Scope mounting and sighting in: here's how to do it right the first time

Scope mounting and sighting in: here's how to do it right the first time

Warped and bent scope bodies, scarred and marred finishes, cracked lens, lost turret caps, at least one scope mounted backwards, and certainly the wrong mounts and rings. Every year prior to hunting season, gun shops and gunsmiths are faced with doctoring the mistakes of incorrectly mounted scopes. Unfortunately, scope mounting faux pas like these are more common than you might imagine.
Degrees in nuclear science, physics, or engineering are not required to successfully mount optics on your hunting rifle. Anyone possessing basic motor skills (I barely fail into this category), and the ability to follow simple instructions can achieve professional results the first time.
All that's needed is a few simple tools, a place to work, and the desire to do it right. Let's examine the steps required to successfully and professionally mount your favorite optics on a hunting rifle. When we've completed this task, we'll visit the range and learn how to properly sight in our rifle.
A Clean, Well-Lighted Place
To start, we need a place to work. If you don't have a corner of the house that belongs to you, boldly commandeer the wife's kitchen table -- just make sure she's not home. Next, we'll require a sturdy platform to work from. Having your brother-in-law hold the rifle steady while you work is asking for trouble, hurt feelings and scratched firearms. Gun vises abound on the market and are relatively inexpensive. Just make sure you choose one that holds the firearm securely and will not scratch your expensive investment.
Most rifles leave the factory with filler screws resting in the scope base holes. Remove them using a properly fitting screwdriver. Next, we'll want to clean any grease or oil that may have accumulated in the holes to insure the base screws thread securely. Aerosol gun scrubbers and blasters, manufactured by Birchwood Casey, Break-Free and others work well for this chore. It's also a wise idea after you've done this, to apply a thin coat of oil onto the receiver where the mount will rest, to prevent possible rust.

Quality Pays
There are many successful designs of scope mounts and bases on the market today. Most are very rugged and durable, sadly, some are not. Insist on nothing less than the best and forget about the cost. A quality set of mounts and rings is much cheaper than a missed shot on a Boone and Crockett whitetail.
By far, the most popular scope bases and rings are those manufactured by Redfield, Burris, Leupold, and Millett. The front scope ring twists into the base mount for a rock solid perch, while two large windage adjustment screws secure the rear scope ring. Due to their popularity and quality, we'll mount a set of these on our rifle.
Open the package containing the bases for your weapon and wipe them off with a rag. Apply a thin coat of oil to the underside of the mount as well. More than likely, a proper fitting allen wrench was included with your bases. If not, make sure you use the correct size to prevent damaging the screws.
Base screws are rarely the same length, and instructions often neglect to inform us where each one should fit. So how do we determine what goes where? An easy solution is to drop the screws into the base holes, hold them up where you can see the threaded portion of the screws, and make sure there is an equal amount of each screw protruding from the base. They should all be approximately the same length. This method is far from scientific, but actually works well.
Now it's time to secure the bases to the receiver. Scope bases have an uncanny ability to work loose under heavy recoil, which obviously wreaks havoc with accuracy. Murphy's Law dictates we only become aware of this after we've missed the buck of a lifetime, and watch him saunter over the horizon waving his white tail in salute. This malady is entirely preventable.
Place the front and rear base mounts in their proper place on the receiver. Before inserting and tightening the base screws, dab a little Loctite on the threads. This will prevent them from working loose under recoil. If you're out of Loctite, reach for a bottle of your wife's clear nail polish. It will suffice in a pinch.
Step Two: Rings
With our bases securely in place, it's time to mount the scope rings. Using your properly fitting wrench, remove the screws from the rings. Place them along with their corresponding ring halves on your workbench. The forward ring mounts in a rotary dovetail. For a smooth installation, wipe a light coating of any good grease over the "feet" of the forward ring before inserting it into the base hole. You will notice it rests perpendicular to the mount.
Unless you were blessed with the power of Hercules, it's quite obvious you can't turn the ring with your bare hands. So what's the easiest way to perform this task? Brownells offers a 4-Way Scope Ring Wrench (part number 813-100-004) that includes slots for Leupold, Burr, Millett/Redfield, and 30mm Leupold rings.
Slide the correct slot over the ring and gently rotate to the proper position. The large handle provides plenty of comfortable twisting power. I've personally used one to mount well over 1,000 scopes in my shop. They are very durable. If you don't have one of these tools on hand and can't wait, try cutting a one-inch wooden dowel to approximately twelve inches. While not as fancy, this works equally well.