Things To Consider When Installing Scope Mounts On Your Hunting Rifle
Installing a good hunting scope on your rifle can increase your accuracy with the firearm when hunting. However, if your rifle did not come with scope mounts, you may need to do some work and buy additional parts to put everything together. The process is very straightforward. These are some things that you should know before you secure your scope mount.
Checking Your Rifle
Before you can add any scope or site system to your favorite hunting rifle, you will need to check the firearm to see if it has the appropriate mounting points already installed. Most rifles have four small screws on the top of the receiver, allowing you to position and secure the scope mount to the firearm.
If your rifle is not already drilled and tapped, you will need to find a gunsmith to handle this for you. The mounting holes are critical, and if they are incorrect, damage to the receiver could cause the gun to fail with use. If the holes are there, the plugs in them are small and can be challenging to remove unless you have the right tools. Again, a gunsmith can help with this and install the scope mount for you when they remove the plugs.
Installing Your Sites
Installing the scope mounts on your rifle requires you to position the mount base on the receiver and align the holes with the threaded holes on the gun. The mounting screws should come with your scope mounts, but you should use some thread locking compound on the screws to ensure they do not loosen up over time.
The screws should be secure, but don't try and tighten them so much that you strip the heads, making it difficult to remove them later, should that become necessary. It is also vital to tighten the screws in stages, so snug all of them first, then go back and tighten them fully. Using this method helps ensure the scope mounts are flat against the receiver once the screws are secure.
Installing Your Scope
Once the scope mounts are in place and secure, you can install the scope or site rings to the mounts and then secure the optics. Position the scope or optic you are using so that it is comfortable to see through when you shoulder your firearm, and tighten the mounts so it can not move around.
All that remains is to take the firearm to the range and adjust the scope or sites to allow accurate and constant impacts on the target. A hunting rifle set up correctly will be accurate over long ranges and enable a hunter to take down an animal with a single shot, eliminating unnecessary suffering.