Scope alignment methods

With Rem700 platforms and when I'm not concerned with all up weight (heavy barrels and things like NF scopes) I'll normally use a one-piece rail. They are often well on the piss compared to the action surfaces and how the action is D&T. Often with one screw at the front or rear the opposite end of the rail is fully floating off the receiver.

What I do for those is bed the rail to the top of the receiver as that means that the tensions are fully removed from the rail and scope. After bedding the rail the action is then bedded into the stock to ensure that that isn't putting any tension onto the scope...

One of the worst I've had for this was a Norinco JW-103, this looked ok but in reality the front ring was buffed by hand, the back by foot and the action holes were drilled and tapped by a drunk monkey giving instructions to a drugged chicken. I ended up having to use a mismatched pair of bases with a non-matching set of rings and a quiet lap to take the edges off, and that's close enough to be able to zero the thing appropriately.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

Mount scope so instead of horizontal and vertical you have X instead lol. Great up close in the bush ,but a real mind f##k sighting it in if your not in clear head space.

---

That's what Leupold did to me with the scope that I got with the reticle glass 45deg out. Had about three of us scratching our nuts as we didn't even think that the reticle could be out having never experienced it before. Loosen rings, straighten scope, retighten, try to sight in, scratch head, loosen rings, realign, tighten, try to sight in, scratch head WTF? It wasn't until we pulled the scope off and looked at it off the rifle that we clicked that the reticle was not lining up with the turrets! Damn...

Simple way if you have a rail or action with a flat top. Use some shims or a stiff parallel. Mont scope, twist the shims or parallel and the flat on the bottom of the scope will be parallel to the rail.