Scope rings...Mid priced vs mid-high priced

[BBob]

Yep, Seekins / vortex pros will zero shift when dropped and crack at the pic rail clamp. Burris xtr signature warne mountaintech, and nightforce all work currently. I haven't tried any pricier options.

Post in thread 'Seekins pic ring issues'

Mar 20, 2025

I've seen 1 pair of seekins/vortex, and they cracked. That's enough for me to not try again.

• ResearchinStuff

And I think they were both low height rings. A design flaw for sure with how thin it is there.

Doesn’t look like the low ring height to me. Mby he can comment to it.

I have several pair of lows and I’ve always been suspect of them cracking at that point but they haven’t. Probably because I’ve never smacked them hard enough to do it. Always looked suspect and like a weak spot to me.

 

[SDHNTR]

This is the last place to skimp to save $50-60, imo. It’s the weakest link in the system, not a place to try and save money.

 

[gunner617]

This is the last place to skimp to save $50-60, imo. It’s the weakest link in the system, not a place to try and save money.

I will agree on that.

 

[svivian]

How are the UM premier rings? I have not heard/seen much about them as the Tikka version seem the most popular option

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Post in thread 'Seekins pic ring issues'

Mar 20, 2025

I've seen 1 pair of seekins/vortex, and they cracked. That's enough for me to not try again.

• ResearchinStuff

Doesn’t look like the low ring height to me. Mby he can comment to it.

I have several pair of lows and I’ve always been suspect of them cracking at that point but they haven’t. Probably because I’ve never smacked them hard enough to do it. Always looked suspect and like a weak spot to me.

I forget if they were High or extra high, 35mm.

 

[TaperPin]

Badger ordinance also makes some great steel rings very much like the Mark 4, even a six screw version.

 

[Kimber7man]

No way I’m scrimping on rings. How often do you take a scope out of the rings, off the rifle? NF UL and ARC M10 on mine, but would like to try the Area419 Hunt rings

 

[KnightExtreme]

Burris Signature Rings - Many Options as to Mounting Types - And These do not Marred the Scope's Tube.
https://www.burrisoptics.com/mounting-systems/signature-rings
1 Inch - 30 mm Low -Medium - High
0r - more $ -for these
Burris XTR Signature Rings

XTR Signature Rings™ | Burris Optics

www.burrisoptics.com

Saves on Scope if you need to resell a Scope. (no damaging the tube)
KnightExtreme.

 

[plebe]

I forget if they were High or extra high, 35mm.

You mention in that thread (linked by @BBob) 6000 series aluminum. Were your Seekins rings not 7075 T6?

 

[sndmn11]

I have had drop test success with:
-TPS TSR aluminum pic (favorite, discontinued)
-Talley Modern Sporting
-warne mountain tech

I have had failures with Warne hyperlite and stripped out multiple before exchanging for Mountain Tech.

At one point I wanted to put together a scope ring shootout, but then realized I'd be into it $1k just to show that they all work fine in AL or steel.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

You mention in that thread (linked by @BBob) 6000 series aluminum. Were your Seekins rings not 7075 T6?

i don't have a good way to test that at home, so it is safe to assume they are whatever is advertised. pretty sure talley ultralights, which i also hate, are 6000 series. lots of pictures of those cracked if you go look.

i disagree with sndmn11, i think there are a lot more bad rings out there than good. but there are enough good options.

 

[plebe]

i don't have a good way to test that at home, so it is safe to assume they are whatever is advertised. pretty sure talley ultralights, which i also hate, are 6000 series. lots of pictures of those cracked if you go look.

i disagree with sndmn11, i think there are a lot more bad rings out there than good. but there are enough good options.

Thanks. Asked because I have a set of Seekins low rings on one rifle and wondered if maybe there has been a material improvement. Looks to me that they’ve always been 7075. I did have an extremely forceful impact on those rings without slippage or a break, but haven’t done destructive testing per-se. It’s not a rifle I use with any regularity now, but was curious if there was something materially different to account for. Seems not to be the case, unless there was a bad batch of aluminum that went through production at some time.

The UM Tikka rings are 6000 series, but very blocky at the rail cutout.

So maybe it’s just the thinness at the cutout there on the Seekins, but again, I was really impressed with how mine held up to a forcible strike and the reputation on the whole continues to be strong if indeed the design is inadequate.

I’ve moved on to other rings that I like better for various reasons, and if I had any break like yours I’d be highly skeptical. I’m just surprised I guess with all the Seekins rings in use there isn’t more chatter if they are that bad.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

cool. now go do some chow calls.

 

[4th_point]

What were the issues with the 419 rings?

I've heard of two issues. One being fastener loosening, which might have been due to growing pains trying to make screws in-house. Not sure on current status but last I heard 419 was recommending threadlocker on ring cap fasteners.

Second one being ring marks on scope tubes. Some at the ring edges but others look like there was relative motion between ring and tube.

For the record, I don't own any 419 rings. And personally, I don't use adhesives on screws for ring caps but have seen similar loosening issues with a different ring/mount.

 

[TaperPin]

About once every few years I google up Mark 4 ring failures just for kicks. These have been around for going on four decades so surely someone has broken a few if they are going to break. I did find three references that I hadn’t heard before, but one guy mistook 65 inch lbs of torque for 60 ft lbs, so he doesn’t count. The other two failed in the same place and the one in the photo looks like a powdered metal part. Leave it to the new dipstick running Leupold to take a design that never fails and cheapen it until it does.

Still, two failures in all of the internet for 35 years isn’t bad. Nonetheless, Badger Ordinance will get my next order for the same design.

 

[SloppyJ]

I've been swapping to the NF Lite rings on all my rifles when I get a chance. I can pick them up for a reasonable price on expert voice and so far they've all held. I've had good luck with the Hawkins rings as well.

The ARC rings slipped on me and I degreased and installed them per spec. I'd give them another shot but they're heavy as hell.

 

[Marbles]

If a 30 mm tube, SWFA rings were solid for me.

I use NF 4 screw UL rings for everything now. I like the captured nut.

As much as I like many UM products, no way would I pay an extra $25 dollars for UM premier rings over the NF.

 

[Ahren1111]

People send money on glass but cheap out on rings.

 

[bnewt3]

People send money on glass but cheap out on rings.

If I was looking at $20 or $30 rings, I would agree completely.

$100 *should* be more than plenty to get rings that do exactly what they are designed to do. And IMO it is in no way reasonable for us to just accept that $75-$100 for such a simple component isnt enough to get a quality product.

 

[Mike D Texas]

If I was looking at $20 or $30 rings, I would agree completely.

$100 *should* be more than plenty to get rings that do exactly what they are designed to do. And IMO it is in no way reasonable for us to just accept that $75-$100 for such a simple component isnt enough to get a quality product.

Unfortunately that does not seem to be the case.