Lapping scope rings

[hatfield954]

I know that lapping the rings of your scope is good for improving accuracy. Would lapping still be needed for a one piece scope mount? I have a one piece mount and have thought of buying a kit to lap the rings of this mount. If it's not going to help accuracy as much, then I will just leave it alone. This setup is for hunting whitetails and not for competition shooting.

 

[J E Custom]

I know that lapping the rings of your scope is good for improving accuracy. Would lapping still be needed for a one piece scope mount? I have a one piece mount and have thought of buying a kit to lap the rings of this mount. If it's not going to help accuracy as much, then I will just leave it alone. This setup is for hunting whitetails and not for competition shooting.

In my opinion lapping is only nessary on poor quality rings.

Well made rings don't need to be lapped if they are installed correctly.

The reason for lapping any rings is to minimize scope ring marks. If they are installed/aligned
properly they won't mark the scope.

Accuracy will not be affected unless the rings slip or place stress on the scope.

J E CUSTOM

 

[MTBULLET]

+1 on JE's remarks. If the rings NEED lapping, get new/better rings.

 

[shortgrass]

I'll have to respectfully disagree, guys. After having install literally hundreds of bases, rings, and scopes made by every manufacture imaginable and cutting them with a "ring reamer" I have yet to see a set of mounted rings that are in very close agreement. Doesn't matter wheather they're made by Burris, Leupold, Redfield, ect., ect. I believe the variation is probably in the receivers more than the ring/bases themselves. Those mounted on the custom actions I've used (Big Horn, Borden, Stiller, Defiance, and the new Surgeon Round action are much closer than any of the 'production' actions. Lapping takes too long, hence, the reamers (1" & 30mm). Put the reamer in the mounted rings, install the top halfs and snug them enough you can still turn the reamer with a wrench, make 2 or 3 'rounds' with the tool, remove the reamer, and it quicky becomes evident how little contact is being made. May not be the "cure all", but what one thing is?

 

[Daves762]

I have used one piece mounts and found mine to be close but not exact.

The only way to tell if you should lap them is to put the centers in them, tighten them down, and see how close the tips are to centering off eachother.

If your just shoting deer at a couple hundred yards you should not need to lap them when using a single piece mount. But I would measure it to see.

 

[shortgrass]

Next time you mount a 1 piece base do a simple test. Place the screws in the front and snug 'um down. Now look to see If you can see a light gap between the bottom of the base and the rear bridge. Many times as not , you can. Now, do it the other way around. Place the screws in the rear and snug 'um with those in the front removed. Look for the light gap or other deviation, it might be there. Point is, everyone gets their shorts up tight about that "perfect, stress free bedding job", poor fit of a 1 piece base can and will induce stress from the top as might the scope tube in a set of rings that have it under stress. Doesn't do the scope any good, either.

 

[asa]

I have a nightforce rail and n/f rings which are well made but they still were not perfect. I lap my rings because I do not want to be causing stress on my $2000.00 scope. Also I use leupold rings which again seem pretty close but not perfect.

 

[Highclimber]

I'm sorry, but how is ring lapping accomplished? I've got a Rem Sendero in the mail and am planning on buying a vortex PST with medium rings.

 

[biggdawg]

I'm sorry, but how is ring lapping accomplished? I've got a Rem Sendero in the mail and am planning on buying a vortex PST with medium rings.

rings are lapped with a lapping kit. I have this one wheeler lapping kit

 

[Dosh]

I align hone all rings finding none that are perfectly straight. The hone kits are reasonably priced and the compound is easily available.