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Old March 2, 2015, 09:45 PM   #1
TheDutchman19
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Scope height

When mounting a scope I know you want to get it as close to the barrel as possible, but how close is too close? I am using a heavy countered barrel with a 56mm scope. My scope ring options from Seekin are 0.97 and 1.26, and neither seems perfect. One is too close and the other is too far.

Does anyone have any suggestions on this?
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Old March 2, 2015, 10:28 PM   #2
NoSecondBest
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Getting it as close to the barrel as possible isn't always true. A lot depends on the stock design/comb height. Forcing your head down on the stock isn't an advantage by any means. I've had some thumb hole stocks with a raised cheek piece where I raised the scope. Your head should ideally be touching the stock without having to force your face down to see through the scope.
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Old March 2, 2015, 10:57 PM   #3
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NoSecondBest is right. The ideal scope height for a flat-stocked rifle could be quite different for the same action when used on a stock with a raised cheek piece.
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Old March 2, 2015, 11:43 PM   #4
TheDutchman19
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That helps. I have been working on this gun for over a year and I'm trying to make as many good decisions the first time as I can. Thanks for the input.
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Old March 3, 2015, 10:44 AM   #5
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Yes. You want it as close to the barrel as possible, without making it uncomfortable or difficult to get a good cheek rest, or get the eye lined up behind the scope.
Don't trade off the one to get the other.
A little higher, but with good, repeatable cheek rest, shooting comfortably, is better.
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Old March 3, 2015, 12:27 PM   #6
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"Close to the bore as possible" is widely stated as that's usually where it needs to be, to minimize what's needed (if anything) to get the comb high enough for a good cheekweld.

Combs are, by design, low- they need to be or you'd never be able to remove the bolt from the gun without taking out the action. I've never seen a comb that needed to be lowered to shoot- only raised.

Typically, you do end up mounting the scope as low to the barrel as possible- and as long as it's not touching the barrel, it's not too low. This results in none/little needed to raise the comb to the level needed.

"Needing" to mount the scope higher, to be able to achieve your cheekweld- would be very rare.
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Old March 3, 2015, 01:39 PM   #7
NoSecondBest
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Quote:
"Close to the bore as possible" is widely stated as that's usually where it needs to be, to minimize what's needed (if anything) to get the comb high enough for a good cheekweld.

Combs are, by design, low- they need to be or you'd never be able to remove the bolt from the gun without taking out the action. I've never seen a comb that needed to be lowered to shoot- only raised.

Typically, you do end up mounting the scope as low to the barrel as possible- and as long as it's not touching the barrel, it's not too low. This results in none/little needed to raise the comb to the level needed.

"Needing" to mount the scope higher, to be able to achieve your cheekweld- would be very rare.
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Old March 3, 2015, 06:05 PM   #8
Unclenick
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I think this really depends on personal ergonomics; how long your neck and arms are, for example. I tend to be a terrible stock crawler and have scoped my brow on more than one occasion with standard guns. I usually need a slightly longer stock than the length of my arms would indicate, and I like an adjustable cheek piece where I can get it. So I think your best bet is to ignore everyone else's preferred configuration and find your own. If you can find someone who knows how to fit stocks, or who actually has an adjustable try-stock, even if it's meant for shotguns, so much the better to learn what tends to fit you.

If not, you can actually make an adjustable sliding peep and front sight out of black construction paper and keep moving them up and down together until, when you set up your position with your eyes shut, and then open your eyes, you find you are lined up with them. Then their height is where you want your scope centerline. Or, you can remove the bolt from a rifle and have someone look through it from the muzzle to see where they can see your cheek, then measure from that spot on your cheek to the center of your eye while you are still in position. That's the height above the boreline you want the scope center to have.
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Old March 4, 2015, 07:47 AM   #9
tobnpr
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Quote:
Huh?
What part of that is incoherent?

Stock comb heights, by design are limited roughly to the tang height of the receiver so that the bolt can be removed. I've never encountered a stock comb-on a rifle being used with an optic- that was too low. If anything, they need to be raised by an adjustable cheekpiece or stock pack to get a cheekweld even with a smaller (40mm) front objective tight to the barrel.

Point being- with rare exception- correct procedure is mount the scope as close to the bore as possible, and raise the comb as needed for the individual shooter's correct cheekweld.
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