I havent yet ordered the scope that is going on my latest project which is a Ruger 77 ss with a Lilja #4 barrel.
Scope will be a Leupold 2.5 x 8. Rifle came with medium rings. Can I get by with low rings? Or should I keep the mediums

I have a 2.5-8 Leupold on my Win M70 .375 with a synthetic stock and the low rings work perfect for me. When I take this same set up and put it in another stock I have for this rifle it requires medium rings to line up because of a slightly higher comb on the Express Safari wood stock. I may end up selling the wood stock from this set up.
To answer your question more definitively you may get by with low rings if the gun has a low comb and fits you that way, mechanially the scope does fit with low rings on most rifles that I've seen.
Hope this helps.

Snowwolfe, how old is the SS M77 you're using for this project? Up until around six years ago the medium rings wouldn't allow the bolt handle to clear the ocular piece. Ruger wisely redesigned the bolt handle and now there's plenty of room. The new ones have a very deep scallop.

Snowwolfe

#4 interesting. What cartridge will it be chambered for?

It is the most recent production, it is a 338 WM,
Surely someone has a 2.5 x 8 on this rifle?

My Ruger SS Laminate has a Leu VX III 2 1/2 X 8 in standard factory rings which I think are mediums. There is about 5/16 inch clearance from the factory .338 barrel. Ruger says there is 1/8 inch difference between low and medium so I think it would work on mine. Ruger says 32mm scope will clear low rings, however my Leu is 36mm but should clear anyway. Not sure about #4 barrel.

Ruger specs:
http://www.ruger.com/Firearms/FASRFACat?facode=8

Are you making a .375?

How large is the objective on the 2.5-8x Leupold? My Ruger in 350RemMag (same magnum contour as 338WM I'm pretty sure) comfortably fits a VX1 2-7x32 on the low mounts. On another Ruger (older boat-paddle style) in 7mmRemMag, I needed to use mediums to allow a Leupold 3-9x40 to fit. Hope that helps.
Cheers...
Con

It is 36mm. I bet I should stay with the mediums. Thanks folks

quote:

Originally posted by Snowwolfe:
It is 36mm. I bet I should stay with the mediums. Thanks folks

I have two factory Ruger 77 rifles, an older tang safety one in .257 Roberts, and a MarkII in 7X57. The one in 257 Roberts wears a scope with a 50mm objective lens, and it required the higher rings. The one in 7X57 wears a Bushnell 3-9X 40 scope, and it uses the lower rings.

My guess is that you could use the lower rings on your project.

LE, the "lows" are what I put on all my Rugers. No doubt the objective will clear the barrel, my question is will the bolt handle clear the larger ocular piece of the VXIII? Likely will in which case I'd do lows...

I have a m77 mk11 allweather and it came with medium rings, found this out after i bought a 3-9x50 power to go on it. But it still fit! Might could fit 10 sheets of printer paper between it and the barrel..... maby.