[FCross7]

I've been looking into and planning some more for my upcoming rifle, and was thinking about scope mounting. On the last scoped rifle I had, I bought the scope from Bass Pro, and they offered to mount the scope. At the time I had no idea how it was done, so I thought "Sweet! These people are gonna do it and it's gonna be done right". Well I was wrong. The numb nut who mounted it had it sitting at a slight angle so the crosshairs weren't straight. The eye relief was way off. They supposedly bore sighted it, but it was barely on paper at 25 yards. I can now bore sight a rifle and get it nearly dead-on at 25 yards simply by looking down the bore and lining up the scope.

So needless to say, I'm gonna mount this scope myself because I want to be sure it's done properly. I knew somewhat how it was done, but figured I'd watch a video on youtube just to see what all exactly went into it. The video was put together by Wheeler Engineering, and in the video they used a kit they sell to mount the scope, and it seemed like the kit made mounting the scope properly much easier. Here's the kit they were using:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/453687/wheeler-engineering-scope-mounting-kit-1

And here's a similar kit I found on MidwayUSA:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/831193/weaver-deluxe-scope-mounting-kit-with-1-lapping-tools

My question to you is are these kits worth the $100 or so? I wouldn't be using it on just the one rifle as I plan on purchasing other rifles in the future that will be scoped.

I don't have a torque wrench, so I have to buy one of those regardless, and a good one runs $40 or more. That's almost half the price of the kit.

For those of you who have used these kits or a similar kit, did you find that it was worth the money you spent on it? It seems to me that it is worth it, but remember I've never mounted a scope so I'm not sure.

-Fred

[ZeusEcho]

I bought a torque wrench and Burris Signature Zee rings. The rings are awesome because the polymer inserts don't mar your scope and hold it super tight. You can also get offset inserts to get very close to zeroed in without major adjustments in windage or elevation. Best of all no need for a scope mounting kit and to lap the rings.

I got the Weaver Torque Wrench, weaver levels, and Tipton gun vise. Good luck!

[treehugger49]

I've never lapped the rings, but having the torque wrench, while not a necessity, is a nice addition to your tool box if you can afford it. If you don't use a torque wrench, just make sure not to overtighten your screws.

I also use the levels to ensure the scope is mounted with the reticle in the correct orientation. Another optional tool that helps get it right.

You've already discovered you don't need an expensive bore-sighting tool - sighting through a properly aligned bore does the job just as well.

Take your time, use Loctite® appropriately, and you'll get professional results.