Imagine you’re in the wild, patiently observing your surroundings, your target within sight, and just as you pull the trigger, your aim falters. You miss the shot, and the opportunity is lost.
But what if there was a way to enhance your precision, to make every shot count?
The art of marksmanship is not just about pulling the trigger; it is a multifaceted dance that involves accuracy, precision, and control, all working in harmony.
One of the most critical components of this dance is the rifle scope, an instrument that extends your vision, allowing you to focus on the target with increased clarity.
The scope’s effectiveness, however, relies heavily on how well it’s mounted on your rifle. This might sound simple, but it’s more than just screwing a piece of equipment onto your firearm. It’s about aligning your eyes, the scope, and the rifle to work as one, creating a seamless bond between you and your instrument.
This guide will take you step-by-step through the process of how to mount scope on a rifle. A skill that can mean the difference between a missed shot and a bullseye
Things You Need before mounting rifle scope
The requirements of different tools while mounting the scope of your rifle will vary from rifle to rifle. Here we will only mention the tools that are generally required:
- A scope
- A rifle
- A scope base
- Scope Rings (make sure that you take extra care of the scope’s size and height while selecting it.)
- A workbench
- A level
- A good quality screw diver
- A gun vice
- A degreasing agent
6 Simple Steps To Mount a Rifle Scope?
1. Prepare your Workspace
Many people become a victim of negligence in this step. The reason is that a person becomes overconfident and begins to think that there is no need to prepare the space where you will do this work. So try not to be among the careless ones. Ensure that you have all the things you will require while mounting the scope in your rifle. The above-mentioned things should definitely be there. Just try to bring the above-mentioned things to your workspace after confirming that you are buying the right components. Also, watch a YouTube video or an instruction card before beginning the activity.
Try to be extra careful about the size of the mount. If you have the correct things at your workspace, you will need not worry about the task’s difficulty. Once you have all the required things, you are ready to start the task and not be distracted.
2. Secure your Bases
Not forget to unload the rifle before mounting the scope. It is necessary to avoid any hazard or misfortune. In fact, keep the rifle facing in a safe direction. Put the rifle carefully in the gun cradle. Now take the degreasing oil and remove the grease or oil stains if you have any on base, rings, or screw holes. This step is not for the rifles with bases already built into the rifle’s receiver like a Ruger M77 Hawkeye. So after degreasing all the parts, mount the base of the scope to your rifle’s receiver.
Now align the bases of the scope and tighten each base screw one after another. If necessary, place a drop of the Loctite on your screws. Try to read instructions every time you get confused about anything.
3. Mount your Rings
The next step after mounting the scope bases will be to annex the rings to the scope base. A metal dowel will be perfect for pivoting the base. Never use the scope to pivot the base. It will cause damage to your rifle as well as its scope. In the same way, you have to tighten the screw of the base, tighten the screw of the rings, and always follow the given instruction with your rifle. This will reduce the chance of any big hazard greatly, and you will easily perform the task. Now make sure that you put the required torque to tighten the rings. Extra torque might break the ring.
The rifle experts suggest that the base should be tightened on the rings to 45 inch-pounds. After you have finished tightening the scope rings, remove the half ring and keep them safe and clean at some spot. Remember that this step should be performed with extra care because your little negligence may destroy your favorite and expensive rifle. Try to read the manufacturer’s torque requirements, comprehend them, and then perform the action. Also, do not keep the half ring at the place where it can easily be rusted or is exposed to a lot of moisture.
4. Adjust Eye Relief
Before moving to this step, you must know How To Sight In a Rifle Scope properly. Always remember that you will not move your head in this step. Just move the scope of your rifle. Now put a scope on the ring and replace the top half rings. Now slightly tighten the screws. Now hold the rifle in your hand by removing it from the gun vice or cradle. Keep the rifle in your hand like you are holding it while aiming at your target. This will help you to check whether you are mounting the scope right or not. Now adjust the scope by moving it either forward or backward. Keep adjusting it according to your eye till you get a clear image. Once you get it, stop moving your scope and adjust it there. Remember, you are not supposed to move your head. This will distort the precision of your rifle.
5. Level Scope Reticle
After adjusting the scope to get a clear image with your eye, the rifle carefully backs in the gun vice or cradle. The next step will be the leveling of the scope reticle. Before moving to this step, make sure that the rifle is level. For this purpose, you can use a scope leveling kit like a wheeler engineer or any other you want. Whatever you are using, put it on the receiver of the rifle and then adjust the rifle to be level. Once the scope and the rifle are level, the reticle will be adjusted automatically.
6. Tighten the Screws
Now comes the final step, which will complete your task. In this step, you will tighten all the rings. With extra care, tighten the screw a little more. Tighten it like a snug which is tightened while changing the tires of the vehicle. The space between both of the half rings should be identical. Try to be gentle while tightening the screws because if you tighten them more than the requirement, the scope tube will be damaged.
The rings should be tightened approximately to 28-inch pounds. While doing this make, do not unlevel the rifle or scope. After finishing the tightening of the screws, check whether the eye relief is still accurate or not and check if the scope is not level. If everything is perfect, you have completed this task and are ready to use your rifle according to your needs.
Advantages of the Rifle Scopes
After learning how to mount a rifle’s scope, it is important to see what benefits you will get if you use the rifle scopes. The following benefits will be proclaimed by doing so:
- The scope will improve the accuracy of your rifle. Whenever I talk about shooting, the first thing that comes to our mind is accuracy and precision. No matter you are an amateur or an expert shooter, your accuracy will judge your status at the moment. By using a scope, you will get the perfect shot and visible target. That is why many professional shooters use CMP Service rifle scopes, and the best product can only be obtained from a credible dealer.
- It will increase the range of your rifle. The range is also an important factor in the shooting. If you are out hunting in the forest and you see a wild animal coming towards you rapidly. You will need to shoot the prey as soon as possible, and for this purpose, you need to have a long-range rifle. This will make it easy for you to aim at your target.
- The rifle scope will improve your score when you are at some club for shooting practice. Everyone loves to be at the top of the leaderboard. It also boosts your confidence and gives you the ability to stand by your passion till the end. On the other hand, if you do not use the rifle scope, you will miss your target by some inches, and that would be a big heartbreak for you that might also shatter your confidence.
- The rifle scope will give you the ability to do longer shots. It will show the object very near. It is a fact that no matter what the sport is, you want to get better every day. for this purpose, you keep on practicing by increasing your target distance. The rifle scope will boost your confidence, and you may be able not to miss a single target. Just stick to your passion or hobby. Do not give up because giving up is the solution for the failures and the one who is a rifle expert is always a winner.
Some Precautions
Some precautions that need to be taken care of while mounting the scope of the rifle are given below:
1. When you are doing this whole process, remember to keep the rifle unloaded and clean it entirely. Never miss on even a minor piece of the bullet in it. It will lead to some misfortune that you will regret later. A bit of your negligence might give you a phobia of the rifles for life.
2. Keep the mouth of the rifle pointing to the safe site. The safe site should be a place where no person or special object is present. Just be careful while handling the rifle.
3. Also, try to put your fingers away from the trigger button. Sometimes you become so much excited that you unknowingly pull the trigger. Try to handle it with extra care to not miss any hazards and become a victim of it.
4. Try to follow step-by-step instructions given in the guide and keep in mind that a minor mistake can lead to a big loss.
5. Do not try to rush every step. be calm and handle every step with patience. Try to follow the guide as it is given so that you do your task with accuracy.
6. Tighten the screws according to the given directions. The screws should not be too tightened and also too loose.
Conclusion
Mounting the scope in the rifle is not an easy job. You need to be extra careful while doing this. Your attention should be completed towards your work. Try to be extra careful in doing this work. If you follow the above guidelines and the instruction given in the guidebook, you can do your job quite easily and smoothly without making any mistakes. We hope that this article will make all your confusion burst, and you will enjoy any activity done with this rifle.
Also See: Comparison of Chipmunk and Crickett Rifle
FAQ’s
How is a scope attached to a rifle?
A scope is typically attached to a rifle by using mounting rings or a scope mount. The rings or mount are secured to the rifle’s receiver or rail system, and the scope is then placed into the rings or mount. Screws or clamps are used to secure the scope in place, ensuring stability and alignment with the rifle’s bore.
Can I mount a rifle scope myself?
Yes, you can mount a rifle scope yourself.
Can you add a scope to any rifle?
In general, a scope can be added to most rifles, provided they have a compatible mounting system or rail.
Is it difficult to mount a scope?
Mounting a scope can vary in difficulty depending on your familiarity with firearms and equipment. With the right tools and instructions, it can be a straightforward process for many people
