Methods of Scope Mounting

[WarEagleEd]

What is your preferred or tried and true method for mounting a scope? How do you get the retical straight? How do you get it inline with the bore axis?

Ed

[b2lee]

Spuhr mount on a Defiance action....just put on top...snap shut...use a scope level....sight in...shoot to 1500yards...call it a day ;)

[lightman]

If the rifle is a bolt action I remove the bolt and bore sight it by eye to get the scope lined up with the bore. I do the same bore sight thing to get it on target. New scopes should come with the aiming point centered. On used scopes I move them from stop to stop (gently) and count the clicks to center it. If the bottom of the scope and the top of the base are both flat I use feeler gauges to level the scope. If not I just eyeball it, moving it until it looks right.

[SafetyJoe]

I don't remember where I first saw this method, but I use a soft jawed vise to hold the rifle level and that's determined by using a common carpentry level on some flat portion of the receiver. Then I loosely mount the scope and hang a long string on the wall with a weight on the end. Then I shine a flashlight backwards through the scope that's set on low magnification and the cross hairs will be projected onto the wall next to the string. Then I simply turn the scope so the cross hairs line up with the vertical string that's hanging on the wall. Then I tighten the rings knowing the cross hairs are now aligned with the gun.

[lightman]

I do about the same thing using a rifle rest and a rear bag except I use the edge of the window pane at the end of the room. Its seems to be easier to scoot the rest around to line up the window but the vice is sturdier. I also lightly lap my rings. Many argue for and against this.

[tsubaki]

Usually eyeballing it various ways while shouldered or in a rest.
A few firearms and scopes will allow you to use a straight edge on a flat surface of both or either, checking for squareness.

[Mbaker78]

I use a picture hanging level on the receiver to make sure that’s level, then when leveling the reticle I sight down it and use the top of the neighbors garage door. Once I have everything tightened up and ready to boresight, I pick a point on the same garage door and line it up the old fashioned way, remove the bolt and look down the barrel at a specific point and move the reticle to match it. I’m always on paper at this point.