Proper Height to mount a Scope

[Sugacookie]

Is there a proper height for mounting a scope?? Is higher better or lower better?
I ask because a friend mentioned my scope is too low. I snapped a few Pics, It seems close to perfect for me. My check rests pretty much horizontal with the eye piece.

[Mute]

Try to keep it as low as you can while still having a proper cheekweld and sight picture. The right height is what works for you.

[Sugacookie]

Thanks Mute. Ill keep it as is.

[d4v0s]

We all have different size faces and eyes.. That scope is mounted way too low for my cheek weld, but if it works for you and you can see through the eye piece everytime your good.

A good drill is to close your eyes and bring your rifle up to where it feels right, then open your eyes and see if you scope lines up. This is good for pistols too

[Sugacookie]

Great Advise. Def do that when I get home.
.

We all have different size faces and eyes.. That scope is mounted way too low for my cheek weld, but if it works for you and you can see through the eye piece everytime your good.

A good drill is to close your eyes and bring your rifle up to where it feels right, then open your eyes and see if you scope lines up. This is good for pistols too

[maxicon]

Depends on your goal.

Mounting AR optics is different from mounting traditional rifle optics.

Due to the inline stock/buffer tube design, the AR's iron sights are way higher above the bore than traditional rifles, which have stock drop to allow you to get your head down to iron sight level.

Many AR shooters want the same centerline height for iron sights and optics, since that lets you use the same shoulder mount and cheek weld regardless of what's mounted. This helps you acquire targets faster with either sighting system.

AR iron sights are 1.4" above the rail (2.5" above the bore). To keep your optics at the same height, you'll either need ultra-high rings (or whatever they call the 1.4-1.6" centerline rings) or a one-piece mount, which will also give you some forward offset (which you got by mounting one of the rings on the handguard).

Now, that's the theory, and always a good place to start. The downside of the high centerline above the bore is that your bullet trajectory is harder to get optimal, and having the centerline closer to the bore helps a lot with that.

If it works for you and you never go back to iron sights, that's all that counts. If you shoot iron sights on this or another AR, you'll be switching your shoulder mount and cheekweld to get iron sights lined up compared to how you shoot with the low scope.

[bohoki]

that does look a tad low

i personally do not like to have my head at a 45 degree angle this one looks like you need a near 90

[Agustav]

It does looked a bit low for me... but I have chubby face!

[lead slinger]

I also need help w/ mine I have a AR10 w/ a super sniper 10x40 scope and dont want to buy 3 different mounts so if anyone has this same set up it would help me out on what to get for a mount ,looking at a one piece quick release ,would I need a cantalever ? what height? HELP...

[OpticsPlanet]

Here's Leupold's take on ring height:

50mm riflescopes will almost always use HIGH rings in a given style. In certain instances, such as with extremely heavy barrels or some makes of firearm, SUPER HIGH rings may be necessary.

42-45mm riflescopes will almost always use MEDIUM rings in a given style. In certain instances, 45mm scopes may require HIGH rings.

40mm riflescopes will almost always have enough clearance with LOW rings in a given style, though MEDIUM rings will give slightly more clearance, particularly when using a barrel with a thicker shank portion or a heavier contour.

28-36mm riflescopes will almost always use LOW rings in a given style. Again, in certain instances of a heavy barrel or heavy shank portion of a custom barrel, MEDUIM rings may have to be used, but LOW rings will almost always suffice.

20mm riflescopes will almost always be able to use LOW rings, but in some cases may also use SUPER LOW rings. In this instance, bolt handle clearance of the OCULAR bell will come into play more so than objective / barrel clearance and should be carefully considered.

DNZ, with their combination mount and rings says:

*All of our low mounts will fit plain bell 40MM objective scopes and some 44MM objective scopes.

*Medium mounts fit all 44MM objective scopes and most 50MM plain bell objective scopes.

*High mounts fit all 50MM objective scopes and most 56MM objective scopes.

*Sizes for all mounts other than Thompson Center. ***Thompson Center listed below.

*All dimensions from top of receiver or barrel to center of 1" or 30MM bore.

*Extra low mounts are .795 to .875, depends on firearm.

*Low mounts are .920 to 1.000, depends on firearm.

*Medium mounts are 1.045 to 1.125, depends on firearm.

*High mounts are 1.170 to 1.250, depends on firearm.

Mark H.

[Merc1138]

Mark@opticsplanet, that covers the clearance for the objective lens of scopes, but doesn't do anything to explain cheek weld and sight picture, which is what this post was originally about.

[HighLander51]

looks a little low but it depends on what you are doing with it. long range is way different that 3 gun. I have mine on a Yankee Hill riser to get it more forward, but with rings that keep it close to the riser. It's about the same height as an iron sighted AR.

[NytWolf]

Leupold's recommendations are based on proper barrel clearance of their scopes, not on what is ideal.

For any scope mounting, the ideal scope mount is as low as possible. Why? If you draw a straight line through the barrel, and a straight line through the scope as a line of sight, they have to intersect somewhere. The higher the scope is mounted, the larger the margin of error.

[HighLander51]

The higher the scope is mounted, the larger the margin of error.

No, you just have to know where the point of impact is for the range you are shooting with the height offset you are using. Mounting a scope higher, or lower, does not change the accuracy of the rifle.

they have to intersect somewhere

Yes, trajectory is parabolic, so it zeros, for example, at 35 yards and again at 300 yards. You have to know how much offset occurs in between.

[intheknow]

the sight/mount height should match eye level with your head near 90* natural angle with cheek weld or else the eyes get tired a lot quicker in prolonged shooting