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I'm just looking at getting some rings for my new setup and feel I must ask..............

What is the difference between 10 quid rings and 150 quid rings?

140 quid and quality

So is it the grade of alloy? machining? At first glance they dont look 140 quid better quality.

I've been using UTG Twist Lock rings for the last couple of years, cheap as chips and never lost zero on anything I have fitted with them, right up to a large and not particularly light Sightron 10-50x60.

They get really good reviews on the US sites, just to say this is the twist lock version only, the throw levers aren't so good.

Ramsbottoms sell them online and on ebay, there's a measurement chart to check with as well, I usually use the 6 screw versions.

I bought some cheap rings and when mounted on the rifle the bores did not line up. It took a fair bit of fettling to get them lined up.

Rigidity, repeatability and material as much as anything. In theory you will get a more accurate alignment from a more expensive ring system however I have come across some exceptions. Then there is the name on the box, that can comfortably double the price on some :)

I usually let the customer specify rings on builds and only comment if I think it is necessary.

Geissele are worth a look.

We're pretty lucky to have one of the best scope-ring manufacturers here in the UK - Tier One/EVO Leisure.

Yes, they aren't cheap but if you've splashed out on a decent scope and you're serious about your shooting, rings aren't the place to compromise with cheap.

Good quality rings are one of those very important but often underrated aspects of putting together a good rifle.

The differences between the £10 rings and the £150 are:

1. You tend not to have the alignment problems you sometimes see people having zeroing rifles. Handy for making sure you have as much elevation and windage adjustments left as possible.

2. Fewer inexplicable zero shifts

3. Lowered likelihood of marks on expensive scopes.

4. "fit and forget" peace of mind.

I've recently bought a Tier One Unimount for a 34mm scope as I struggled to get the correct objective lens clearance and cheek rest height with conventional picatinny rings. They are not advertised as being detachable with return to zero, but they bloody well are! After I zero'd my rifle I fired a ten round group, removed the scope from the rail on my rifle, replaced the scope and fired another ten round group - all done at 100m. There was no change in my zero position. I'm pretty happy to detach the scope from this rifle and store separately with full confidence that I can remount whenever I take it out to shoot without any loss in zero.

A really nice feature is the inclusion of a levelling wedge which allows you to rotate your scope correctly during installation in order to level your cross-hairs correctly. There's also a spirit level embedded into the front of the mount so you can actually level your rifle when shooting, makes a big difference when shooting long distances! I was actually surprised to find that my typical shooting position was not entirely level, I was canting the rifle slightly over to the right.



On the other hand, I couldn't see myself spending this amount of dosh on my plinking rifles! I mostly shoot my .223 at distances between 100m and 600m. The standard Warne split rings I have, as frustrating as they were to install, do work well enough for my needs and didn't break the bank. However, I wouldn't dream of removing this scope/ring combination thinking that it wouldn't alter the zero!