30mm Rings/20moa base/REM700

[shadow6492]

Been looking for a set of 30mm rings and a 20 moa base for my Remington AAC-SD 308. This is my first long range gun, so many options to choose from and wanted to see what you guys where using that worked. I've got a Leupold Mark 4 4.5-14x50 illum. TMR on the way. I've looked at Seekins, TPS, Leupold, Badger, Ken Ferrel so far. Should I go with steel or alum? This really isnt a light weight rifle, more of a bench gun.

Thanks,
Shaun

 

[42769vette]

opinions vary, personally i like steel rings and bases. for me its just one less thing to go wrong. they are expensive, but its a one time expense.

i have used uso so far but i think ill try badger next time

 

[gunman41mag]

opinions vary, personally i like steel rings and bases. for me its just one less thing to go wrong. they are expensive, but its a one time expense.

i have used uso so far but i think ill try badger next time

You mean you like QUICK-DETACHABLE STEEL RINGS & STEEL BASE, I use WARNE RINGS

 

[aclark]

I had a Badger base on mine along with Burris XTR rings, and they were both solid.

 

[42769vette]

You mean you like QUICK-DETACHABLE STEEL RINGS & STEEL BASE, I use WARNE RINGS

warne rings are steel, but i dont consider my uso rings quick detach, they are quicker than warne's. i consider my larue qd because it returns to zero every time.

on my uso rings they have to be torqued EXACTLY the same and still wont return to zero like larue style qd rings.

my bases have locktite and are not made to be detached for any reason. not that it cant be done but its defintally not quick

 

[shibumiseeker]

Badger Ordnance rings FTW. Also go with a steel base. The more weight you add to the gun the better especially if it's just a bench gun.

The BO rings will NOT let you down. Ever.

 

[Yeah]

Seekins

I have around twenty sets of his bases/rings and all perfect for what they are.

 

[Gamez235]

Badger, Nightforce, Leupold, etc.. I've even used EGW (if you can till find the) are all good. I am kind of picky and if I use a Leupold scope I usually use their rings and bases and so on for the others.

 

[top hat 45]

you cant go wrong with the ken harrell bases, quality is excellent. i have one on my long savage with 20 moa.

another good example of you get what you pay for.

 

[Dave Doehrman]

I would go with the NightForce Direct Mount base / ring setup. All one piece and very solid. Works great on my 1,000 yard .308.


Nightforce Direct Mount 30mm 1 high Rem 700 Short Action 20 MOA [NF10SA120DM] - $245.00 : Long Range Supply, Optics and gear for long range shooting

 

[IndyGunworks]

how far are you going to be shooting. do you NEED the extra travel on the gun? if not you can save some expense by going with a flat base.

 

[shadow6492]

I plan on trying to reach out to 1000 yards with it at Young Guns Range. Any issues with adjustment on the nightforce 1 piece? Does anyone have or used the Larue Tactical 20 moa base? Says it has steel inserts. Sorry for the questions just want to buy the right rings/base the first time. Also thanks for all your input!

 

[42769vette]

dont appoligise, you are doing it the right way. its much easier to ask questions before you buy than to buy somting that doesn't fit your fill and be stuck with it.

imo rings and bases are the most commonly overlooked part of a accurate rifle.

 

[Yeah]

The problem with any fixed position ring/base combo is the absence of ring spacing latitude.

 

[phylodog]

I've been using Glen Seekins bases and rings for several years now and have zero complaints. I like their sleek profile (no nut hanging off of the side) and their wide footprint. The fact that they are aluminum hasn't had any negative impact and my rifle is far from what you would call a safe queen. It spends it's life banging around in the trunk of my car and has been knocked over, dragged and stepped on numerous times.

This is the best pic I have of the left side to show the lack of mounting nuts on the side of the rings:

 

[usmcdjb]

I recently did some research and soul searching on this too. Hung out on snipershide some and read posts there. Corresponded with the folks at SWFA. In the end, I chose EGW 20MOA bases and TPS rings.

I chose aluminum base and rings. At some point, there is a transition of materials. The gun is steel. The scope tube is aluminum. I wasn't convinced the aluminum wouldn't do the job. Plus, I don't use this professionally - just recreationally.

I got 20MOA bases because I too wanted the ability to shoot further (assuming I do my part), and to learn more about long range shooting, MILs, MOA, wind, etc.

I first got Medium rings, but didn't like how high the scope sat. So I sent them back and ended up with Super Lows. The magnification adjustment on my scopes just barely clear the base/rail, but it does clear.

For what it's worth, I did this on 2 guns. First, Rem 700 SPS Tactical 308 with Bushnell Elite 4200 3-12x44. Second, Rem 700 Sendero 300WM with Bushnell Elite 4200 6-24x50. Besides one base being long action and one short, setups are identical. I've shot the 308 since, and am happy so far. Haven't shot the 300WM.

 

[Dave Doehrman]

The problem with any fixed position ring/base combo is the absence of ring spacing latitude.

I had no problem at all with ring spacing. I did have a problem with the mounting screw positions. There are 4 screws with the base (2 long and 2 short) and the installation instructions warn you to put them in the correct positions or they will hit the bolt. They don't tell you where they go so I had to dry fit the base trying all possible positions for the short and long screws. They are correct, you can bind the bolt or prevent it from closing if you don't have them in the correct position. I got lucky and hit the correct positions on the 4th or 5th try.

The NightForce NSX 8-32 56mm has 65 MOA adjustment. With the 20 MOA base zeroed at 100 yards I have 2 MOA down and 63 MOA up. At 1,000 yards I'm shooting 34.5 MOA, so the adjustment at 1,000 yards is almost centered in the scopes travel range. Once I confirmed screw placement and scope travel, I pulled all the screws, cleaned the screws and mounting threads and applied blue Locktite.

In the photo below it looks like the scope is sitting on the barrel, but I do have about 1/32" clearance.

Asking other folks here and reading the forums have helped me get opinions and make decisions without making costly mistakes.

 

[Yeah]

Maximum ring spacing is much preferable to the alternative.

 

[terrance250]

I went with the Burris XTR rings (low) & EGW 20 MOA base on my 700 SPS Tac. No complaints so far. One of these days when I upgrade my optics I'll probably repalce the rings & base with steel.

 

[M4Madness]

When I had the same rifle and scope as yours, I used the Badger Ordnance rings and 20-MOA base, and had no complaints whatsoever.