Mounting Scopes

14 October 2003, 12:14

Dago Red

Mounting Scopes

All right guys, seems I remember posting a question about scope mounting a few months back but didn't get enough input.

Here is the specific situation, the scope on my 06 suddenly crapped on itself, 4x Bushnell that has less than 60 rds. fired under it, all of a sudden went out of focus and won't refocus no matter what.

Rather than mess with it I have an old 4x Unertl Hawk I can mount on the rifle. I can figure out the eye relief I think, without too much hassle. What I am wondering is how to get the crosshairs level?

any instructions for mounting it and getting them level would be very much appreciated.

Red

14 October 2003, 12:35

Bigdaddytacp

quote:
Originally posted by Dago Red:
All right guys, seems I remember posting a question about scope mounting a few months back but didn't get enough input.

Here is the specific situation, the scope on my 06 suddenly crapped on itself, 4x Bushnell that has less than 60 rds. fired under it, all of a sudden went out of focus and won't refocus no matter what.

Rather than mess with it I have an old 4x Unertl Hawk I can mount on the rifle. I can figure out the eye relief I think, without too much hassle. What I am wondering is how to get the crosshairs level?

any instructions for mounting it and getting them level would be very much appreciated.

Red

With the gun in a firm holding device either sight the gun level or use a balance-level on top of the flat mounts to level the gun and then use a plumb-bob type hanging straight line to sight the scope and level the reticle.......OR they make a Sedgeway Reticle leveler with a bubble level that sits on the mount and you level it and then match the crosshair to the lines on the tool......some use a straight side of a building to sight in to get the reticle level......most non "strap Weaver" type rings with screws on both sides on hor. split rings won't turn as you tighten them...the old strap with screws on one side Weavers did twist and you have to reverse rotate the scope to conpensate for the twist......IF you get the gun to where it feels level to you and the scope looks level the accuracy won't be effected as long as you keep the amount of out of level/cant the same all the time and sight the gun in for your distance with the gun held as you will shoot it....the different amounts of cant will move the groups at different distances if you vary the cant.....check the base screws while you change the scope and use some cleaner on the ring screws and then some sealant....that old Unertl is still some good glass if it is still sealed and clean.....good luck and good shooting!!

14 October 2003, 12:43

Dago Red

thanks! I think I will try mounting it tonight as I have some work to do on something else in the shop anyways.

Red

PS
it is the cheaper strap kind, that go over the top and screw tight on one side. From now on I am springing for nicer "looking" rings. I would like to start going to Conetrol, but talk about pricey!!! Ouch!

Red

[ 10-14-2003, 03:44: Message edited by: Dago Red ]

14 October 2003, 15:22

Mark

Red,

I made a jig that is basically a black plastic rectangle with a V cut into one narrow end, and a thin line cut into the center of the plastic, so when you put it in front of the objective of the scope all you see is a thin line of light, it makes it very simple to line up the vertical crosshair then.

Another simple way is to put the gun in a vise, then put a level on either the action or the scope mount base, then install the scope and put the level on the upper scope cap.

Another way is to put a piece of string or yarn on the bore and hold it in with a plug (a pencil works if you are careful!). Have someone hold the yarn vertical and look through the scope and align the vertical crosshair that way. Before I made my plastic jig I bent a piece of coathanger into an L shape, and wrapped the short end with electrical tape and stuck that in the muzzle, and lined up the crosshairs with that.

How I tighten the Weaver rings without having them make the scope rotate is I get Burris Zee rings. Those Weaver rings caused me so many headaches when I was a kid trying to mount 22 scopes on my guns that I've never bought any since! Ray Atkinson says they are OK though, you just need to tighten 1 screw in the front 1/8 turn then the back 1/8 turn, etc. So that is what I would do if I had no choice.

good luck and have fun!

Mark

14 October 2003, 19:39

Dago Red

Well guys, thanks for the advice, in the end I used the "to hell with it, what looks straight" method. Where I repeatedly shoulder the rifle and look through the scope and see if the cross hair is in line with a horizontal line I pick out. Still have to take it to the range and see how it shoots with this scope, I have no idea what the hell went wrong with the other one, taking it to the shop tomorrow to see about having it fixed.

thanks to all of you, between now and next time I will get some way of padding the vice so that I can clamp the rifle down next time, this time I did it by eye since I couldn't be sure I really had the rifle level. :-)

Red

14 October 2003, 20:17

Saeed

Gentlemen,

I put the scope in the mounts, make sure the screws are not too tight so I can turn the scope around, look through it, and adjust it until I see it is straight. Tighten the screws and that is the end of it.

Sometimes people complain that some of my scopes are slightly crocked. They stay put, as long as they are fine for me.

14 October 2003, 20:27

Mark

Red,

A quick and dirty method you can use also is to remove the action from the stock and put it on the kitchen table and without touching it line it up with a doorframe or other vertical line.