Lapping Scope Rings

[rcoody]

Going to be installing some high dollar scopes in some high dollar rings pretty soon and would like to get some input on aligning and lapping scope rings.

Do you guys bother doing it or are the rings good to go from the start. Will probably use the nightforce rings.

now I have been shooting a long time and I have never done this before but then again I wasn't trying to shoot small groups at 600 yrds and more.

It is a lot of fun playing with these accurate long range rifles.

 

[bill123]

Going to be installing some high dollar scopes in some high dollar rings pretty soon and would like to get some input on aligning and lapping scope rings.

Do you guys bother doing it or are the rings good to go from the start. Will probably use the nightforce rings.

now I have been shooting a long time and I have never done this before but then again I wasn't trying to shoot small groups at 600 yrds and more.

It is a lot of fun playing with these accurate long range rifles.

I use Badger Rings and don't lap. In fact, it voids the warranty.

 

[geo4061]

Nightforce says do not lap.

 

[bruce_ventura]

With high quality, fully machined rings, the straightness of the rail usually determines whether or not to lap. If the rail is well made and fits the receiver perfectly, the rings should be coaxial and should not need lapping. A perfect fit is possible, for example, if the rail is properly bedded, or if it's machined into the receiver.

On the other hand, accessory rails merely tightened onto a Rem 700 receiver are likely to have some twist and bend deformation. If you test the rings using a good steel ruler, you will often find that even high quality rings are not coaxial.

 

[rcoody]

Nightforce says do not lap.

well that saves one step in this process

thanks

 

[Rich Coyle]

Hight high dollar, but if you use Talley light weights, they need to be lapped.

 

[FEENIX]

Nightforce says do not lap.

well that saves one step in this process

thanks

For what it is worth, this was posted on the classified ads a few months ago, IIRC, the rings were NF too. Perhaps, the OP sees it and chimes in ...

 

[rcoody]

For what it is worth, this was posted on the classified ads a few months ago, IIRC, the rings were NF too. Perhaps, the OP sees it and chimes in ...

yep I decided I wanted to lap them anyway. Ordered this kit with both the 30mm and 34mm tools

SINCLAIR INTERNATIONAL - SCOPE INSTALLATION KIT

 

[Tikkamike]

the wheeler and sinclair lapping kits come with allignment bars. they help in telling if the rings are straight. I lap everything except my NF Direct mounts which is all one piece. I personally dont care about a warranty on a set of rings.. the only thing that will fail on a set of high dollar rings is maybe the screws and those are cheap. so to me the warranty is just a feel good thing for the consumer. Lap your rings and do it properly.

 

[newmexkid]

Be extra careful NOT to overlap. Have a friend in Wyoming that felt he had to lap until the rings were perfectly shiny! Well, after remounting the scope...The rings would not hold the scope under the recoil of his 300Win mag. Granted he went overboard but, it shows what can happen.

 

[Rich Coyle]

That photo looks like someone lapped the scope and not the rings!

 

[bill123]

I agree that its not about the warranty and can't speak to anyone else's experience, but here's mine:

Badger rail, Badger rings, S&B scope. No lapping. I have around 7,500 rounds on the setup.

When I first installed the rings, the directions were very unclear and I only torqued the rings to the scope w/ 12 in-lbs. The setup worked perfectly. I realized my mistake after a few 1000 rounds and now use 18 in-lbs.

I removed the rings recently and after wiping the scope down, the tube looked almost new.

I did a test a few weeks ago to see if removing the rings from the base caused a POI shift. I shot 40 rounds in 5 shot groups. I removed the rings from the base after each group (leaving the rings on the scope) and re installed to see if I would get a POI shift. I could not detect any shift at all.

 

[rcoody]

the wheeler and sinclair lapping kits come with allignment bars. they help in telling if the rings are straight. I lap everything except my NF Direct mounts which is all one piece. I personally dont care about a warranty on a set of rings.. the only thing that will fail on a set of high dollar rings is maybe the screws and those are cheap. so to me the warranty is just a feel good thing for the consumer. Lap your rings and do it properly.

Personally I have been disappointed by the wheeler tools I have bought. I bought their AR armorers kit when I first started building ar's and have just about replaced everything in that kit. Sinclair is a little pricy but I have been happy with everything I have bought from them.

most warranties aren't worth the paper they are written on. Easier to just replace then go through the aggravation. Just don't buy that product again.

 

[FEENIX]

yep I decided I wanted to lap them anyway. Ordered this kit with both the 30mm and 34mm tools

SINCLAIR INTERNATIONAL - SCOPE INSTALLATION KIT

A bit late but the Kokopelli scope alignment bars and lapping bars are very good.