Home Nikon How To Avoid a Common Scope Mounting Mistake

How To Avoid a Common Scope Mounting Mistake

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Randy Newberg talks about a common mistake some people make when selecting the wrong rings for the size of their scope, most often to occur when mounting a large objective lens scope.

When mounting a scope it is desired to have the maximum eye relief, most often by moving the scope further back in the rings. As the scope moves back, the large objective end, usually called the “bell” of the scope get closer to the barrel. If the scope rings are not high enough and the scope is too large, it can cause the scope to come in contact with the barrel, resulting in serious issues of accuracy and consistency.

In this video, Randy purposely shows how it can happen and then shows how to prevent it from happening.

Thanks for watching and good luck at the range.

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40 COMMENTS

  1. Wow glad I stumbled upon this video. I mounted a 50mm to my Browning BAR the other day and it's touching the barrel. This saved me from wasting ammo at the range. I've always hunted without scopes so I'm new to this. Good to know thanks for the video.

  5. I'm having trouble getting a clear picture at 20X. If I am not in the EXACT position to get the sight picture, I lose it completely and it gets blacked out. There is no in between. The slightest movement (millimeters) causes me to lose focus on the target. Any ideas on what causes this?

  13. Randy, I use that same Fat Wrench torque screw drive. I was helping an old-timer buddy of mine mount his new VX-5HD on his 300 RUM Sako IV last night. We used the high Leupold rings and tried to tighten the bases (cross bolt with torx) to 65lbs, but ended up twisting the top of the torx bit! Have you had that happen? Do you think Wheeler would replace that bit?

  15. This is the first time in 32 years that I’ve see another howa firearm I’ve had my 30-06 howa from brand new great gun bolt action smoothest bolt action I’ve used only negative thing I weights a ton hands down heaviest gun I’ve used was really hard when I was younger to hold it still to have an accurate shot and I was always trying to use my dads lighter 303 and I’d get chewed out lol “no no you use your gun I spent over 900$ you use that gun and get use to using it until it’s an extension of your body and create muscles memory ,but if anyone the guy in this video maybe where can I get another magazine for my 30-06 howa I’d like a extra one since I’ve been looking for a extra mag for 32 years worried I might loose the only one I have I have miss placed it before it’s sick feeling especially the day before you head up north to moose hunt turning my nice 30-06 5 shot mag one in the pipe into one in the pipe I was lucky still got my moose with my one shot bull moose ran out of the water off ten meters to my right could hear it not see it I was on a quad snowmobile trail and the moose runs out in front of me maybe twenty feet from me he didn’t know I was there at first then he turn around and I was morning sun was just passed the horizon but I was in the woods trees block out the sun it was dark I could barely see the moose just a jet black monster anyways he turns around and I swear at that moment that moose was pissed I was there and then his head gos down like he’s about to charge me my adrenaline going and I can’t see anything but black through my scope because it was still dark in the trees so I draw my gun in the general direction of the moose and I’m thinking to myself this one round won’t stop this beast and I fired and that moose dropped in that exact spot he was standing just went down amazing I didn’t get trampled and that was a lesson learned to have a back up mag and still I haven’t found to my howa

  16. Dude I had a professional install my scope and I ended up buying like 180 dollars worth of scope mounts cause none of them would work, my scope wouldn't center until I noticed the tip of it touched the barrel. Fucker had me buy 180 dollars worth of mounts on a 400 dollar scope, I had to drive an hour and a half back up to Maine to get the scope put on correctly and get the correct mount.

  17. Thanks for the tip Randy! I am just getting into this sport and as luck would have it I do have to mount two scopes onto two mossberg patriot rifles I recently purchased. It was clear to me that the scope optics housing should not touch the rifle rig in any way but it is your point about the eye relief that really interested me. I am aware of the "getting scoped" phenomena having once seen it happen to another person so I am keen to avoid the same thing happening to me but I do find I am having problems with getting the full field of view in the scopes mounted on my air rifles. Have yet to do the mounting on my patriot rifles but it was clear to me I was doing something wrong. Now I know what that is!

  19. Buy Talley rings either Lightweight or steel , they are far superior to Leupold . But if you need Leupold they have copied which in my opinion is stealing the Lightweight Talley's and go with that ….

  24. How I mount a scope for eye relief. I choose the position I will shoot, standing, sitting or prone. I hole the rifle as natural as it feels. I mark with masking tape where my eye is on the stock. Here is the trick. with the scope mounted tight enough to move back and forth. I take a flash light and shine it through the scope, the front of the scope towards the rear. I hold a white plain paper where my eye was where the masking tape is located. I move the scope slowly back and forth, shining the light on the paper, till I get the smallest circle of light on the paper. That is your perfect most clear eye relief for your head and eye position. Than I level the scope, tighten and shoot.

  27. Don't compromise on a scope height or eye relief, anything that doesn't feel natural and comfortable will cost you accuracy and consistency…
    If necessary buy a 40mm bell scope instead of a 50mm, the extra 10mm actually produces far less extra useable light than you imagine… you also reduce any parallax error at the same time;o)

  35. The higher the rings, the higher the comb needs to be if you find you are lifting your head to see reticle. Howa rifles (as well as CZ, Tikka and Sako) have notoriously lower comb heights than more common makes. You will almost assuredly need to add some form of cheek riser if you're planning on using 50mm objective or more scopes.

  36. Hi do you think its important to check to see if your scope is level with your barrel length ways?

    I always use my gun vise/rest and level the last 6 inches of my barrel and than once thats level I also want to see if the scope is not only siting level vertically but also horizontally, maybe its a waste of time but i always felt the more parallel my scope is to your barrel the more accurate it will be over different distances. Please correct me if iam wrong!

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