Brand new Savage Model 16 FHSS in 250 Savage.
New Weaver bases and rings (medium height), semi-new Weaver Grand Slam 4.5-14X40 scope.
I am totally out of elevation adjustment and just barely made it to zero at 100 yards as shot with 87 gr. bullets @ 3000 fps MV. Used a Bushnell bore sight (professional optic type) to zero and found that as currently zeroed, the crosshairs are below the center line of the bore sighter instead of on top like usual.
What is up with this?????????????????
I read that someone else had the same problem with a Model 16 in 204.
I guess I'll have to get the Burris Sig. Zee rings with eccentric inserts.

quote:

Originally posted by Rae59:

I guess I'll have to get the Burris Sig. Zee rings with eccentric inserts.

If the scope is one-inch, you're in luck. They make more inserts for the one-inch than they do the 30mm. I have the 30mm. They make only the +10 and -10 inserts. Be nice if they made +15 and -15. I need that much...

I would talk to Weaver. Sounds like a scope problem.

There is another here on the forum who had the same problem with a "Savage Model 16". I have to admit I really don't understand what is going on, I measured and the scope appears to be the standard 1-1/2" (or 1-9/16" depending how my eyes hit the tape) above line of the bore (C to C). Yes, I know 1/16" could amount to alot, but I am quite sure it is 1-1/2" judging by how good the gun shoots straight out of the box. Loose tolerances would not produce such good groups as I was getting with EVERY shot, as I was working up loads. I will check it with a caliper later this week. The more I think about it, that is the only thing that could explain what is going on here (over-sized receiver diameter- by several thousandthes). In any even,t this is the first time I have ever experienced this, elevation wise.

A simple no-cost fix is to put a few thicknesses of aluminum foil on the bottom of the REAR scope ring, between it and the scope tube. This will tilt the scope downward and the muzzle upward, resulting in pointing your scope more nearly in alignment with your bore.

The problem you have has nothing to do with how high or low above the bore that the scope is. It is rather the relative tilt of the scope compared to the bore. I don't recall whether the receiver bridge and receiver ring are the same or different heights on the Savage action. The mismatch could be in either the action or the bases missing spec by a few thousandths; or it could be that the specs changed and Savage didn't tell Weaver. At any rate, bushing your existing rear ring will take care of your problem immediately.

As Stonecreek alluded to, on many Savages, the rear base is taller than the front base. On some Savages, you can use the same base front and back. You need to make sure you have the correct bases for your particular Savage.

Brownells has plastic elevations shims that work nice but ANY shim material will work.

Figure ~0.006" per inch increase/decrease at 100 yds.

Center your crosshairs...shoot a target center bull, measure where the bullet hit, high or low.

Calculate the amount of change you need. If you are 10 " low then you need to add 0.060" of shims...0.006" times 10 inches of change...UNDER the rear most sight base. That will bring you to center bull approximately then you can use the scope adjusters for the finer difference.

I think there could be something amiss with the bases...because you should have more than 20" of adjustment in your scop.

What you are saying is you ran out of adjustment which means you need at least the 20" of adjustment built into the scope(or whatever it actually is) plus 1/2 the amount of adjustment(to bring the cross hais to the center of the optic plane) or about 30" total...which adds up to about 0.006" times 30" ord 0.180" of shim...this is WAY too much to work with...doing so will bend you scope tube.

I would measure the difference in heights in the bases you have now, the difference in receiver bridge at the mount points AND have the scope checked out.

Anytime I've had that much difference in adjustments there was something wrong in the bases or the scope.

I don't have a Savage 16 receiver but I do have 8 Savage LA and SA actions. There is always a few inches difference or a few thou difference in bases and receiver contours...

One thing also...the way the barrel/nut/receiver are made, if the threads are not concentric, plumb and parallel to the bore, the barrel itself can point off towards Jones...sometimes just breaking the nut loose and re-headspacing on a resized fired case will center everything and the problem will go away.

Besides doing so will also set the headspace to fit your sizer so you won't under size or over size your brass.

Luck

Thankyou for your replies.
As one of you eluded to, Savage aparently did not tell Weaver about their post 2003 Model 16 action. As per Natchez and Weavers own website, they both show a #46 base for the front and a #61 for the rear and a note that I failed to see :"pre 2003 models". No other bases are shown for the Model 16 anywhere, anyway that I could see. Well I get the bases and found the #46 would fit just fine but the #61 was milled flat on the bottom for a "flat" top receiver, WHICH IS NOT what my new model 16 has. I quickly noticed that the #46 base WOULD fit the front AND back. Since I am a Winchester owner/fan, I quickly dug out another #46 base and installed on said action. I used the Wheeler ring alignment pins and notice that the front ring was appox. .005" higher than the rear but not enough to worry about nor lap, as far as scope alignment was concerned.It apparently is enough to worry about as far as elevation adjustment is concerned.

S-Creek, I don't totally understand the rear bases being that much higher than the front concept. I understand the geometery, but if the rear bases were that much higher then no ring setup would ever be in the same plane or axis wilth each other. The rear would always be in a different plane. As you know, none of the Weaver bases state "forward" or "rear" as far as orientation of the individual bases. Yes, #XXXX goes to front of the receiver and #XXX goes to the rear, but the slot can go either forward or rearward. Please explain.

I had the exact same problem with a Kimber 84 Longmaster, Talley rings & bases, and Leupold 4.5X14 LPS.

Changed to Warne bases and rings all OK.

It's hard to believe these manufacturers can mess up like that. I have a Burris SS base for a Browning A-Bolt. Tried to screw it to the receiver and the holes didn't line up. Tried it on another A-Bolt I had. The holes didn't line up on that one either. Called Burris thinking they gave me the wrong number by mistake. They said no that is the one you need. When I told them it didn't fit either of my A-Bolts, they blamed it on Browning. Called Browning and they blamed it on Burris. Every other base I have tried fits. I still have the base, but unfortunately it doesn't fit any thing.