Help with Zeroing

[stephan009l]

Hey all! With all the chaos going on lately I've found time to finally get my new leupold VX5HD 3x15x44 onto my Winchester Model 70 XTR in .300WBY!

As exciting as that is to all of us I have come across an issue I have never experienced.

While trying to get zeroed, I realized I couldn't lower my scopes elevation anymore and ran out. At 100yds, I'm shooting 10.5" high.

The question im having is what to do next. Is there an issue with the mount? Or, is it the scope? Should I remove the 20 MOA rail mount??

I have checked my basics such as screws, tightness and whatnot. Any recommendations?

I had Tualatin Cabelas mount the scope and supposedly they bore sighted it. Should I be the guy who goes back and raise hell till they fix it or talk to leupold possibly and see what the issue is?

Thank you for reading!
-Steph

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[No_Regerts]

First, unless you're shooting out past 800 yards, you don't need any added elevation. Go with a standard mount. Next, the guy at Cabelas was probably in the sugary nuts section last week. He probably doesn't lnow squat.

With the 300 WBY, a sporter weight rifle, and a scope that isn't real light, go with a good set of steel rings with a steel mount that separates the rings as far as the mount and your face will allow. What you have is a recipe to break rings/mounts/orbital sockets. Not to mention losing zero.

To accept the 300 WBY, the action is magnum length, which limits your mount options because the rear bridge is shorter front to back and the screws are drilled closer together vs a 30-06 length action. You could use a 0 MOA mount like what you have and get zeroed. I prefer the Mk1-A1 eyeball method. Steady rifle on sandbags, remove bolt, find target in the bore, adjust crosshairs onto the target while keeping it centered in the bore. You'll be closer than the Cabelas guy.

 

[edslhead]

Did you take the CDS cap off and turn the dial inside?

 

[stephan009l]

First, unless you're shooting out past 800 yards, you don't need any added elevation. Go with a standard mount. Next, the guy at Cabelas was probably in the sugary nuts section last week. He probably doesn't lnow squat.

With the 300 WBY, a sporter weight rifle, and a scope that isn't real light, go with a good set of steel rings with a steel mount that separates the rings as far as the mount and your face will allow. What you have is a recipe to break rings/mounts/orbital sockets. Not to mention losing zero.

To accept the 300 WBY, the action is magnum length, which limits your mount options because the rear bridge is shorter front to back and the screws are drilled closer together vs a 30-06 length action. You could use a 0 MOA mount like what you have and get zeroed. I prefer the Mk1-A1 eyeball method. Steady rifle on sandbags, remove bolt, find target in the bore, adjust crosshairs onto the target while keeping it centered in the bore. You'll be closer than the Cabelas guy.

Thanks for the reply.

I plan on shooting out to 1K with it. Really, my issue here is I cant get my elevation to go lower ( trying to have 100 as my zero). It's bottomed out on its elevation and as low as it goes is 10.5" high at 100yds. Do I just need to get rid of the mount and get a different setup all together or make custom rings for it. I do the sandbags myself actually lol definitely preffered.

 

[stephan009l]

Did you take the CDS cap off and turn the dial inside?

NPREFFERED.

NO I didnt!! Lol ill have to check

 

[edslhead]

I zero at a 100yrds as you can only add elevation on the CDS system with the caps on.

 

[No_Regerts]

Thanks for the reply.

I plan on shooting out to 1K with it. Really, my issue here is I cant get my elevation to go lower ( trying to have 100 as my zero). It's bottomed out on its elevation and as low as it goes is 10.5" high at 100yds. Do I just need to get rid of the mount and get a different setup all together or make custom rings for it. I do the sandbags myself actually lol definitely preffered.

That -20 MOA mount creates a steeper down-angle to your point of aim vs the line of departure. That allows you to use less adjustment at long range, but your scope will be near bottomed out up close. Thats a flat shooting cartridge and mY not require that. You might experiment with shims under the front of the mount to degrease the angle. Better yet, try Burris Signature Zee rings. They come with shims that fit in the rings themselves.

 

[stephan009l]

That -20 MOA mount creates a steeper down-angle to your point of aim vs the line of departure. That allows you to use less adjustment at long range, but your scope will be near bottomed out up close. Thats a flat shooting cartridge and mY not require that. You might experiment with shims under the front of the mount to degrease the angle. Better yet, try Burris Signature Zee rings. They come with shims that fit in the rings themselves.

I'll have to look up the Burris see rings as well. Thanks for,the info!

 

[EPS]

Looks like you have a high mount .
Like others have said.

 

[titsonritz]

First, unless you're shooting out past 800 yards, you don't need any added elevation.

Technically, you're subtracting elevation from the mount.

 

[Slagiatt]

If youre zeroing at 100 yards, you dont need a 20moa rail. Use a 0 moa rail

 

[Slagiatt]

Just looking back through the thread, i see the cabelas guy mounted it. Id assume its mounted poorly. Get a gun vise, a brass scope leveling kit, torque driver if you dont have one, watch some youtube videos.. get it mounted properly.

And... this is really just my opinion... 15x seems pretty low for 1000 yard shooting. Also, if youre going to be shooting long range, id suggest putting a level on your scope.

 

[PaulB47]

Make sure your 20 moa mount is not on backwards.

I agree about store-mounted scopes. Do it yourself if you want it done right. Also I like to lap the scope rings to avoid torquing your expensive scope tube.

Sloped mounts are most needed where the bullet velocity is lower and the range of adjustment in the scope is small. However I like them in any case as I think it is more likely the zeroed scope will be in the middle of the adjustment range, where the optics are best - or even a bit low, giving you lots of adjustment left for a long range shot. One downside though, is that the scope bell can more easily contact the barrel.

Find the middle of the scope adjustment by going to both extremes and then going half way between them, mount the scope temporarily, and then take a shot at 100 yards. This will tell you if you need the sloped mount or not, and how much slope you need.

 

[Spitpatch]

NEVER trust a "store-mounted" scope system. Gunsmith? Well, ... maybe ... as long as you're on beer-drinkin' terms with him.

Go from the ground up YOURSELF. In the process you eliminate all questions about it.

 

[osprey]

I can't tell you how many scope mounting problems I have come across after they have been supposedly mounted by a professional. Invest in the time and equipment to it correctly yourself or find a competent gunsmith to take care of it. I would not trust the drunken monkey wanna be smith's at the big box gun stores.

 

[Unka-Boo]

I can't tell you how many scope mounting problems I have come across after they have been supposedly mounted buy a professional. Invest in the time and equipment to it correctly yourself or find a competent gunsmith to take care of it. I would not trust the drunken monkey wanna be smith's at the big box gun stores.

Every
Single
Year
I volunteer for hunter sight in at the club, I can't even begin to tell you how many "professionally" mounted scopes were screwed up.

 

[edslhead]

The problem was he couldnt zero the scope because the CDS cap was on. It has that zero stop button. You have to take it off and turn the post with a coin. Thats one thing I dont like about the leopold CDS, you have to carry that tiny alen wrench with you every time you sight in.

 

[Whisky Tahoe]

Make sure your 20 moa mount is not on backwards.

I agree about store-mounted scopes. Do it yourself if you want it done right. Also I like to lap the scope rings to avoid torquing your expensive scope tube.

Sloped mounts are most needed where the bullet velocity is lower and the range of adjustment in the scope is small. However I like them in any case as I think it is more likely the zeroed scope will be in the middle of the adjustment range, where the optics are best - or even a bit low, giving you lots of adjustment left for a long range shot. One downside though, is that the scope bell can more easily contact the barrel.

Find the middle of the scope adjustment by going to both extremes and then going half way between them, mount the scope temporarily, and then take a shot at 100 yards. This will tell you if you need the sloped mount or not, and how much slope you need.

I can tell by the picture his rail on on correctly. It points the scope down in relation to the barrel which is what you want if you are trying to add 20 MOA. You have to lob the bullet up so when it comes down it is further down range. If you installed the low end at the back and the high end forward, you are pointing the barrel into the ground and it won't be going very far down range doing that.


As for the rings, Both Burris Zee and XTR rings come in non signature configs which means no inserts and won't help here. You need to make sure the rings call out "Signature" to get the inserts.

With XTR signature rings, I like having a 20MOA rail then use the rings to offset it down to 0, 5, 10 MOA etc.

15x will barely be ok on large targets. 10x was used by military snipers several wars ago but it is hardly adequate today given the availability of high quality optics.

 

[edslhead]

 

[JuglansRegia]

Some retail guy mounted your scope, was he the same guy that told you that you needed a 20MOA base?