Scope mount issues (scope bottomed out to zero)

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artherd

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I'm a bit new at this, so forgive me.

I just zeroed my scope on my new rifle, but to do so I had to nearly bottom out the ajustment screws on elevation (all the way down)

Scope is a Shepherd P2 on an Aimtech see-thru rail, screwed to the top of the rifle (Remington 7400.)

What should I do to rectify this and put the mechanical alignment closer to the scope's center or even top of ajustment range?

Thanks!
 
Don't shim the ring, shim the rear of the rail. 2-3 strips from pop/beer can material should work.:D Once you get the height right, epoxy 'em together.
Be careful to keep excess epoxy out of the works...:uhoh:
Tom
 
Actually, if you intend to do any long-range shooting, you'll need to raise the rear of the scope quite a bit. I've used the pop-can shims too, but I think I've found a much better solution.

Burris makes some rings (their 'Signature' series) that use special inserts to grip the scope. Not only do they make lapping the rings unneccesary, but by using some offset inserts, you can correct for as much as 20 to 35 minutes of mis-alignment. As with anything you really need, they ain't cheap, I think I paid about $30 for the rings and another $15 for the special inserts, but they work exceptionally well.
 
There are two ways to best tackle this, and the previous two posters in front of me have it down. An inclined base (20 degrees is the norm) is a good way to handle the problem. Ken Farrell has them for a moderate price; about $50 I think (Google "ken farrell").

The other method, Burris Signature rings (with the offset ring kit, for extra money) will allow you to adjust for windage also, and as an added bonus, insures that your mount won't mar the scope by leaving the infamous "slight ring marks" that you see so often on resales.

Lastly, if you must shim, shim the base, not the ring, and "properly" never shim a two-piece base, only the rear end of a one-piece base. Shimming the rear section of a two-piece base is damn near the same thing as shimming the rings--if it can, it'll induce a bend or dent the scope. A way to shim a one-piece base slightly and in small increments is to cut small portions off the blades of an automotive feeler gauge. These sell for <$5, and increase in thickness by .001" increments. There's no need to overshim using 2 and 3 thicknesses of aluminum cans if you have the patience to trial and error your way through the feeler gauge. That said, I don't recommend shimming. Cheap is cheap, but for all the work involved, you're only saving ~$25 while taking a chance that you'll not mar the scope in some manner, and you're putting an inordinate stress on the screws that hold the base to the receiver.
 
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