How to purchase scope rings?

[HunterPerson]

I got my Significant Other (SO) an awesome scope for Christmas, but have no idea how to choose scope rings. Should I just let 'it' (they visit here so I don't want to give MY identity away) take it to a gun shop, get the rings, and get it bore sighted, or should I try to get rings myself and have us spend a fun day out in the yard sighting it in?

If I do get 'it' rings, how do I figure out what to get? 'It' shoots a 243 and a 270 and I was going to let 'it' choose which gun to put the scope on. I think 'it' will choose the .270 becuase I like the 243.

Is there a buying guide somewhere, or should I just get a gift card to a sporting goods store in addition to the scope?

Thanks-
HunterPerson (trying to be discreet so 'it' doesn't know who I am)

[Swamp Monster]

Lots of Variables!!

What kind of bases does the gun have? Typically there are what they call "weaver" style bases and dovetail bases. I prefer dovetail bases, specificaly Leupold or Burris...rings as well. The weaver system is plenty strong, just not a fan of the way it looks, especially on nice guns.
Mounting bases and rings/scope is pretty easy, but if you have no experience with it, best to let a gunsmith perform this task.

Things you will need to know:
Type of gun: There are seperate bases for each gun action, sometimes multiple bases for the same action
Type of action:
Size of the scope: Most likely it has a one inch tube, but some have 30mm tubes which will require you to use 30mm rings
Also the size of the scopes objective ie 32mm, 40mm, 44mm, or 50mm and a few others ofcourse. The size of the objective and the type of rifle you will be mounting it on will dictate the height of the scope rings. They come in different heights to accomadate large or small objectives etc.

Having this done for you and getting it bore sighted will help ensure that the scope is mounted the way it should be...you can damage them by mounting them wrong...too much pressure on the tube or uneven pressure for example can cause problems. And sometimes, the rifle action itself isn't true to specs and can cause problems, but we won't get into that here!
Does the gun have a scope on it know??? As long as the objective is similiar those rings should fit and make things much easier/cheaper.

Expect to pay between $35-$50 for good basic rings and bases. The Leupolds and Burris I mentioned are top choices and moderately priced. And all rings and bases are NOT created equal! And good rings are very important...they are the link to the guns accuracy and if they are weak, well you know the the answer to that.
If you have any questions...specific questions you don't want to air here feel free to PM me! or email me.

[Swamp Monster]

I don't know who "it" is, but I guess there are a couple of "its" here with both a .243 and a .270 that are frantically trying to guess which scope they are going to get! "it" will probably figure it out soon enough!

[Rasher]

Go get a gift card and some ammo for the 270, on the gift card state that its for getting the scope rings, and go have a fun day at the range. My wife loves to go shooting with me and my kids-they are nuts almost cant find a gun that kicks to hard, but thats off the subject. If you want to buy the rings just get the make and model and go see you local gun dealer they should be able to hook you up. Good luck and have FUN.

[HunterPerson]

Swamp Monster - maybe you're 'it'? lol. :lol:

Maybe I can just take the gun and the scope somewhere and have it mounted and ready for Christmas day. Not like 'it's' going to be using the gun between now and then and proably won't even know it's gone...the guns are both bolt action but do I really want to get even more confused? Truthfully, No. I'll let someone else deal with it and I'll just write the check :) I've had enough confusion and decision making this hunting season....If I find myself totally bored I might pm you a pic of the gun, and get your thoughts...Thanks for the offer!

This could be a lot of fun...I could post a whole bunch of posts saying "I got this for my friend, who has a 7mm" and it would get all the guys who have a 7mm thinking 'Is it me'? :dizzy:
THANKS A BUNCH!

[Swamp Monster]

I now know for certain "it" is not me! I would certainly notice if one of my guns happened to be missing!! :lol: