cayugad

I watched a hunting show tonight. It discussed mounting scopes and bases. It was the person that owned MidSouth Shooters Supply. (I think)

They discussed that you have to start mounting the base first. And that all surfaces must be clean and dry, with no oils and they mentioned even, no finger prints on the metal. Before they set the mounts, they put a level on the bore of the rifle. The rifle was level. They then put the base on the rifle. And the base had to be level to the rifle. They discussed how important a quality base is.

Then, they used a torque screw driver. The screws were set at 65 pounds per inch. But they work the screws in steps.. 20, 40, 65 pounds per inch torque.

The rings were wiped clean of all oils, water, finger prints, etc. The bottom was on the base. The scope was then wiped clean and put in the rings. The scope had also been wiped clean before it was placed.

When they put the top part on. They mentioned that the tops are machined to the bottom and that you should keep track of what top came off what bottom and in what direction. I never knew that.

They did an alternate tightening pattern on the screws. Setting then just tight enough to set the scope to the "shooters" pull for eye relief. They explained that if you pull that rifle to your shoulder and have to make any adjustments at all with your head to see the full scope.. you need to adjust it again. The ring screws are set at 30 pounds per in.

The person doing all this explained that without the proper mounting of the scope, any long range shooting would be a hit or miss. They were discussion 1000 yard shooting. Its hard to explain what they were telling in detail but over all it was a real informative show. And I realize I have a couple scopes that need to be checked again.

freebirdfb

I would say there is some truth to that and maybe some ODC as well, but taking the extra steps ensures perfection. I do agree with using a torq if you have one and using it in steps to make sure the screws gets tighted uniformily. And the rings should always be kept as the set it came with.

I just wish the rings had marking so they go on the same way they were taken apart.
A person could mark the rings with a colored (such as red or blue) sharpie. A little bit of alcohol will remove the sharpie marks.

cayugad

The show said there are often times, mill marks on the rings. I personally have never looked for them. And they explained that it will help you match up the base to the top and how it is supposed to fit. It was an interesting show. I'd hate to think how many scopes I have mounted over the years, and never once was I that careful. In fact the gunsmith whom I watched mount two scopes for me, never did any of that stuff either. But as they were trying to point out, the further distance you have to shoot, the more important it is to properly set the scope. Then they went into ammunition as a factor and were shooting Hornady Premier Cartridges.

It all ended with a person shooting a 300 WSM at 200 yards and had two touching and one just off the two in the bulls eyes. Very impressive shooting. It sure made me sit and look at all the scoped rifles I have.

falcon

i install a lot of scopes. It is very important to check the alignment of the rings using alignment bars. Sometimes i'll use the honing bar even if the rings perfectly align. This removes any milling marks on the inside of the rings.

In the past three or four years i've seen several scopes that were bent by rings that were not properly aligned. One of those scopes was a very expensive Kahles that was installed by a local "gunsmith".

The made in China rings are sometimes badly out of alignment and require too much honing to straighten out.

hometheaterman

Yep, I think it's more important to check the alignment of the rings and possibly lap them rather than worry which ring cap goes on which base. That said, I really like the Burris Signature Zee rings with the inserts, as you don't have to worry about any of this really with them.

bronko22000

I've always kept tops and bottoms of rings matched. I learned this a long time ago. As for the torquing, I always alternated my tightening of the screws. Truth be told, most people overtighten the screws on the rings. They really do not need all that much torque. If you have a decent "man" grip, a bit over finger tight (with a screwdriver) is all that is needed. I normally go more myself. You just have to be careful not to crush the scope tube.

cayugad

They did mention the dangers out over tightening the screws, also getting the ring too close to the actual center control area. It seems on some of the less quality scopes, you can actually bend the tube of the scope just by over tightening.

builder459

Installing 1 piece solid mounts eliminates a lot of potential problems associated with 2 piece mounting systems.i understand it's not always possible to use them, due to various rifle designs.

liquidorange

i dont know what bases and rings they are using but 30 on rings and 65 on the base sounds like way too much. leupold actually suggests to use a drop of oil to allow the threads to torque properly. with base screws i always used blue or purple loc tite but ive done the last couple using oil. i will check at the end of the season.

Semisane

I recently put a DNZ one-piece base & ring mount on a recently purchased lever action. It was my first DNZ, but won't be my last. Easiest mounting thing I've ever seen and no worry about alignment. Nice and trim too.