Armory Sponsor
Posted: 5/15/2008 6:57:29 PM EDT
| What suggestion do .50 shooters here have as to the best buy in rings for the .50bmg? I've heard good reports on the Burris Tactical rings and I can get them for $45 bucks. Or should I go ahead and get the Badger Ordnance's or Nightforce's. For right now the plan is to just put a Super Sniper scope on the rifle for now. BTW this is for a BGA Viper. |
You have this much into the gun and scope why scrimp on the rings? I would think go ahead with the badger's or whatever but I don't see the point in going the cheap route now. By the way I used badger's and have had no problems. |
|
Depends upon the weight you want and money you want to spend. I've got an ALS upper coming next week and in order to make weight with it for light gun, I have to use the Burris Xtreme rings (or Aluminum Nightforces). The Badgers put the gun overweight with a 5.5-22x56 NXS. If you want to spend your money that way, go for the Badgers...they're top notch. But I doubt you'll shoot any better than with Burris Xtremes. Like Hippies says, avoid the Lows on the Burris Xtremes...they have too much metal removed where the crosspiece engages. Besides, with the rail/stock design on the BGA Viper, you're going to need High or Extra High rings anyway to get a proper cheek weld. To me, it makes little sense to go with a steel ring like a Badger on the BGA Viper. The Picatinny Rail is aluminum, the scope is aluminum. Why use Steel to connect the two. I'd rather not scar up the gun with a harder metal but then that's just me. If you had a steel rail & weight & money don't matter, now that would be a different story. And no need for adjustables on a Viper. It's got 30 MOA built into the rail. -David Edgewood, NM |
Thanks for the great advice! Yeah, I was wondering if I should stay away from steel since the Viper rail is aluminum. As long as the Tacticals don't let the scope move then they seem to be the way to go. I'd already figured on getting high rings but maybe I should consider extra-highs. |
|
Order both the high and extra high from Midway, test both for cheek weld, and then just send the set back that you don't use. That's what I did. Before you finally mount them after figuring out where they need to be, be sure to Lap them with a 30mm Lapping bar (wheeler engineering from midway). Also be sure to loctite the cross bolts and torque them down to spec and loctite the ring screws and torque them down as well, both using an inch pounds torque wrench. I also use scope grip (rosin) between the scope tube and the insides of the rings for an extra strong grip. Never have had a scope on a 50 slip since I did all this. Works good on the 338 Lapua as well. Good Luck, -David Edgewood, NM |
Thanks!  Does Burris supply the torque specs with the rings?
|
|
Yes they do. They recommend 20 in/lbs for the upper ring halves and 65 to 100 in/lbs for the cross bolt. Can't say I've ever heard anyone else ever recommending as high as 100 in/lbs. I'd stay closer to 65. FYI: You'll need a T15 driver for the ring screws and a 1/2" socket for the cross bolts. |
Why in hell would you have to lap them? ....and yes I bought the wheeler engineering thing for lapping but for lapping whatever came to mind like bolt locking lugs that were sticking. I can not understand if there is something you must do to a product before using then why the manufacture does not do it first before selling it to you then advertising such to beat the competitor. There are a lot of folks the believe in lapping the scope to smooth out the finish and possibly rough finished tube but why would the manufacture not do this on a quality scope for as much you pay for such a thing? Certainly lapping does not hurt, and can be fun rubbing the shaft on the scope  ....but, not sure that this is a requirement on quality scope and rings when for a lot of folks getting a new updated prescription for your glasses will do more good than some lapping.so....any grammar or spelling errors? |
|
I think you're a little confused. You are supposed to lap the rings, not the scope. And you're not lapping to improve the finish, but rather to align the rings. The reason that you need to lap them yourself is that they could come pre-lapped, but it would do you no good. Due to tolerances in the rail and other variables, there is no guarantee that the mounts would end up perfectly aligned. That's why you lap them after they are mounted on the gun. By doing so, alignment of the rings will be almost perfect and there won't be any unwanted forces on the scope. You can get an updated prescription for your glasses, but I don't think that will help keep your scope from moving. |
|
Don't over look the Leupold Mk-IV rings, I've had them on my AR-50 since I bought it and never had a problem. They are stout rings and will hold up to the .50 recoil just as well as the Badgers or any others. I didn't lap them as they were so perfect out of the box I didn't see the need and used the scope to keep them aligned when I mounted them. You can use a lapping bar to do this but at the time I didn't have a 30mm one handy. The other plus to the Leupold rings is that you'll probably be able to find them in stock at most places. Badgers are always out of stock at most places because people seem to think that they're the best (only) choice. I'm not putting them down as they are nice rings but there are other choices out there that are just as good. |
Armory Sponsor