How low is too low for a rifle scope?

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  • Last Post 13 December 2025
Idahocaster posted this 12 December 2025

I am setting up a rifle for the Hunter category using components I had available. I installed the rifle scope and the objective bell is REALLY close to the barrel! I almost feel like I need to break out the feeler gauges to measure the gap! How low is too low? I'm thinking I might need some taller rings...

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Bud Hyett posted this 12 December 2025

If there is a gap after firing a fast ten-shot group you will be okay. The barrel heats up with expansion mainly over the chamber. As long as the scope does not touch at this point you are okay.

I like a scope as low as can be but with a visible gap. My feeler gauge in a tight situation is a crisp new ten-dollar bill.

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

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Wilderness posted this 12 December 2025

If it was me, I'd be taping a piece of thin paper between barrel and scope and watching for rub marks. A static gap may coexist with contact during barrel vibration.

You are only as good as your library.

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RicinYakima posted this 12 December 2025

Wood stock you are likely good, plastic one will need more investigation. 

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Lucky1 posted this 12 December 2025

I'd agree with taped paper method. When you watch slow motion videos of rifles being fired, it is amazing how much flex shows up through out the firing sequence. Hopefully there's no rub but with a free-floating barrel it is a question.

Scott Ingle

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John Alexander posted this 12 December 2025

I have always mounted my scopes for actual hunting rifles as low as possible since until recently factory hunting rifle stocks were designed for the open sights furnished with the rifle.

However, if by "Hunter category" you mean to shoot in CBA's Hunting Rifle class, there are good reasons to mount the scope as high as possible. The "cheek weld" that gun writers prattle on about may be important for shotgun shooting or "snap shooting" with a rifle but is counterproductive in benchrest shooting in my opinion.  A heads up position allowed by a higher scope is more comfortable and less tiring, and lite cheek or chin contact makes it easier to avoid variation shot to shot pressure variation on the stock.

Another reason higher scope mounting is superior is that it puts the one or two pounds mass of the scope further away from the center of rotation resisting better the rotation counter rotation of the rifle caused by spinning the bullet in the other direction.

We often think of recoil as a straight back motion because we shoot a lot of very heavy rifles with flat bottoms in tight rests, but in lighter rifles especially in more powerful calibers torque is an important part of the overall problem.

John

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 12 December 2025

also just in case anybody actually hunts with a hunter rifle ...

...speaking as a black kettle here ...

a high scope mounting smooths out your observed trajectory curve ...  at least through reasonable hunting distances ...

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oscarflytyer posted this 12 December 2025

I use an old school business card (or card stock) as my litmus test.  If the card will slide free cold, never had one bump.  And it is usually hard to get one that close anyway...  I like the scope as low as possible unless the stock has a very high comb, then I adjust the the comb height.

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Idahocaster posted this 13 December 2025

Thanks everyone for your input. I will try it as it is. If it doesn't rub, and gives repeatable actuate results I'll leave it as is. If not, I'll get some taller rings.

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tlkeizer posted this 13 December 2025

Greetings,

I had to move a scope up on a Savage 99.  If you think they are banging together, use two pieces of typing paper with a carbon paper in between.  Shoot a couple heavy loads (reasonably heavy for your rifle), then check to see in any marks on the paper next to the carbon.  The carbon paper folded over marks both sheets, and fills the space a little more so reduces the recoil movement space a slight bit.  Good luck.

TK

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