Rifle Scopes Newbie Scope Mounting Questions

[69rscamaro]

First, thank you to all the members for their opinions and reviews of the Bushnell HDMR G2. Your input took allot of anxiety away from my buying decision.

I have no review of my own yet other than it looks nice, feels solid, clicks are firm, & I like the look of the recticle.

I just got my scope mount on Thursday. A 34mm Badget 20 MOA Uni-Mount. Always impressed with how well made their stuff seems.

So I mounted the scope last night just finger tight to get and idea of eye relief et cetera. I think I found the position I want it in, but I want to go through a checklist to make sure I do everything correctly.

1. I centered the scope in the rings by using calipers to exactly center scope controls between the rings.

2. I adjusted the scope to make sure the recticle is aligned up and down. Is there a more scientific way to do this than just eye balling it?

3. I will clean all the parts, screws, and screw holes with degreaser to remove machining oils.

4. Badger's instructions specifically say NOT to use loctite on the rings or the caps. Part of this goes against my instinct, but they are the experts. Any thoughts here?

5. I bought an Inch Pound toque wrench which I will use on the ring bases to torque to 65 inch pounds. Before doing so I will move them forward in mounting slots. I really dont understand this, my instinct would say to move it to the rear. Again I will do what Badger says, they know better than I.

6. Using the short end of the allen wrench included with the rings I will tighten the rings down to assure an equal gap on both rings. Badger doesn't give a torque spec on these, the instructions online just say "Tighten about as tight as you can get it". So.... that seems ambiguous. Thoughts here?

Am I missing anything?

 

[Graham]

Re: Newbie Scope Mounting Questions

Use feeler guages to level the scope in the mount.

No need for Locktite.

15 or 20 inch pounds on the ring screws.

You're on the right track. Don't worry, just mount it.

 

[scissorhands]

Re: Newbie Scope Mounting Questions

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 69rscamaro</div><div class="ubbcode-body">First, thank you to all the members for their opinions and reviews of the Bushnell HDMR G2. Your input took allot of anxiety away from my buying decision.

I have no review of my own yet other than it looks nice, feels solid, clicks are firm, & I like the look of the recticle.

I just got my scope mount on Thursday. A 34mm Badget 20 MOA Uni-Mount. Always impressed with how well made their stuff seems.

So I mounted the scope last night just finger tight to get and idea of eye relief et cetera. I think I found the position I want it in, but I want to go through a checklist to make sure I do everything correctly.

1. I centered the scope in the rings by using calipers to exactly center scope controls between the rings. <span style="color: #FF0000">make sure you pay more attention to eye relief v. the scope being center to the rings</span>

2. I adjusted the scope to make sure the recticle is aligned up and down. Is there a more scientific way to do this than just eye balling it? <span style="color: #FF0000">get a bubble level, string, screw, and thumb tack. Level the rifle then tack the string to the ceiling with screw (for weight) and vertically line up your reticle </span>

3. I will clean all the parts, screws, and screw holes with degreaser to remove machining oils.

4. Badger's instructions specifically say NOT to use loctite on the rings or the caps. Part of this goes against my instinct, but they are the experts. Any thoughts here?

5. I bought an Inch Pound toque wrench which I will use on the ring bases to torque to 65 inch pounds. Before doing so I will move them forward in mounting slots. I really dont understand this, my instinct would say to move it to the rear. Again I will do what Badger says, they know better than I.<span style="color: #FF0000"> you move them to the front because of recoil. A rifle will recoil rearward so by pushing your mounts forward, there is no slack.</span>

6. Using the short end of the allen wrench included with the rings I will tighten the rings down to assure an equal gap on both rings. Badger doesn't give a torque spec on these, the instructions online just say "Tighten about as tight as you can get it". So.... that seems ambiguous. Thoughts here?<span style="color: #FF0000">somewhere between 16-18 inch pounds should do the trick</span>

Am I missing anything? </div></div>

 

[hyena74]

Re: Newbie Scope Mounting Questions

about cleaning all the screws and such with degreaser, if you are not using thread lock, is this necessary? it seems like you would get a much more accurate torque spec if the threading was oiled.

 

[Graham]

Re: Newbie Scope Mounting Questions

Clean the inside of the rings where the scope touches.

You can leave the grease on the threads and the ring screws. If you don't want to torque the ring screws dry, (and I never do), you can use bolt grease or the very light non-permanent 222 Locktite that won't harden to lock the screws in place.

 

[69rscamaro]

Re: Newbie Scope Mounting Questions

Thank you, that was helpful.

My toque wrench only goes down to 20 inch lbs. I guess I will just wing it and try not to over tighten.

I was lucky enough to get the correct eye relief just by moving it in back and forth to find the optimal mounting slot.

The string trick is a good idea, that's exactly what I was looking for.

Thanks again.

Tyler

 

[hyena74]

Re: Newbie Scope Mounting Questions

do you guys mount the lower half of the rings on the base at full torque and then put the scope in...

or do you put them on finger tight, mounts the scope and ring caps lightly, then start torquing the whole assemble together?

 

[Doyputasos]

Re: Newbie Scope Mounting Questions

Scissorhands, thanks for the inline post, it is really helpful to read like that. I am finishing the leveling of my Viper PST 6-24. Im going to grab my plumb bob in a min.

 

[scissorhands]

Re: Newbie Scope Mounting Questions

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: hyena74</div><div class="ubbcode-body">do you guys mount the lower half of the rings on the base at full torque and then put the scope in...

or do you put them on finger tight, mounts the scope and ring caps lightly, then start torquing the whole assemble together? </div></div>

yes to the first question and After you get the scope mounted and base/rings tightened. I take one screw out of the rings and put a little loc-tite on the thread, screw it in and retorque.

 

[Invincible03]

Re: Newbie Scope Mounting Questions

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: scissorhands</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 69rscamaro</div><div class="ubbcode-body">First, thank you to all the members for their opinions and reviews of the Bushnell HDMR G2. Your input took allot of anxiety away from my buying decision.

I have no review of my own yet other than it looks nice, feels solid, clicks are firm, & I like the look of the recticle.

I just got my scope mount on Thursday. A 34mm Badget 20 MOA Uni-Mount. Always impressed with how well made their stuff seems.

So I mounted the scope last night just finger tight to get and idea of eye relief et cetera. I think I found the position I want it in, but I want to go through a checklist to make sure I do everything correctly.

1. I centered the scope in the rings by using calipers to exactly center scope controls between the rings. <span style="color: #FF0000">make sure you pay more attention to eye relief v. the scope being center to the rings</span>

2. I adjusted the scope to make sure the recticle is aligned up and down. Is there a more scientific way to do this than just eye balling it? <span style="color: #FF0000">get a bubble level, string, screw, and thumb tack. Level the rifle then tack the string to the ceiling with screw (for weight) and vertically line up your reticle </span>

3. I will clean all the parts, screws, and screw holes with degreaser to remove machining oils.

4. Badger's instructions specifically say NOT to use loctite on the rings or the caps. Part of this goes against my instinct, but they are the experts. Any thoughts here?

5. I bought an Inch Pound toque wrench which I will use on the ring bases to torque to 65 inch pounds. Before doing so I will move them forward in mounting slots. I really dont understand this, my instinct would say to move it to the rear. Again I will do what Badger says, they know better than I.<span style="color: #FF0000"> you move them to the front because of recoil. A rifle will recoil rearward so by pushing your mounts forward, there is no slack.</span>

6. Using the short end of the allen wrench included with the rings I will tighten the rings down to assure an equal gap on both rings. Badger doesn't give a torque spec on these, the instructions online just say "Tighten about as tight as you can get it". So.... that seems ambiguous. Thoughts here?<span style="color: #FF0000">somewhere between 16-18 inch pounds should do the trick</span>

Am I missing anything? </div></div></div></div>

+1 for "Scissorhands" answer to #5!