ninepointer
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Central Ontario
I'm putting a Bushnell Trophy 1.75-4x 32mm scope on a 12 ga. Remington 870 cantilever barrel. Can anybody suggest rings for this set up? Manufacturer, model, height? Thanks 
Which rings for shotgun scope?
- Thread starter ninepointer
- Start date
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
A shotgun transfers a lot of energy to the scope during recoil, so it is important that the rings make even contact with the scope tube. Steel rings are the best way to go and if possible they should be lapped. The make is less important than the tweaking, but Warn, Talley, and Leupold are all top choices. It might also be useful to smear the inside of the ring with Loc-Tite particularly if the rings have not been lapped and/or if the rear scope ring is not contacting the focus lock-ring of the scope.
Ring height must take into account the diameter of the ocular bell, the objective bell, and the drop of the stock. Ideally, you throw the gun to your shoulder, your cheek hits the stock and you have a perfect sight picture. Most shotguns have lots of drop because they are designed so that the shotgunner can use the bead with a tight cheek weld. Therefore, sighting through a scope is going to compromise your cheek weld to some degree, regardless of how low the scope is mounted, but clearly the lower you can mount it the better. Access to the power ring on your scope is of questionable value and takes a back seat to a good cheek weld. You are not likely to shoot beyond 100 yards, and big game is big enough to see at that range without magnification, so even 1.75X is plenty.
The advantage of the scope over irons is not magnification, it is that the reticle is on the same focal plane as your target, so you are not attempting to focus on a front and rear sight and on the target which are all at different focal lengths and cannot be focused on simultaneously. I'd be inclined to turn the power ring right down to the lowest magnification where it is most useful for close range shooting, and focus on the other elements of field marksmanship.
Ring height must take into account the diameter of the ocular bell, the objective bell, and the drop of the stock. Ideally, you throw the gun to your shoulder, your cheek hits the stock and you have a perfect sight picture. Most shotguns have lots of drop because they are designed so that the shotgunner can use the bead with a tight cheek weld. Therefore, sighting through a scope is going to compromise your cheek weld to some degree, regardless of how low the scope is mounted, but clearly the lower you can mount it the better. Access to the power ring on your scope is of questionable value and takes a back seat to a good cheek weld. You are not likely to shoot beyond 100 yards, and big game is big enough to see at that range without magnification, so even 1.75X is plenty.
The advantage of the scope over irons is not magnification, it is that the reticle is on the same focal plane as your target, so you are not attempting to focus on a front and rear sight and on the target which are all at different focal lengths and cannot be focused on simultaneously. I'd be inclined to turn the power ring right down to the lowest magnification where it is most useful for close range shooting, and focus on the other elements of field marksmanship.
ninepointer
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Central Ontario
Ya, I can thank this stinkin' cold & cough for that
Since I don't own a lapping tool, I'm thinking that a piece of 1" steel pipe held with a set of vice-grips will do (scope is 1" tube). Is lapping compound a specialty item or will my local big box hardware retailer carry it?
I couldn't agree more. I learned long ago that I shoot better with a scope, and that includes close range and deer on the move. All my rifles have scopes that go down to 1.5x and that's where they are parked 99% of the time. I think that for Ontario big game hunting, way too many guys are walking around the woods with 3-9x scopes on their rifles.
manbearpig
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Somewhere in the Third World
Warne Maxima TPA rings are a good bang for your buck at about $35 from Brownells, and mount really solid. their main drawback is that in order to remove them from a picatinny rail you need to remove the entire ring, so youll definitely lose zero. on a cantilever barrel this is a non-issue, however, since the scope will be mounted and left on and you want it to stay that way.
with your scope and a cantilever mount you should easily be able to get away with the lowest rings.
with your scope and a cantilever mount you should easily be able to get away with the lowest rings.
ninepointer
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Central Ontario
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Lapping rings is precision work and words like "pipe" and "vice-grips" do not apply. If you don't have or can't get a proper lapping tool, either don't do it, or send the rings out to a gunsmith to lapp. Fine, X-Fine and XX-Fine lapping compound is inexpensive and available from machine shop suppliers. The lapping tool is available from Brownells.
1" pipe refers to the inside diameter and pipe is not kept to particularly close tolerances. And vice-grips are well, vice grips.
manbearpig
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Somewhere in the Third World
last time i ordered something (Scattergun Tech 870 mag extension a couple months ago) it came through OK - i only paid a few bucks for shipping, and then paid my GST/PST and $5 on top of that to Canada Customs.
Brownells shipping costs are actually quite low, but their shipping options are very confusing. i would recommend calling them and asking them what the cheapest shipping option to Canada is and placing your order on the phone.
they have some sortof policy where anything over $50 has to go by more expensive tracked mail, but since these rings are less than $50 i dont think itll be a problem.
i like the Maxima TPA rings but keep in mind what i said earlier: they are a very solid mounting solution and IMO are better quality than sub-$100 Leupold rings, but you have to completely remove them to take the scope off the rifle. this should not be a problem for you since with a cantilever mount on a shotgun barrel you wont be taking the scope off and want it to stay on as solid as possible, but its something you should be aware of.
IMHO there is nothing as solid in the price range, however.
you could call Epps - they stock some Warne stuff, maybe they have some in stock for just a bit more $.
if you want a removable option the Leupold QRW rings arent bad. the fasteners in mine are really low quality though - horrifically off center and poorly made.
i believe the cheapest place for these is LeBarons, which charges $70 for them with the Club Card discount.
ninepointer
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Central Ontario
Roger that. Good advice
If my local shop doesn't have what I need, I'll try Epps next. I have the Leopold QRW's on one rifle, but that's only because I want the option of using the irons. You are right about the shotgun, once the scope is on it will stay on. Thanks for the info
