Steel or Aluminum Rings?

My 308 run a badger Ordnance 4142 steel Picatiny base with some EGW aluminium rings and never had any problem.... I would stick with my advise... Buy high quality composants and you will keep yourself out of trouble....

Maybe it could make a difference with friction and time on a high recoil gun....but honestly I would be surprise if your using good quality stuff... Stiff is stiff and hard is hard.... If nothing is moving... It should be all good..... And don't think a mix between aluminium and steel on a rifle could cause a problem..... Your aluminium rings don't have aluminium screw and it's not a problem...
 
Camo tung... You should have a look at this post

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f19/rings-bases-aluminum-steel-51281/

http://www.boiseshooters.com/index.php?topic=12679.0

So after all of that I have decided to go with the LaRue base with Leupold Mark 4 rings.* And here is why.....
I spoke to a trusted friend who is a former US ARMY Sniper and now does secret squirrel missions for the DOD.* That being said, I trust his opinion and value his judgement.* He told me this, since I am building a lighter rifle, the ounce or so difference on the aluminum base will be usefull.* Combining Steel and Aluminum base/rings or vise verse doesn't matter at all as long as they are quality.* (JMack you hit this one right on the head) His recommendation was the LaRue with Mark 4 rings.

I did do some research on the Badger and Nightforce that have their "recoil lug".... It appears to be a lip milled into the bottom of the base that sits flush up against the face of the chamber, so that the recoil of the rifle pushes against the mount itself and not just the screws.* I will try to post a pic that I located with a decent view of the "lip."

I am not sure if the LaRue has this or not; however it will be here next Tuesday and I will post it up here for us all to enjoy.
 
Camo tung said:
Any truth to the advice "steel rings with steel bases, aluminum rings with aluminum bases"?
Click to expand...

Theoretically, as the expansion rates for those metals are different. Might, in theory, lead to loose screws.

In practice, probably not.

I'll throw in on the torque specs: 35in-lbs rings-to-base; 15in-lbs rings-securing-'scope.

Regards,

Josh
 
Josh Smith said:
Theoretically, as the expansion rates for those metals are different. Might, in theory, lead to loose screws.

In practice, probably not.

I'll throw in on the torque specs: 35in-lbs rings-to-base; 15in-lbs rings-securing-'scope.

Regards,

Josh
Click to expand...

A quick analysis backs that up.
Even though Aluminum expands and contracts at almost twice the rate of steel and causes significant issues in some applications, this probably isn't one of them.

Assuming an operating temperature range of 100 degrees F, and a base 1" wide, the delta in dimensions between the two metals will only reach .0005".
If you assemble your scope in the center of your operating temperature range, you can hold the difference to half.

Aluminum rings on a steel base get looser as temperature rises.
Steel rings on an Aluminum base get tighter as temperature rises.
 
When I purchased rings for my 300 WM,I was informed that some of the aluminum rings are actually stronger than the same rings in steel, not sure how much I believe that but the aluminum rings have held up very well so far on the rifle. It's not likes it's a 338 Lapua or a 50BMG.
 
While I don't know much about the finer points of scope rings , I can assure you that there are aluminum alloys with higher yield strengths than steel.

For example, 7075-T651 Aluminum is stronger than 1018 steel by about 20%.
'Aluminum' covers a wide range of alloys including untreated non-alloyed aluminum which is a PITA to work with.
6061-T6 is quite common and very easy to machine but not stronger than steel.
 
Ya these rings are the TPS rings and are 7075 aluminum. Nice fit and a quality product so I figured I would not have any problems. I'm not shooting in the Arctic or the Sahara so I'm not that worried about the different expansion rates of the steel base and aluminum rings. Buy quality and you get quality.
 
I found this.
http://www.onlinemetals.com/aluminumguide.cfm


6061 Aluminum is, by most any measure, the most commonly used aluminum alloy. It is specified in most any application due to its strength, heat treatability, comparatively easy machining, and weldability. If that were not enough, it is also capable of being anodized, adding a layer of protection for finished parts.
The main alloy ingredients of 6061 aluminum are magnesium and silicon.

6061-T6 Aluminum
Physical and Mechanical Properties: Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 45,000
Yield Strength, psi 40,000
Brinell Hardness 95
Rockwell Hardness B60
Chemistry:. Aluminum (Al) 95.8 - 98.6%
Chromium (Cr) 0.04 - 0.35%
Copper (Cu) 0.15 - 0.40%
Iron (Fe) 0.70%
Magnesium (Mg) 0.8 - 1.2%
Manganese (Mn) 0.15% max
Silicon (Si) 0.4 - 0.8%
Zinc (Zn) 0.25%


7075 Aluminum
7075 is the other "aircraft grade" aluminum that is carried by OnlineMetals. Its principal alloying ingredients are zinc and copper, which make it one of the highest-strength aluminum alloys that are available. In fact, its typical strength in the T6 temper is higher than most mild steels.
7075 also has average-to-good ratings for machinability, corrosion resistance, and anodizing response. Like 2024, however, it is not considered to be weldable.
7075-T6 Aluminum
Physical and Mechanical Properties: Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 83,000
Yield Strength, psi 73,000
Brinell Hardness 150
Rockwell Hardness B87
Chemistry: Aluminum (Al) 87.1 - 91.4%
Zinc (Zn) 5.1 - 6.1% max
Copper (Cu) 1.2 - 2.0%
Chromium (Cr) 0.18 - 0.28%
Iron (Fe) 0.5 max
Magnesium (Mg) 2.1 - 2.9%
Manganese (Mn) 0.3% max
 
Just wanted to let you guys know, that I've settled on a set of Ken Farrell steel rings. After reading through all of the replies, and doing a bit of research on my own, which I should also credit most of you guys for the helpful links, I ordered a set of 30mm low steel rings from Hirsch Precision, along with a Farrell 20MOA steel base. They are a Canadian dealer for Farrell products, so it was pretty painless in acquiring them. And to add to it, Peter is such a great guy to deal with. The man has time for any questions you may have, and always makes sure that you find what you are looking for. Hats off to Peter Dobson...

I figured that since I'm mainly a fair-weather shooter, I won't be dealing with extreme hot or cold temperatures, so the expantion and contraction facts which surround the steel/aluminum ring question are a bit more subtle in my case...at least I'd like to think so. I've heard nothing but good things about Ken Farrell's products, whether they are steel or aluminum, so going back to the "get yourself some GOOD rings" comment, is exactly what I did.

Guys, thanks for all of your help, opinions, and experiences with both types of rings. It has really helped me to decide what would be best suited to my needs.

Now, when I decide to join an elite sniper squad for the zombie apocalypse, you can bet that I'll be back with a few more questions!!!!!

Thanks guys...
 
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