Many people get their rifle scope mounted by professionals, but with the right tools and a lot of patience, you can mount your rifle scope at home as well.
How to mount a rifle scope
To make the process easier, it’s best to work in a well-lit area with quality hand tools, including a torque wrench and a level. Assuming your gun is unloaded, the first step to mounting a rifle scope is to stabilize your gun. Secure your firearm and a gun vice, bench vise, or a homemade method that will keep your gun stable. You also want your firearm roughly parallel to the ground.
If you are using a rail mount, proceed to torque the screws using manufacturer specifications with your torque wrench. If you’re using a base/ring combo, follow the steps to the manufacturer’s specifications but only mount the lower half of your ring/base combo, so you have the horizontal part of your bases to set your reference level on.
Next, you need to level your scope. When you level your scope, you’re making sure the rifle scope is on the same horizontal plane as the action of your gun. This is important because even if the scope is a couple of degrees off, you may be aiming left or right without even knowing it. There are many ways to level your rifle scope, but the main goal is to adjust your rifle scope left or right until the bubble on the level is between the two lines.
Finally, once your scope is aligned properly, it’s time to adjust the reticle focus if your scope has one. This focus impacts how the reticle image appears when you look to your scope. The instructions on doing this differ based on the manufacturer and will take a few minutes of playing around, but once you have your reticle focus adjusted, looking through the scope will be crystal clear.
The benefits to mounting your own rifle scope are endless, but the first time can feel daunting. The process gets easier the more times you do it. However, if you find yourself stuck in the process, don’t hesitate to contact more experienced gun owners to help you along the way.