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Base and Rings suggestions so many choices...so little time

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Ghillieman

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Looking for some suggestions on high quality 20moa base and rings for my new Christensen Ridgeline 300 win mag. Suggestions? What say ye? I'm sure there are a million opinions out there on this subject.....not afraid to spend a little extra to get better quality..
Schmalts was able to get me a Leupold VX 5HD 3-15x56 CDS ZL Firedot at a GREAT price HIGHLY recommend guys, his prices cant be beat, and he's easy to deal with.
 
Have a VX-5HD 3-15x 56 CDS ZL Firedot on my Weatherby Mark V .300 Wby. mag. Great scope, got mine from Schmalt's also. The rings and bases on that rifle are Leupold Dual Dovetail.
 
I've used a lot of different brands of rings and bases from inexpensive to costly and every set of them worked fine. Many American hunter's are convinced you pay more you get more, not me. You pay more and maybe you get much more than you need. Theory is you should pay more for the scope than for the rifle. So you buy a rifle cost you $2500, where you gonna get the scope? I have never lapped a set of rings and it's amazing, never had a problem because of it! Go figure! Just get a set of base's and rings you can afford and call it good. Early on, like many years ago, I had a set of Tasco rings and bases. Ugliest things I ever saw but the worked, imagine that!
 
I just mounted my VX 3HD on a 6.5 with some older Vortex inexpensive rings. So far so good. I think that if someone puts their name on them they are good enough for the abuse I will give.
 
Don Fischer said:
I've used a lot of different brands of rings and bases from inexpensive to costly and every set of them worked fine. Many American hunter's are convinced you pay more you get more, not me. You pay more and maybe you get much more than you need. Theory is you should pay more for the scope than for the rifle. So you buy a rifle cost you $2500, where you gonna get the scope? I have never lapped a set of rings and it's amazing, never had a problem because of it! Go figure! Just get a set of base's and rings you can afford and call it good. Early on, like many years ago, I had a set of Tasco rings and bases. Ugliest things I ever saw but the worked, imagine that!
Click to expand...

Had a set of those Tasco rings/bases on a Remington 700 BDL in .30-06 that I used to have. Wish that I still had it...it had a good scope too...Leupold Vari-X III 3.5-10x 50. Killed my best buck to date with that combo. back in 1998.
 
ludville1 said:
Had a set of those Tasco rings/bases on a Remington 700 BDL in .30-06 that I used to have. Wish that I still had it...it had a good scope too...Leupold Vari-X III 3.5-10x 50. Killed my best buck to date with that combo. back in 1998.
Click to expand...
Yea but, they were ugly! :) I just noticed, 1998. I got mine in the Rod and Gun Club on Base in Germany, about 1967, They were early aluminum, but they did work!
 
Don Fischer said:
I've used a lot of different brands of rings and bases from inexpensive to costly and every set of them worked fine. Many American hunter's are convinced you pay more you get more, not me. You pay more and maybe you get much more than you need. Theory is you should pay more for the scope than for the rifle. So you buy a rifle cost you $2500, where you gonna get the scope? I have never lapped a set of rings and it's amazing, never had a problem because of it! Go figure! Just get a set of base's and rings you can afford and call it good. Early on, like many years ago, I had a set of Tasco rings and bases. Ugliest things I ever saw but the worked, imagine that!
Click to expand...
My Dad and I were in the gun biz many years when Weaver and Tasco were about all that was available and they did the job. This 300's recoil is what has me more worried than anything. And yet somthin a lil more sexy works too..lol
 
Depends upon what you want in terms of weight or convenience. As DF said above, most will work. These days I prefer the Picatinny rails. For one they obviate the need for lapping in most cases. Makes it easy to adjust eye relief also. When installing you should attach with the front screws lightly snug. Slip a piece of paper under rear of the base. If the gap seems excessive you might want to consider bedding the base otherwise it will be bent when you snug it down. I prefer rings that fasten to the base tighten by means of hex head or knurled screw with coin slot. Don't care for the ones where you have to use Torx or heaven forbid hex wrenches. The rings should go together with at least 2 Torx screws per side. Also not a big deal, but some may not like a lot of sharp corners on their setup.
 
For one piece base i go to EGW.
www.egwguns.com

Their Keystone line of rings are seriously overbuilt.
I've bought 2 sets so far.

Buy base & rings at the same time and save 10%.
 
FWIW, I had the Talley 20MOA Lightweight rings on my Rem700 which is the same set that would be used for Christensen arms. I bottomed out the elevation on my scope and it was still shooting high at 200 yards. I had to go to the Talley Standard extended low set to get it to zero with room to adjust for a different load. I think you'll have plenty of adjustment for a 300WinMag for 90% of what you're going to encounter especially if you have to change ammo and it shoots wildly different.

Hawkins Precision makes a neat set of ring/base combos with a bubble level in the rear rings but are kind of pricey. They are 25MOA so they may bottom out a scope for close range shooting.
 
Had Leupold dovetails on Rem 700 chambered in 300 RUM. A couple years ago changed scopes and went with Talley rings and bases. No issues with either one.
 
Not questioning your decision, but curious why you are wanting a 20 MOA rail? Mounted on a 0 MOA rail you would have enough adjustment out to 1200yds.

The 20 MOA rail requires a higher eye position in relation to the bore, so without an adjustable comb it can compromise your stock weld. Just a thought.
 
MinnesotaHunter said:
Not questioning your decision, but curious why you are wanting a 20 MOA rail? Mounted on a 0 MOA rail you would have enough adjustment out to 1200yds.

The 20 MOA rail requires a higher eye position in relation to the bore, so without an adjustable comb it can compromise your stock weld. Just a thought.
Click to expand...
It’s a 0.016” difference in height maybe on a 20moa vs a 0 MOA scope.

About the thickness of a matchbook cover if that.
 
I've got 20MOA Talley rings on my Ridgeline, holding about a 21 ounce Leupold scope, which is probably close to the same weight as that scope. No issues holding zero. I highly recommend Talley rings be lapped for perfect alignment, which also helps for holding zero.

If you want to go the "brick chithouse" route, Ken Farrell rings and bases are bulletproof.

Personally I never put Leupold standard rings on anything anymore after sheering one of the turn-in rings right at the base. It was a high-recoil rifle, mid-weight scope, but no impacts at all to the scope or rings. Maybe it was just a bad part, but it's not something I'm going to risk on a hunting rifle.
 
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