Needing Some Scope Mounting Advice

[30winmag]

Greetings to everyone! I was mounting my new scope on my rifle and ran into an issue In an attempt to save time and cussing myself into another eternity in hell though trial and error I thought I'd plumb the depths of the knowledge on this forum.

Equipment:

Rifle: Winchester Model 70 Safari Express, .375 H&H
Bases: Weaver Grand Slam S46(front), Weaver Grand Slam S47(rear)
Rings: Weaver windage adjustable, steel, high
Scope: Zeiss conquest HD5, 2x10x42mm 1" tube

Having installed the bases and rings and added the scope I centered the crosshairs and decided to take it to the range and see how it shot. The first shot at 50 yards was low, way low. Ok , halve the number of clicks to topped out and try again. Still low. Long story short, the elevation is maxed out and I'm still hitting 2' low. So I figure my options are: 1) pull the scope and rings off, measure and make sure I don't have one lower than the other 2) shim the rear base 3) get higher rings.
If anyone has some insight to share I'd really appreciate it, this is the first time I've run into this issue. On the positive side, the iron sights are dead on at 100!

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I'd say you don't want higher rings, this would only make the muzzle even lower from your line of sight through the scope. You want to go with lower rings to bring the line of the barrel up and closer to your line of sight through the scope, this will bring your shot location up.

The next solution is to get a scope with more vertical travel, a very painful solution however.

 

[bassasdaindia]

I use either Leopold or warne rings on my Winchesters , both work very well .

If the rifle is low , you need to raise the rear of the scope .

 

[30winmag]

I'd say you don't want higher rings, this would only make the muzzle even lower from your line of sight through the scope. You want to go with lower rings to bring the line of the barrel up and closer to your line of sight through the scope, this will bring your shot location up.

The next solution is to get a scope with more vertical travel, a very painful solution however.

Thanks Phil, but there is one issue with lower rings. I have to have high rings to clear the rear iron sight.(no I'm not taking the irons off, end of discussion) I'm holding a scope with more travel as a last resort. Thanks for the advice Phil!

 

[30winmag]

I use either Leopold or warne rings on my Winchesters , both work very well .

If the rifle is low , you need to raise the rear of the scope .

Thanks for the advice bass. I'm thinking a shim under the rear base is the logical first step, it seems to make sense.

 

[Rob404]

You may try some Burris Zee Rings, they have have Cams that can go from 5moa up to 20moa, they also don't scratch the Scope

 

[30winmag]

You may try some Burris Zee Rings, they have have Cams that can go from 5moa up to 20moa, they also don't scratch the Scope

Thanks Rob. The only reason I got the Weavers was because with the previous rings and bases I had the same issue with windage. I will have to look into them!

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Thanks Phil, but there is one issue with lower rings. I have to have high rings to clear the rear iron sight.(no I'm not taking the irons off, end of discussion) I'm holding a scope with more travel as a last resort. Thanks for the advice Phil!

LOL, one does not remove iron sights from a rifle lightly! Guessing the scope is a long one, but any chance of moving it back so the bell is behind the rear sights and then allow for lower rings?

 

[Rob404]

I use One piece leupold turn in mounts they are windage adjustable, and some say make the action a bit more ridgid

 

[ZG47]

You may try some Burris Zee Rings, they have have Cams that can go from 5moa up to 20moa, they also don't scratch the Scope

I would go with Rob's suggestion and ... in case you were wondering about the overall merit of that system, it was actually invented by Mr Jewel, the trigger man beloved of bench-rest shooters. He used aluminum alloy bushes, which were replaced with synthetic bushes after Burris bought his design and adapted it to mass production.

 

[vinnymbogo]

Before you do anything.....get a Wheeler scope mounting kit from Brownells. You HAVE to lap your scope rings
{...much like grinding valves for your heads (in your V8)}. This makes sure your scope aligns "true". Until your scope rings are aligned with your barrel, no adjustment will be 100%.

 

[Royal27]

Before you do anything.....get a Wheeler scope mounting kit from Brownells. You HAVE to lap your scope rings
{...much like grinding valves for your heads (in your V8)}. This makes sure your scope aligns "true". Until your scope rings are aligned with your barrel, no adjustment will be 100%.

I just got one of these and mounted my forst scope with it last week. My alignment was good, so didn't need to lap, but it was peace of mind for sure. I have another scope to mount here soon and almost hope I have to lap. LOL

And if anyone buys one I'd recommend paying the few extra bucks and getting the one that has both one inch and 30mm. You'll be set for life.

 

[shuter]

Greetings to everyone! I was mounting my new scope on my rifle and ran into an issue In an attempt to save time and cussing myself into another eternity in hell though trial and error I thought I'd plumb the depths of the knowledge on this forum.

Equipment:

Rifle: Winchester Model 70 Safari Express, .375 H&H
Bases: Weaver Grand Slam S46(front), Weaver Grand Slam S47(rear)
Rings: Weaver windage adjustable, steel, high
Scope: Zeiss conquest HD5, 2x10x42mm 1" tube

Having installed the bases and rings and added the scope I centered the crosshairs and decided to take it to the range and see how it shot. The first shot at 50 yards was low, way low. Ok , halve the number of clicks to topped out and try again. Still low. Long story short, the elevation is maxed out and I'm still hitting 2' low. So I figure my options are: 1) pull the scope and rings off, measure and make sure I don't have one lower than the other 2) shim the rear base 3) get higher rings.
If anyone has some insight to share I'd really appreciate it, this is the first time I've run into this issue. On the positive side, the iron sights are dead on at 100!

Your scope has 80 inches of elevation adjustment, which is quite a bit; my guess is that something is wrong with your ring/base setup. Also, the Zeiss is a fantastic optic, but it's a very long scope with a huge 50mm objective. That combination is requiring you to have to mount the scope too high in order to clear the rear sight. I can't imagine you're getting a great cheek weld with high rings on that rifle. I have the exact same rifle and wouldn't be able to get a decent weld with high rings. I'd recommend you put that awesome scope on a different rifle and get something shorter and with a smaller objective to allow lower mounting on your .375. Then ditch the Weaver rings and get some low Warnes, Talleys, or Leupold QRs., using the corresponding bases for those rings. I've probably mounted 150 scopes and never had a need for windage adjustment in the rings. I would think that, if you need windage adjustment in your rings, you have an issue with the rifle that has nothing to do with the scope.

The Leupold VX-6 1-6x is a great scope, and in my opinion, 6x is plenty of magnification for anything a .375 can do (I have one mounted in low 30mm Warne QD rings on my M70 .375 Safari Express and it works perfectly). Think of it this way: 6x @ 300 yards is the same as 1x at 50 yards, which is no problem on any big game animal. It also has more than twice the field of view that your Zeiss at low power, which could come in very handy on the kind of critters that .375s are often pointed at. Many other scopes would obviously work as well. Just my .02...good luck!

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Lots of great advise so far. Let me add a few things: Before you start changing out rings, base, scope, etc, go thru your mounting procedure again. You didn't mention if you bore sighted the scope. This is quick and easy with a bolt action. I mount all my scopes and can recall only once having an issue like you described. I ended up having to shim the rear ring with two layers of black electrical tape on a Browning BAR with a Leupold scope and rings.

Suggest you try the following, it's easy and you don't need to buy anything. If it doesn't work, then change out rings, etc.

1. Since the elevation is currently maxed out, crank your elevation cross hair all the way down and count the turns or clicks.

2. Bring the elevation cross hair back up half way. This will put the elevation cross hair in the exact middle of the adjustment range, which is a good starting point.

3. Do the same thing with the windage. The cross hairs are now in theory centered in the scopes adjustment range.

4. Remove the bolt from the rifle and lossen the rings on the scope.

5. Place the rifle on sand bags just like you would for a shooting session, where the rifle can be safely pointed at a distant wall or door. I normally do this in my house and point the rifle down a hallway. The longer the distance, the better, with 20 to 30 ft being workable

6. Plumb bob the rifle to be straight up and down. I hold a Tipton cleaning rod by the tip and use the weighted handle as the plumb bob. Hold the rod near the recoil pad on the stock and adjust the rifle to be sure it's straight up and down. After each step, re-check the plumb.

7. Look thru the barrel and see where it is pointing to on the far wall or doorway. I like to get the barrel pointed at a straight vertical line, like the edge of a door. You can put a piece tape or an orange sticky dot from a target to mark the spot the barrel is pointing at. Alternatively, you can tape a target or piece of paper with a vertical line on the wall and use a level to true up the vertical line. I'll use a laser pointer to shine down the barrel and see the laser dot on the far wall. Have a helper mark the spot where the laser dot is.

8. Now look thru the scope. Get the vertical cross hair lined up with the vertical line on the wall. Recheck the plum of the rifle.

9. Slide the scope forward and backwards to adjust the point of aim for the scope to attempt to match it to the barrels point of aim.

10. If you can get it close, snug up the rings and be sure to rechck the plumb or the rifle and the vertical cross hair on the wall.

11. Mount the gun and check your eye relief. Is it okay? Try closing your eyes, mount the gun to where it feels right and then open your eyes. Can you see thru the scope? Did you have to adjust your head much or to where it doesn't feel natural?

I've used this method on several rifles and will always be within a couple of inches of where I want to zero my scope. Good bore sighting saves time and ammo on the range.

 

[30winmag]

LOL, one does not remove iron sights from a rifle lightly! Guessing the scope is a long one, but any chance of moving it back so the bell is behind the rear sights and then allow for lower rings?

Very true Phil! and unfortunately, it is as far back as it will go.

 

[30winmag]

I use One piece leupold turn in mounts they are windage adjustable, and some say make the action a bit more ridgidView attachment 55513

A very interesting idea Rob, I am going to have to keep that on my list of fixes. Thanks for the advice.

 

[30winmag]

I would go with Rob's suggestion and ... in case you were wondering about the overall merit of that system, it was actually invented by Mr Jewel, the trigger man beloved of bench-rest shooters. He used aluminum alloy bushes, which were replaced with synthetic bushes after Burris bought his design and adapted it to mass production.

With two votes the zee rings seem to be gaining ground! Thanks for the info ZG.

 

[30winmag]

Before you do anything.....get a Wheeler scope mounting kit from Brownells. You HAVE to lap your scope rings
{...much like grinding valves for your heads (in your V8)}. This makes sure your scope aligns "true". Until your scope rings are aligned with your barrel, no adjustment will be 100%.

Thanks vinny. This may be pushing my skill level but I'll keep it in mind.

 

[thriller]

This is not a good solution, but in the past I have used a small section out of a Coke can to shim a scope on a 22 it has held up, but I wouldn't bet my life on it facing a buff

 

[30winmag]

I just got one of these and mounted my forst scope with it last week. My alignment was good, so didn't need to lap, but it was peace of mind for sure. I have another scope to mount here soon and almost hope I have to lap. LOL

And if anyone buys one I'd recommend paying the few extra bucks and getting the one that has both one inch and 30mm. You'll be set for life.

With the recommendations I'm getting I may need to stop by Brownells after this. Thanks for the help Royal.