Ruger rings or pic rail

Encore4me

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 28, 2023
Messages
130
Ordered a new Ruger Hawkeye and I see it comes with the pic rail and not the rings they use to come with. Is one better than the other? I think I want the rings, who makes good rings to fit the Ruger dovetail slots?


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Joined
Nov 8, 2016
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1,866
Location
Kiowa/Deer Trail, CO
The rail is more versatile, but if you feel the need for rings, it's Warne, or bust......

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5811

WKR
Joined
Jan 25, 2023
Messages
732
who makes good rings to fit the Ruger dovetail slots?
Nobody really, that's why the rail is better. I tried warne split rings and they were a disaster. Leupolds only have one screw per side on the caps which doesn't seem all that robust. Ruger factory rings are the lessor of the evils but the rail is king.
 
Joined
Feb 21, 2025
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I took the 20moa rail off of mine and used Ruger SS rings. When you take the rail off, there will be 4 open holes in the top of the reciever that you will probably want to plug.
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Encore4me

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 28, 2023
Messages
130
Nobody really, that's why the rail is better. I tried warne split rings and they were a disaster. Leupolds only have one screw per side on the caps which doesn't seem all that robust. Ruger factory rings are the lessor of the evils but the rail is king.

Disaster in what way?


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TaperPin

WKR
Joined
Jul 12, 2023
Messages
4,107
I love Ruger rings - simple, durable steel, never fails. However, they don’t repeat very well if the scope is taken off and replaced. I’ve never understood what about the design just doesn’t clamp down consistently, but they don’t even when carefully torqued the same. Maybe it’s the small surface area where all the clamping force is applied. Pic rails repeat better if you swap scopes often.
 
Joined
Oct 14, 2023
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Houston (adjacent) TX
I actually prefer the Leupold rings that mount directly to the Ruger receiver. I had fitment issues with the Ruger rings scratching some of my scopes despite Ruger sending me a couple replacement sets.
 

5811

WKR
Joined
Jan 25, 2023
Messages
732
Disaster in what way?
I refreshed by M77 with a new Bartlein 7PRC barrel and a new Nightforce scope. My factory rings were 1" so I went on a journey to find new rings. I thought the Warne rings looked robust so I order some.

The scope goes in with the rings, and when I tightened everything to spec, I thought I was good. Multiple range visits and 60+ rounds of 7PRC later, I was beyond frustrated with how my rifle was shooting.

Of course I checked all the fasteners multiple times and everything was tight. I cant remember how I noticed, but I felt a little movement in the front of the scope, side to side. Just a bit. So I removed everything and check the rings without a scope and sure enough, the front one wasnt getting a bite before the clamp maxed. The rear one did, barely. I think when I initially mounted it that everything felt tight because the rear held but after some shooting, it loosened up.

When I reached out to Warne about it, they just kinda said, "yeah, some Rugers have that issue where the rings dont clamp. You can try our QD rings, they seem to clamp better."

So it was an expensive and time wasting mistake to even try them. The vertical split ring is such a bad design, but I didnt know better at the time.

So the rings, 60+ rounds of factory 7prc (when it was new and expensive) and maybe 10% of my new barrel later, I put a rail on and havent looked back.

Ill never buy Warne again, and split rings are just about the worst design ever made.
 
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