What makes a set of expensive scope rings so expensive? and please don't say because the prevent from scratching your scope fini

[Reid Jones]

What makes a set of expensive scope rings so expensive? and please don't say because the prevent from scratching your scope finish. obviously, but what's different about them to cheap ones? what quality do they have that others don't?

[idduckhntr]

Most of your cheaper rings are made out of alluminum and your higher end rings are steel. I would look at a set of Warnes,Burris or Leopould

[Jim in Mo]

A good set of rings is worth every dime. They need to be strong and they must be concentric. If they aren't perfectly round they could permanently damage your scope. They must also sit square on your receiver. They should be threaded properly with a good set of screws that won't shear off during recoil.

[ishawooa]

I even lap the high end rings to obtain as perfect fit for my scopes as possible. Years ago I had to gather up the tools I needed where ever I could locate them. Wheeler now has a kit you can buy which provides everything you need at less money than buying them separately. I am not certain that all rings require laping but some certainly do and they are not particularily brand specific.
Even though some people use cheaper rings which are usually aluminum I have never trusted the integrity of these rings because I am concerned that they will fail when I need them the most. If a horse rolls on your rifle at least maybe the strong Leupold or Talley rings won't bend. I have seen this happen a few times and addly enough the rifle still was sighted in. The best scope and rifle in the world is no better than the rings that bind them togather.

[Del in KS]

Reid,

There's nothing I can add to the above. Rest my case.

[MLH]

Some companies (including Talley and Leupold) make high quality, expensive aluminum rings. These are very strong. The high strength alloy they are made from is expensive, and so is the process used to make them. No need to use them unless you want to remove every ounce of weight.

I also lap my scope rings .. except for Burris rings. Their Signature rings have synthetic inserts that do a nice job in gripping and aligning the scope without damaging it (also had the Sako version).

[jlfreeborn]

My M77 Hawkeye came with scope rings, and they are pretty good. I got mine from basspro. I dont know if they come with rifles from other stores or not, so check it out. You might not have to buy scope rings at all. They are "ruger" rings, by the way.

[MLH]

Oops! Forgot to answer your question about expense. A lot of the expense of the nicer rings is that they are machined from a single block of steel, which might be forged. The forging process makes the steel stronger but adds cost. Machining (using tools) versus casting (like making ice cubes) takes time and energy and adds cost. They also have a nicer finish which adds cost. Just calling them higher quality also justifies a higher perceived value from customers, so a higher price.

Advantage over cheaper rings? Confidence that they are made right and will hold up. Plus they look great.

[bonnier-admin_2]

I wished I had a dollar for every shooter I knew that put cheap rings on their rifle, spent $$$$$ on that fly in hunt or all the expenses of driving time to get there and came home empty handed! It’s funny how a person doesn’t think of the cost of one tank of gas for one hunt or the cost of going to one movie, then skimp on buying a set of rings that’s a onetime buy that costs half as much!!!

[steve182]

I would say good scope rigns are expensive because they are machined to very tight tolerances, where the cheapies have a much more liberal tolerance therefore having more potential problems. Don't cheap out, it ain't worth it.

[Beekeeper]

Reid,

The guys gave excellent answers. Better rings are machined to more exacting tolerances than cheap ones. You pay for precision.