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| How to correctly mount a rifle scope (Article #2 Page 1) |
Have you ever heard stories about some people who sight in a rifle once and then they may only verify the "zero" once before the hunting season starts? This can be done and will only be accomplished with a proper mounting of the scope to the rifle. The easy explanation is to be sure to apply equal pressure among all the screws, using Loctite #242 Threadlocker, setting a correct eye relief, and focusing the scope at the front of the scope, not the rear. READ THE DIRECTIONS of the instruction booklet that came with your hardware. One piece and two piece mount bases are different, so are Weaver type and Redfield / Leupold type mounts. Redfield and Leupold bases are a little different and require a "turning motion" to get the front ring into place. This action can be a little intimidating to the first time scope self-mounter, but the turning pressure holds the scope in place for a long time! Be sure to test the eye relief by moving the scope in the rings. With the scope loosely mounted at first, it can be easily moved. Sound easy enough? Below is a more detailed explanation.
A most important consideration to be done before actually firing a rifle is to make sure the rings and base(s) are secured correctly to the gun and the scope. If this is not done correctly then you will not be shooting "tight groups" of shots. So, let's go over the basic steps:
1- Mounting the base(s) and rings. Use Loctite to hold the screws in place (use the red tube with the blue fluid). Tighten the base(s) slowly, using one or two turns to each screw. Be sure to tighten screws diagonally. Don't do one side and then the other. The key is to tighten with equal pressure among all mount points (screws). Go ahead and tighten the base unit firmly. Now mount the lower rings. Once the lower rings are mounted, place the scope in the rings and loosely mount the upper rings. Do not tighten the rings, yet. It is time to test the positioning of the scope.
2- Scope Positioning. You want the scope to be zeroed for years so do it right. When you shoulder the rifle, you should be able to see the full field of vision through the scope. If your eye is too far from the scope, you will not be able to see all the field of view. If your eye is too close, well get ready to get cut by the scope when it recoils. Once you have the scope positioned like you want it, mark the position of the rings on the scope. This will enable you to remember where to position the scope.
3- Scope Attachment. Lay the scope in the rings where you have marked the position of the ring with the scope that sets the eye relief. Place the two rings on top of the scope, put some Loctite on the screws, and screw them in, diagonally. Don't put the right side screws in and then the left, put the forward screw in and then the rear screw on the other side. Right or left first does not matter. While tightening the rings, keep an even spacing between the rings where they meet on the scope (where the screws hold the rings together). The importance of this cannot be overstated. Do not tighten the screws yet. Shoulder the scope a few times, does it feel "comfortable"? If not, something is not right, play around and try to find why it is not comfortable. If it is comfortable, take the final steps and finish the job. Lay the rifle in a rifle vise and tighten the screws down, diagonally, each screw a turn or two at a time. It should be noted here to make sure the crosshairs of the scope are lined up properly, horizontally and vertically. Be sure to check this alignment as you continue to tighten down the scope. Tightening may rotate the scope a little which will rotate the alignment. When you feel that you have tightened down the 4 screws of the rings, check to make sure that there are four areas of equal space where the top and bottom half and right and left side of the two rings meet. It is important for equal pressure to be applied in all screws! If not, the scope will not hold its zero and will need to be continually sighted in and this will get expensive.
This is it. Estimated time involved is 30 to 45 minutes, or less. There is no need to hurry, actually it is part of the hunting preparation process. It is too much fun to hurry throught the process.
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| Author | Admin |
| Revision | 1 |
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