Learning how to mount a rifle Scope is so important! Buying an expensive scope and having it poorly mounted, or mounting it poorly yourself is useless. We have seen gunsmiths being paid for this job, but why spend a couple of bucks when you can do it yourself? It might appear and make you feel like it is a huge undertaking. After the perfect shooting platform, optics and calibers, you need to your scope and bore to be pointing at the same place when you are ready for shooting, headed towards the range.

With the help of some tools and a whole lot of patience, you can mount your scope right.

Things You’ll Need:

You will need the following behaving tools:

• Gunsmithing screwdrivers, with machined bits to prevent damage to the screws. Some mounting systems have Allen head screws, some Torx head screws, some have large nuts and what not. You should purchase a handy set of gunsmith bits to have tools that last a lifetime. Also, go for gunsmithing bits and not normal bits. Normal bits lack the perfect fit that comes from the hollow-ground of gunsmithing bits. This can damage the firearm, leave you with an improper torque and strip the screw. So, take heed.
• A gun cradle to secure the gun to work with or a gun vise for a similar purpose
• Bubble levels to level the rifle and the optic so your vertical and horizontal adjustments of the scope are in line with your rifle bore. A dial caliper to catalyze the process will also help.
• Dowel rods to torque the dovetail rings to place, also a torque wrench. You can do with a Fat Wrench that is quickly adjustable for the screws. A proper torque keeps everything tight and safe.
• Loctite will also help to keep your screws tight while at the same time allowing you to remove the screws later.
• Rubbing alcohol to clean the ring, base, screws, and receiver prior to the mount. Make sure there is no in any of the parts.
• Cleaning patches to work with the cleaning
• Screws, ring and bases, Rosin
• (Electrician’s tape): optional

What You Need to Know Before Mounting

Before following the steps mentioned later, here are some scope mounting tips to remember:

1. Do not forget to degrease everything with an evaporating cleaner, like we mentioned rubbing alcohol here.
2. Always mount the scope in a very low position.
3. Check the eye relief after mounting, it decreases from low to high power. If you can’t find the circle of light, your eye is either too far from or too close to the ocular lens.
4. Focus the reticle. Try pointing the scope at a uniform plane, just a few yards away to see the reticle clearly. Focus in a low-lighted condition, when your pupil is dilated to the shallowest depth of your vision field and you can have your reticle sharp throughout the use.

How to Mount a Rifle Scope Properly

Here are the six steps:

1. Secure the base/bases

Start by aligning the base/bases with mounting holes in the receiver. Tighten the screws one by one, individually.

Four threads must engage the receiver taps in the least to ensure strength. If the screws are too long or short, there is no telling you, just substitute; it is common sense. Screws too tight may tear the threads, remember this too.

2. Mount the rings

Turn the windage screws on the rear evenly with a rear-windage adjustable Ring. Use a dowel to pivot a dovetail ring into position. Ensure the cross-bolt that is on the bottom of the Weaver-style ring has engaged the slot in the base and pushed the ring forward to the slot before it tightens.

3. Check ring fit

File rings if needed to ensure the perfect fit. But only lightly. This does not just make a tight, but an even fit. To help the scope tube not be scratched, line the inside of the ring surfaces with electrician’s tape or dust it with rosin.

4. Check alignment

The ring must be aligned perfectly with the scope. Misaligned rings can easily cause damage and inaccuracy in results. See if the ring edges are parallel with the main tube of the scope.

5. Position the scope

Now it is time to position the scope. To check the position of the scope, close your eyes, put your rifle on your shoulder, open them back. Your field of view should be full and in reticle level. Tighten screws with partial turns, using an X pattern alternatively to prevent putting an uneven pressure that might arise from rotating and positioning the scope.

When the gun is secured in a vice, see through the scope to recheck the reticle level.

6. Bore-sight

Before securing the rifle in a rest, remove the bolt of the bolt-action rifle. See through the receiver. Locate any small object across the room and center bore on it. Look through the bore once, and the scope once, alternatively. Make sure you do no nudge the rifle. Now adjust the reticle over the object. This should have you on paper at roughly 50 yards distance. For more precision, use a laser-bore sight, as you may have read in one of our other articles. Before hunting, always check and fine-tune your zero at the range you are shooting in.

We hope it will now be easy for you to mount the scope on your rifle, or any firearm for that instance. If not, you can always do your own research and experiment. But, safety first.

Conclusion

If you want to know how to mount a rifle scope on a Picatinny rail, the basics are just the same. You do not have to worry about learning a whole set of different techs and technical wording to get yourself past that. Be patient and willing to make it through and you will do fine.

If you have read this far, kudos! Mount your own rifle scope without spending a lot of fortune, given that you have the tools we mentioned earlier. There’s good fun in DIY-s. Hop along!

The post How to Mount a Rifle Scope | 6 Steps You’ll Learn appeared first on Gun Kit Pro.