How to avoid ring marks? Please advice.

[AP]

We sell more "turn in rings" for regular hunting rifles than any other style. Not every gun we set up is for competition, tactical or long range shooting...in fact many guns sold are for hunting. Quality "turn in rings" allow us (and consumers who do their own mounting) the ability to center the scope on the base (or bases) using very little (if any) windage adjustment in the scope during initial mounting and bore sighting. This then allows the end user full range of adjustment in the scope itself during actual sighting in. "Turn in rings" are a little more difficult to install for people not experienced in scope mounting but for installers who mount scopes for a living they offer the most solutions to most mounting issues. We sell over 4000 guns a year and often mount scopes on many of those rifles. We have one of the largest selections of rings and bases in Edmonton (over $150,000 in parts alone in stock) so we also offer the full selection of choices and yes people still want "turn in rings". Phil.

If you are speaking of the 'Redfield' designed 'turn-in' rings with the front dovetail and the two horizontally opposed large head 'screws' then as long as they are installed so that they are NOT being adjusted for windage (ie the rear ring is not offset in either direction) and you accept the fact that only the front ring is taking up any significant recoil...they are ok. But if you intend to dial in any windage at the back ring/mount...you are twisting the scope tube. That is because as the scope is pivoting on the front dovetail....it is describing an 'Arc' at the objective AND ocular ends of the scope. Since the back ring/mount only moves left and right and only perpendicular to the line of the bore....something must give....usually represented by pressure against the scope tube as the 'crescents' that the rear opposing "windage" (in quotes for a reason) screws will-under tightening- attempt to square the ring to the base and not to the scope tube.

 

[guntech]

If you are speaking of the 'Redfield' designed 'turn-in' rings with the front dovetail and the two horizontally opposed large head 'screws' then as long as they are installed so that they are NOT being adjusted for windage (ie the rear ring is not offset in either direction) and you accept the fact that only the front ring is taking up any significant recoil...they are ok. But if you intend to dial in any windage at the back ring/mount...you are twisting the scope tube. That is because as the scope is pivoting on the front dovetail....it is describing an 'Arc' at the objective AND ocular ends of the scope. Since the back ring/mount only moves left and right and only perpendicular to the line of the bore....something must give....usually represented by pressure against the scope tube as the 'crescents' that the rear opposing "windage" (in quotes for a reason) screws will-under tightening- attempt to square the ring to the base and not to the scope tube.

And this Redfield/Leupold design has been giving satisfactory results for as long as I can remember... over 50 years at least. It has been popular for those guns with windage problems... personally I prefer the dual dovetail mounts for a hunting rifle.

However it may not satisfy today's high tech owners...

 

[TERMINATOR101CA]

Don't put your face so close to the scope when you pull the trigger, that's how you avoid ring marks above your eye

 

[P of PDent]

If you are speaking of the 'Redfield' designed 'turn-in' rings with the front dovetail and the two horizontally opposed large head 'screws' then as long as they are installed so that they are NOT being adjusted for windage (ie the rear ring is not offset in either direction) and you accept the fact that only the front ring is taking up any significant recoil...they are ok. But if you intend to dial in any windage at the back ring/mount...you are twisting the scope tube. That is because as the scope is pivoting on the front dovetail....it is describing an 'Arc' at the objective AND ocular ends of the scope. Since the back ring/mount only moves left and right and only perpendicular to the line of the bore....something must give....usually represented by pressure against the scope tube as the 'crescents' that the rear opposing "windage" (in quotes for a reason) screws will-under tightening- attempt to square the ring to the base and not to the scope tube.

Yes these are the original Redfield design/Leupold rings I speak of. We have installed well over a thousand of these rings types and have never seen any twisting or bending of the scope tube. Yes we use this feature to adjust for windage and with a properly machined ring/base the front will pivot without causing problems. The rear ring is an important component but must be installed correctly with the "eye brow" fully seated with the side screws. We lube the front dovetail to assist in this function and have never had problems with Leupold manufactured parts but with some copies (Burris) we often see binding and galling between the ring and base. We mount scopes and charge people for this work so we completely guarantee our work and materials used and rarely have any returns and none that I recall for this problem described. We install the front ring with a Leupold ring wrench (not the scope) and if adjustments are needed we remove the scope and pivot the front ring slightly one side or the other. We have used these mounts with heavy caliber hunting rifles with excellent results if they are installed correctly. If consumers are not comfortable with this design (rarely) then we install something with a weaver style base (more money). Phil.