Scope mounting-Ring/base

[freebird]

So if you have a set of scope ring/base mounts, whether talley or Hawkins. They are advertised 25 moa cant. Naturally if its on a remington and they are for a remington the holes will line up. But my question is if you have the mounts for a long action, 25 moa, and you mount them on a short action are you going to gain or lose some of your 25 moa cant?? A gunsmith told me if you use short action mounts on a long action you will gain a couple moa. If this is true then wouldn't you lose a couple moa if you use long action mounts on a short action??
I haven't had my energy drink yet and my brain is not working.

 

[flyinsquirel]

I may be stir crazy but I'm thinking that would equal a dented scope tube.

 

[freebird]

I may be stir crazy but I'm thinking that would equal a dented scope tube.

Explain to me how it could dent the scope tube

 

[Low_Sky]

If you mount canted two-piece rings for a short action on a long action, or vice versa, the centerlines of the rings will be parallel, but not colinear. The rings will be at the wrong heights to line up with each other. Lapping might be able to take care of it, but it would be a lot of lapping. Probably better to get the right rings for the action.

 

[flyinsquirel]

Low Sky beat me to it.

Another way to look at it. The height difference between the front and rear ring is specific to their horizontal spacing. Change the spacing and you mess up the alignment. Then when you tighten up the rings the slop has to go somewhere. Now maybe the tube wouldn't dent using appropriate torque values on the ring screws, but you wouldn't have full contact on your ring/scope interface. Which isn't a recipe for success either.