| Scope Mounting and Bore Sighting |
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| Well, you've got your brand new rifle, new scope,scope mounts, targets and a few rounds to sling downrange to get your firearm ready for the upcoming hunting season, but just how in the world do you go about doing it the right way the first time? Well that is the purpose of this article so you'll be on the road to getting your gun sighted right and on the road to accurate shooting! First, I must admit that this article is geared towards the setting up of bolt-action centerfire rifles. However, all of these steps will work for all actions, as well as shotguns and even handguns with a few modifying steps which we'll try to cover on the way through. Let's get started! Let's start off with a checklist: Rifle Scope Jewler's screwdrivers (to remove plug screws for the drilled and tapped holes in your receiver which will hold your scope mount in place) Mounts Leupold scope ring tool OR 1 inch wooden dowel rod around 6-12 inches long. Round Bullseye Target Ammunition 25 cent piece (quarter) or a large ended screwdriver (to turn the cross-bolt screws of your scope mounts) 10 cent piece (dime) (to turn the windage and elevation knobs of your scope) string (optional) weight (optional) thumbtack or nail (optional) scope leveler (optional) Loctite (blue removable kind) OR clear nail polish Cloth (optional) Cotton Swabs (optional) Dry Solvent (capable of removing gun oil and grease) Alan wrenches (to turn the ring screws of your scope mounts, usually included with mounts) Rifle rest (sand bags, shooting vice, gunsmith vice, commercial shooting rest) First thing we need to do after getting all your stuff together is to set your firearm in a vice or rest. Once it's secure, remove the plug screws in the receiver with the jeweler's screwdrivers and place them in a safe place for storage - you never know, you may want to sell this firearm later and the plug screws offer a nice clean look should you decide to keep the scope and mounts! Next take a cotton swab (optional) add a little oil and grease disolving dry solvent (optional) and twist it into the screw holes. The reason for doing this is to remove the "gunk" or grease that is placed in the holes and perhaps can hamper a solid grip on the threads of your scope mount screws. Another option is to simply screw the mount screws in, back them out again and wipe them clean with a cloth. Whenever your start the screws into anything ALWAYS START THE SCREWS INTO THE THREADS WITH YOUR FINGERS SO YOU DON'T CROSS-THREAD THEM! Regardless which method you choose, the swab or screw method, just make sure that you have clean screw threads. Once the receiver screw holes are cleaned, go ahead and place your mount bases into the appropriate locations and screw the mounts into the receiver USING YOUR FINGERS TO START THE THREADS. If you are gong to apply an adhesive like Loctite or clear nail polish (optional) then do so to the threads of the mount screws before you start them into the receiver. Should you apply an adhesive? Well, I personally think that the jury is still out on that one but you're usually pretty safe adhering to the mount manufacturer's directions. Leupold mount instructions (the best mounts in my opinion) do not call for the use of such adhesives nor do they say NOT to add adhesive. So, I suppose the choice is yours. Once you barely get the threads to start with your fingers, start turning the screws in with the appropriate alan wrench or screwdriver (usually supplied with the mounts). I like to turn the screws in rotation - one screw gets a full turn then the opposite screw gets a full turn, repeating this till all screws are fitted tightly. How tight? Well with an alan wrench, I use just my thumb and forefinger to turn the screws as I hold the short portion of the alan wrench. Then I'll turn the alan wrench around where I'm holding onto the longer portion and give the screws an additional 1/8 - 1/4 turn. The scope mount bases are now installed! Next, we must install the rings. On Leupold style mounts, there is one ring (the forward ring which holds the objective end of the scope) that must be "turned" in. Follow the instructions and do NOT clean the lube off the ring's base stud which will be inserted into the slot of the scope base you just installed. "Turn" the ring into the base with the special ring rool or a wooden dowel rod to prevent your ring from being scratched or damaged. Once it is snapped in place it is time to install the other ring at the back (the ocular lens end of the scope which you look through). |
| by Brad Blaine |
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