How To Mount A Rifle Scope Easily

Mounting a rifle scope can be easy and can be a very daunting task too. If you don’t know your way around it, you will end up not doing anything, or worse, breaking something. We have done an easy-to-follow guide on how you can mount a rifle scope, even if you are a beginner.

Quick Notes

First things first, you need to choose an appropriate scope for your gun. The very best ones – for you – and the ones that will not overpower your gun since each gun has a maximum distance it can cover. Certainly, your scope has to magnify within that range.

Also, rifle scopes are not just strapped on top of a gun right away, but require proper mounting equipment like a base plate or rings. Each base plates are made specifically for different guns and the rings as well are made specifically for certain base plates. So here, you have to find the base plates made for your rifle and then the rings made for the base plate accordingly. Got that? Good, let’s move on.

Lastly on this note, you want to ensure that you have purchased the best night vision scope or whichever kind of scope you wish to install on your superstar weapon.

How To Install A Rifle Scope

1. Safety: Safety first! When mounting a rifle scope, it is important that you keep your gun in safety – that is, don’t let your fingers play around the trigger and ensure that the gun is not even loaded. You should then place the gun in a gun-vice to hold it firm in order to attach the scope. In case you have no vice, sand bags are a good alternative to use.
2. Remove Plug Screws: A lot of rifles today have plug screws in place which you have to remove before fitting the scope on the base or plates. As soon as you remove the screws, endeavor to clean the area with a degreaser and then further coat it with a reliable rush inhibitor.
3. The Scope Instructions: Certainly, each scope will come with their own manual on how to mount them. You should install the base plate specifically as instructed in the manual of instructions. Rifle vision scopes come in various sizes so much that there is really not one installation guide that fits all. For extra security, you can reinforce the base screws with a thread locking compound as this will keep them from backing out over time. Cross check to see that the mount is placed correctly (check with your guide).
4. Rings: You now want to attach the front and rear scope rings just as the manufacturer has instructed. You may be fortunate enough to have some alignment bars for setting your rings properly in place so all you have to do is place the alignment base into the rings until you can ascertain that they have almost connected with each other in the middle. As soon as the rings are properly aligned, the points on the bars will also come into alignment both vertically and horizontally. If for any reason, you discover that the alignment is not well fixed, you can then adjust the front ring with the windage screw to get that in place.
5. Tighten Up:  Time to get everything to stay in place. Scope mounts usually come equipped with specific torque provisions therefore; all you have to do in this step is to torque each screw for the base plate.
6. Remove Ring Caps: Get these ring caps out of place and keep them together but do not try to put them in reverse order. Thereafter, you want to place the scope in the rings having the elevation turret on top and the windage turret fixed at the right side of the gun.
7. Level Up: A good rule of thumb is to use a small specially made level to do this part. Still with the scope in place, place the level on the front site and level the gun in the vice. Then place another small level right on the top turret of the scope and then turn the scope until it is leveled as well. At this point, your crosshairs should also be perfectly leveled.
8. Wrap Up: Attaboy! Now pick up your gun from the vice to check your field of vision through the scope. You would also be able to quickly be able to see the full view of the field without moving your head much. Now in case your field view is not good enough, you should slide the scope backward or forward until you can get a full view. Go ahead to tighten the scope rings down by turning each screw gently. Avoid tightening all the screw too much as it may damage the scope.
9. Sight In: All set! You are now ready to put your gun to use and sight it in on a range.

We are all good. Now, let’s go strap some shiny new scope on our powerful weapon 🙂