Poll: How do you mount your scopes?

[fishnfoo]

I have read many conflicting reports on methods for mounting a scope. There are two main camps. One camp thinks that modern machining makes it possible to just carefully mount a scope without any serious modifications or use of alignment tools. The other camp thinks that you need a mounting kit with lapping tools and alignment bars.

I am in the first camp, where are you?

I am not sure how to set up a poll. Sorry if it doesn't work. the choices I am planning to provide.

1) yes I use lapping and alignment tools.
2) no, machined rings , bases do not require this treatment
3) I use lapping and alignment tools only when I run into problems
4) undecided

[Scott N]

So far I haven't had to use lapping or alignment tools, but I've mounted 15 or 20 scopes or so in my life, so it's the second option for me.

[skidderman]

One thing amazes me is how many scopes are on sale with ring marks. As far as I am concerned that means you don't care about your stuff and that I am not interested in what you have for sale. Obviously it's your business what you do with your stuff. At the very least put tape on your rings if nothing else to protect the scope.

[Ian426]

I haven’t mounted very many, but I’ve only ever used a level. Haven’t had issues before, but I’ve also only ever mounted on new rifles. If it was something older I was working on, I would consider a lapping and alignment.

[AndrewM]

Should have included an option of I use rings with plastic inserts.

[elkhunter11]

I always use my lapping bar to see how well the rings line up, and in some cases to line them up. If I see issues, I lap, if I don't see issues, I don't bother. The issue isn't usually with the machining, it's often with the holes in the receiver not always being properly aligned.

[Dubious]

I mount the rings and check alignment with the lapping kit. If it’s looking good I don’t lap and install the scope as is, if it needs an adjustment I’ll go ahead and lap it I’ve had scopes installed incorrectly that won’t allow the parallax adjustment to turn due to a slight misalignment between the rings. Misalignment can also make the other adjustments feel stiff or gummy as well as curve the scope tube. Some guys really like the optilock type systems to make the mounting a one time thing.

[fishnfoo]

Originally Posted by AndrewM

Should have included an option of I use rings with plastic inserts.

Do the plastic inserts come with the rings or do you purchase them as a separate item?

[Redneck 7]

Majority of my rifles have Leupold Standard bases and rings so I just slightly adjust the rings so the scope sits just perfect in the bottom half of the rings. Then I adjust the eye relief level and torque to spec.

I lucked out for my long range gun, scope for great and it’s one of the few rifles without Leupold Standard rings and base.

[AndrewM]

Originally Posted by fishnfoo

Do the plastic inserts come with the rings or do you purchase them as a separate item?

They come with the rings. Burris signature or sako optilock are a couple that come to mind. They work awesome. No way to leave ring marks and you can swap them out for long range shooting.
You will see varying ends of the spectrum on this topic. The 300 yards and less hunting crowd will mainly just mount and use. The long range precision shooters will lap the rings and ensure everything is precisely aligned.
My theory now is to do it right and lap or use the rings with inserts as it is one less thing to blame if something goes wrong!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[AndrewM]

I use to just mount and use and then I purchased a lapping and alignment kit. It is amazing how far out the alignment can be. Can't be good for the scope to have pressure points.

[fishnfoo]

Does anyone line the inside of your rings with electrical tape?

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by fishnfoo

Does anyone line the inside of your rings with electrical tape?

Not required or desirable. The rings should be made to the proper dimensuons, and the tape alters those dimensions.

[Justfishin73]

With Cabelas a few blocks away from home, and always happy to have an excuse to go there anyway....I just let them do it---cant beat free!

[260 Rem]

I change out several scopes, several times a year ... taking metal off one set of rings could be a recepie for problems when swapping to another rifle. Messing with rings would be a good way of voiding a warranty both on the rings and on the scope. I have never had any accuracy issues that I would blame on unlapped rings

[obsessed1]

I always check rings with alignment bars and always run a light lap to check contact on bottom halves of the rings. It's amazing how often even expensive rings even if they are true with the alignment bars give less than 50% contact on the scope. Rings then stay on the rifle and scopes can be changed without any difficulty. I am running signature rings with 10-20 moa added on a few rifles simply because it was cheaper than getting 20 moa rails for that gun. They work as advertised

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by Justfishin73

With Cabelas a few blocks away from home, and always happy to have an excuse to go there anyway....I just let them do it---cant beat free!

You sure can!

[obsessed1]

Originally Posted by Justfishin73

With Cabelas a few blocks away from home, and always happy to have an excuse to go there anyway....I just let them do it---cant beat free!

I've seen mounting jobs done for " free" from multiple establishments and issues from buggered up screws to scratched guns to loose bases ECT...... I'd NEVER let a sales person behind the counter anywhere near my guns with tools. Even if the service is free

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by chuck

You sure can!

+1 A messed up mounting job is still messed up, even if it was free.

[cowmanbob]

Originally Posted by obsessed1

I've seen mounting jobs done for " free" from multiple establishments and issues from buggered up screws to scratched guns to loose bases ECT...... I'd NEVER let a sales person behind the counter anywhere near my guns with tools. Even if the service is free

Have to agree with this, Saw one mounted with weaver rings with the tightening screw on the left side, the other on the right side. Apparrently stronger that way.

[LongBomber]

I bed the rails on any rifle with a rail, never had an issue with rings mounted on a bedded rail or swapping scope/rings between bedded rails. Any rifle without a rail I check with alignment bars and lap if needed. Exceptions are Talley two piece can't really lap the vertically split rings, or Burris signature with inserts.

[Smokinyotes]

I bought a tikka 270wsm and put talley rings on it. No matter what load I tried I couldn’t get groups better than 1.14”. My buddy said to try lapping the rings. I didn’t think this was the problem but decided it wouldn’t hurt.

When I put the alignment bars in the rings the rear bar was almost a 1/32” out. Lapped the rings and remounted the scope. The next group was 0.313” with the same load as the 1.14” group.

From now on I will be checking alignment.

[sgpr47]

The best way ihave found so far and the most
secure for the scope was the use of a ONE piece
scope mount Cant beat that

[fishnfoo]

Originally Posted by sgpr47

The best way ihave found so far and the most
secure for the scope was the use of a ONE piece
scope mount Cant beat that

I am also using one piece rings. Talley lightweights. So far so good. I was just wondering if I was missing something.

From the comments here, there seems to be more to lapping and alignment than just a scheme to sell unnecessary equipment. I am just curious to figure out how often these techniques are really required.

[EZM]

One piece are not always an option on some guns.

They are also ridiculously expensive.

You can buy a set of great rings and bases AND a decent lapping kit for the price of a one piece base with rings.

Having said that - I don't mind spending my money with a reputable dealer and paying them to do the work properly - they will do a much better job than I could (despite this being as pretty much as simple and straight forward of a process as it gets).

The other thing is - lapping the rings inner themselves is just important to get a smooth full contact seat as it is to align everything with the lapping bars.

Also - I'd probably lap a one piece too so the scope sits snugly and doesn't move.

One piece, nevertheless are much easier and doesn't require aligning I guess.

[EZM]

Originally Posted by fishnfoo

I am also using one piece rings. Talley lightweights. So far so good. I was just wondering if I was missing something.

From the comments here, there seems to be more to lapping and alignment than just a scheme to sell unnecessary equipment. I am just curious to figure out how often these techniques are really required.

Lapping is not just lining everything up with the two pointed bars - there's also a lapping compound and a tool that "abrades" and smooths out the inner surfaces of the rings so the scope sits true and snugly stays in place.

It does increase stability and accuracy.

Maybe that's not required for every gun but it's nice to know whatever you do, you try and do it the very best way - at least that's my particular perspective.

Kinda like bedding an action or floating barrel.

Most scopes and rings and guns will shoot just fine without these two enhancements. The same gun, however, will shoot better if you do perform these enhancements.

[obsessed1]

Originally Posted by sgpr47

The best way ihave found so far and the most
secure for the scope was the use of a ONE piece
scope mount Cant beat that

I've put the lap bar on even the one piece mounts and have found there to be less than 50% contact. A few strokes will show how much of the bar contacts the mounts. If only 50% or less is touching the bar than its the same for the scope which will cause scope slip under recoil or the need to over tighten ring screws which will leave ring marks on your scope. I want 80% or more contact on all my rings so I lap regardless just to confirm

[fishnfoo]

Originally Posted by EZM

One piece are not always an option on some guns.

They are also ridiculously expensive.

You can buy a set of great rings and bases AND a decent lapping kit for the price of a one piece base with rings.

Having said that - I don't mind spending my money with a reputable dealer and paying them to do the work properly - they will do a much better job than I could (despite this being as pretty much as simple and straight forward of a process as it gets).

The other thing is - lapping the rings inner themselves is just important to get a smooth full contact seat as it is to align everything with the lapping bars.

Also - I'd probably lap a one piece too so the scope sits snugly and doesn't move.

One piece, nevertheless are much easier and doesn't require aligning I guess.

Talley lightweights are usually between $40 and $60 for a set specifically made for your model of rifle. I don't see that as very expensive.

[58thecat]

I hand it to my gun smith, open up a wobbly pop and watch the magic.

image.jpg

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by fishnfoo

Talley lightweights are usually between $40 and $60 for a set specifically made for your model of rifle. I don't see that as very expensive.

It depends what a person means by one piece, while the Talley Lightweight combines the ring and base, there are two of them. The Near Alpha Mount is a one piece mount, and it is expensive. The DNZ one piece is much less expensive, but it is not available for some applications.