Properly mounting a scope is an important component in rifle accuracy,
Let me show you how to do it. This is a pre-64 Winchester Model 70 chambered in
300 H&H Magnum made in the early 1950s. It will make a classic hunting rifle
with a scope installed. I've chosen a 3x9 power Leupold VX-II with a
40 millimeter objective and a duplex crosshair. This will be nearly perfect
for closer shots or I can dial it up to nine power for longer shots when
necessary. I've selected a standard style two-piece ring and base combination. The
front ring has a small dovetail at the bottom which matches up to the base and
two large opposing windage screws lock in the rear ring. With the rings and bases
selected the first step is to remove the plug screws from the receiver. The
base mounting screws and the holes in the receiver are degreased. Oil applied to
the receiver and the bottom of the bases will help prevent these surfaces from
rusting. I'm being careful not to get oil into the degreased holes. Medium strength
242 blue loctite secures the screws, but it isn't permanent. Modern rings and
bases generally use Torx head screws. This head style allows for maximum
engagement of the screwdriver bit and it's less likely to slip than a slotted
head style. I installed the base screws and then torque them to 30 inch pounds
sing the Wheeler Engineering Fat Wrench. Tightening the base screws to the correct
torque keeps the basis firmly attached however, too much torque can strip the
threads or break the screw. It's important to make sure the bolt operates
properly sometimes the base screws can be too long and interfere with the bolt.
I've selected low rings which positions the scope closely in line with my eye.
A small amount of grease on the dovetail makes turning the ring and easier and
prevents galling. This wrench from Leupold turns in the front ring with
ease. Never use a scope to turn in a ring as you might damage the scope. The rear
ring is secured between the two windage screws, a quick check reveals the bases
are too far apart for this scope. Not a problem an extended front ring corrects
the spacing issue and I also had to switch to medium-high to rings to
prevent the front of the scope from hitting the base. I use the bars from the
Wheeler Engineering Scope Ring Alignment and Lapping Kit to align the rings. With
the top half of the rings installed I adjust the windage screws on the rear
base to center the ring and adjust the front ring so the points of the
alignment bars are almost touching. The additional step of lapping the rings
corrects any minor misalignment. Major alignment issues may require redrilling
and re-tapping the receiver. Once the rings are in basic alignment, I
apply lapping compound to the inside of both sets of rings. The top halves of the
front and rear rings are marked with tape
to prevent getting them mixed. The ring screws are tightened just enough to
achieve contact, but still allow the lapping bar to slide. A slow back and
forth motion is used to lap the rings the screws will have to be tightened
periodically because the lapping process removes material. A check of the progress
reveals that we've got a good start. The lapping process continues until there's
at least 75% or more contact in both rings. With the lapping completed
cleaning off all the grip prevents scratching the scope. I'm using a Wheeler
Engineering Professional Reticle Leveling System to level the crosshairs.
The first step is to secure the barrel clamp, then I set a small reference level
on the front base and adjust the gun until the bubble in the reference level
is centered between the marks. Turning this adjustment screw on the barrel
clamp will center its bubble. Centering both bubbles ensures that the gun is
level and the barrel clamp provides a reference to level the crosshairs. I can
now remove the small level and set the scope into the bottom half of the rings.
Placing the scope as far forward as possible provides maximum eye relief.
This helps prevent a scope cut to the brow which can be a problem when scopes
are mounted too close to the eye on medium and heavy caliber rifles. The top
halves of the rings are installed with the screw slightly loose so the
crosshairs can be leveled. The small level is placed on the top scope cap and
the scope is rotated until both levels are level. The ring screws are snugged up
keeping the spacing between the ring house even then the screws are torqued
to 15 inch pounds. This will hold the scope securely without damaging it
from too much torque. Now I'm ready to take the gun to the range and sight it in