Scope installation - Is this correct?

[Bushwack44]

Thanks to all who gave constructive advice.

And to whoever felt a public shaming was in order seeking advice, as long as you feel good about yourself, that's all that matters.

Hey he didn't know and that's why he asked. I give him props for putting up good clear pics. Most guys don't offer enough info with the questions they ask. At least this guy did.
OP you have your answer so go run with it and good luck.

[portermann]

Consider also, before you start leveling and making it plumb - make sure you have the scope mounted for the proper eye relief first (forward/back position). When you shoot prone, you'll find your head tends to be a bit further forward. Some scopes are more forgiving than others in this regards. It looks like in the pictures you don't have a lot of room to work with, but even a small change can make a big difference.

[Kingair001]

This is a great thread 😂

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[PaperPuncher]

If you are going through all the trouble of leveling these things out so precisely (and I am not saying you should or should not), it will also be helpful to have a way of ensuring you rifle is level when you actually pull the trigger.

[ScottsBad]

Bubbles need to go other way. Your worried about side tilt not front to back. Most aren't level that way due to barrel contours and scope mounts are offset, ie 20 MOA mounts

Correct. To me the most important thing is making sure the reticle does not appear cock-eyed when shooting from a standing unsupported position.

[RobG]

What I do:

1. Line the ring halves through the radius (~60 deg. either side of center top/bottom) w/ black Vinyl electrical tape.

2. Trim the width overhang w/ a razor blade/utility knife.

3. Grease the ring screws.

4. set the scope in the mounted ring bases and mount the ring caps so they just make contact.

5. Assume a standing field shooting position w/ the rifle.

6. Aim the rifle at yourself in a mirror ~ 6-8' away.

7. Adjust the rifle until the scope is vertical on the rifle in the reflection.

8. Adjust(roll) the scope until the cross-hairs are vertical w/ a vertical index, like a wall or door jam.

9. Repeat 7 and 8 until it looks right.

10. Press the scope into the base rings, and the ring caps on the scope, checking to get the gaps even.

11. Snug screws and then check alignment in mirror.

12. Lightly torque screws and then check alignment in mirror.

The Vinyl tape will flow/extrude a little and gives a very good contact surface.

Re-torque a little in a day or two.




GR

Electrical tape inside rings? Greasing the screws?

[Yerman]

- Lap rings
- Use an action level like the one pictured below and perfectly level the rifle (in my opinion this is the only proper way to level a rifle. Don't use your stock or the barrel. Only other option would be to put a level on the top of a rail but that is not as accurate and you don't have a rail.)
- Set a string up on a tree outside at least 25 yards away with a weight on the end
- Align vertical part of reticle to string
- Put level on the turret cap to verify the scope and the reticle are level
- If they are not, send scope back to manufacturer and tell them the reticle and scope are not aligned

P.S.
- Use a torque wrench to tighten rings to manufacturers specs.
- Levels check for side to side tilt, not front to back tile. You have them oriented 90 degree in the wrong direction.

If you come to Palmdale, I'll help you do this correctly.

[hermosabeach]

Rings- The gaps on the rings, ideally will be even...

It looks like in the first photo, the rings touch on the front rings, but not the rear....

Ideally you want the same gap on both sides of the rings...

The scope should be on the same plane, left to right, as the action.

A canted scope is a bad thing... the vertical axis should be vertical in relation to the action.

Front to back, the scope will slope down towards the bore... as the barrel points up a bit to offset gravity....

[pennstater]

This can't be serious

I was thinking the same thing. But, maybe he has never mounted a scope before. Trial and error. After putting on a lot of scopes on a lot of different rifles, it becomes pretty easy and fast. Bore sighting works pretty good. IF, you know how to do it.

[Carcassonne]

Below in Photo 1, both the scope and barrel are leveled. That's how the scope installation should be, correct?

Not necessarily. Long range shooter may use a mount that aims the objective lens towards the ground.

Related question: Should the stock and the barrel both be the same level? This is a Remington 700.

I don't think it matters.



.

[JMP]

It is a fairly intuitive process, and the photos shown are not intuitive.

Some folks may be shocked to learn that you can get a scope on pretty well without any bubble levels or torque wrenches.

[CandG]

It is a fairly intuitive process, and the photos shown are not intuitive.

Some folks may be shocked to learn that you can get a scope on pretty well without any bubble levels or torque wrenches.

I never used either one until my first precision rifle build. It just doesn't matter that much for most rifles/shooters. Your average 100yd plinker isn't going to notice a 2 degree tilt in their reticle.

The harder part, OP, than getting the scope to be level, is getting the proper mounting position relative to the eye relief of your particular scope. My suggestion, make sure you shoulder the rifle and check the scope distance before you tighten anything down.

[CandG]

I want to add, that the reasons (since most responses in this thread seemed to leave that part out) that both versions of level placement in your photos are incorrect (aside from front-to-back levelling not really being important) are threefold:

1) The scope turret cap is almost for sure not perfectly level
2) The stock is definitely not level
3) even the top of the barrel is probably not level, many are tapered

So basically, none of those reference locations are level in general, and definitely not level relative to each other.

To make sure the scope is (somewhat) level with the bore, it's pretty simple: Unload rifle, remove the bolt, point rifle at something distant, look down the bore. Now look into the scope. They should both be roughly centered on the same distant object. That's "boresighting" in a nutshell.

[diver160651]

Scope installation - Is this correct?

Bushwack

My comments in no way are directed at you. Your question has clearly shown that some people giving advice don't have a good grasp on what is really going on. Others clearly do, but how does one sort thru the BS?

To those that recommending the round action and round barrel needs be "leveled" please explain what this truly does. I am sorry but barrel doesn't care.



None of my scopes are "level", the 38 above has enough non parallel angle to be easily spotted with our eyes.... Yet it maintains a 100y zero.

Now, what is more important that the NPA be respected with the level in respect to the shooter or a "level" scope to the Action???

Do we want the scope caps level? Or rather the vertical strata of the reticle to be vertical and repeatable when the user mounts the system?

As mentioned by a couple people use a plumb bob for your setup, after you've mount the gun and found the proper eye relief and natural cant your body is going to require on that stock. Then if your planning on long rang shooting as mentioned in the other thread, get a scope level. That gets adjusted to show "level" with "your NPA" and the reticle that is inline with the plumb bob.

No level was use to mount any of these, but a level is used to occasional confirm that the reticle is functioning along the correct access, when I am on them.

Sure guns that are shared might benefit from a "squared" rail to the scope and that isn't a bad place to start.. And some that do, have adjustable butt stocks to help insure NPA.

But in this case, no need.

Edited to add: Natural Point of Aim = NPA (or NPOA)

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[Yerman]

Bushwack
To those that recommending the round action and round barrel needs be "leveled" please explain what this truly does. I am sorry but barrel doesn't care.

It matters a lot. If your action/barrel are not level to your reticle and the scope body, are you begin tracking up and down with the elevation turret, you are not moving directly up and down.

Imagine this exaggerated example: Hold your rifle at a 45 degree angle to the left, shoot, and your POI is 10 Mil's low. Dial in 10 Mil's of elevation. Because your rifle is at a 45 degree angle, you actually went up 5 Mils, and over 5 Mils.

Of course, this is an exaggerated example but at long distances, the impact of a canted scope becomes more and more apparent.

Your action/barrel, scope body, and reticle all need to be in perfect alignment to operate correctly, especially at distance.

OP, make sure it is done correctly. My offer stands. I have all the tools needed to install your scope for you. I'm around all weekend.