How to Choose Scope Bases and Rings

Scope bases and rings are used to mount a rifle scope onto a rifle. These parts are vital to having an accurate and reliable firearm. The rings and bases used in mounting a scope are not the place to try to save a few bucks by choosing the least-expensive option. Without a secure connection, the highest-quality scope will be useless. An unsecured connection will make your rifle inconsistent even from a shooting bench and can cost time, ammunition and money to fix.

Instructions

    • 1

      Consider the manufacturer and model of your rifle. Bases and rings that are meant for a particular rifle often are available from the rifle manufacturer or companies that specialize in scope bases and rings. If there are scope mounting kits available specifically for your rifle, consider these ahead of generic kits that may or may not work well on your specific rifle platform.

    • 2

      Observe the shape of the upper receiver of the rifle. If there is not a specific set of bases and rings available for your rifle, make sure that the base you choose matches the shape of the upper receiver. Rounded upper receivers need bases that are rounded, while flat bases work better on rifles with flat upper receivers.

    • 3

      Determine the diameter of the neck of the rifle scope that you will be mounting to your rifle. The rings need to fit the scope tightly so that it does not have room to move around once it is mounted. Rings are available in many different diameters, so finding rings to match the diameter of your scope's neck shouldn't be difficult.

    • 4

      Choose a scope base and set of rings that are meant to work together. Generally this means using a base and rings from the same manufacturer. Using parts that are built to go together provides a much more secure connection than mixing and matching bases and rings that were not built specifically to work together.