[Big Lew in NC]

Help!

I am mostly a pistol guy, but I recently decided to get a .223 rifle for fun and for the kids to "move up" to. Anyway, I decided to get a red dot scope but I do not know much about mounting. The T/C barrel I have has been drilled and tapped and now what? Do I get a rail on there then mount the scope on the rail? The only rifle I have a scope on I bought that way. Seeking some advice, please. Thanks!

Big Lew

[rcmodel]

T/C what?

Pick a one-piece Weaver base from here for whatever it is and put it on the barrel with the included screws.
http://www.midwayusa.com/find?&sortby=1&itemsperpage=20&dimensionids=4294846286&newcategorydimensionid=9469

The Red Dot should clamp right on it if it is supposed to fit a Picatinny/Weaver rail.

rc

[Big Lew in NC]

Thanks RC.

I have a Contender. The one you linked me to looks good and I was going to get the scope from Midway anyway. FYI Amazon.com has a lot of gun parts these days.
Best,
BL

[osprey176]

You need to pick up a gunsmith's screwdriver set.Midway sells them too.A basic set is all you need to start,and isn't real expensive.Some Loctite will keep everthing in place.I use alcohol and Q-tips to clean the threads and screws before assembly.Fingernail polish works if you don't have Loctite.Take your time to make sure the crosshairs are straight, not canted,and check them as you tighten down the rings.Don't overtighten;good and snug is better than snapping a screwdriver bit and putting a big gouge on your new rifle.

[OpticsPlanet]

Not over-tightening is a very good idea. A torque screwdriver is a good mate to a gunsmithing screwdriver set:

http://www.opticsplanet.net/wheeler-fat-wrench-with-10-bit-set-553556.html

The downside is, your shooting buddies will all want to borrow it. After going through all my rifles after purchasing the Fat Wrench, not a single screw was torqued to spec. I had erred on the side of caution, which is better than stripping them out, I suppose.

Mark H.

[greyling22]

you're putting a red dot scope on what I assume is a bolt action or break open rifle? never seen that before, but I suppose it takes all kinds.

but for basic scope mounting you really don't need a fancy screwdriver. They're nice, I wish I had more, but you can get by by being careful.

Your red dot will either be a clamp on type or a tube that looks like a small scope. If it's the tube type you'll need scope rings if they're not included.

[Big Lew in NC]

Thanks Osprey and Optics. The big thing is that I am going to go slow and easy.

Yeah, when I decided to build this up, it hit me about 2 weeks ago to put a red dot on there. The big thing I am looking for is high eye relief. I have a Ruger .270 with a nice Leupold on it, but being a pistol guy and being used to shooting 100-200 meters with iron sights (IHMSA), using a traditional scope has been troublesome. I figured I would try the red dot and see how it goes. I ended up getting a Bushnell Trophy 1 x 28 with different sized dots plus cross-hairs. I am going to mount it at the range later today and I will let you know how it goes. I realize the red dot for a rifle is different but I wanted to try it. Many of my crazy ideas have worked in the past. I will report back AND I am not too proud to say I messed up if I did.

[Big Lew in NC]

Here is the verdict: I am getting about 2" at 100 yards. I know I can do better because a friend at the range got better (:P) . Looking forward to shooting with it this deer season.