New Scope Mounting Procedures

Hi everyone, I'm a new member. Santa was good to me this year and gave a new Burris 3x9x40 Signature Series for my Remington 700 ADL Synthetic .270. I have mounted a few scopes in the past but now that I have something worth a few $ I want to do it right. I have good mechanical skills and would like some input as to the correct mounting procedures. You would think that manufactures would be specific about installing thier product for optimum performance but I have not seen this as of yet. What I need is a good explanation of setting the eyepiece for relief,  paralex, and focus. Also you would think there is a tightening sequence for the 4 alan screws as far as a pattern and tourque on the mounts. Call me anal, but I used to be a Machinast/ Mechanical assembler for a military defense company and know the importance of doing it right with something involving precision optics, and mechanical structures. I would appreciate any links, past posts, or direction as to finding this information. I appologise for the lenthy post but I just feel I have a fine piece of glass for my deer slaying rifle and want to do it right the first time, primer and loc-tite included.

Make sure you clean the holes in the rifle and the bases. I have used loc-tite medium blue for years without any problem. Tighten the bases screws as tight as you can, then mount your bottom rings and just lay your scope in there without the caps on. Look very closely everywhere the scope touches the rings to make sure there is no obvious spacing difference. If you mount scope often, it might be worth you whole to get s set of 1" alignment bars (avalible from any gunsmithing suppiles dealers). Make sure your scope is not binding anywhere. Now put the caps on and lightly tighten so you can still move the scope around. Close your eyes and shoulder the gun, now open your eyes, if you have to crawl toward or creep away fro the scope to see the entire field of view, you need to adjust acordingly. Now it's time to get your reticle perpendicular to the bore, I do this by putting the bolt in and centering the vertical post to the bolt. tighten the cap screws/ bore sight and your ready for the range....... 

Thanks for the reply Imagunsmith, is there a right way to set the rear adjustable eye piece. Is that for focus?

The rear eyebal piece is for the focus. Loosen the lock ring (the small one) and start turning the eyeball piece until the crosshairs are a brilliant black. Lock it down and your done.

http://www.opticstalk.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=868&KW=lev el

 

Check out this link.

If you don't have a ring that has a flat surface on the top. Then look for a flat/level spot on you gun.  This is just a good way to get your cross hairs straight and level.

 

 

When you go to tighten the screws that secure the top ring. Start on one side of the ring and give that screw a half turn. Then jump to the other side of the ring and give that screw a half turn. Continue this pattern until all screws are fully tightened. Each screw will be tightened and secured to the same and appropriate depth. This way you wont tighten one screw all the way down before you even start on the other screws. When done right you shouldn't have to use loc-tite at all.

 

 The rear adjustable eye piece is for focusing.To focus it, put the scope on the highest power, and find the furthest object you can see through the scope. Now turn that focus ring until the object comes into focus. Now that you have done that everything closer in should be in focus, and you shouldn't have to constantly mess with it.

Edited by Brady

Brady is right about the sequence of ring tightening, but don't let him or anybody else tell you not to loc-tite the bases.........

If you concentrate on getting the recticle focused you may allow your eyes to focus ON the reticle, and that is incorrect.

Here is the method I use for the ocular adjustment:

Site the weapon at an object considered to be at infinity. If you have an AO, set that to infinity.  I point the rifle up at the sky (away form the sun). The sky makes a uniform, bright background to judge the recticle clarity against. And it is far enough away to avoid any other focusing issues with the parallax or AO adjustment.

Mount the rifle to your shoulder.  Not looking through the scope, first look at the sky, allowing your eyes to focus on it.  Then, quickly sight through the scope and note if the recticle is fuzzy.  The procedure sounds a bit corny but, it is effective in not letting your eyes compensate for the out-of-focus ocular.  Make adjustments and repeat as necessary until the recticle appears in-focus at the instant you sight through the scope.

Scope Leveling: 

Leupold bases and picatinney or weaver bases allow for a flat surface to reference a card with black horizontal lines, which are parallel to the bottom edge. Basically you sight through the scope with both eyes open and see of the recticle's horizontal bar is parallel with the lines outside the optic.  You can purchase these simple gadgets online.

I simply level a table and then used the same level to draw a vertical and horizontal line on a drywall garage wall.

I sight the wall while trying to verify that the weapon is level.  My method is not very scientific.

It is very easy with AR-15s as one can use a mag-block and a level vice to level the weapon.     

 

Tighten the bases screws as tight as you can.

 

If you tighten them as tight as you can, your going to be very pissed when the small cap-screw shears off leaving half of it in your receiver.  Torque to 15 in-lbs (base to receiver)  and picatinney type tactical rings usually torque to 65in-lbs (ring to base).  If you want to perform the duty as anally as you indicated in your post, get a torque wrench.

 

I prefer the Picatinney/Weaver type bases as the multiple cross-slots allow you to adjust the ring spread for the scope.  You don’t have to worry about any windage adjustment with a ring as in some Leupold and Redfield one-piece type mounting systems.  There is also less of a issue with aligning the ring axis as in the dove-tail mounts. 

 

My practice with lock-tight has been to use removable "blue" lock-tight on the base's cap-screws and nothing on the ring screws. I agree that using lock-tight on the rings is unnecessary.

Unless your using TPS rings, torque the scope ring screws as previously posted.  Never fully torqueing one while others are still loose.

 

As a FYI: Some people are in the practice of using a hard 2-component epoxy to "bed" the base to the receiver.  You can research such practices online.  These are the same people who lap the rings on every mounting.

Edited by Boomholzer

Wow ,,,thanks for all the replies, and links [ I like the little level idea], I'm going to dig up my IN/LB torque wrench and get to work on it if and when the snow lets up. I'm gonna use Loc-tite blue only because I have seen rings loosen up in the past. I will probably be putting Butler Creek flips on the scope. I have them on the Simmons 44mag that is being replaced [and going on ebay] find them great for hunting. Again thanks for all the help,,,,, Mike 

I just noticed You sell the BC Flips here, good price too!!, now I just have to measure the dia.s on the scope

Edited by Mikepags

For anyone interested; Premier Recticles is a source of 15 and 65in-lb torque wrenches.

 

SWFA has this quality 65in-lb torque wrench.  http://www.riflescopes.com/products/LEU48701/leupold_mark_4_ torque_wrench.htm

It also works well for M70/M700 action screws torqued to the same spec.

Edited by Boomholzer

My, My My, Boomholzer, What did we ever do before the scientifics came onto play? Sounds like nobody has common sense anymore

After reading this thread and knowing what problems can occur from improper mounting it is time for the SWFA disclaimer.

 

SWFA and any of its subsidiaries are not responsible for damages incurred while following any mounting procedures listed by forum members.  We highly recommend you contact the manufacturer for proper assembly and especially tightening specifications.

Scope Leveling:  Leupold bases and picatinney or weaver bases allow for a flat surface to reference a card with black horizontal lines, which are parallel to the bottom edge. Basically you sight through the scope with both eyes open and see of the recticle's horizontal bar is parallel with the lines outside the optic.  You can purchase these simple gadgets online.

I attached some pictures of the device I was referring to.
You try to position your eyes to see both the recticle and the plastic card.  Very neanderthal but, it works better than the "this looks level method".
The bubble level in the second picture helps to level the rifle when I try to position the recticles off a level crosshair drawn on the garage wall.   When not being used to mount scopes, it keeps the rifle where I want it for long range shots.