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Mounting riflescopes...DIY or leave it to a "pro"? |
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boy412
Optics GrassHopper Joined: March/31/2010 Status: Offline Points: 7 |
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Posted: March/31/2010 at 11:35 |
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I am assembling my first rifle...a real tack driver I hope! Chose a Savage 12 LRPV and a Nikon Monarch X 2.5-10x44 scope, EGW base and Burris XTR rings. Now I'm trying to decide if I should try and mount this myself or have a gunsmith do this. I have the Wheeler Engineering kit, but no vise.
After reading the horror stories about what various "professionals" have done to people's scopes/rifles I am very nervous about trusting my new gear to a stranger. I don't know any reputable smiths in the area so that is compounding my anxiety. Everyone seems to have their own method for mounting scopes, but if I follow the basic method (like what Larry Potterfield does in his Gun Tec videos) will I be OK on my own? I'll probably end up with a vise anyway to help with maintenance and cleaning, but it seems to me that I'd need a pretty expensive one (like the Tipton "Best" vise) to properly mount a scope. Thoughts?
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SVT_Tactical
MODERATOR Chief Sackscratch Joined: December/17/2009 Location: NorthCackalacky Status: Offline Points: 31233 |
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do it yourself check your work with the elevation adjustment test
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"Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be" - Abraham Lincoln
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rjtfroggy
Optics Journeyman Joined: August/24/2009 Location: WTBY. CT. Status: Offline Points: 381 |
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All you need is a padded bench vise and a good level. Then just have at it, remember to use a torque driver(in/lbs) and tighten properly.
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froggy
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boy412
Optics GrassHopper Joined: March/31/2010 Status: Offline Points: 7 |
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"< ="utf-8">elevation adjustment test"
Would you mind elaborating on that a bit? I Googled it but came up with nothing. Have the Wheeler torque driver. I do most of the work on my car and understand the importance of adhering to torque specifications! Thanks...
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pyro6999
Optics Retard OT TITAN Joined: December/22/2006 Location: North Dakota Status: Offline Points: 22034 |
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i mount my scopes with the use of my lead sled, seems to work fine as long as the table is level.
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They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead" 343 we will never forget God Bless Chris Ledoux "good ride cowboy" |
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RifleDude
MODERATOR EVIL OPPRESSOR Joined: October/13/2006 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 16337 |
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In other words, when you are zeroing your rifle after mounting the scope, as you move the elevation adjustment up and down, you should get a perfectly vertical shift in point of impact (group centers) on target. This tells you whether you mounted your scope level. If your scope isn't level, you will get both a vertical shift along with some horizontal shift in group centers when adjusting the scope's elevation knob.
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Ted
Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle. |
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lucytuma
Optics Jedi Knight Joined: November/25/2007 Location: Wisconsin Status: Offline Points: 5389 |
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You can do it! |
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"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." - Thomas Jefferson
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boy412
Optics GrassHopper Joined: March/31/2010 Status: Offline Points: 7 |
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That makes sense. At what distance are we talking about here?
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jonoMT
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: November/13/2008 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 4853 |
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Read the post at the top of this section. It has some good info:
http://www.opticstalk.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=21267 |
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Reaction time is a factor...
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boy412
Optics GrassHopper Joined: March/31/2010 Status: Offline Points: 7 |
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Yes, I had read that post. That's what got me nervous about taking my rifle to a gunsmith in the first place! With my luck I would encounter "Mr Screwdriver".
:) |
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RifleDude
MODERATOR EVIL OPPRESSOR Joined: October/13/2006 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 16337 |
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It doesn't matter, except it will be easier to notice any horizontal shift in your group centers as you adjust elevation the further you are from the target.
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Ted
Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle. |
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fishingfool
Optics Apprentice Joined: January/04/2010 Location: No.Ca. Status: Offline Points: 68 |
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I have the same rifle base and rings the scope is a SS16X, I was also a little worried about mounting it but no problem, my sixth shot at 100yds and I was in the bull,go for it.
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DSP Rock Harbor
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pcrage
Optics GrassHopper Joined: March/08/2010 Location: Ohio Status: Offline Points: 26 |
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DIY with a good boresighter... have done it many times with great success. put a little blue loctite on the base screws though...not scope screws....
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cowski
Optics Journeyman Joined: November/19/2009 Location: alabama Status: Offline Points: 342 |
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on a bolt action pull the bolt and look through the barrel and adjust the scope.
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never corner something meaner than you are jbc
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Drifter
Optics GrassHopper Joined: February/27/2010 Location: Illinois Status: Offline Points: 17 |
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It's not rocket science. Just buy yourself one of the Wheeler Engineering Professional scope mounting kits, either the kit for 1" tubes, the kit for 30mm tubes or the kit that has the stuff for both, then get yourself a Wheeler FAT Wrench, or similar like the Weaver version of it, then get yourself a Tipton's Best Gun Vise and have at it.
The only think you have to be careful of is where you put the rings and how tight you tighten them and NOT over tightening them.... |
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"The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion." "Edmond Burke"
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boy412
Optics GrassHopper Joined: March/31/2010 Status: Offline Points: 7 |
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Vise is on order, and I already have the Wheeler kit (which includes the FAT wrench...great deal). Thanks for all of the advice and tips...I think I should be in good shape.
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boy412
Optics GrassHopper Joined: March/31/2010 Status: Offline Points: 7 |
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OK. Have the vise and am ready to crank on this. First, two additional questions: 1) This EGW base I bought came with two different length screws...a short pair and a longer pair. Which go where? I'm going to assume the longer ones go in the back, as the holes in the receiver seem to be deeper there. 2) Where on the Picatinny rail should I put the scope rings? They really could go almost anywhere! The rings are Burris XTR (low) in this case. Thanks! |
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Drifter
Optics GrassHopper Joined: February/27/2010 Location: Illinois Status: Offline Points: 17 |
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Sorry, not familiar with the mount or what you're mounting it to to know which screws go where. Maybe put them in before doing anything and see which fit where?
I'd also suggest getting and using some Uncle Mikes Gun-Tite (Loc-Tite for guns). Also, don't over use/do the lapping compound. It doesn't take much and if you reapply what you first used, it tends to go a long way... |
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"The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion." "Edmond Burke"
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boy412
Optics GrassHopper Joined: March/31/2010 Status: Offline Points: 7 |
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Bore-sighting a .223 is a real pain in the arse! Its really hard to see anything at the end of that barrel. I think I have it pretty close...at least enough to get on paper at 25 yards.
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