I mounted a Nightforce ATACR in an LT111 last night on my new Stealth upper and ended up re-torquing the tops of the rings down like 3 times. The gaps in the rings are still not exactly the same and I'm SUPER OCD about little stupid stuff like that sometimes..partially because it generally annoys me and partially because I would hate to think of somehow damaging a $2500 scope

It seems like sometimes it just works out perfect and sometimes even after 3 times there are still small differences on on side or the other.

I saw a used AR in my local store the other day with the rings totally snug on one side, and with a big gap on the other..with some searching online the thing you constantly read is that it's important to keep your gaps even - I was just wondering, at what point could it really be an issue? Like I said, I torqued mine down last night in what I thought was a fairly even pattern and it's honestly pretty close (but still noticeable to my eye), the scope is level (used feeler gauges) and everything is torqued to spec per the user manual for the scope. Sorry for the rambling, but I never thought too much about it mounting $400 Leupolds on deer rifles, but now that I own several much more expensive scopes, I guess the little things concern me a lot more.

I struggle with this sometimes too. Do the best you can and let it be. It helps to go to the range and shoot some lights out groups to forget about your ring struggles.

I installed some TPS rings the other day and per the instructions you have no gap on one side and a gap on the other. That was really messing with me...

Glad I'm not alone

I hear you on the range part - I absolutely can't wait to get this guy on the bench and stretch it out a little. I've wanted a Stealth for a long time.

Automotive feeler gages are your friend.

THIS

I use them for leveling the scope..never thought about using them for the ring gaps.

How do you use a feeler gage to level a scope?  Do you mean to measure how much to move it to bring it into level or how far out of level it is?

I use ARC M10 rings so that I don't have to worry about it.

This. I used mine to get the gap the same when I installed my MRO in my Geissele mount.

I don't care.

When your scope bottom and rail top are flat, you stack the gauges in between them until it holds the scope level. Torque down, then wiggle the gauges out.

I do that with Nightforce and Larue mounts. It’s super easy and always worked with Nightforce scopes.

I just eyeball the ring gaps.   Too big of a PITA to get ‘em feeler gage perfect.

I have used calipers before. Gonna have to try the feeler gage method

Yeah man the first time I did the feeler gauge trick for leveling, I wondered why I had never done it before. If only there was such a simple trick for hunting rifles that don't have a nice flat surface.

On something like a Geissele, I will use feeler gauges and allow 0.002" variance across all of the gaps at the largest. Gaps in a G mount are usually 0.004"-0.010" in my experience. Using something like a Badger or Nightforce, I eyeball it.
Usually I will start with them all feeler gauged (regardless of the mount), and then torque by angle in a criss-cross pattern in 1/8 to 1/4 rotation increments until final torque per the torque wrench is reached. This usually results in meeting my criteria above.

I level my reticles with a plumb-line and a Badger Dead Level.

1-10 scale somewhere around 8.5.  Calipers and feeler gauges have been used.

I really like Warne style.  Then I only have to decide on which side I want the screw heads on.

nevermind

This as long as the scope is level and tightened down, I don’t care about the gap

Eyeball it and let it go

I thought I was a little ocd but after reading this thread I don't think I have it quite as bad as some of you. Although y'all have given me some ideas that I am going to have to try.

Mount starts forward, scope starts back. Either scope goes forward or mount comes back. When eye relief is attained, snug it down, gap be damned but preferably not next to the turrets.

^^^ This.   The gap does usually end up pretty similar but I ain't gonna measure.

I have not used the feeler gauges or stacked coins for mounting.  Nothing wrong with it, but I focus on the reticle and not the turrets.

I prefer to first level the rifle in a padded bench vice with a bubble level on the rail.  Then I use a plum bob on the wall for the scope to align the vertical stadia with the plum bob.  That is because reticles are often slightly canted in relationship to the turret housings.  They shouldn't be canted, but you'd be surprised how often they are, even on very high quality scopes.