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Posted: 1/24/2011 1:55:55 PM EDT
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Hey guys.
I just finished putting my upper together and I'm in the market for scope mounts. I am wanting rings. I had some leupolds with the leupold scope I will put on the AR but they were obviously too low. Am I wanting high or extra high? Gun is a standard a3 flat top. I am wanting some rings under $40 in silver if I can find them. What would you guys recommend? |
| I'm not finding much with the center optic measurement. From the Warne mount table it looked like 'high' was only .58" from base to scope. Am I correct in assuming I need something like .8"? Is there a brand or model I should be looking at for something fairly inexpensive? Or would an extension be a good way to go to add a little extra height? |
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Mounting a Scope on an AR15
Due to the AR15 design the optimum height for Optics is 1.5” above the upper receiver. This is due to the Receiver Extension, otherwise known as the “Buffer Tube”, which does not have a drop at the comb like a conventional rifle. Based on this, Mounts and Rings that put the center of the optic at 1.5” give the best cheek weld. Lower Mounts and Rings can be used, but this increases the chance of canting the rifle in order to see through the scope. I’ve used rings as low as 1.185” to center and although they worked I ended up driving my cheek into the stock and had to be conscious not to cant the rifle. Magnified optics can be used with fixed front sight bases. On lower power settings in the 1x-3x range the front sight base will be visible but on higher power it will be little more than a blur. Standard Rings can be used but due to the limited space available on the Upper Receiver you may not be able to obtain the proper eye relief. Bridging the gap between the Upper and Handguard is not a good idea, most Free Float Handguards are rock solid and have anti-rotation devices but there’s always a chance it could rotate. Even a slight rotation can damage the scope or at least throw your point of impact off. Free Float Handguards can also flex, scopes do not like to flex any more than they like rotation. The other thing to keep in mind is the handguards may not be exactly lined up with the upper receiver which will cause alignment issues for the rings. One piece Cantilever Mounts are by far the best choice for AR15 rifles. One piece mounts are stronger than separate rings and less prone to misalignment. They allow the Scope to extend over the Delta Ring giving you the ability to get the proper eye relief. Using a true Monolithic Upper eliminates the need for Cantilever Mounts and Standard Rings will work fine but you still need to get the proper height. Quick Detach Return to Zero Mounts and Rings are a personal preference… I personally like the feature whether I need it or not. I agree that it is not absolutely necessary, but the ability to remove the Optic for weapon maintenance / repair with-out losing Zero is a great option. I hate getting bore cleaner on the lenses of my optics and with a QD mount I don’t have to worry about it. Having the ability to have more than one optic for the same gun and switching between them with-out having to re-zero is well worth the extra cost of the QD design also. Standard Rings and non-QD mounts can also return to zero as long as they are torqued to the same specs as when they were installed but this means you either have to buy a pricey smaller Torque Wrench like a Seekonk or tote around a larger one. Additionally, if you use Rings with Allen or Torx Head Screws; you always run the risk of stripping the heads and since Loc-Tite is always recommended you have to re-apply it. |
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Quoted:
Mounting a Scope on an AR15 Due to the AR15 design the optimum height for Optics is 1.5” above the upper receiver. This is due to the Receiver Extension, otherwise known as the “Buffer Tube”, which does not have a drop at the comb like a conventional rifle. Based on this, Mounts and Rings that put the center of the optic at 1.5” give the best cheek weld. Lower Mounts and Rings can be used, but this increases the chance of canting the rifle in order to see through the scope. I’ve used rings as low as 1.185” to center and although they worked I ended up driving my cheek into the stock and had to be conscious not to cant the rifle. Magnified optics can be used with fixed front sight bases. On lower power settings in the 1x-3x range the front sight base will be visible but on higher power it will be little more than a blur. Standard Rings can be used but due to the limited space available on the Upper Receiver you may not be able to obtain the proper eye relief. Bridging the gap between the Upper and Handguard is not a good idea, most Free Float Handguards are rock solid and have anti-rotation devices but there’s always a chance it could rotate. Even a slight rotation can damage the scope or at least throw your point of impact off. Free Float Handguards can also flex, scopes do not like to flex any more than they like rotation. The other thing to keep in mind is the handguards may not be exactly lined up with the upper receiver which will cause alignment issues for the rings. One piece Cantilever Mounts are by far the best choice for AR15 rifles. One piece mounts are stronger than separate rings and less prone to misalignment. They allow the Scope to extend over the Delta Ring giving you the ability to get the proper eye relief. Using a true Monolithic Upper eliminates the need for Cantilever Mounts and Standard Rings will work fine but you still need to get the proper height. Quick Detach Return to Zero Mounts and Rings are a personal preference… I personally like the feature whether I need it or not. I agree that it is not absolutely necessary, but the ability to remove the Optic for weapon maintenance / repair with-out losing Zero is a great option. I hate getting bore cleaner on the lenses of my optics and with a QD mount I don’t have to worry about it. Having the ability to have more than one optic for the same gun and switching between them with-out having to re-zero is well worth the extra cost of the QD design also. Standard Rings and non-QD mounts can also return to zero as long as they are torqued to the same specs as when they were installed but this means you either have to buy a pricey smaller Torque Wrench like a Seekonk or tote around a larger one. Additionally, if you use Rings with Allen or Torx Head Screws; you always run the risk of stripping the heads and since Loc-Tite is always recommended you have to re-apply it. I have a DPMS with the rail raised about 1/4". So with this info the ideal height from the upper receiver the the center of the scope should be 1 1/4" correct? I have a problem at times canting my rifle also. 
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Quoted:
I have a DPMS with the rail raised about 1/4". So with this info the ideal height from the upper receiver the the center of the scope should be 1 1/4" correct? I have a problem at times canting my rifle also. Which DPMS Upper do you have? got a picture or link? |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
I have a DPMS with the rail raised about 1/4". So with this info the ideal height from the upper receiver the the center of the scope should be 1 1/4" correct? I have a problem at times canting my rifle also. Which DPMS Upper do you have? got a picture or link? This DPMS 308 |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I have a DPMS with the rail raised about 1/4". So with this info the ideal height from the upper receiver the the center of the scope should be 1 1/4" correct? I have a problem at times canting my rifle also. Which DPMS Upper do you have? got a picture or link? This DPMS 308 AR10's have a slightly higher rail so yeah rings in the 1" to 1.25 range would be the way to go. Everybody is different, I've used rings as low as 1.29" on my Rock River. They worked but I caught myself canting the rifle from time to time. For an AR10 style I'd go with the LT-158. It's slightly lower than the LT-104 (by .06) and it has 10 MOA built in. |
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