Hello,

I have a bolt action rifle with "see through scope rings".  A high power shooter once told me that the scope should sit as close to the action as possible.  He said that the higher the scope is above the receiver the less accurate it will be.  Can someone please explain how this works?

Thanks,

Speedfish

The trajectory will be flatter with lower rings.  Less offset makes it easier to shoot at unknown distances.  Thats said, get rid of the rings.  They are extruded aluminum and subject to being bumped out of zero.

Will it cause a shift in POI, or a greater shift in POI with less barrel movement?  Will it matter if the target is at a known distance?

Thanks again,

Speedfish

Quoted: Will it cause a shift in POI, or a greater shift in POI with less barrel movement?  Will it matter if the target is at a known distance? Thanks again, Speedfish

If you do all your shooting at say 100M, then HOB (height over bore) is a non issue.

The shift in POI is from the rings bending. That ain't no good.

Quoted: Hello, I have a bolt action rifle with "see through scope rings".  A high power shooter once told me that the scope should sit as close to the action as possible.  He said that the higher the scope is above the receiver the less accurate it will be.  Can someone please explain how this works? Thanks, Speedfish

Like Combat_Jack said, height over bore won't make it "less accurate" exactly, but it will give you a greater variance between POA/POI from the muzzle and your zero point.  If the rings are crap, then you have other issues.  

Are they the rings that bolt directly to the tapped receiver holes?  If so, I would think they might be sturdy enough.  That's what my father has used for years on one of his deer rifles, with no noticeable accuracy problems.

Why do you use those rings?  Is it for backup in case your optic fails, or (like my Dad) is it for those up-close or running shots?  If it's the latter of the two, then regular rings and a different optic setup could actually be BETTER than irons.  A JPoint or Dr. Optic added to your scope would give you a red-dot for those quick shots.  Swapping out your scope to a lower powered scope (1.5 - 6) would give you the same close range ability.  Then there's the Trijicon Accupoint, which offers the BAC capability.  I believe fellow ARFCOM Team Member "Hokie" has used an Accupoint with great success on deer.

Quoted: Hello, I have a bolt action rifle with "see through scope rings".  A high power shooter once told me that the scope should sit as close to the action as possible.  He said that the higher the scope is above the receiver the less accurate it will be.  Can someone please explain how this works? Thanks, Speedfish

Consistency is the key to repeatable accuracy.  And if your ring height is selected "for see-thru purposes" the scope will be too high, period.  If your ring height is selected "to place the optic as close to the bore" as possible, the scope will be TOO LOW almost everytime.

MOUNT EMPTY RINGS.  Look thru them.  Either you will see two concentric rings (indicating your natural line of sight when shouldering the rifle is correct), or one circle will be higher than the other.  If you must move your eye up or down to correct, you need different height rings for your application.  PUT THE GLASS WHERE YOUR NATURAL LOS IS LOCATED.  Otherwise, you will always be shooting a "borrowed" rifle that does not fit you properly...

Paladin

Unless you have a custom stock or pad of some kind, a scope that high will also make your cheek weld inconsistent which could cause shift in POI.

Otherwise, as stated before, if your rings are good accuracy won't be affected.  Your ballistics chart will just have some funky numbers on it.

They say that see-thru rings are a self-fulfilling prophecy, because they're so flimsy that you end up needing your iron sights anyway.