Millet Extended Rings

[tipiguy]

I have a pair of millett extended rings which are real nice because they allow me to get to the hammer without problems.  So far I really like them.

I have noticed a lot of other ring choices mentioned around the board.   Are there "better" or cheaper options than Millett?  Are most people using extended rings to get to the hammer?  Are there disadvantages to extended rings?  

I am looking at putting them on a 30-30...

Thanks for all of the past advice!  I really appreciate it!

Tipiguy

[444encore]

It's hard to beat Millet rings for that price range. Especially when using gloss finished scopes. They grip tight, just be sure to mount them with a ring centering device and not your scope.

[SteveAZ]

I'm using Millet extended see through rings. It's a 10" stainless in 22 Hornet barrel so recoil isn't a problem. I like the rings because they give me the height I like and a more rearward scope postion and because they use countersunk cap screws. I'm using this rig with the "taco" hold to shoot pistol silhouette.

When I install rings, I first clamp them to a 1" steel bar and then attach them to the bases. The scope hole part of the rings are then in alignment.

The one thing about the Millet rings that surprised and dissapointed me was that it took considerable fileing and sanding to get the inside of the 1" scope hole to be round. Out of the box they were quite smaller than a 1" diameter on the sides near the screw holes.

[tipiguy]

What is a "ring centering devise"?  Why not the scope?

thanks.
tipiguy

[444encore]

or could cheat and use a solid 1" steel bar[/img]

[SteveAZ]

I suppose you could use the scope if you wanted to. The tube on a scope is not all that strong. The design goal of a scope tube is to be only sufficiently strong to maintain it's integrity under normal working conditions. It is also designed to be as light as possible while serving the above purpose. It's not all that hard to ding, skew or torque a scope as it is made of lightweight aluminum. I guess I just feel a lot better using a free piece of scrap steel rather than a $500 scope as a ring aligment tool. I also use the steel bar to test the fit of the rings. I clamp the rings on then remove them and look for rub marks, either on the bar or on the rings.

The alignment rods in the picture would be used to ensure that "turn in" rings were parallel. I don't use "turn in" rings, there seems to be just too much opportunity to damage the scope. Or if no damage, at least skew the scope and cause additional optical and sighting problems. What I use for alignment is a 1" diameter steel bar about 12" in length.

Either method of course is better than just bolting the rings on and installing the scope.

Steve(AZ)