Scope mounting help

[hogana]

I just ordered a Nikon Pro Staff scope for my new gun. I will be mounting it myself. I have never done this before on a large gun. I have moved scopes on 22's before, but never on a deer rifle.

I own some medium duty Lock-Tite (blue?), allen wrenchs etc.

Let me know if you have any mounting and sighting in/break in tips. I intend to follow the shoot clean shoot clean instructions on the Savage web site, exept I do not own copper solvent (I assume Hoppes #9 will work???).

The gun is a new unfired Remington Model 700 ADL in 270 cal.

I ordered Leupold rings and a 2 piece Leupold base. I ordered medium rings because I was concerned about the scope/scope view clearing the sights on the gun.

If you have any advice I would like to hear it.

[whitedogone]

This is now I go about it.  Clean bases and top of receiver and mounting holes.  I use a small amount of blue locktite on the base screws only.  The hardest thing is getting the front ring twisted into alignment with the bore.  Put some grease on the ring lug and twist it in with a ring tool or a 1" wood dowel. I have a scope lapping bar that I use the end of to do this.  Then I mount the rear ring.  Remove bolt and try to get the windage set close to where it needs to be before tightening the rear ring down.  After that is done I lap all my rings.  It really helps the rings get a good grip on the scope and protects your scope from ring marks and misalignment.  Then mount the scope using a little rosin on the rings/scope.  You can get a small bag for tennis players for like $3.00.  This really grips your glass.  Bore sight then off to the range.  One note, I always get low and med. rings and take back the ones I don't use.  You want to get that scope as low as you can.  I have mounted many a 44mm scope with low rings.  WDO

[hogana]

What do you mean by lapping?

[nomosendero]

Lapping is trueing the rings so that they have a concentric consistant grip
the entire circumference of the rings. This is done with a lapping bar & compoud. You can get lapping kits from Brownells & I believe Lock Stock
& Barrel. Midway sells a combo Ring Alignment & Lapping kit with complete instuctions. For 1" scopes the product # is 227-261 for 1" scopes.
Get on www.midwayusa.com & look it up & you will see what it does.

Concerning Copper fouling, you must have a good copper solvent, trust me on this please. Sweets 7.62 & Barnes CR10 are old standbys & there
are some hi-tech new ones, by all means get some!

[hogana]

I can see from the picture of the tool how it works at least the two part tool for aligning the rings. So when you lap it you are really sanding the inside of the rings w/ a perfect 1" cylinder and some grit?

I will have to pick up some copper solvent.

Thanks much  :-)

[quickdtoo]

Lapping insures that there is maximum contact between ring surface and the scope tube, eliminates tight spots and misalignment which can damage the scope tube. A great alternative to lapping is to use Burris Signature rings, they eliminate the need for lapping completely and also offer the use of their optional offset inserts to correct for base/bore alignment issues.

Tim

http://www.pentaxlightseeker.com/products/scopes/mounting_scope_2.cfm

http://burrisoptics.com/sigrings.html

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=227261

[The Sodbuster]

I follow a similar procedure for scope mounting (standard rings, lapping rings, etc.).  I would add that I center the reticle before sighting the scope in.  That is to say, I turn the windage and elevation dials until they reach the end.  Then I turn them through their entire range, counting the number of clicks until I reach the other end.  Then I turn the dials back 1/2 the total number of clicks in their range so the reticle is "centered".

I have some questions maybe some other readers can answer:

I use standard bases because I like to be able to adjust windage without getting the reticle too far out of center.  Are their any advantages to weaver style bases other than being able to move your scope back and forth if you run out of slack with the rings.

My preference is always for one-piece bases (not always available for lefty guns).  Does it really make any difference, or am I just as well off with two-pieces?

I generally boresight by removing the bolt and looking downrange.  Recently bought a Bushnell magnetic boresighter.  It's useless!  It's held on the end of the muzzle with a long magnet.  How do I know if I'm boresighted for elevation?  If I slide the magnet down or up 1/8", I'm off again.  I try to get it level with the bell of the scope, but at best, I'm eyeballing it.  And if the boresighter is canted just a little, the windage could be way off.  I bought it 'cause it was less than 1/2 the cost of the cartridge-style laser boresighters.  Wish I'd gotten one of them.

[hogana]

I assume a new scope comes out of the box w/ the reticle centered?

If I need the $35 tool to put the scope on right then so be it. I was on a budget when I started this project, but I can see that my fiscal disipline is out the window at this point. The use of tools does separate us from animals.

I intend to pull the bolt out of the gun, sight down the barrel and adjust the scope to the point of aim from my view down the barrel. I will get it on the paper and work from there.

My hope is that this gun and scope last the rest of my life, but if they don't I will have that nifty tool for setting up a new scope.

AH

[quickdtoo]

How to optically center a reticle, from the Leupold Resource Answer Guide...

The elevation and windage adjustments of a scope are easily centered. Place a small mirror against the objective end of the scope. That would be the end farthest from your eye as you look through the scope. Make certain that the mirror is large enough to cover the entire objective. It must also be flat against the objective. With the scope's power selector ring set at the lowest magnification, look through the eyepiece as you would while aiming at a target. If the scope's windage and elevation adjustments are off center, you will see two images of the reticle (cross-hair). To reach the center of the adjustment range, simply turn the elevation and windage dials until you see only one image of the reticle.

[whitedogone]

It should be centered out of the box.  I have heard that another way to check it is to put the front of the scope up to a mirror and adjust till you see one set of x-hairs.  I haven't tryed that.  If you do a little birddogging you can come up with a lapping setup a lot less than $35.00.  I got a 1" steel bar at a local metal supply company.  I think they called it drill stock.  The lapping stuff can be ordered by itself or use valve grinding compound (auto suppy).  Remember, you only need to do the bottom of the rings.  The burris signature rings are another good option but they don't come in low ht.  Low rings will work most of the time on scopes up to 44mm.  WDO

[hogana]

Scope came today!

I took the gun, the scope, and mounts to a gun smith. Gun and scope set me back about $575. I don't want to damage either one puting the two of them togather. The scope will stay on the gun until it breaks, hopefully a lifetime. So the $35 to get it put on the gun is not a big deal.

I wait a week until its done. Then I can finally shoot my new gun.

Thanks again for all the help. Once the gun and scope are aged some I probably would not mind mounting my own scope, but for now I will pay the smith to do it.

[whitedogone]

I never trust a smith to mount any of my glass.  Most look at you weird if you ask them if they lapp them in.   :?  WDO