Be careful who mounts your scopes

[5shot]

If your gunsmith tells you that rings with just a single screw per side isn't good enough for a 375 and that you need to go with a double screw set up, how about some mounts with 3 screws per side?

Those single screw rings have been holding scopes on rifles for years. The whole thing is to mount them properly and you will not have any problems. It is much like a friend of mine that called me years ago because he was having problems getting his rifle sighted in. We showed up at his home and I took a look at how he had mounted the scope which was loose enough that you could move it back and forth. I asked him if he had used any lock tite on the screws? He said what's lock tite? We got the scope tightened down and headed to the range where we got it sighted in. I told him that he was going to have to pull each screw one at a time and put some lock tite onto them and then resight the rifle in or at least take a few shots. To this day 40 years later I doubt that he has ever done that and still hunts with that rifle.

It was the rear base, not the ring.

 

[mdwest]

I mount all my scopes myself. If there is someone to blame, they are easy to find.

I will admit to having quite a collection of firearm specific tools, including scope ring lapping tools, alignment tools, levels, torque wrenches, assorted bits for all the different screw heads and most importantly Loctite. Please use blue or purple Loctite and not red.

Usually takes me about an hour once the correct eye relief has been determined. Although my most recent scopes are rail mounted and that significantly shortened the required time down to about 15 minutes.

Same…

I’ve mounted my own optics my entire life..

Over time I’ve built up a decent set of gunsmithing tools though with proper screw drivers, torque wrenches, etc (among other things)..

I trust myself more than I do the guys at Cabela’s or Bass Pro or Scheels to do a good job mounting.. and I’m too cheap to pay a gunsmith to do something I know I can do pretty easily myself…

 

[franzfmdavis]

On a related topic, do any of you who have installed the German EAW Quick-Lok system utilize the belt and suspender method of epoxy plus screws?

 

[HankBuck]

If your gunsmith tells you that rings with just a single screw per side isn't good enough for a 375 and that you need to go with a double screw set up, how about some mounts with 3 screws per side?

Those single screw rings have been holding scopes on rifles for years. The whole thing is to mount them properly and you will not have any problems. It is much like a friend of mine that called me years ago because he was having problems getting his rifle sighted in. We showed up at his home and I took a look at how he had mounted the scope which was loose enough that you could move it back and forth. I asked him if he had used any lock tite on the screws? He said what's lock tite? We got the scope tightened down and headed to the range where we got it sighted in. I told him that he was going to have to pull each screw one at a time and put some lock tite onto them and then resight the rifle in or at least take a few shots. To this day 40 years later I doubt that he has ever done that and still hunts with that rifle.

@JimP: You gotta love guys like that - relaxed, they don’t sweat the little details (like worrying about a loose scope or checking zero etc..). An older guy in our PA deer Camp said the Night before Opening day “I think my scope is off about a foot to the Left”. I asked “why do you think that?” And he replied “because last year when I last fired it at a target is was about a foot Left - and I missed a deer with it a week later”. He then asked me to ADJUST the scope in the living room by whatever I thought would move POI a foot Left. I told him there was No Way to be certain of exactly where POI would move but he “insisted” I give it a try. So I did. The next morning before we all headed out before sunrise I saw him grab a few cartraiges from 3 different boxes of ammo - AND all were different bullet weights, I pointed out my concern and he said “awh, that don’t matter”. That morning I missed a 5 pointer “standing” at 50 yrds and it ran 200 yrds - past the Old guys stand…he nailed it “on a dead run” with one shot from his .30-06 “No idea where my scope hits” AND “No idea what bullet I’m shooting”….He got the best Buck in Camp that Season. I do like Guys like that because they don’t take stuff too seriously and really enjoy the hunt and camaraderie of being in Camp….PLUS they tell Great Stories each night !

 

[mark-hunter]

I have number of rifles, all of them with a scope. With exception of ZKK 602 which required some real gunsmithing work, all my scopes I installed myself.

Besides standard tool set, I always use wheeler lapping tool set:

 

[JimP]

@JimP: You gotta love guys like that - relaxed, they don’t sweat the little details (like worrying about a loose scope or checking zero etc..). An older guy in our PA deer Camp said the Night before Opening day “I think my scope is off about a foot to the Left”. I asked “why do you think that?” And he replied “because last year when I last fired it at a target is was about a foot Left - and I missed a deer with it a week later”. He then asked me to ADJUST the scope in the living room by whatever I thought would move POI a foot Left. I told him there was No Way to be certain of exactly where POI would move but he “insisted” I give it a try. So I did. The next morning before we all headed out before sunrise I saw him grab a few cartraiges from 3 different boxes of ammo - AND all were different bullet weights, I pointed out my concern and he said “awh, that don’t matter”. That morning I missed a 5 pointer “standing” at 50 yrds and it ran 200 yrds - past the Old guys stand…he nailed it “on a dead run” with one shot from his .30-06 “No idea where my scope hits” AND “No idea what bullet I’m shooting”….He got the best Buck in Camp that Season. I do like Guys like that because they don’t take stuff too seriously and really enjoy the hunt and camaraderie of being in Camp….PLUS they tell Great Stories each night !

Most people would be surprised at just how many hunters do just that.

My brother in law wanted me to load up some rounds for his 7 mm Rem mag. I told him that I wanted his rifle so that I could check a few things while shooting the loads. Turns out his scope was off 6". What really surprised me was that just the year before I had used his rifle to take the head off of a grouse at 20 feet. I got his rifle sighted in and he took a nice 4x4 buck the following October with my hand loads.

 

[yhc]

On a related topic, do any of you who have installed the German EAW Quick-Lok system utilize the belt and suspender method of epoxy plus screws?

Franz, would you explain what "belt and suspender method" is for my own edification? I have installed EAW Quick-Lok pivot mounts on my Rigby and Mauser rifles following NECG instructions. However, I don't know what "belt and suspender method" is.

 

[HankBuck]

Most people would be surprised at just how many hunters do just that.

My brother in law wanted me to load up some rounds for his 7 mm Rem mag. I told him that I wanted his rifle so that I could check a few things while shooting the loads. Turns out his scope was off 6". What really surprised me was that just the year before I had used his rifle to take the head off of a grouse at 20 feet. I got his rifle sighted in and he took a nice 4x4 buck the following October with my hand loads.

@JimP: you’re right, I have No Idea how many guys I’ve hunted with that Never practice, sight in, or bother to double check anything before heading out to hunt —- but they enjoy themselves and maybe because they are so “care free”. When duck hunting a friend and I use to take turns on who’s boat we used (sometimes his and sometimes mine). Heading out in the dark one morning (in His duck boat) we reached the island we planned to hunt and started setting decoys - then the engine conked out….Out-of-Gas. I asked him “how the hell do you not check the gas tank before heading out”? He said “I did, it felt light but thought it would be enough” —-we only went One mile before running out!!!. He did everything 1/2 assed but was a lot of Fun to hunt with. That day we killed our limit then “drifted to shore” (yep - he had No oars either) and walked back to our truck, got a gas can filled etc..

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Only one screw at rear of receiver for my 98 Mauser 404J. One piece bases for 98 Mauser typically only have one screw in the rear. I thought this was because of the stripper clip port but I have a SARCO one piece base/rail for commercial Mauser that also only has one screw in the rear. Commercial Mauser do not have stripper clip humps. Same make base for my Springfield did not line up with screw holes previously tapped into locking ring. I was able to relocate one of the holes in the base to line up with one hole in ring but the other hole in ring was too close to existing factory hole in the base. Both bases only have three screws holding them onto the rifle. Works just fine ... but they are one piece bases/rails. Would not work for two piece bases obviously.

 

[franzfmdavis]

Franz, would you explain what "belt and suspender method" is for my own edification? I have installed EAW Quick-Lok pivot mounts on my Rigby and Mauser rifles following NECG instructions. However, I don't know what "belt and suspender method" is.

My understanding of it is that the European method of installing the EAW pivot mount bases is to epoxy them (suspenders) and also use the mounting screws (belt). Mark at NECG said this method is less common in the US because we swap scopes and buy and sell guns more frequently than they do in Europe. Notwithstanding, I’ve read some discussions where users will claim this is the only proper way to install the EAW mounts. I was curious if anyone here also uses epoxy or if they just use the screws. Hopefully, that makes more sense.

 

[hoytcanon]

Only one person has ever mounted a scope on my rifles and he is the same guy that shoots my rifles, and the same guy that butchers my game and the same guy that eats my game, and unironically the same guy that sleeps with my wife.

 

[Altitude sickness]

You let your neighbor shoot your rifles ?

 

[Roosterlund]

I have number of rifles, all of them with a scope. With exception of ZKK 602 which required some real gunsmithing work, all my scopes I installed myself.

Besides standard tool set, I always use wheeler lapping tool set:
View attachment 675096

Have that same wheeler set. Mounted a lot of scopes with it. Works great and not to expensive

 

[HookMeUpII]

I mount all my scopes myself. If there is someone to blame, they are easy to find.

I will admit to having quite a collection of firearm specific tools, including scope ring lapping tools, alignment tools, levels, torque wrenches, assorted bits for all the different screw heads and most importantly Loctite. Please use blue or purple Loctite and not red.

Usually takes me about an hour once the correct eye relief has been determined. Although my most recent scopes are rail mounted and that significantly shortened the required time down to about 15 minutes.

Ditto. I went with all the Wheeler tools. Buy once, cry once. I've mounted a couple so far. There is great satisfaction knowing you did it yourself, torqued everything to spec, lapped if need, and used appropriate loc-tite (ditto on the purple).

 

[BeeMaa]

Ditto. I went with all the Wheeler tools. Buy once, cry once. I've mounted a couple so far. There is great satisfaction knowing you did it yourself, torqued everything to spec, lapped if need, and used appropriate loc-tite (ditto on the purple).

I've heard of guys putting a dab of purple Loctite on the surface between the rings and scope as well. I suppose it helps, but I've never done it.