I picked up a great deal on a Browning Synthetic 243 Abolt for my 13 year old and need to get her Swaro Z3 mounted on it. The gun came with a Picatinny rail on it which I have zero experience with.
My questions are:
Would you recommend replacing the rail with "normal/standard" rings and bases?
If I keep the rail, what rings do you recommend to mount with?

I'm hoping to get it set up this weekend so I can get her out next and get it sighted in.

Thanks in advance.

For that type, meaning mounting on a rail, I really like Warne products for the value. Of course there are better but certainly more costly too. And there r plenty pf good ones aside from these too.

http://swfa.com/Maxima-C1278.aspx

Second vote for Warne.

The rail has lots of benefits say if you plan to change scopes or take it on and off or move that swaro to another rifle of different make with a rail. You can always get rings and bases specific to that rifle if not and remove the rail. To me it's kind of a convenience thing.

I have the Burris Extreme tactical on my 30-06 and haven't had any issues at all.

Burris Rings

Definitely keep the rail. Strong, lots more ring mounting options, and it's easy to move a scope from one rifle to the other. I put pic rails on every rifle I have, even .22 lr.

Great info guys. With the 50mm objective, do I need to buy a specific height/size set of rings?

Medium height tend to work. If you order them, make sure the seller has a good return policy, in case they are not the perfect height. Midway USA has a great return policy.

Only thing I'll add is pull that pic rail off, clean the holes, and re-install with blue Lok-tite.

With the picatinny rail you can also used a red dot if need to. Many use for this rail, even night vision. So many adjustments with the rail.

I would keep the rail also. If you go to a two piece setup you'll lose a lot of flexibility. I too would get Warne and as has already been stated, medium rings work most of the time with a 50mm objective. If you decide to change mounts, if your rifle is a AB3 then the bases are different from what the A-Bolt and A-Bolt II use.

I'd lose the rail and go with a Dual Dovetail mount or Warne steel bases and Burris Zee rings (or Leupold QRW or PRWs), for two reasons: I don't care for the looks of the rail, and I don't like anything even slightly impeding access to the magazine. What ever you do, avoid the "Standard" mounts with the windage adjustable rear mount. That's the only real mistake you can make other than buying the cheapest aluminum garbage out there.

With no rail, what do you do when you can't get eye relief perfect, and the scope is hitting the front or the back ring?

Case in point, I worked up a load for a friend's .300 Win Mag, and had the scope set to my eye. Once all was said and done, he could not get anything but blackness. I loosened the ring caps, and slid the scope back. "Better, but needs more". Slid it back again, "needs more". The objective was touching the front ring. Took the front ring off and moved it back two grooves in the pic rail. Finally got the scope where he could see, and all was well. Had he had two piece rings, he would not have been able to use the very good scope he purchased.

I've had to use a reversible Weaver-type mount or reversible dual dovetail mount a time or two, but never had an issue beyond that on a bolt-action. If I had to use a rail, I would but it's never been a necessity for me.

I mount enough scopes to where occasionally you have to either ditch two piece bases or use another scope.

Never had an issue with the Leupold Std. system and have it on two of my rifles. I've also mounted a ton of them at work and not had an issue. Sometimes the coarse windage adjustment is a godsend.

I can imagine that scenario...I've had to use offset inserts in Burris Signature Zees for the same reason. Trickier to set up for sure, but it's a much stronger system than the windage-adjustable rear.

Just as food for thought, consider being in a very hypothetical situation where you had to wag an eleven-pound rifle around and you had to hang onto it by the scope tube. In this highly hypothetical situation, would you rather that scope be mounted in dual dovetail or Weaver/picatinny rings, or a JR Standard windage-adjustable mount and rings?

For the knotheads out there, I said HIGHLY HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION. Don't identify yourself by pointing out that only a moron would carry a rifle around by the scope tube. Please. We all know that.

I pick them up off the ground via the scope tube. Seen hundreds of other guys do it, too. I don't carry one around that way, but the bases and rings had better be stout enough to handle picking up the rifle via the scope.

+1 on the Burris Zee rings if you have a bum scope. Myself and Chad have seen more windage screws come loose during rifle transport and shooting than any other ring type.

I'm guilty of picking my rifle up by the scope tube and I'm pretty sure it weighs more than 11 lbs.

Nightforce Ultralight rings

Your Swaro scope deserves the best !!!!

Leupold STDs are not my first choice, but sometimes they fill a niche. I normally use an EGW rail and Warne Maximas. If I were in to long range target shooting like some of you guys maybe I'd be using something else. If I ever go on another elk hunt I'll invest in two sets of Warne QD rings.

I run hunting rifles, not tactical ones, so my first choice is usually Leupold dual dovetails and Burris Signature rings. Never had a problem with them. Good luck.