Nightforce Scope not making contact with Seekins Rings

[IDHUNTER]

I've tried mounting this new NXS scope in these new Seekins rings on two different rifles with two different rails. First was an EGW rail on a Weatherby Mark V, and now it's on a Nightforce rail on a Sauer 100 and in both cases it seems to be making minimal contact with the rings. You can see where the rings are rubbing on the scope tube. This is just from me setting the scope in the bottom rings and rotating it a few times without the caps on.

I would have thought it's the rail or action that's out of alignment if it were on one gun, but since it's happened on 2 guns and the wear marks are in the same place, it has to be the rings or the scope tube.

Is this normal? Will there be more/full contact once the ring caps are torqued down?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Wrench]

Gotta be the ring to rail fit. Have you tried mounting the rings to rail with minimal tension then setting the caps and final torque on the base to rail?

 

[IDHUNTER]

Gotta be the ring to rail fit. Have you tried mounting the rings to rail with minimal tension then setting the caps and final torque on the base to rail?

Since it's been the same on 2 different rails, does that imply something is likely wrong with the rings? I haven't tried what you're suggesting but I would think that by doing it I might get a little better contact on the rings but it would put torque the scope tube once the rings are torqued to the rail?

 

[IDHUNTER]

Did you lap those rings?

There was a similar thread on another forum recently with an SHV (can’t remember the rings). That other SHV had an out-of-spec main tube. If you have a quality set of calipers you could check. Do you have a different scope and/or rings on hand to check?

No, I didn't lap them, Seekins specifically says not to. I remember the thread you're talking about, I'll measure the tube.

*UPDATE* - Tube measures 29.97- 30.00mm all around, depending on how hard i squeeze the calipers.

 

[Wrench]

Since it's been the same on 2 different rails, does that imply something is likely wrong with the rings? I haven't tried what you're suggesting but I would think that by doing it I might get a little better contact on the rings but it would put torque the scope tube once the rings are torqued to the rail?

There's definitely some tolerance in the system. The rings must be larger than to rail and tube or it won't go together. If you induce any stress when you torque it up....itll show up. If you're out a few thousandths anywhere it's not going to destroy the system or your accuracy.

If you could measure how much all of this stuff moves around when you apply torque, you would be very surprised.

 

[2-Stix]

I have an NXS 3.5x15 and I noticed my front tube was bigger than my back tube.