt cheap rings that haven't held up well.

Don't buy $30 rings but you don't need to spend $200 on rings either.
I've had great experience with Talley one piece rings and Burris Zee rings, and wouldn't think twice about buying $60 rings from a reputable company. The Vortex rings Rob mentioned above would be my pick.

 

[308pirate]

You might get by with them. The new Vortex Pro Series are pretty nice at $59 too but it all depends on what the end user can afford and what they want. We all have used cheaper products over the years and learned from those experiences where it's best to be for our needs.

There are more elegant solutions, to be sure, and I'm not using those when I upgraded to a 34 mm scope mostly because I wanted something more streamlined that took up less real estate on the scope's tube.

Actually ended up buying locally from Precision Reflex Inc.

 

[atvman400]

Cheap rings like UTG will give you more headaches than they are worth. I have been really impressed with the Seekins/Vortex PMR. Normally was a Badger guy but I really like not having the big nut to clamp on the mount.

 

[hafejd30]

I’ve owned a lot of different rings. Honestly for the cheap end the Burris xtr rings have performed excellent. I’ve had the rings on a couple rifles and the AR mounts on several rifles. Zero complaints

The Leupold standard dovetail mounts have worked excellent as well. I have them on a couple hunting rifles. Pending you line up the rings prior to installing the scope

I bought a set of weaver tactical rings a while back. Keep in mind I’m a torque slut and look up any recommendations on torque setting for rings before installing them. Anyways with 15 in lbs (wheeler) the rings were so far off they crushed one side of the Burris full field 2 that was in them.

If you want to hold a hunting scope to a hunting rifle then Leupold is fine and can be had for $50 ish

For the heavier stuff Burris xtr or vortex would be the lowest I’d go

Anything Seekins, badger, NF etc is the safest bet. But I understand that some just want to hold a $50 optic to a $300 rifle. In which case the Leupold would have my vote

 

[jhoyda]

I’m a fan of the refurbished Vortex Precision Matched rings from AA Optics

$80

 

[patriot07]

The only cheap rings I've had good luck with were SWFA.

I typically use Seekins or Vortex PMR (they're the same thing). Around $100 and never had an issue with any of them. If you're really on a budget and you have a 30mm tube, the SWFA rings are a good bet as well.

 

[Deleted member 113831]

These work: https://xlrindustries.com/collections/accessories/products/scope-rings

Same ring, made in USA but with UTG on the side: https://leapers.com/index.php?act=prod_detail&status=utg&itemno=RWU013415

You will be excused for the first one, and mercilessly heckled for the second.

 

[Southern Custom]

Let’s see, $1000 rifle, $1000 scope, $30 for rings? Why cheap out on rings. Even if your rig is far less than this good rings are still worth their weight in gold. If you ever lap your rings you’ll understand why more expensive rings are worth the money. My sons gun has Vortex PMR rings and they were almost perfect. My gun wears Vortex pro and they took a fair bit of lapping to true them up. When you see how far out of round a set of rings are when you start lapping them you’ll get Se $30 rings only look like a round hole. I guarantee you they are not.
your optic is one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive components of a rifle. Give it the rings it deserves.

 

[Nik S]

Lots of good advice here, Machine.

This is primarily a precision rifle board, so folks here will generally assume "new" means "new to precision rifle." Precision rifle equipment can either be an expensive game, or a game of weighing cost efficient-quality at a budget you can justify.

I play the latter game.

These are some of the basic approaches I take to finding good shooting equipment (rings or otherwise) at a price I can justify:

1. There is no substitute for quality. Quality reduces the mechanical variables of shooting over time, which translates into mechanical consistency. Mechanical consistency plus shooter fundamentals translates to accuracy downrange.
2. There is usually a baseline price point where you will begin seeing quality equipment. On scope rings, that tends to be (as mentioned above) around $60-$100 range. I've had a good experiences with $100 TPS rings, but others mentioned for less are fine.
3. Think about what scope those rings will be holding. Approach your build with some proportion in mind. I've used $35 SWFA scope rings on a $300 SWFA scope. No nonsense. No problem. However, if you have a $1000 scope, or a $2000 scope, it's time to upgrade your rings.
4. Beyond the "baseline of quality," as price increases, quality increases at a decreasing rate of return. There are some some stand-out examples of precision machining out there (whether rings, mounts, bipods, etc.), but there's also a danger of getting too wrapped up in chasing equipment, and still not really knowing what you're doing.
5. If you're new, I would start with a solid cost-efficient baseline quality build, and then try the Online Training here for $18. In terms of accuracy downrange, it's worth more than any piece of equipment you can buy. In fact, just go with whatever you have (all I had was a hunting rifle and duplex scope) and begin training. In terms of equipment, you'll learn quickly what you're missing, and why. In terms of knowledge base and skill, you will be far ahead of anyone looking to shortcut their way into shooting with a precision build.

Nik