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Rifle Scopes Leveling Scope on a Savage

rdmega

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 25, 2011
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utah
When I picked up my PST I had it mounted in the store. The kid who mounted it told me that they didnt have a level that worked well on Savage actions so he did the best he could. It shoots well for sighting in at 100 yards up to 300 with hold overs. I havent tried further yet nor have I tried dialing any dope. Is there a good way to check level on this? Also, if it is not level what problems would I see from that? Thanks, I am new to mounting I have always had the rings lapped and installed for me cause I had a hookup.
 
Re: Leveling Scope on a Savage

If it is mounted using a picatinny rail and rings, feeler guages work well for getting it pretty close to level. That's what I've done with leveling all my scopes and never had an issue.
 
Re: Leveling Scope on a Savage

You cannot trust the pictinny rail on a savage action because, so often, their mounting holes are misplaced on the receiver.

So.... The place to level is on the back of the receiver, below the bolt, just in front of the safety. You'll see two, flat projections coming back into the stock at the rear. With the bolt removed, this provides an excellent surface for leveling the action.

Hope this helps.
 
Re: Leveling Scope on a Savage

Good idea Rugrat, when I get home I will check the level on my Savage.
 
Re: Leveling Scope on a Savage

Perfect, thank you I will verify it on Sunday when I can get the levels. I appreciate the great feedback.
 
Re: Leveling Scope on a Savage

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: rdmega</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Perfect, thank you I will verify it on Sunday when I can get the levels. I appreciate the great feedback. </div></div>

You can use a carpenter's level. A 6" or more compact level works great. Ask me how I know this. First level the gun, then level the scope.
 
Re: Leveling Scope on a Savage

Make sure your level is actually on the action and not on the stock. Mine has a little interference on one side (LRPV)
 
Re: Leveling Scope on a Savage

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rugrat</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You cannot trust the pictinny rail on a savage action because, so often, their mounting holes are misplaced on the receiver.

So.... The place to level is on the back of the receiver, below the bolt, just in front of the safety. You'll see two, flat projections coming back into the stock at the rear. With the bolt removed, this provides an excellent surface for leveling the action.

Hope this helps. </div></div>

So how would you measure offset, if the holes are drilled off center? I would think if you level off the rail, being the action is round the scope and action would still be inline.
 
Re: Leveling Scope on a Savage

Believe me, you'll know as soon as you mount the scope and have to dial in windage to get near the target. You'll know!!!
 
Re: Leveling Scope on a Savage

Well, I just measured my 10FCP 5R on the back of the receiver and it is perfectly level with the picatinny rail , so I am good to go
 
Re: Leveling Scope on a Savage

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rugrat</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You cannot trust the pictinny rail on a savage action because, so often, their mounting holes are misplaced on the receiver. </div></div>

I don't know why people think this. If you've ever seen the jig that Savage uses to drill the holes you would know that it is not possible for this to happen.

What really happens is that the action is heat treated after all the holes are drilled. The movement of the metal during the process is what moves the holes around.
 
Re: Leveling Scope on a Savage

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: geargrinder</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

What really happens is that the action is heat treated after all the holes are drilled. The movement of the metal during the process is what moves the holes around.</div></div>

wait wut?
 
Re: Leveling Scope on a Savage

OK I actually read a way to absolutely check level a scope on a gun a while back and it was actually pretty simple. It can be done with a gun vise or if you are good with your bi-pod but it goes as follows.

1: Get a large blank target, place it at 100 yards or more and draw a upside down T on it with part going up a foot or two tall making sure both lines are level and plumb.

2: Aim at the spot the lines meet making sure your cross hairs line up with the lines and fire a shot.

3. Dial up a few MOA or Mils, aim at the exact same spot and fire again.

4. Repeat the process a few time until you have a nice vertical sting of holes.

5. Look at said holes and if they track to one side of the line then your scope is out of level and needs to be adjusted and if the stay on the line you are level.

It may not be the fastest way out there but you will be sure that your scope is level without a doubt.
 
Re: Leveling Scope on a Savage

When we toured the Savage factory in November 2009, they had two banks of five high end CNC machining centers that could do the entire receiver in two passes i.e. set it up once, machine most of the receiver, take it out, set it up again and machine the rest. Kind of hard to get just the scope hole screws 'off', at least to my mind. To the best of my knowledge, *all* the Target Action receivers (except the very early ones) came off the CNC machining centers. By now... I'd expect most of the receivers period go thru there.

Previously everything had been done on mostly manual machines, with something like 28 stations and the potential for error every time parts were setup in fixtures fore each step.

I think what geargrinder is referring to is that Savage, like most factories that make guns in significant quantities, do most if not all of the machining *first*, then heat treat the receivers and then assemble the parts. This saves on tooling costs but there is potential for the receivers to warp/twist somewhat during the heat-treat process. There are also other components that can can have a significant impact on how 'straight' the barrel points - the recoil lug, for one, and the barrel nut if not true can push things off center ever so slightly. I've had a couple receivers that factory target barrels would point way off to one direction - high, low, left, right... had to use Burris Signature Zee rings with the 20moa inserts to adjust the *windage* somewhat close to zero. Put a custom tube on there with a ground recoil lug and all that silliness went away.


Custom receivers are, as I understand it, heat-treated first and then machined with more expensive tooling. It's a more expensive process, but when people are willing to pay $1000-1500 just for the receiver as opposed to for the entire rifle... some things become more feasible.
 
Re: Leveling Scope on a Savage

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rugrat</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You cannot trust the pictinny rail on a savage action because, so often, their mounting holes are misplaced on the receiver.

So.... The place to level is on the back of the receiver, below the bolt, just in front of the safety. You'll see two, flat projections coming back into the stock at the rear. With the bolt removed, this provides an excellent surface for leveling the action.

Hope this helps. </div></div>This is what I use to level it on Savages.
 
Re: Leveling Scope on a Savage

after i leveled the stock i use a level in the pic rail and scope cap but i took it one step futher and put a anti cant level on the scope and use it now to make sure its level if i have to remove the scope (for barrel changes).i did have a problem with my 223 rifle when i put an egw 20 moa base on it the poa went 17"to the right. this gun had had a luepold mount on it before with no problems lucky for me the scope has enough adjustment to recenter for now until i change it out to a better mount.
 
Re: Leveling Scope on a Savage

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rugrat</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You cannot trust the pictinny rail on a savage action because, so often, their mounting holes are misplaced on the receiver.

So.... The place to level is on the back of the receiver, below the bolt, just in front of the safety. You'll see two, flat projections coming back into the stock at the rear. With the bolt removed, this provides an excellent surface for leveling the action.


Hope this helps.</div></div>

It's been a while but, I finally made it in to check this out. I took one of the scope levels and placed it on the rear as suggested above and then one on the scope cap. It was further off than I thought and would have ever guessed eyeballing it. I straightened it out and went and verified with a ladder test. It is tracking straight now, I think this is why I couldnt hit anything with holds because my reticle was off so after 300 yards it was worthless. Fixed now and I agree with lal357, anti cant devices are great! Thanks for all the help!

 
Re: Leveling Scope on a Savage

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rugrat</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You cannot trust the pictinny rail on a savage action because, so often, their mounting holes are misplaced on the receiver.

So.... The place to level is on the back of the receiver, below the bolt, just in front of the safety. You'll see two, flat projections coming back into the stock at the rear. With the bolt removed, this provides an excellent surface for leveling the action.

Hope this helps. </div></div>

The flatback savages (pre 2001 i think) were the ones that had issues with the mounting holes. modern savages dont have this issue anymore.

rdvega, do you have a roundback or flatback savage?
 
Re: Leveling Scope on a Savage

It's round, it is a 2008 model.
 
I releveled my scope off of the the back of the action like described above with the Wheeler levels. My one piece base is a full bubble off level. I will have to shoot it to see if it tracks correctly, but the reticule looks like it is canted a little. I may have to go back and level it off of the scope base to make it work right.