New Video: Beginners Guide to Mounting a Rifle Scope

[Brad@Argali]

For all you DIYers out there. As a relative newbie to mounting my own scopes, we wanted to create a video anyone, even a novice, could watch and have the confidence to mount their own scope. Hope this is useful to some of you out there.

[video=youtube;Yx-w0QCuF9U]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yx-w0QCuF9U[/video]

 

[Formidilosus]

Appreciate you guys trying to help, and I mean what follows as nothing more than info from someone who shoots and sees shot a lot of rounds every year. As an example- I, and nine of my compatriots just shot a bit north of 80,000 rounds in 12 days. I have averaged, between myself and teammates, half a million rounds per year for almost a decade. We are on track to nearly double that this year. Scopes, mounts, and action screws are the absolute number one reasons for loss of zero. Nothing else is even close. Scopes for failing, mounts and action screws from coming lose due to grease/oil and not tightening them correctly.

In the 80k rounds from the last two weeks, the only loss of zero or issues were due to optics failing, and scopes/mounts/action screws coming loose. The optics that failed all did so before 1,000 rounds. The scope mounts and action screws that came loose were all on rifles where the user did not set it up as taught. Things don't shoot "tight"... they shoot loose.




The purpose of a scope is as an aiming device. Nothing else. If it fails to hold zero or work correctly- it has failed as an aiming device.....




If you put oil on the action and bases YOU WILL eventually have movement- Aka lose zero.



The whole purpose of a lubricant (oil) is to make stuff move freely. You want the entire system completely free of oil. As to corrosion... well, it helps keep things from moving. That oil, not to mention the grease and lubricant that is on the screws to begin with, with eventually work its way down to the base screws and ring screws. Oil helps things move.....






As for Loctite... If you do not use Loctite, paint pen, nail polish or some other thread locker- you will eventually have movement- Aka lose zero. Thread locker not only helps to keep the screw from moving, it helps keeps out oil from working its way down into the threads...




If a couple ft-lbs torque damages the scope tube, or locks the erector system up... the scope is fragile and you eventually will lose zero if you actually use it.







The information that you presented is in line with what some ring/base and scope manufacturers put out. But you have to understand, ring/base manufacturers put out that info to not have to deal with people calling and complaining that their rings scratched or marked their scope. Scope manufacturers do it so they don't have to deal with people sending their scopes back because 20 in-lbs torque damaged their thin tubes and locked up the erector. Neither are focused on bombproof aiming systems. From seeing hundreds of rifles used I would give 50/50 odds that that rifle and scope in your video will experience a zero shift or other issue within 250 rounds or one slip and fall.




I have been asked by multiple people to put up something about setting up mounting scopes correctly, and I will, but the short version is this-

Degrease EVERYTHING with acetone or break cleaner. The scope tube, the rings, the screws, the threads, the action. Everything. Do not get oil from your hands on any of it.

Use Blue Loctite, a paint pen (or nail polish in a pinch) on EVERY screw and thread.

Get as much ring spacing on the scope tube as possible. - i.e. Rings as far apart as possible. Some scopes won't like this- my answer is get a different scope. However if you are using a scope that is susceptible to it like a Leupold 6x, be careful with the ring near the eyepiece. Keep that one about a half inch off the eyepiece lock ring.

Mount, set eye relief, and level the scope. Torque the bases well. Torque the rings using either a torque wrench or holding the little end of an Allen wrench to whatever torque setting you deem appropriate. Anything less than 16-17in lbs we tend to see movement on hard fast kickers and falls. While tightness is important, do not mongo the scope rings. 20 in-lbs will hold just about any scope on any rifle. Depending on rings and scope 18in-lbs is usually good.





Every very single person I know who has ignored the above has lost zero and/or had screws come loose. Every one of them.

 

[Fireguy]

Thanks Form!

 

[Brad@Argali]

Appreciate the comments and you make some good points I completely agree with. I come at this as someone that hunts a lot in the west, primarily on backpack and backountry hunts, that wants their rifle and their scope to work like they should when it counts.

A few points to consider:

1) I approach using guns as a hunter, not as a recreational shooter. I look at guns and scopes as tools to kill animals, and I use them for that purpose. I'm not a recreational shooter and I'm not trying to drill bulls eyes at 1,000 yards (That said, the rifle in this video was drilling bulls eyes at 700 yards this past weekend). The needs of someone that shoots thousands of rounds a week, and someone that uses a rifle primarily to hunt with are different.

By putting 80k rounds through a gun you are going to have a whole range of issues with your gun and optics the average shooter (me) will never have to deal with in my lifetime (such as burning out a barrel).

2) Re torquing and loctite--I interviewed a lot of people for this video, including rifle scope engineers from Vortex. They all challenged my belief on the use of Loctite (I was in your camp, believe me). I pushed the point you bring up, and after a long conversation on the engineering of the threads on the screws, I'm decided to trust the engineers that told me over and over that staying within the manufacturers specifications for torquing is wise, and going over the range is a risky an unnecessary move. That said, I am sure someone as experienced as yourself knows how to use loctite without over-torquing. If you have never mounted a scope before, it's a risky move that could result with over-torqued rings.

3) Using oil between the bases and the receiver--I've done it for a long time to avoid corrosion from carrying rifles on many backpack hunts and having rust appear. It has not impacted the performance of any of my scopes in hunting situations yet, and several "experts" didn't bat an eye at the practice when I ran it by them. I do completely agree that you do not want to get any oil on the threads of the screws.

Just to be clear, I really do appreciate the comments and have little doubt you know your stuff. But, I stand by everything in that video for mounting a scope to a rifle and I do think the average hunter can use our video and have a properly functioning scope that will perform flawlessly for years.

 

[Jeff Martin]

If loctite increases torque setting by a pound or two, why not use it and back down the torque wrench a pound or two? one would think you can get the correct torque and have the thread locker protection

 

[harveyspecter]

For all you DIYers out there. As a relative newbie to mounting my own scopes, we wanted to create a video anyone, even a novice, could watch and have the confidence to mount their own scope. and here is best ar scope mount on the market, check here
Hope this is useful to some of you out there.

[video=youtube;Yx-w0QCuF9U]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yx-w0QCuF9U[/video]

Thanks, very clear instructions

 

[goathunter]

If loctite increases torque setting by a pound or two, why not use it and back down the torque wrench a pound or two? one would think you can get the correct torque and have the thread locker protection

I'd like to hear thoughts on this as well.

 

[Brad@Argali]

I'd like to hear thoughts on this as well.

I suppose you could try that. The problem is you’ll be guessing how much to dial back your torque wrench because with wet threads you don’t know how much having wet threads will impact your torque setting.




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