Picatinny Rail with or without built in moa?

[Dragoon300]

Varmint Hunter: I am setting up a 6mm/280AI rifle in a 30" barrel that just been completed. 7-1 Twist rate, Heavy Palma Bartlein barrel built as a 32" barrel cut back. Rem 700 LA blue printed, set up for muzzle brake or suppressor, TriggerTech Diamond, custom stock. Presently planning on using a CrimsonTrace Ser-5 3x18x50mm, 34mm tube, Mil spec. (Why because I never used a Mil spec scope before and wanted to try one) For the money I couldn't see where I could go wrong. I have enough scopes presently. It's not a problem to go to N.F scope if needed. Unknown what the total travel on the elevation range is. Not given, or can't find. I have jump through the hoops in upgrading my reloadling equipment at the same time. some is still on backorder presently. Long story shorten. I haven't purchase scope rings nor a picatinny rail yet. I have always believe in a single base to mount the scope rings on. In all the reading here. It seem to me that taller scope rings do some of the same work as a picatinny rail will do to a point.
Why I am looking at 500 to 1000 yard shots, for varmint hunting. (Perry dogs and ground squirrels.) It's harder and make a better shooter out of you. I have a fair spread of powder, primers, bullets. Petersons 280AI cases on hand.

Mike,
Find the "Elevation Range" if the scopes you are interested in. Nightforce does give that information in their "specifications" for each scope. Definitely get a one piece steel picatinny rail with an anti recoil feature like Badger Ordnance has. (I highly recommend Badger Ordnance)
The best rings / mount I know of are one piece Spuhr.
They make from zero MOA inclination to over 44 MOA mounts, you can get away with a zero MOA rail and still have all the inclination in the mount. They are a real nice piece of equipment. I just picked up one of their 34 mm x 38 mm high with 13 Mil / 44.4 MOA for a Vortex Strike Eagle 5-25 x 56 MRAD with 31 Mils of elevation range. So 31 ÷ 2 = 15.5 + 13 = 28.5 Mils of elevation.
Do the math on the scope you decide on and go for close to the max elevation range by choosing a rail or mount with the closest inclination.
The next thing is how high should the mount be?
I make a drawing of the scope to the manufacturers dimensions, then the profile of the pic rail and top of the rifle and overlay them where I want them to be. MOA angle in degrees can be found online (30 MOA = 1/2 degree) so rotate the scope around the center of the turret to the degree and measure center of the tube at the turrets to the top of the rail, this is how high of a mount or rings you need.
I hope this helps you, if you would like some help PM me, I can do a 3D CAD drawing for you.

 

[Mike Matteson]

Mike,
Find the "Elevation Range" if the scopes you are interested in. Nightforce does give that information in their "specifications" for each scope. Definitely get a one piece steel picatinny rail with an anti recoil feature like Badger Ordnance has. (I highly recommend Badger Ordnance)
The best rings / mount I know of are one piece Spuhr.
They make from zero MOA inclination to over 44 MOA mounts, you can get away with a zero MOA rail and still have all the inclination in the mount. They are a real nice piece of equipment. I just picked up one of their 34 mm x 38 mm high with 13 Mil / 44.4 MOA for a Vortex Strike Eagle 5-25 x 56 MRAD with 31 Mils of elevation range. So 31 ÷ 2 = 15.5 + 13 = 28.5 Mils of elevation.
Do the math on the scope you decide on and go for close to the max elevation range by choosing a rail or mount with the closest inclination.
The next thing is how high should the mount be?
I make a drawing of the scope to the manufacturers dimensions, then the profile of the pic rail and top of the rifle and overlay them where I want them to be. MOA angle in degrees can be found online (30 MOA = 1/2 degree) so rotate the scope around the center of the turret to the degree and measure center of the tube at the turrets to the top of the rail, this is how high of a mount or rings you need.
I hope this helps you, if you would like some help PM me, I can do a 3D CAD drawing for you.

Thanks, and I'll need to some thinking on this. I presently have the one scope.

 

[btap1991]

Who says he took the shot?

No one he said he didn't either was just giving a example of running out of dial. Idk why he's getting pestered

 

[btap1991]

Adjustable base would work for you both ways can get 0-40 moa adjustable

 

[Olskoolgman]

With 20 MOA cant. This is best described by an optical SME ...

View attachment 360355

What Feenix said!! From my understanding this happens regardless of quality of scope. When the erector tube inside the scope is at its limits the lens cant focus as well through the scope center, hence you get lose image quality and get more distortion. On some scopes your tracking gets worse the closer you are to the ends of travel.

 

[Dragoon300]

What Feenix said!! From my understanding this happens regardless of quality of scope. When the erector tube inside the scope is at its limits the lens cant focus as well through the scope center, hence you get lose image quality and get more distortion. On some scopes your tracking gets worse the closer you are to the ends of travel.

Zero problems with my S&B 5-45x56 using all the elevation, it works flawlessly. Just setup a Vortex Strike Eagle 5-25x56 same thing.

 

[FEENIX]

TheThe

What Feenix said!! From my understanding this happens regardless of quality of scope. When the erector tube inside the scope is at its limits the lens cant focus as well through the scope center, hence you get lose image quality and get more distortion. On some scopes your tracking gets worse the closer you are to the ends of travel.

IIRC, Bruce (from Ventura, CA) was an optical engineer with a Ph.D. that have his business selling scopes and other hunting/shooting products/services and evaluated/tested them. He knew what he was talking about. I am not sure what happened, but he stopped posting.

 

[mdmiller]

New to your sight here. You guys are a wealth of information and opinions…. I do appreciate your knowledge and insights. I am in a similar boat, purchased an old Remington 700 in 22-250 and was debating on the 0 or 20 minute rail, what are your thoughts?

I have 2 Rem 700 with 20 MOA and a Mauser medium in 22-250 and it wears 20 MOA also. All 3 shoot great.
My Prairie Dog guns!!

 

[Westernhunter6]

Thank you all for helping me wrap my head around what would be best. Now I'm going back and forth between 0 or 10 moa. At 1000 yards, I will still have 6 moa left over on my scope. Considering most of my hunting shots are between 300 and 500 yards with the occasional need for further, and having over 20% of turret travel left at 1000, I'm leaning a little more towards a 0 moa rail.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Thank you all for helping me wrap my head around what would be best. Now I'm going back and forth between 0 or 10 moa. At 1000 yards, I will still have 6 moa left over on my scope. Considering most of my hunting shots are between 300 and 500 yards with the occasional need for further, and having over 20% of turret travel left at 1000, I'm leaning a little more towards a 0 moa rail.

Here's an idea:

Just use a set of Burris Signature rings with the inserts. By simply changing the inserts you can have 0moa-10moa-15moa-20moa and you can always switch back if you change your mind about what best suits your needs. And ... the inserts never scratch your scope tube. I've used them on magnum rifles without any issues at all.