scope mounting survey

[taliv]

for those of you with precision rifles and scopes, when you mount the scope and put it in the center of the adjustment range, how close is it usually to 'zero' at a given range?

i.e. how close is mechanical zero to actual zero initially?

what scope/rings/rifle was closest? which combo was furthest?

 

[Maverick223]

I only have one, but mine wasn't anywhere close...and it should be. My scope (a PRH 5-25x56mmMTC: Gen-2 XR) was mounted in a proprietary (for DTA SRS) 1pc. rings/mount with a 40MOA taper. I didn't count how far off it was (and i'd rather not re-zero just to find out; it has a zero stop), but I recall doing quite a bit of twisting to get it zeroed at 100yds (windage was pretty close though). IMO any decent ring/mount set will be about as close as the rifle allows. In other words, I believe that most of the variance is due to the rifle, not the mount itself.

 

[JDGray]

My LTR came with a windage adjustable rear base, and the mounted Bushnell Elite 3200(that I centered in a v-block set up, and rezeroed the turrets) is 1" low at 100yrds, windage was perfect without touching the turrets. But thats not what your looking for is it

Savage actions have a tendency to twist durring the heat treating stage, and can play hell with base mounting and scopes not running parallel to the bore.

 

[WNTFW]

My SuperSniper was very close on a Rem 700, EGW base (picatinny) and Burris Xtreme Tactical mounts. That was done be counting clicks from left to right and putting zero at halfway. Same scope transfered to a Marlin 60 with Rimfire Technologies base was very close on windage.

Marlin 60 with a different scope/rings was close. Bushnell scope/Redfield rings on the dovetail.

The only bases that I find a hassle to center up are the ones with the windage adjustable base. Leupold with screws on each side for adjustment and Millet Angle Locs being two that I have tried. All the rings I used with one side fixed were pretty good.

Generally the mechanical zero is better or at least as good as I can bore sight.

Some of the above hardware may not qualify as precision.

 

[Geno]

My Kimber M84 LPT .308 Win was impacting about 1" high and 2" right of X at 30 yards, with a Nightforce 5.5-22X56. I was using Leupold Mark 4 30 mm rings. I believe that the base is 0 MOA offset.

Geno

 

[madcratebuilder]

It's always nice to collimate the scope center line to the barrel center line. It can be difficult with today's rifles with integral rails. Most are very close. When you are drilling and tapping for mounts is when you need to pay attention.

 

[jmorris]

I would say the furthest off would be on my long range rifles because the bases have elevation built in them so up close you are towards the bottom of scope elevation and you can adjust up for further ranges than the optic could have originally.

Some Leupold bases have windage screws on both sides of the bases so theoretically you wouldn’t even have to use the scope adjustment if you took the time to just set the bases.