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LK37

Scope Mounting Gun Smiths?

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Just wondering who you all use to mount your rifle scopes. Maybe a bulk of you all do it yourselves but just wondering who does a good job in the valley. I don’t have any of the tools for mounting so looking to get someone to do it for me.

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Honestly learn to do it and buy the few tools it takes. I don’t think I could trust another person making minimum wage to mount my optics.

Really all you need is a bipod or gun vise, a level and a fat torque wrench.  

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When our club does hunter sight-in in October it's sad the times we have to correct rifles sighted in at Cabelas or Sportsman's. An inch/pound wrench and a set of Torx and Allen bits is all the tools you need. Pretty easy. 

 

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Southern Express is near bass pro, hit him up.

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Sportsmans  or bass pro (cabelas) just remember  the guys working  there are paid by the hour and may or may not be trained  to do the work.  After a few runs at sportsmans  ( stripped  screws ,damaged  rings ,and a big a$$ scratch in a expensive  spuhr mount on my ar10 ) . I don't  take anything in to those  places  to mount scopes. Last years giveaway  gun  was a prime example  .The kid at sportsmans  mounted the bases and tightened  down  the scope  crushed the new  vortex  ( scope 1 ) so I bring  it back because  scope  won't  track . Put on scope 2 torqued  and that would  not track also . Back for scope 3 and same thing.  Took gun over to Keith at Phoenix  custom  rifles  and it was 30 seconds  and he said  the bases were off and two different  heights. One custom  fit egw rail and a good  leupold  scope  later the gun was finally  scoped and shooting  good.  Sent the scopes back to vortex  and then got rid of most of them . I think  I've got 1 left on a 338 win mag waiting  to be swapped  for a decent  scope .  Sportsmans  ,bass pro don't  properly  mount and align  the rings so you never  get a good job . Anyone  ever see them run a alignment  rod to see if the rings are set correctly?  I've since started  to aquire the correct  tools  still need alignment  bars and ring lapping  kit  . Word of advice  take it to a good  gunsmith  with the right tools .

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I wouldn't let Sportsman's, Cabelas, or Bass Pro even put a scope in a plastic bag for me.  I can't tell you how many times I have seen their "mounting and bore sighted" crooked and either loose or way overtightened scopes that buddies get done there.

As for buying your own tools, to do it right, it is going to cost you more than having someone competent do it once for you.  If you plan to do it more than once or twice, then it starts to work out in costs.

What part of the Valley are you in?

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I was about to post but Lance beat me to it. 

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I have both of these, I bought the second set of levels because the plastic ones that come with the wheeler kit suck, just look up torque specs for your receiver, and rings , and a good gun vise is needed also

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It’s pretty rudimentary but all I do is level rifle/base in a vise and put a level piece of painter’s tape on the wall and use that to level reticle. Torque down. You could also use a plumb line from the ceiling. 

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Do it yourself. Don't trust the gun stores because they also probably don't do a good job setting eye relief for YOU. I don't care how eye relief is set for the counter guy at the gun store. It needs to be right for me. 

The wheeler torque wrench kit with lapping bars is very nice to have along with that good level set posted above. I use them regularly and they are worth every penny. Don't use 3 year old lock tight either. Buy a new tube fairly regularly to help keep it fresh. 

I know when I was in the gun stores working years ago, we did the best job we knew how, but none of us was really that good. We eyeballed scopes being level and didn't use a torque wrench...

You can bore sight the rifle at the range yourself for almost all rifles. Google it. Basically you put the rifle in sandbags or rest and aim it at a target looking thru the bore. Then move the scope to the center of that target without moving the rifle. Start with the target at 25 or 50 yards. Then move out. 

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I wouldn't have my scope mounted at any one of the box gun stores, and I wouldn't get my legal advice from them either. I was in The Sportsman's Warehouse in Mesa about six months ago and the guy behind the counter was telling a customer standing there if you get in a fist fight and your carrying you can be charged with assault with a deadly weapon. I was going to ask which ARS that fell under but just shook my head and walked away.

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