Last updated on April 22nd, 2024
Finding the best scope rings is an important part of putting together a rifle setup. It doesn’t matter if you have an expensive precision rifle or a rimfire plinker, a good set of scope rings helps tie the whole setup together.
I carefully choose my scope rings whether its hunting in the mountains of New Zealand or for reaching out long distances with my precision rifle. They are each a carefully considered part of the rifle no matter the application. Below we have compiled the best scope rings for all budgets and applications from years of extensive use.
Best Overall Rings: Warne Scope Mounts
I have been using Warne rings across multiple rifle platforms for years and have found them to be incredibly sturdy and come in at a very reasonable price for what you get. These rings from Warne are no exception and this exact set have been used on my hunting rifle in the past and now sit on my rimfire precision rifle. Instillation is incredibly easy and the set is available in multiple different heights and tube sizes. From how impressed I have been with Warne, I even picked up their bipod to run on my precision rifles, another quality product that I couldn’t be happier with. As for the scope rings, they bring some neat features to the fight.
Features
- CNC machined sintered steel
- Recoil keys
- 4 Torx T-15 cap screws
- Fits both Picatinny & weaver style bases
- Available in 1 inch and 30mm
- Designed and Made in USA
Pros
- High quality materials
- Extremely well designed
- Made in the USA
- Fits both Weaver and Picatinny
- Simple design
Cons
- Slightly more expensive than budget options
Summing Up
The high build quality is the biggest strength of the Warne scope mounts, they are simply designed but pack great quality for the price point. Designed and made in the USA, these rings offer rock solid performance from the high quality materials used in their build. Their traditional horizontal split and recoil key means that the scope is secure from movement and has protection from movement under recoil thanks to the recoil keys.
These scope rings appeal to common scope setups and are available in 30mm and 1” configurations. Of all the scope rings I have used over the years I keep coming back to Warne as one of my first choices and that’s why their an easy choice over the best scope rings on the market today.
Best Budget Overall: Vortex
Vortex optics greatest strength is their ability to bring quality products to all budgets. Their scope rings are no exception. These scope rings from Vortex continue their legacy and offer up a great choice for those on a budget. You will be hard pressed finding a set on the market that can compare at this price point. There are huge quantities of very low budget scope rings out there but they are predominantly made from very low quality materials that barely make them suitable for a rimfire rifle. I have owned and used the Vortex Tactical rings on previous scope and rifle setups with no issues at all. This particular set I have used on large calibers and served me well.
Features
- 6 Screws
- Fits Picatinny and Weaver Bases
Pros
- Five height options
- Affordable
- Lifetime warranty
Cons
- 30mm only
- Often sold individually
Summing Up
Coming in at a lower price point some compromises need to be made. The Vortex Tactical scope rings are sold individually and therefore wont have perfect alignment unlike more expensive matched pairs. The rings will need to me lapped to ensure proper alignment. Even with the extra step involved you are getting a much higher quality than other no name brand rings. The Vortex Tactical rings offer great quality for the price and comes with a lifetime warranty.
Best for Hunting: Burris Signature Zee
Burris have a great reputation for designing hunting focused gear. Its no surprise that some of the best hunting focused scope rings on the market are made by Burris. These aren’t just a solid set of rings, they also include some neat features that help push them to the top of the list for the best hunting scope rings.
These rings are unique in that they come with two polymer inserts that reduce pressure on the rifle scope and ensure correct alignment of the scope. I run these scope rings on one of my hunting rifles and haven’t encountered any problems at all with them. If you are hunting focused check out the details below for the Burris Signature Zee’s.
Features
- Five heights
- Matte & Gloss Variants
- 30mm & 1″ options
- Plastic inserts to protect scope
- Attaches to weaver mounts
Pros
- Classic scope look
- Well made
- Self aligning inserts
- Eliminates ring marks
Cons
- No 34mm option
Summing Up
These scope rings from Burris are a sturdy set with neat inserts that ensure correct scope alignment. The inserts also ensure that when you pull the scope off the rifle there wont be any marks on the scope, a good feature if you often change scopes between rifles.
With the level of design and engineering that’s been put into these, the Signature Zee’s from Burris truly are a great set of hunting scope rings. If you are looking for a set of rings for your hunting rifle, the Burris Signature Zee set are the best available.
Best Lightweight: Nightforce Ultralite
One of the best scope manufacturers in the world also produce a great set of scope rings. Nightforce have made a name for themselves as a premium optics company delivering outstanding optics such as the ATACR and SHV series. With a reputation for precision engineering and the use of high quality materials the Nightforce scope rings offer a high strength and lightweight option for shooters. I have used the Nightforce Ultralite scope rings previously with the NX8 and my Ruger Precision Rifle.
Features
- Black and Flat Dark Earth
- 6 Screw & 4 Screw Variants
- Perfect Alignment
Pros
- Excellent build quality
- Great fit and finish
- Made in the USA
- Six different heights available
Cons
- Not a budget option
- No customisation
Summing Up
Overall the Nightforce Ultralight scope rings are a classic case of you get what you pay for. These are a high quality set built to perform under extreme conditions. With Nightforce scope rings you are guaranteed excellent build quality from rings made in the USA. The option of 4 or 6 screws per ring gives you the option of extra strength. This is particularly important for high caliber cartridges where all scopes need to be kept in place, these rings shine by keeping the overall weight down. With six different ring heights available you are sure to find the right set for your scope and rifle setup.
Best for Long Distance Rifles: SPUHR
Ever since I started looking at precision rifles I always had my eye on Spuhr rings. Almost every high quality precision rifle and military sniper system are using Spurh. Based on the trust other users had in the brand I purchased by first 30mm set and wasn’t disappointed when it turned up. There is an inbuilt scope bubble on the bottom rail, so you can glance down at anytime and check that the rifle is level. Another neat feature is the including leveling wedge, that helps get the optic level. They are an extremely high quality scope ring system that when mounted provide an unparalleled level of security for your scope. When needing another set of scope rings for a new larger optic it wasn’t a hard choice what to get, and I picked up a 34mm set in flat dark earth.
Features
- Built in scope level
- Mounting interfaces
- Leveling wedge
Pros
- Extremely high quality
- Packed with features
- Solid mount
Cons
- Heavy
- High price point
Summing Up
Overall the Spuhr scope mounts are some of the best in the world with good reason. The high quality build combined with the features packed in, make these one of my favorite sets. If weight isn’t a huge concern and you want the best protection and solid base for your precision optic then look no further than Spuhr. There is also a quick release variant available that lets you more easily switch optics out without having to rezero them each time.
Best Budget Long Distance: MDT
MDT have made a name for themselves for developing excellent gear specifically for the shooting community. They continue to innovate, develop and bring to the market well researched and designed products. Their cult following and continued release of new products makes them a crowd favorite, especially in the competition shooting world. Another reason MDT gear is popular is its price point for the quality it provides. I purchased this set of scope rings at least 5 years ago and they are still going strong today atop my Tikka rifle.
Features
- Four Grade 8 screws per ring
- Anodized aluminum
- Suitable for all calibers
Pros
- Excellent fit and finish
- Great reputation
- Available is almost every configuration needed
Cons
- No Sako mounting capability
Summing Up
Overall these are an extremely well made set of scope rings with very tight tolerance and nicely finished with an attractive anodized aluminium. This set currently sits mounted up on my Tikka T1X and have been a great asset. The MDT scope rings are listed as lightweight with the medium 30mm set coming in at a low 4.6oz/130g. This makes them suitable for almost any rifle setup. Just to make the MDT scope rings more attractive, they are also available in 1”, 30mm and 34mm variants with Low, Medium, High and Extra High options. With the price point these scope rings sit at as well as their tough build quality and low weight they are hard to pass up for almost all applications.
Considerations When Buying Rifle Scope Rings
There’s a couple of important factors to consider when selecting the specific model of scope rings. You need to ensure you have the right size for your scope. Another key factor to consider is the height of the scope rings, leaving enough room between the scope lenses and the rifle. The other major factor to consider is how the scope rings attach to the rifle, as there are a few different types that are common.
Size
The most important consideration when looking at scope rings is firstly the size of the rings needed for the scope. Scope tubes come in many sizes and the most common sizes include 1″, 30mm and 34mm. Smaller scope tube sizes such as 1″ are more common on rimfire scopes which don’t need huge ocular systems for long distance.
30mm tubes are more common with hunting and target scopes where larger magnification ranges and internal adjustments are needed. 34mm tubes on scopes are mostly reserved for long distance shooting scopes where large magnification and huge internal adjustments are common and need to be housed in a larger scope body. So when selecting scope rings, make sure their size matches your scopes tube size.
Height
You will see that scope rings come in different heights, often simply labeled small, medium, high and extra high. This refers to the height at which the scope rings sit above their mount on the rifle. Each scope will have an objective lens size such as 50mm. A simple way you can tell the objective lens size of your rifle scope is by the 5-30×50 specifications of an optic, the 5-30 referring to the magnification level and the 50 meaning 50mm objective lens.
To work out what height scope rings you need, you need to calculate the height the objective lens will sit inside the rings. Every rifle and scope mount is different so you don’t want to get short scope rings with a large 56mm objective lens as the rings might be too short and the lens will hit the rifle barrel. There are plenty of scope rings calculators on the internet that can help you find the right scope rings height.
Quality
The next factors in selecting rifle scope rings is what quality rings to purchase, as just like scopes there are many different brands of varying quality. Scope rings come under stress from pressure when the rifle is fired and from everyday use when the rifle is transported around. To make sure your rifle scope doesn’t move in its mount, you need quality scope rings that will keep it in place. Some rifle setups have higher recoil than others and that’s why its more common to see cheaper scope rings on a rimfire rifle.
Large caliber rifles, especially those used in precision rifle shooting will use high quality scope rings to ensure there isn’t any movement in their optic and it doesn’t interfere with accuracy. So when you are looking at how much to spend on a set of rings, try and match the quality with the setup of the rifle, I wouldn’t run an expensive Spuhr mount on a casual plinking .22.
Mounting Options
The last major factor to consider when selecting scope rings is how they are mounting to the rifle. A lot of rifles come out of the box with either picatinny or weaver mounts, but some can be a little more unique. Sako for example often have their own tapered mounting system which only a few companies make rings for. Picatinny is the most common type of rail that rings get mounted to and consists of parallel rails with locking a locking bar.
A weaver rail usually just has the parallel rails and won’t have grooves for locking bars. It’s important to know what mounting system you will be working with before purchasing the scope rings as rings with a picatinny system won’t fit to a weaver rail most of the time.
FAQ’s
Why is torque value important when mounting a scope?
After placing the optic in the rings they need to be tightened to secure the optic in place. Each scope manufacturer will include their recommended scope ring tension for the individual optic. This is important as a lack of tension can cause the optic to move around, whereas over tension can damage the internal of the scope and it won’t work as intended.
What material should the scope rings be made from?
Rings are usually made from either steel or aluminum, both offering strengths and weaknesses. If you are looking to save weight for a hunting scope, aluminum will often be lighter. For those needing maximum strength and durability, steel rings are preferred.
Summing Up
Rifle scope rings are often an afterthought in the rifle buying process. They are however an important part of your investment and tie the entire setup together ensuring you have the right tool for the job. The table below shows our top picks for each category and budget that scope rings fall into.
BEST FOR LONG DISTANCE
SPUHR
The most solid set on the market. Trusted by professionals around the world
PRECISIONRIFLE