Ring height for Remington 700

[Peakbagger46]

I’m about to buy a Vortex PST 30mm 4-16X50 on my Remington 700. I’m looking to go with Leupold dual dovetail rings and the rifle currently has a Leupold one piece dual dovetail base.

The barrel is a tapered varmit. Can I get away with high rings, or will I likely need extra high?

 

[243winxb]

Short or long action? https://www.leupold.com/scope-mounts

 

[Peakbagger46]

It’s a short action .308

 

[Peakbagger46]

Hey, that link was very helpful! I used a Leupold 30mm with a 50mm objective and it said to use high rings. Probably the Vortex isn’t much different.

Thank you!

 

[redneck2]

I used to work at the LGS. Sometimes it’s about impossible to know ahead. One compsny’s Medium rings end up the same height as another company's high rings. I’m going thru this on a new rifle. I contacted the ring manufacturer

 

[243winxb]

it’s about impossible to know ahead.

True. I think the 50 mm may mean glass area?? Not the outside diameter of the whole unit.

 

[Peakbagger46]

Well, I ordered both the high and extra high from MidwayUSA. Going to try the high first and see if it works. It will only cost a couple bucks to ship the set I don’t need back.

 

[badkarmamib]

It will only cost a couple bucks to ship the set I don’t need back.

Or, save them for the next purchase...

 

[WelshShooter]

One neat trick to try out is it mount your rifle onto a rest/vice or whatever you have to keep it in place, and able to get behind the rifle. Stack some coins on the receiver (the same ones front and back!) and place the scope on the stack of coins. At some point there will be a gap between the objective bell and the barrel of your rifle. Also, get behind the rifle and look through the scope to make sure your cheek weld is good. Now go ahead and take the scope off and measure the height of the stack of coins. That should tell you what height rings you need. It works much better with a picatinny rail as you'll be able to stack the coins under the elevation section, which is usually flat underneath.

I understand that you've ordered the two sets per your last post, but might be worth trying this trick out on future purchases! I did this last Summer for a Bushnell Elite ERS and worked perfectly.

 

[Skylerbone]

My guess would have been medium height rings with that set-up. Sometimes I just bring calipers to the store with me after determining height if no online info can be found but I always appreciate when manufacturers state the height ahead of time. That often gets me in the ballpark, and because there are several brands of rings I trust, I can choose the one that gets me as low as possible.

Always helps to have the scope in hand due to variations in stated vs. actual eye relief which sometimes causes problems with bolt clearance or iron sights, depending on where the bells sit and their external dimensions.

 

[JimKirk]

According to Vortex that scope is 2.26" in diameter at the objective . ..

 

[Skylerbone]

2.26”, that’s 57.4mm. Subtract the scope body diameter, 57.4 - 30 = 27.4mm, then divide that number in half, 27.4/2 = 13.7mm or .539” will be the distance needed from the bottom of the ring saddles to the receiver.

While the rings themselves may be advertised as “shorter” than that, you also have the thickness of your bases to consider.

 

[Varminterror]

@Skylerbone’s math is on point - EXCEPT it assumes the objective has to clear the flat of the receiver. Most bolt rifles have a small step down from receiver to barrel, then even more clearance offered by the taper in front of the chamber, where the objective end actually hangs. And as he mentions, he’s not including height for the bases themselves.

But that’s the math.

In general, I expect mediums with most 50mm objectives.

 

[cdb1]

In general, I expect mediums with most 50mm objectives.

This.

 

[Sniper66]

For one of my rifle projects I ordered Talley low rings. Turned out I needed medium. Talley cheerfully accepted the return and the mediums work great. For your project, try the mediums and if they don't work you can always go higher. Most everyone prefers a lower fit....at least I do. It only cost me a few bucks (return postage) to try the low rings. Now I have the perfect fit.