scope mount heights

[StevieK]

I am buying a bushnell elite 4200 3-9x40 to mount on a browning a-bolt. I was going to buy medium rings, but I was just wondering if low rings would work for a 40mm objective? or will they be too low?

 

[PerversPépère]

I am buying a bushnell elite 4200 3-9x40 to mount on a browning a-bolt. I was going to buy medium rings, but I was just wondering if low rings would work for a 40mm objective? or will they be too low?

It all depends on your barrel's profile. If it tapers early after the chamber, it is possible to mount your scope low and clear the barrel. If it is a straight or heavy barrel, chances are you're going to need medium rings.
PP.

 

[Grizzlypeg]

It's trial and error, and costly if you buy expensive rings. I keep a number of sets lying around so that I can experiment and see what combination works. It's also handy to have some spare scopes lying around to test out and take measurements from. They don't have to be good scopes either, just something you can mount on rings and measure from rather than purely guessing.

About all I can recommend is find a store that will let you bring the rifle in and let them try to find the lowest rings that will work. I'm not convinced all makes of low, mediums or highs are the same height either.

 

[Ron AKA]

It will depend on the ring manufacturer. There is no standard for the actual height of low, medium, high. It is painful but if you go to the Midway USA site, and click on specifications for your scope and rings, they will give you the objective outside diameter, as well as the ring height. At the Weaver site (link below), you need to get the height of the bases, assuming you go with Weaver style bases.

Base height + ring height + 0.5" needs to be greater than 1/2 of the objective outside diameter if you want the objective to clear the receiver height. If the barrel necks down where the objective is, then you can get away with a little less.

Weaver Base Thickness