Mike, I too leave my few variables set on their lowest power and use binocs for scanning, IMO it's one less opportunity for Murphy to strike by showing me a moving 99-pointer at 10 yds when my scope is set on 9X, for instance!
Here's another pic of a rib I'm doing for one of Whitey Hanson's low walls right now, please pardon the photo's darkness and lack of polish on the steel but I wuz in a hurry when photoing. You can see that I've begun shaping the nose of the rib and have fit the bottom rear of the rib to the barrel's breech tulip, and have also drilled & counterbored for the attaching screws. The Winchesters require that the rib be attached via screws so that it can be removed and won't interfere with the receiver/forearm flanges when unscrewing the barrel for whatever reason.
It would be fairly easy to space the attaching screws so that they're positioned under the rings when the scope is installed, and thus somewhat less noticable. I've used as few as 2 6-48 screws on light kickers but prefer (at least) either 3 6-48s or 2 8-40s on heavier kickers.

If you'll email me your snail addy I'll send you a steel rib section, treeblood1 aht ayowell daht cahm.
Regards, Joe