If you’ve been using firearms such as rifles for a while and are experienced with long range shooting, you probably know how important scope mounting is. If you’re working with targets at close range, little errors by way of scope mounting and other rifle adjustments usually have negligible affects.
When you’re shooting long range however, the tiniest variation or miscalculation is enough to send you way off your mark! For this reason, mounting your scope correctly is of utmost importance.
Don’t Make these Mistakes
You’re probably already familiar with the basics of scope mounting so we’re going to jump right to the fun stuff. Make sure you avoid these three common mistakes when mounting that scope on your rifle.
Poor Alignment
Your scope rings help you connect the scope to your rifle. The idea is to make sure the rings in the front are in alignment with those at the back. Where many people do this by estimate, that isn’t the best way to go.
If your rings are not in correct alignment this can damage your scope tube when firing. It may cause dents which result in trouble when making adjustments as well as due to distortion of reticles.
When your rings are in the right alignment, they grip your scope-tube better even during intense recoil.
Alignment-bars as well as lapping-bars are recommended to aid in proper alignment.
Leveling Crosshairs
Crosshair leveling is once again something that many simply manage on estimate. They do so by using the naked eye, however, this is inadequate if you’re looking to hit your mark long range.
This is because the naked eye may often times lack the necessary precision.
Scope-levelers are pretty helpful tools to get this done!
Balancing Torque
Though firearms and musical instruments may be worlds apart, think of a guitar string. Tune it too tight and the thing snaps. Leave it slack and she won’t play! It’s kind of the same with the screws attached to your scope-bases and to the rings.
Tightening too much may result in tube damage. Tightening inadequately risks the possibility of your scope being displaced post intense recoil. Uneven tightening can also result in complications.
The best way to go about avoiding this is through use of an adjustable-torque screwdriver. Using this, you simply set everything as the scope manufacturer has instructed including the amount of torque.
Winding Down
Though you might not need to worry about all the stuff above getting started, these tips will come in handy when you graduate to serious long range shooting! It also helps to check out magnification scopes, red dot sights, and open aiming mechanisms to get a sense of what kind of optics are available to you.
Feel free to connect with us for more information or go through our blogs for more tips and pointers!
