Question on rail quality.

[Bridges90]

I’m piecing together my 308 hunting rifle and am looking at rails to mount my scope on. I know good quality rings are important and I recently purchased a pair of seekins precision off here but I’m not sure if i need to stretch for a rail or not. How imporant in aspects of quality are rails? Do they contribute a lot to accuracy or does that fall more on the rings? I’ve been looking into seekins rails and nf rails but I figured I’d ask the experts on here before buying. Thanks

 

[Mod Zero]

Having a good quality base, or "rail" is equally important to the rings, for the same reasons. However, it is much easier to make a good rail than it is to make good rings.

Seekins and NF should be great. I personally just ordered a Seekins rail because I prefer the full picatinny rail profile, because I swap scopes a lot and want the full material to reference. As long as it has a recoil lug you are probably golden.

 

[spife7980]

For a 308 I think a recoil lug is optional. When you get to a magnum I would worry about that detail. Get the EGW on the cheap end and the nightforce on the high end. I like the leupolds right in the middle.

And if it doesnt fit well, or even if it does, bed it. Too easy not to.

 

[Bridges90]

All the bases I’m seeing with recoil lugs are all 20moa. Personally don’t think I’ll need a 20moa rail on a rifle that probably won’t see more than 300 yards. I don’t see a NightForce rail with a lug that is 0moa. Seekins has one though

 

[308pirate]

Forget the damned recoil lug. You don't need it.

Buy something from a quality brand and slap it on the rifle. People here obsess over shit that really doesn't matter.

 

[Bridges90]

Alright captain

 

[Reload10]

What rifle is it going on? NF and most other brands all offer recoil lugs on their R700 patterns. For savages I think the only option is Badger.

If you bed the rail, and use a rail that has a lug and is good quality, you’re going to eliminate some variables from your shooting platform. The more variables we reduce, the more repeatable your results will be.

 

[Bridges90]

It’s going on a bergara b14 Hunter. R700 clone

 

[Arc Light]

I have the EGW rails on all my rifles. They don't have a recoil lug, don't cost $150, and have never given me one bit of trouble, ever.

 

[Bridges90]

I found a NightForce standard duty for $50ish. No lug but I don’t think that’ll be a huge deal. If i was shooting a 338 lapua a lug would probably help but even though a 308 can be a little snappy I don’t feel like the recoil is gonna be substantial enough to matter. I’m gonna keep looking though

 

[...]

i run Badger rails and rings on all my rifles.

a cheap rail is going to cost you $30......a good rail will run you $100........if im building a rig thats eventually going to run me in the $2,000+ realm anyways , im not going to squabble over $70 to get something i know i dont have to worry about.

ive noticed gun owners like to cut corners on the stupidest things......they will happily shell out $1,000 for optics.....and $800 for a chassis.......but they bawk at the thought of spending $100 on a rail or rings

 

[mackdrvr]

Badger.

 

[308pirate]

So now we need lugged scope bases to have repeatability? LOL.....

Some people take thus to the absurd. Fuck no

I have the EGW rails on all my rifles. They don't have a recoil lug, don't cost $150, and have never given me one bit of trouble, ever.

FINALLY

Someone else with common sense

 

[Bridges90]

Eh I’m not trying to start a debate on lugs vs no lugs. I just don’t have the experience some of you guys do so I figured I’d ask.

 

[918v]

The lug issue is a nonissue. But rail straightness is. Beware of cheap rails that don’t mate with the receiver properly and end up torquing the scope tube.

 

[308pirate]

The lug issue is a nonissue. But rail straightness is. Beware of cheap rails that don’t mate with the receiver properly and end up torquing the scope tube.

Be aware that machining precision of the receiver OD has as just as much effect on how the base mates to it. Your base could be straight within .0005" and the bottoms of the base be within .0005" of profile but if the receiver profile and bolt hole pattern is out of print, (or if it's made to print but the dimensional tolerances are wide) you'll still have significant gaps between the two.

 

[spife7980]

And thus why I always recommend bedding it. Even the cheap rails look to be straight on top. The bottom I could care less about as 5 cents of jb weld will fix it right up.

 

[Ledzep]

Exactly. EGW and Badger will both bend and distort if the front and rear rings of the action are different heights. A dab of JB weld cures it all.

 

[el_cazador713]

Is more common to find a good quality rail mates well vs having to bed?

 

[Ledzep]

Not in my experience. It's manufacturing tolerance stacking between two different manufacturers. I've owned EGW, Badger, NF, and had to bed all of them.

 

[Bridges90]

Well I’ve never bedded a rail before but I’ve been looking up how and it doesn’t look too bad. I don’t want to permenently attach it so I’ll use kiwi or something

 

[spife7980]

Well I’ve never bedded a rail before but I’ve been looking up how and it doesn’t look too bad. I don’t want to permenently attach it so I’ll use kiwi or something

Its cake and Kiwi neutral boot polish hasnt failed me on the handful Ive done. Some people even just use oneshot. Its a great first project for someone thats never worked on rifles before. Its all right there in front of you and really the only worries are using a mold release (kiwi) and not getting it on yourself. Follow the videos and youll be golden.