Gunsmithing slightly canted remington 700 base

[cookie91/38]

Hey everyone,

I recently bought a Remington 700 sps tactical.I soon after purchased a larue tactical base, Burris xtreme tactical rings, and a swfa 10x scope. While leveling the scope I realized the base is very slightly canted, and not completely level to the receiver. I measure how level the receiver is by removing the bolt, and placing a level tube through the bolt cutout, resting it right before the roof of the receiver. (Pictures below) So my question is, do I level my scope to the receiver? Or the base? And is it normal for a base to be slightly off? Thanks alot, Evan

 

[kl3309]

I wouldn't use the raceway as a comparative reference point. Instead, the top of the base should be perpendicular to the vertical centerline of the rifle as the action sits in the stock. With that done, leveling the scope with the base will put the crosshairs' vertical center perpendicular with the action and stock.

 

[WKR]

I always level it to the base and have never had a problem

 

[cookie91/38]

I wouldn't use the raceway as a comparative reference point. Instead, the top of the base should be perpendicular to the vertical centerline of the rifle as the action sits in the stock. With that done, leveling the scope with the base will put the crosshairs' vertical center perpendicular with the action and stock.

Why wouldn't you use the raceway?

 

[hsss]

Your level is not in the bottom of the race way it is setting up on the right side because of the anti bind rail.

Sorry I didnt see that you were using the bolt notch please disregard.

 

[Temp9]

Why wouldn't you use the raceway?

Because Remington doesn't give a damn if their raceway is "level" or not. Why would they? Bed the base, level the scope relative to the base (feeler gauge method), then go shoot the gun. A lot. Honestly, how do you define level on a round receiver? You would have to pick some arbitrary "flat" and call that "level", then critique every other "flat" relative to that. A pointless endeavor, in my opinion.

 

[sentry1]

Level your scope to the world, i.e. gravity, that's the important bit.

My approach has been to stick on a scope level, make sure that is properly leveled to my reticle, and to use that to adjust the scope so it's level relative to my natural shooting position. I tend to have the rifle slightly canted from the buttstock in my shoulder, so I get in position, then adjust the scope so it's leveled, and have a friend tighten down the scope rings at that point.

 

[cookie91/38]

I also realized that when putting a leveling bubble on the front end of my base, the bubble is in the middle, but when I put the level on the back end of my base the bubble drifts to the right a little. Is my base machined wrong? It's a larue tactical

 

[Rem7targetactical]

Read up on "bedding your scope base" Mine was way off too and had to be bedded. It's not the base, it's the receiver.