The biggest trouble with scoping a single shot is getting a scope with proper eye relief to fit a rifle with adequate length of pull (LOP). The mounting area is well forward of the trigger. For a rifle with a decent length of pull that means mounting the scope hanging way back over the action. The cure would be a scope with 7"-8" of eye relief but nobody offers one. They only come with eye relief a few inches shorter or a few inches longer.

For example, I have 10x42mm Schmidt Bender and 2.5x28mm Leupold FX-II scopes in lever mounts for my H&H falling block. It has 15-1/8" LOP. The bigger scope hangs way back and the front ring had to go on the objective bell. The smaller scope is a "scout" scope. The model I chose has very short eye relief for a scout scope but must still be pushed forward as far as it will go in the rings. The eye relief is advertised at 9"-17" but a phone call to Leupold confirmed it will work fine at 8.5". That scout scope barely fits because of the long LOP on my rifle. If my rifle had any shorter LOP I'd be out of luck with that scope. Both scopes work beautifully as configured and my eye aligns naturally behind them. But they both look a bit odd.

The way Leupold gets around the problem with their No. 1 is by using stocks with only 13.5" length of pull, the same as on an M1 Carbine!

But we shouldn't have to force ourselves to conform to a stock that doesn't fit us. If just one scope manufacturer would come out with a good scope having 6"-8" range of eye relief it would be the single shot rifle aficionado's panacea.

If you think you don't have this problem because your factory supplied stock fits just fine then odds are you are fooling yourself.

Here Randy Boyd shows us his handy, rule of thumb way to determine your proper length of pull. This is not a substitute for a good fitting but it's the next best thing.

Please watch the video.



Next, grab a rifle, it doesn't have to be a single shot, and measure it off as Randy Boyd showed you to determine your length of pull should be.

Question:
I watched the video and used his method to determine what my length of pull should be. (Please don't just guess.)

My length of pull should be (pick the closest):

Choices:
13" or less
13-1/4"
13-1/2"
13-3/4"
14"
14-1/4"
14-1/2"
14-3/4"
15"
15-1/4"
15-1/2"
15-3/4"
16" or more

 

It just depends on the rifle. On my Ruger #1 in .375 H&H after installing a 1" red old English decelerator pad my LOP is 14.25" and I used the Leupold bases where the rear mount is extended rearward to accommodate a Zeiss Terra 4x12x42.( See my post under refinished .375 #1.) On my Luxus Model 11, I have a Zeiss Conquest 3x9x40 using the custom Luxus mounts with Talley rings and the fit is perfect with a Zeiss Conquest 3x9x40. On the other Ruger #1 I'm getting back from Biebs in .300 H&H, I'll again have a Zeiss Conquest 3x9x40 and there's no need for the rear mount extension even with a 14.25" LOP.

So, I think it depends on the rifle design, scope design, LOP, etc. Seems I can always find something that works

I'm sure that muddies everything up???

I'm not sure that I experience the same, but then I don't have many single shots. I shot my 1885 on the weekend with a Z5 3.5-18 without issue. The Blasers would in theory have a similar issue and many seem to have a sort of cantilever mount, but it seems to me most have adequate room to move the scope rearwards, looking at pictures.

I agree it must be a combination of everything that causes the issue. Some scopes do have a very short mounting area. Others like my 6x42 S&Bs have a pretty long tube to mount on. This is similar to the issues with some long actions where scopes won't fit between the rings without extension mounts... which I detest.

Bear in mind that you lose field of view with EER scopes. Handgun and scout scopes are good examples. Who am I to question the designer, but a scout scope never seemed to be a good idea to me. I would try to pick carefully and maybe look for older scopes which seem longer. Otherwise straight tubes, but it sort of limits you on magnification with what is out there.

Good luck. I intend to lengthen my 1885, so I may soon better understand your plight!

I've seen that video before and one thing that I have always questioned is that at the start of the measuring process he says to make a mark 5 3/4" back from the trigger, and that is the reference point that the LOP is based on.

Why is that measurement 5 3/4"? What basis is there that your nose should be that distance from the trigger?

What about people who have unusually long noses versus people who have unusually short noses?

One of my uncles has a truly epic snoz and his nose is easily 2 1/2" in front of his eyes while my Mother's nose is maybe 1/2" in front of her eyes.

Should both of these people use the same 5 3/4" measurement?

It's just a rule of nose....uh...uhm....I mean thumb.

Who nose?