Neighbor asked me to mount a scope.

[Picher]

The woman across the road bought a new Left-Handed Savage bolt-action yesterday and asked me to mount a scope on it it for her. She came over and we took it to my workshop, set it in my padded vise, installed the Weaver Bases, set the scope on the rings and tightened everything down, (including tightening the stock screws), then bore-sighted it on my illuminated special "bore-sighter target" on the basement wall, about 50 feet away, then took it to my benchrest range in the blueberry field down back.

I set-up a sighting-in target in my Workmate, about 25 yards away and the first shot was only about an inch or so away from where it should be, so I adjusted it to center, then went back to my bench, set up 180 degrees toward my 100 yard target and fired a shot. It was well-centered, but about 1 1/4" high. I adjusted downward to where she wanted it zeroed and fired a confirming shot. She then fired a couple of shots and was happy with the zero location, so called it good. The Savage wasn't a high-grade model, but I'm very impressed with it's accuracy and the used scope that I'd given her years ago worked very well also.

Scope mounting/sighting-in doesn't always go so well, especially when a customer is involved with the work. The Savage had some obvious new-rifle feeding hitches, but otherwise, I was very impressed with the accuracy and the way everything went together. Anyone who does this kind of work knows that there are often unforeseen problems, especially when someone brings the new rifle, scope, and mounts to you. In fact, I recently had problems with my own new scope mounting session and had to change mounts.

 

[12Bravo20]

Sometimes I get lucky when installing a new scope and don't have to make too many adjustments at the range and other times I need a big piece of cardboard and lots of adjustments to get a new scope zeroed. Same goes with sighting in iron sights on an AR rifle. I did the mechanical zero on my A2 clone with a Windham barrel and DPMS A2 receiver, all I had to do was move the rear sight 2 clicks and it was zeroed.

As far as Savage rifles, they are normally very accurate and don't get the credit they deserve. They are not always the nicest finished or best looking rifles (especially the synthetic stocks) but they do shoot good.

And that was great that you helped your neighbor and made sure that her rifle was sighted in for what she wanted.

 

[Picher]

Sometimes I get lucky when installing a new scope and don't have to make too many adjustments at the range and other times I need a big piece of cardboard and lots of adjustments to get a new scope zeroed. Same goes with sighting in iron sights on an AR rifle. I did the mechanical zero on my A2 clone with a Windham barrel and DPMS A2 receiver, all I had to do was move the rear sight 2 clicks and it was zeroed.

As far as Savage rifles, they are normally very accurate and don't get the credit they deserve. They are not always the nicest finished or best looking rifles (especially the synthetic stocks) but they do shoot good.

And that was great that you helped your neighbor and made sure that her rifle was sighted in for what she wanted.

She has several farm animals and lots of wild animals, birds, varmints tend to come around to feed, including skunks, coyotes, crows, woodchucks, rats, raccoons, etc. Some are legal to shoot, some not...especially bald eagles, but they're fun to watch.

This is a great rural neighborhood. We don't have a garden, but she and others have given us vegetables from their gardens quite often, or helped us with various things on our property, so it's nice to be able to help them when they need it.

 

[Picher]

Bore sighting bolt-actions is generally easy, but some other types of actions are more difficult to do, even though I have a "Bore Sighter". Maybe it's because I don't use the tool often. I haven't worked on guns for fees in a long time, but often work on friends/acquaintances guns several times a year. It's kind of fun, if the guns aren't rusty-junk. I hate working on guns in rusty condition.

 

[BigBL87]

I've been having a heck of a time leveling my new Burris Fullfield I mounted on my Vanguard. Just when I think I have it right, it starts bugging me and seems just a bit off. I ordered one of the Wheeler "Level Level Level" kits to help, haven't gotten to use it yet but hopefully it helps.

 

[Ole Joe Clark]

Good job! Helping a neighbor.

I just went through the process with the Leupold scope on my old Model 80. It has the 3/8" wide grooved receiver. I like a low as possible scope, probably because I like a solid cheek weld on the stock. While fiddling with it I also changed out the mounts on the 10/22 that my wife shoots, the ones on the rifle were too low and I raised the scope about 1/8" to clear the rail. Maybe next range trip I won't be so shaky.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

 

[Speedo66]

Good on you for helping her!

Just out of curiosity, what caliber did she get?

 

[LoonWulf]

Good on ya Picher!

Ive had excellent accuruacy from all of the savage centerfires ive used. They tend to be clunky, and rough, but very accurate.

Scope mounting is a task best done by the methodical....so not me....

It dosent really seem that complicated, but when you think about it, the scope to rifle connection has more contact points, on more planes, than any other part of the system.
Sometimes the sheer number of variables can cause an amazing degree of consternation......
Again while not exactly "difficult" given the correct tooling, and good quality materials, i still feel its an achievement.

 

[Picher]

About everyone on this board knows how to install a scope correctly. This is for those who may not.:

After you've installed about a hundred or so scopes, it's pretty much automatic. I'd say that mounts are typically Weaver-Detachable style. The old Weaver split-ring mounts with only two screws on one side of the ring are the hardest to install correctly-aligned with the bore because the scope can turn a bit as the screws are tightened.

When installing the rings on the bases, the first step I do is to install the detachable rings so the big disassembly screw heads are on the opposite side from the ejection port. Four-screw rings are preferable to the two-screw because the scope tends to rotate as the screws are tightened on the two-screw rings. I then tighten the screws a bit, so I can just still turn the scope to align the crosshairs. If screws are only on one side of the rings, I allow for a bit of rotation, (about two degrees), then tighten and check to see if the reticle aligns with the bore properly, then finish tightening. If the scope rotates, I back the screws off and make the adjustment, and try again.

With the screws tightened down, I then tighten the stock/action screws sufficiently to eliminate movement as the rifle is fired. (New rifles hardly ever have tight stock screws as they come from the factory.)

I have a Sweeney sight-align "target" mounted on the far wall of my shop and I bore-sight the rifle placed in my large, padded swivel-vice, using the vertical and horizontal adjustments to correspond with the lines on the sighting guide. On the range, the first shots are done at a target placed at about 25 yards. A shot taken, then vertical and horizontal adjustments made to coincide with the bullet hole. Shooting at 100 yards should then hit the target and further adjustments made to coincide with where the bullet is desired to hit with relation to the aim point at that range. If my rifle, I then shoot at a further target to be assured that the trajectory is where I want it to be at the longer range.

 

[Picher]

I've been having a heck of a time leveling my new Burris Fullfield I mounted on my Vanguard. Just when I think I have it right, it starts bugging me and seems just a bit off. I ordered one of the Wheeler "Level Level Level" kits to help, haven't gotten to use it yet but hopefully it helps.

I have a rifle-vise, but tend to use my large padded rotating vise when mounting scopes because I can more easily align the rifle bore both vertically and horizontally with my wall-mounted, lighted sighting-in target, about 50 feet away.

 

[Picher]

I have a rifle-vise, but tend to use my large padded rotating vise when mounting scopes because I can more easily align the rifle bore both vertically and horizontally with my wall-mounted, lighted, sighting-in target, mounted on the wall, about 50 feet away. There is one large DOT and various lines above it that are used for the scope elevation/windage adjustments that coinside with the scope height above bore. It's not a perfect alignment because it doesn't adequately account for bullet trajectory.

 

[doubleh]

You get an atta-boy for helping your neighbor.

 

[skeeterfogger]

Good to hear. Just got a new XP 308win. Came with 3x9x40 weaver. Claims it was bored to the rifle at factory. Of course it was removed, boxed and shipped off. Put back on at store to display. Surprisingly it was only off left less than 1/4 inch at bore sight and elevation was doable. Going to dial it in hopefully tomorrow.

 

[earlthegoat2]

She has several farm animals and lots of wild animals, birds, varmints tend to come around to feed, including skunks, coyotes, crows, woodchucks, rats, raccoons, etc. Some are legal to shoot, some not...especially bald eagles, but they're fun to watch.

Out of curiosity, what were the specifics of the rifle?

 

[BigBL87]

I have a rifle-vise, but tend to use my large padded rotating vise when mounting scopes because I can more easily align the rifle bore both vertically and horizontally with my wall-mounted, lighted sighting-in target, mounted on the wall, about 50 feet away.

Ya, I have a Tipton Ultra gun vise that I usually use. All I had level-wise is a cheap 6" level from Harbor Freight though, so the kit should help me make sure the action is actually level. I use a plumb line by the gun bench, and shine a flashlight back through the objective to project the reticle on the wall with the plumb line. I get it close with a level on the top turret of the scope, but confirm with the plumb line since reticles aren't always perfectly square with the turrets.

 

[Picher]

Out of curiosity, what were the specifics of the rifle?

It is a Savage 110-type bolt action ..223 Rem, Nylon Stock, used Bushnell variable 3-9?X scope.

 

[Picher]

Ya, I have a Tipton Ultra gun vise that I usually use. All I had level-wise is a cheap 6" level from Harbor Freight though, so the kit should help me make sure the action is actually level. I use a plumb line by the gun bench, and shine a flashlight back through the objective to project the reticle on the wall with the plumb line. I get it close with a level on the top turret of the scope, but confirm with the plumb line since reticles aren't always perfectly square with the turrets.

I have the bolt out of the rifle and with the ring screws slightly loose, can turn the scope to align it with the bore by looking at the sky through the scope and point the vertical hair to the center of the bore. The rifle doesn't need to be level for the bore-to-vertical crosshair relationship to be correct if the rifle is pointed at the sky through a basement window. I've done it so many times over the years that it comes out perfectly and only takes a few seconds to turn the scope with my right hand while holding the rifle up with my left, and the muzzle sitting on the cellar-window frame. (Easier done than explained.)

 

[LoonWulf]

I have the bolt out of the rifle and with the mount screws slightly loose, can turn the scope to align it with the bore by looking at the sky through the scope and point the vertical hair to the center of the bore. The rifle doesn't need to be level for the bore-to-vertical crosshair relationship to be correct if the rifle is pointed at the sky through a basement window. I've done it so many times over the years that it comes out perfectly and only takes a few seconds to turn the scope with my right hand while holding the rifle up with my left, and the muzzle sitting on the cellar-window frame. (Easier said than explained.)

I switched to using levels, but thats how i used to do it as well.
The other way i do it sometimes, and to check to see if the crosshairs are square, is look at a leveled grid with the gun leveled in a vice.
this has proven to be the most accurate way for me to set up crosshairs, but it takes work, and using the little levels is usually close enough.

Ive found my eyeballing the centerline of the bore to not be as consistent as i used to be. perhaps just lack of practice.

 

[Picher]

I've been having a heck of a time leveling my new Burris Fullfield I mounted on my Vanguard. Just when I think I have it right, it starts bugging me and seems just a bit off. I ordered one of the Wheeler "Level Level Level" kits to help, haven't gotten to use it yet but hopefully it helps.

If you can rest the muzzle on a window sill or sash and with the bolt out and the screws tight enough to hold the scope, but still allow rotation, just rotate the scope until the vertical crosshair points to the center of the rifle's bore. Obviously, the scope needs to be mounted in the center of the action for this process to work properly, but it's more accurate than using levels because the only relationship that matters when shooting is that the vertical crosshair is pointed at the center of bore. When shooting, you'll hold the rifle on the bags with the horizontal crosshair level with the target, so the vertical crosshair has to point at the bore center as best you can. Also, if the target is mounted crooked, it's very difficult to hold the rifle perfectly vertical.

 

[Picher]

I switched to using levels, but thats how i used to do it as well.
The other way i do it sometimes, and to check to see if the crosshairs are square, is look at a leveled grid with the gun leveled in a vice.
this has proven to be the most accurate way for me to set up crosshairs, but it takes work, and using the little levels is usually close enough.

Ive found my eyeballing the centerline of the bore to not be as consistent as i used to be. perhaps just lack of practice.

If you hold the rifle butt away from your face with the left hand and the muzzle on the window frame, you should be able to see both the vertical crosshair and bore at the same time and turn the scope with your right hand.

 

[sparkyv]

I'll mount scopes for backstraps!

 

[Picher]

Good on you for helping her!

Just out of curiosity, what caliber did she get?

A .223 Rem.

 

[Pat Riot]

Nice of you to help a neighbor.

I have mounted a few scopes but I am by no means a pro, for sure. Your reticle alignment method what a head slapping moment of “Holy Cow! So simple yet so smart!”
I recall mounting a Leupold on a Remington and I distinctly recall running out of swear words trying to get it right.

Thank you for the tip, Picher.

 

[Newtosavage]

The woman across the road bought a new Left-Handed Savage bolt-action yesterday and asked me to mount a scope on it it for her. She came over and we took it to my workshop, set it in my padded vise, installed the Weaver Bases, set the scope on the rings and tightened everything down, (including tightening the stock screws), then bore-sighted it on my illuminated special "bore-sighter target" on the basement wall, about 50 feet away, then took it to my benchrest range in the blueberry field down back.

I set-up a sighting-in target in my Workmate, about 25 yards away and the first shot was only about an inch or so away from where it should be, so I adjusted it to center, then went back to my bench, set up 180 degrees toward my 100 yard target and fired a shot. It was well-centered, but about 1 1/4" high. I adjusted downward to where she wanted it zeroed and fired a confirming shot. She then fired a couple of shots and was happy with the zero location, so called it good. The Savage wasn't a high-grade model, but I'm very impressed with it's accuracy and the used scope that I'd given her years ago worked very well also.

Scope mounting/sighting-in doesn't always go so well, especially when a customer is involved with the work. The Savage had some obvious new-rifle feeding hitches, but otherwise, I was very impressed with the accuracy and the way everything went together. Anyone who does this kind of work knows that there are often unforeseen problems, especially when someone brings the new rifle, scope, and mounts to you. In fact, I recently had problems with my own new scope mounting session and had to change mounts.

I've owned a lot of Savage rifles now, and even broken a few down and done several barrel swaps. No Savage rifle has ever surprised me in a bad way. What you see is what you get. They may not be 1/4 MOA "tack drivers" but rarely are they much more than MOA with halfway decent ammo. One thing I've noticed about Savage rifles is that they tend to be very consistent. Meaning, the first shot tends to go where you expect it to go. That is a very good feature in a hunting rifle especially.

 

[LoonWulf]

If you hold the rifle butt away from your face with the left hand and the muzzle on the window frame, you should be able to see both the vertical crosshair and bore at the same time and turn the scope with your right hand.

Yeah, for some reason i cant get good alignment anymore. Its still close enough, but when checked against a grid, or level, im usually a few degrees off. I used to be able to get it centered almost as well as setting up the grid (which is a pain in the butt since i work out of my garage).