Model 70 .375 Safari Express Shooting Low

[BeeMaa]

I’d agree that you need to check your bases and rings to make sure they are in the correct position and the correct part numbers.

If the bases were reversed, I’m not sure you could even mount the scope with 2-piece bases and rings without damaging the scope…or the rifle.

 

[DLB3]

Thanks for the replies. So the bases are correct. M902 & M802. Tried a beer can shim a couple of weekends ago and while closer, still 2 inches low with elevation maxed out. Maybe another shim would do it but the scope was not responding to the amount of clicks it was turned or even close to it. I made sure to tap turrets after each adjustment and shot the rifle over a couple of days just in case the cross hairs were sticking. Going to send it back into Leupold one last time and see what they think. Here are some pictures of the bases and rings.

 

[DLB3]

They shouldn’t look identical at all .The back is much thicker. Correct Warne bases for your gun are M902/802M. If they’re the same thickness then your gun will definitely shoot in the dirt.

I meant that the rings are identical. The bases are the ones you specified.

 

[fourfive8]

Get the correct bases for that rifle. Win M 70s require two different base heights. Simple fix. Shimming isn't it. The rear base is going to be taller than the front base. Run the windage and elevation adjustments to their midpoints on the scope first. For example: turn adjustment all the way until it stops. Then turn in reverse direction while counting clicks or marks until it stops. That is the total. Then again turn 1/2 that amount reversing direction again. That will be approximately the mechanical mid point. Do that for both windage and elevation. Mount scope. Bore sight at a bull at 25-50 yards. See how far bore line is from scope reticle. Should be just a few inches off at most. Adjust scope so reticle is close to center of bull. Now shoot three shots and adjust accordingly then at whatever range you want. No need to send the scope to Leupold unless it was damaged when tightening it down using wrong bases that were out of alignment.

 

[ZG47]

Get the correct bases for that rifle. Win M 70s require two different base heights. Simple fix. Shimming isn't it. The rear base is going to be taller than the front base. Run the windage and elevation adjustments to their midpoints on the scope first. For example: turn adjustment all the way until it stops. Then turn in reverse direction while counting clicks or marks until it stops. That is the total. Then again turn 1/2 that amount reversing direction again. That will be approximately the mechanical mid point. Do that for both windage and elevation. Mount scope. Bore sight at a bull at 25-50 yards. See how far bore line is from scope reticle. Should be just a few inches off at most. Adjust scope so reticle is close to center of bull. Now shoot three shots and adjust accordingly then at whatever range you want. No need to send the scope to Leupold unless it was damaged when tightening it down using wrong bases that were out of alignment.

You can get pretty close by putting the scope against a mirror, looking through the ocular and moving the adjustments until the reticle lines up with its reflection. Any sighting telescope made in the last 40 years should be bright enough to use this method.

 

[DLB3]

Get the correct bases for that rifle. Win M 70s require two different base heights. Simple fix. Shimming isn't it. The rear base is going to be taller than the front base. Run the windage and elevation adjustments to their midpoints on the scope first. For example: turn adjustment all the way until it stops. Then turn in reverse direction while counting clicks or marks until it stops. That is the total. Then again turn 1/2 that amount reversing direction again. That will be approximately the mechanical mid point. Do that for both windage and elevation. Mount scope. Bore sight at a bull at 25-50 yards. See how far bore line is from scope reticle. Should be just a few inches off at most. Adjust scope so reticle is close to center of bull. Now shoot three shots and adjust accordingly then at whatever range you want. No need to send the scope to Leupold unless it was damaged when tightening it down using wrong bases that were out of alignment.

I have the correct bases per Warne’s website. The rear is thicker than the front.

 

[cajunchefray]

You can get pretty close by putting the scope against a mirror, looking through the ocular and moving the adjustments until the reticle lines up with its reflection. Any sighting telescope made in the last 40 years should be bright enough to use this method.

That is a neat optics idea, I never knew. I’m going to try that.

 

[pilar]

I have the correct bases per Warne’s website. The rear is thicker than the front.

Yep I have had Winchester m70’s that needed proper shims buy some or find a gunsmith to do it
read this and order some thicker shims

An NRA Shooting Sports Journal | How To Raise MOA With Scope Shims

Raising MOA with scope shims is easy, once you know the math. This guide from Field Editor Art Merrill will help.

www.ssusa.org

 

[DLB3]

Yep I have had Winchester m70’s that needed proper shims buy some or find a gunsmith to do it
read this and order some thicker shims

An NRA Shooting Sports Journal | How To Raise MOA With Scope Shims

Raising MOA with scope shims is easy, once you know the math. This guide from Field Editor Art Merrill will help.

www.ssusa.org

Thanks!

 

[ZG47]

That is a neat optics idea, I never knew. I’m going to try that.

I only came across it about seven years back, either reading or watching something to do with air rifles.

 

[cajunchefray]

I have the correct bases per Warne’s website. The rear is thicker than the front.

Appreciate your attention to details. Perhaps the other AH members are correct, the front and rear bases are not matched for the W70 action. Not that they were made incorrectly, just not a matched set.

Internet pictures can fool us all on perspective, espeacially to geometric shapes. With that said, the rear base looks too low. Shimming didn't help much.

I suggest the following test:

Place the rifle in a secure vise ( a Gun Vise). Place a 6" carpenters level, centered with a magnetic side down on the front base, then level the rifle in the vise, to establish horizontal level.

Once you are sure that the front base level is truly horizontal and secure, then place the level (or span the front and rear bases with the level) and check again.

The bubble should be centered.

If off, look at new set of bases.

 

[baxterb]

Do this... mount the front base. Leave the screws out of the rear but mount the base to the scope ring. Mount the front ring to the front base. Does the rear base float? Reverse this and see if the front base floats. One of them probably will. ed Lapour used to make 'orthotics' for bases that floated by using acraglass underneath the floating base.

However, i think shims and epoxy are a waste of time and money. Get your rifle to a gunmaker to have custom bases made. It will correct any error made by the factory etc. I have had bases made for two model 70s and a Mauser that had the shittiest tapping job you've ever seen. About $400 bucks and you'll be done.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Thanks for the replies. So the bases are correct. M902 & M802. Tried a beer can shim a couple of weekends ago and while closer, still 2 inches low with elevation maxed out. Maybe another shim would do it but the scope was not responding to the amount of clicks it was turned or even close to it. I made sure to tap turrets after each adjustment and shot the rifle over a couple of days just in case the cross hairs were sticking. Going to send it back into Leupold one last time and see what they think. Here are some pictures of the bases and rings.View attachment 581193View attachment 581194

I have the same rifle and Warne bases/rings. It sure looks like you have the right setup. Not sure if it was this rifle or one of my other M70's, but I had the same problem. This may not be what you want to hear, but it may be the actual problem. The problem may be that your scope just doesn't have that much vertical adjustment and you need another scope with more. That's how I resolved the issue.

The concern I'd have with adding more "shims" to the rear base is you're moving the rear ring further and further out of alignment with the front. This is going to put stress on your scope at some point.

 

[DLB3]

I have the same rifle and Warne bases/rings. It sure looks like you have the right setup. Not sure if it was this rifle or one of my other M70's, but I had the same problem. This may not be what you want to hear, but it may be the actual problem. The problem may be that your scope just doesn't have that much vertical adjustment and you need another scope with more. That's how I resolved the issue.

The concern I'd have with adding more "shims" to the rear base is you're moving the rear ring further and further out of alignment with the front. This is going to put stress on your scope at some point.

What scope did you end up going with on your M70?

 

[fourfive8]

Lay a straight edge like a 12" metal T square on front receiver ring aligned along front and rear base mounting holes. Measure how much higher front receiver ring of Win 70 is than pad where rear base sits. That will give an approximate base height difference needed for mounting scope on axis with bore line. The idea is to mount scope axis parallel with bore axis. If scope is mounted that way, all scopes will have plenty of windage and elevation adjustment to take care of any variance in alignment between action and barrel or variance of bullet flight line at normal shooting ranges. If that doesn't work then something is very much wrong with either scope or rifle.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

What scope did you end up going with on your M70?

I made a move towards Nikon scopes awhile ago. Unfortunately they don't make them anymore. But you can look up your model and its specs and compare to others. As I recall the specification in terms of how many MOA's of adjustment.

 

[thriller]

I w

@DLB3

Is it possible that you have the mounts in the wrong location? - front on the rear and rear on front.

I’ve seen this several times when people run out of elevation.

ould try this if possible done that myself when I wasn’t paying enough attention.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

One simple method of checking ring to ring alignment with each other (not bore) simply take the top half of rings off and see if scope lays evenly on rings any error will show a gap between rings, unless you have bent your scope.

Lon

 

[Altitude sickness]

Is your front ring clamping slightly into the curve of the front scope bell ?
It looks like it’s close to the bell

 

[pilar]

Is your front ring clamping slightly into the curve of the front scope bell ?
It looks like it’s close to the bell

Good eye, I am on round #2 with tally bases, had their customer support help me with some bases that fit my leupold compact , different size bases for different types scopes