Need answer ASAP

[ronstone09]

Is there an advantage to mounting a scope using higher rings than necessary? My rifle has and adjustable cheekpiece so aligning my eye to the scope is no problem.

I see no practical purpose in mounting your scope higher than necessary, in fact most of the time if its too high you will be uncomfortable shooting ! Mount your sope so your bell has slight clearance from your barrel and far enough back so you can see through it easily without moving your head !

 

[basinman]

As said by most repliers, the closer to the bore the better.

 

[Deleted member 48126]

I would cut the scope in half, length wise, starting at the objective. That should lower it.

 

[sea2summit]

Personally, I feel if your front objective bell is any more than a 1/4" above the barrel, the scope is mount too high. Lower is all ways better.

Lower is always better however, with platforms like ARs you'd never reach 1/4 from the barrel.

 

[Core781]

Is there an advantage to mounting a scope using higher rings than necessary? My rifle has and adjustable cheekpiece so aligning my eye to the scope is no problem.

Years ago precision shooters (snipers) recommended that you keep the scope as close to the barrel as possible. The older optics did not have as much adjustable range. Scope rings were often customized (milled, bored, etc.) to allow forward "cant." Now we have many rings and mounts that have the "cant" built in. 10MOA, 15MOA, 20MOA+ etc. I use a a LaRue 20MOA on my SPR. It allows me to adjust below 0 X axis which in turn allows me more range with my optic by dropping me 20moa down from the get go. Due to my optics 26Mil adjustment range (supposedly 30 but not so much) I can get my SPR out to 2000 meters before I run out of "scope." Of course the cartridge I use only kills an animal out to 1800 meters according to the joules expended. And other ethical considerations etc.

So no benefit unless: you are running a CQB type optic with lots of adjustment range, or a canted mount. Either option was developed to get the optic closer to your eye while maintaining your cheek weld. Hope this helps.

In Summary: No benefit unless you need more room for cheek weld aka sighting purposes.

 

[kelly1]

Well I had high rings on my rifle and had quite a bit of space between the barrel and the bottom of the scope. So I went and bought a set of medium height rings and put them on figuring there would be no problem. But alas it didn't work out. The bell of the scope is hitting the rail!
My only other option is to remove the scope and the rail and cut about an inch off of it. This would not effect the mounting screws but I'm sure the cut would be as ugly as sin using a hacksaw. I could use a Dremel tool and then buff it up. What say you all? It seems like a lot of work for about 1/4" of scope height.

I had the same problem on a

Well I had high rings on my rifle and had quite a bit of space between the barrel and the bottom of the scope. So I went and bought a set of medium height rings and put them on figuring there would be no problem. But alas it didn't work out. The bell of the scope is hitting the rail!
My only other option is to remove the scope and the rail and cut about an inch off of it. This would not effect the mounting screws but I'm sure the cut would be as ugly as sin using a hacksaw. I could use a Dremel tool and then buff it up. What say you all? It seems like a lot of work for about 1/4" of scope height.

I cut the front off a Talley 1 piece pic rail for the same reason no problem .kelly

 

[freddiej]

Is there an advantage to mounting a scope using higher rings than necessary? My rifle has and adjustable cheekpiece so aligning my eye to the scope is no problem.

I would highly advise against using higher than you need rings. The best way to mount a scope is mounted as low as possible.

 

[Clem Bronkoski]

We've all been taught to mount a scope as low as possible but no one ever stated the reason why. Core gave an excellent response to my thread - thank you.
If you look at images of long range rifles take a look at how high their scopes are off the barrel. Some by I'd estimate close to an inch!
Through a bit of research after starting this thread the only benefit to mounting a scope as low as possible is to hit tiny targets at closer ranges. (squirrels, prariarie dogs etc.)

 

[Clem Bronkoski]

I misunderstood where you were cutting the rail. I would definitely cut the rail shorter in length, I thought you were going to try and shorten the height. Lol

Now THAT would have been a challenge!

 

[villagelightsmith]

If you're in a hurry, mount it low and go shoot close targets. If you want to shoot long, it's a whole 'nother game. Now, Children, you mustn't believe a word of this, even if it is true. All the other comments are correct, of course, except when they are not.
It might help understand if you draw some exaggerated sight lines, extended bore lines, and trajectories of slow, high-arc bullets with each scope mounting. The low mounted scope will give you a much shorter "point-blank range," or a POI reasonably close to it without excessive mental fiddling. I like very tall mounts, for my own reasons. I don't like to explain or argue those reasons. We will get along better if people just accept the facts ... I like tall mounts, 20' bases, dual level vials, high magnifications, precision rifles, velocities in the mid 3's, lots of fiddling with bullets/brass, the Juenke machine, annealing, turning, spinning, half-seating and my own loading rituals. Eye of newt, toe of frog, yadda-yadda-woof-woof. And like most folks here, I do enjoy hitting little bitty targets wa-aa-ay out there on occasion. Sometimes a sage rat in the next zip-code has a lucky day ... and ... some days he don't. Some days the wind blows every bullet into a target's ear. And sometimes when the wind drops, a sage rat just naturally dies of "accidental gunshot wound" ... a long ways out. And we smile.

There's other days I can't hit a bull in the butt with a 2X4.