PROPER OPTICS MOUNTING

How to do the job right the first time and maximize the performance of both your scope and rifle.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY NICK PERNA

Any job worth doing is worth doing right, the first time. A poorly or improperly mounted optic will cause the user endless frustration. The best scope paired with the finest rifle is worthless if the optic has not been mounted properly.

Here’s the good news: It’s pretty easy to do it right. Here’s the bad news: It’s even easier to do it wrong.

FIRST THINGS FIRST, let’s talk about

equipment. I’ve mentioned in previous articles the need to purchase quality gear. A good rifle is important, obviously, but the scope and mounts are just as important. If you decide to go cheap on either of these items, prepare to be frustrated. A good optic should cost as much (if not more) than the rifle you are mounting it on. The mounts, not as much, but plan on shelling out $100 – or more – for them.

On the topic of scopes, decide what you ultimately desire your optic/rifle combo to do. Once that is decided, research the optic. Is this going to be a basic mid- to large-size game rifle? If so, look at scopes with a variable power of 3 to 12. You can go down to a maximum magnification of 9-power, but you might need a little more power at distance.

For tactical applications there are many considerations. Is your weapon strictly a close-range, or close quarters battle (CQB), gun? If so, maybe no magnification (referred to as 1-power) will work. A red dot, or holographic, sight will do the job. Aimpoint, EO Tech and many others make great “running and gunning” optics.

If you need that plus some magnification, consider a low-power variable optic, or LPVO. On the 1-power setting, they work like a standard holographic sight. Add some magnification and they can be used at longer distances. The “L” in LPVO is somewhat of a misnomer. Early LPVOs were usually 1- to 4-power. Many now go up to 6- or 8-power, with a few models reaching 10-power.

For long-range target shooting, a super high-power optic would be necessary. This is an incredibly unique sport with specific guns, calibers and

“A good rifle is important, obviously, but the scope and mounts are just as important,” says author Nick Perna.

An Aimpoint 1-power CQB optic. It has its own attached quick detach mount, connected to a Picatinny rail. The knob on the right is for connecting and disconnecting the optic from the weapon.

optics utilized. Be prepared to spend serious money on these.

Then there’s mounts. There are basically three types: mounts already built into the optic (this is common in 1-power holographic types), quick detachable (QD) mounts and standard mounts. QD mounts are great, allowing the user to quickly mount or detach them. They generally work in conjunction with a Picatinny rail system. They are used mainly in the tactical world for operators to quickly switch from one style optic to another, depending on a mission. Operators also like them because they can quickly remove a broken or nonfunctioning optic and switch to a backup iron sight system. Quality QD mounts allow the user to maintain the same zero when removing and replacing the optic to a rail. QD mounts are expensive, though. For most nontactical uses, regular mounts (think scope rings with mounts that screw onto a rail) are more than sufficient. need the following items: • Plum line. A plum line is a simple method used to ensure that the scope is mounted properly and the crosshairs are properly oriented. In other words, the up/down crosshairs are aligned north/south and the left/ right ones are on an even plane as well. Here’s how you do it. Get a piece of string, rope, fishing line or something similar and attach a weight to one end. Take the other end and tie it to something that allows the weight to swing freely. Mount your optic to your weapon but don’t tighten down

The author’s simple plum line setup.

Early-generation Leupold 1.25 by 4-power low-power variable optic with an American Defense quick detach mount. This scope/ mount pair is virtually indestructible. the mounts completely. Look through the mounted optic at the plum line, ensuring that the north/southrunning crosshair lines up with the plum line. Once that’s done, tighten up the mounts. You can confirm your optic is mounted correctly by placing a level on the top turret. • Torque wrench. Most scopes and mounts will list a specified torque pound amount for tightening. It is important to adhere to this. Too loose and the optic will not be properly secured, will move around in the mounts and not maintain a consistent zero. Too tight and you can damage the scope tube. Read the instructions. • Loctite. Loctite can be useful when mounting rails to guns. Like torque rates, read the manufacturer’s recommendation about when to use it. Generally, I’ve seen it recommended to be applied to screws and bolts that hold rails and, in some cases, mounts in place.

BORE SIGHTING

Once your optic is properly mounted, you can save yourself some range time by bore sighting it. This is a good way to initially check to dial in your scope. There’s two ways to do this. The oldfashioned tried-and-true way is to remove the bolt from a bolt action or the entire bolt carrier group from an AR-15. Place a target a short distance away. Look through the bore from the receiver end at the target.

Safety alert: Make sure the gun is unloaded. You will know if it isn’t if,

when you try to look down the bore, all you see is a primer and the rear of the casing. Once you look through the MASTERING THE SECRET GRIP unobstructed bore, line it up with the target center. Brace the weapon in a vise or something similar once it’s lined up. Then adjust the scope until it lines up with the same location on the target.

The easier way to do this is to use a laser bore sighter. This is a nonprojectile shaped like a round that fits in the chamber. It emits a laser towards the target, through the bore. Once the laser is on target, dial the scope in.

RANGE TIME

Bore sighting is no replacement for zeroing on the range. It is just a technique for trying to line up the optic with the bore prior to shooting it. When you go to zero the scope initially, do two things: 1) Do it at a close distance of, say, 20 feet for a nonmagnified optic and no more than 50 feet for a magnified optic; and 2) Use the biggest paper or cardboard target you can find! This will save you a lot of time, trust me. A scope may have had its turrets zeroed out by the manufacturer. A previous shooter may have been shooting targets at 600 yards and had the elevation set for that distance. Whatever the case, it is important to see where your rounds are hitting so you can make the necessary adjustments.

Also, make sure you know what types of adjustments you are making. I have written in previous articles about minute of angle and what increments your scope adjusts at. Does one click move the point of impact ¼ inch at 100 yards or ½ inch? What does that mean to me at 50 feet when I’m zeroing it? If you are on your own personal range, you can fire a set number of rounds, say three, then check your target to see where they impacted. Make adjustments and shoot three more rounds. If you are at a gun club where going down to check your target is not an option, use a spotting scope. If you have the luxury of being able to go to your target to check it, or if you are at a range that has a target retrieval system (think Mel Gibson shooting his smiley face in Lethal Weapon), mark where each series of shots lands. That way you will know which series you already shot when making additional adjustments.

Once you are zeroed at close range, place a target at the distance you intend to shoot at, and zero it again. Try shooting from different positions, too, since this will also affect where the rounds impact. Whether it is a tactical weapon, hunting gun or personal defense piece, check your zero often. Optics and mounts get banged around when transported and this can affect them. For hunters, make sure you did not leave your scope on the setting from a shot from the previous deer season.

So when choosing and mounting your optics, spend the necessary amount of money, use good mounting and zeroing techniques, and do the job right, the first time. 

Vortex hunting scope on a Ruger .308 Scout rifle, attached with an American Defense QD mounting system.