Mount Scope Myself or Take It Somewhere?

[UnionMillsNW]

Hey Folks,

I've had my Savage 110 for about 22 years. It was my first hunting rifle and currently has a Simmons 3x9 scope attached. The scope holds a good zero at 100 yrds but my shooting skills have surpassed what the scope can offer. I've purchased a Vortex and look forward to getting it mounted and zeroed.

Here is the question:

Should I mount the scope myself (I don't have a rifle bench) or pay to have it mounted? If paying what is a good spot around Salem?

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[Andy54Hawken]

A rifle bench is a plus with this....Do you have a friend who has one...?
Its pretty easy to mount a scope to a rifle....with that said...its pretty easy to mess up as well.

If you don't have a rifle bench or access to one...I'd go with a professional to mount the scope.
Andy

 

[zenmariner]

Get some fix it sticks scope levels a regular vise will work just have some foam or old t shirts to keep from marring the stock. Get a torq wrench for scopes and u have everything u need to mount scopes to every gun u own.

 

[clanhanson]

Torque wrench and somewhere to securely rest your firearm vertically are all you need really.

Edit: not vertically as in barrel straight up... unless you really enjoy a challenge and are a bit of a trendsetter

 

[osprey]

The small stuff matters. Sure if everything is machined in spec you could slap a scope on an tighten it down and have it be ok. However, if rings are not aligned properly and the rings are not making good contact that scope will jump around and never hold zero. My vote is to have it done properly by someone with the proper tools.

 

[Ben B.]

I've paid for drill and tap, threading, 1911 barrel fitting, a few trigger jobs, or anything that requires a mill or lathe. Until this thread, it has never occurred to me to pay someone to mount a scope and I see no reason to do so.

 

[CRBMoA]

If you have to ask..............................................................???

Not meant as an insult, but rather an observation.

Good Luck!

 

[2ndtimer]

I have never paid to have a scope mounted. But then again, when I was starting out, I had friends that were more experienced and willing to lend a hand. Since then I have helped lots of people get their scopes zeroed after they had paid to have them mounted and (supposedly) bore sighted. A simple portable maintenance center can be helpful to hold the rifle, also comes in very hand for cleaning, too.

MTM Portable Rifle-Shotgun Gun Maintenance Center Plastic Red

The MGM Portable Rifle-Shotgun Maintenance Center was designed to aid in cleaning your rifle or shotgun at the range. The rubber overmolded padded forks...

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[osprey]

It is not hard to do correctly but does require some tools and some rudimentry mechanical skills and understanding.

 

[dangerranger60]

Your rifle is already Drilled and Tapped, It has a mount already in place. Most likely you are going to take the old scope out of the existing rings and put the new scope back in its place. Use a little tape and mark the rings front and rear so that they go back in the original positions. And it should be that easy. If the new scope has a larger bell and it has interference issues you will need a taller ring.
I have done this enough that I would have no problems. But if you are not comfortable doing this pay someone! Good Luck, DR

 

[UnionMillsNW]

I appreciate everyone's feedback. I have plenty of tools...except the bubble level and rifle bench. I don't plan on buying a bunch of stuff to mount the scope since this is my only hunting rifle and I have no plans of adding scoped rifles to my inventory in the future.

I probably should have phrased it as more of a "cost/benefit" question. Without a rifle bench would it be worth fiddling for two hours or pay someone $50?

@dangerranger60 the new scope has a shallower bevel so the current mount and ring location aren't going to work. I'll need to buy a longer mount so the rings can be in the proper position.

I'll most likely start and see if I can mount it myself. If I get flummoxed I'll take it to a smith.

Thanks everyone.

 

[ronin223]

your set up is not capable of that much accuracy. trust me you can mount it yourself without loss of accuracy.

 

[2ndtimer]

your set up is not capable of that much accuracy.

Careful, some of those old Savages are capable of surprisingly good accuracy, including my own Stevens in .243 Win.

 

[UnionMillsNW]

Careful, some of those old Savages are capable of surprisingly good accuracy, including my own Stevens in .243 Win.

Agreed. I've never taken a scientific look at my groups but I have no doubt, even with the Simmons scope, I get at least 1 moa at 100yds

 

[P7M13]

Coat of Arms in Keizer
Guncrafters in Salem
Tick Licker in Salem

Those three come to mind, call 'em and see.
I've used Coat of Arms and Gun Crafters for mountings, adjustments etc, for some time and can recommend both.

Mounting a scope isn't hard. Attention to the details is important. Some believe in bedding the ring mount to the barrel. Some don't.
Alignment of the rings is critical when the bases aren't one piece.
Vertical crosshair alignment is important when you're shooting out past 200.
If you go with mounting a picatinny base on the receiver, not all are created equal. Some align themselves properly, some need alignment, which requires more specialized tools. The problem with Picatinny bases is that it gives elevation to the scope, requiring a higher cheek rest. Those old Savages had pretty bare-bones stocks with non-existent combs. You're used to a low sight bore axis, and keeping close to a low one with your Vortex (i.e. as low as possible) is probably a good idea.

 

[ronin223]

Careful, some of those old Savages are capable of surprisingly good accuracy, including my own Stevens in .243 Win.

Like sub 1/4 MOA? I say that because I mounted a schmidt and bender 10x on my accuracy international AWP myself. No lapping the rings. Still holds zero and shoots 1/4 MOA with match loads better slightly with hand loads neck sized Berger bullets.

 

[rjmt]

I appreciate everyone's feedback. I have plenty of tools...except the bubble level and rifle bench. I don't plan on buying a bunch of stuff to mount the scope since this is my only hunting rifle and I have no plans of adding scoped rifles to my inventory in the future.

I probably should have phrased it as more of a "cost/benefit" question. Without a rifle bench would it be worth fiddling for two hours or pay someone $50?

@dangerranger60 the new scope has a shallower bevel so the current mount and ring location aren't going to work. I'll need to buy a longer mount so the rings can be in the proper position.

I'll most likely start and see if I can mount it myself. If I get flummoxed I'll take it to a smith.

Thanks everyone.

I made a rifle holder out of 2x4s and some old rug - takes about 10 min to make
be sure you have a torque wrench or a FAT tool

Wheeler Digital F.A.T. (Firearms Accurizing Torque) Torque Wrench

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[orygun]

One time I had a guy at a gun store mount a scope for me. Not only was it painful to watch this "professional" damn near twist the screws off, I had to take it home and get the reticle square. Another example of why I don't pay people to do what I can do. When I do pay someone, they usually F it up and I have to do it again myself... Using a real gunsmith would have been different.

Since the gun already has a scope on it the swap will be pretty straightforward. However, be ready to spend a while making sure the reticle's vertical line is true to the butt of the rifle. You'll put it on, square it up, tighten the ring screws and check. Then you'll loosen it up a tad, twist scope, repeat, repeat, repeat! It's a viscous process. It's even more of a PIA with Weaver rings as they only clamp on one side and always twist the scope.
Once it's square, make something like @rjmt did, or buy one of the Tipton gun vices. (https://www.midwayusa.com/product/101491760) Set it out where you can look at an object a long ways away. I have a hillside at 800 yards I use. Pull the bolt and sight through the barrel. Adjust the scope to line up with what you see through the barrel and head for the range. It's pretty amazing how close I'll be when doing it this way.

 

[rjmt]

I made a rifle holder out of 2x4s and some old rug - takes about 10 min to make
be sure you have a torque wrench or a FAT tool

Wheeler Digital F.A.T. (Firearms Accurizing Torque) Torque Wrench

Wheeler's Digital F.A.T. Wrench brings even more precise torque settings to the hand held torque wrench market. This amazing digital hand held torque...

ads.midwayusa.com

View attachment 1076787

sorry - 2x6

 

[orygun]

I don't have that small of a torque wrench. Just 40+ years of turning wrenches.

That Tipton gun vise is $55. They are one handy tool and if comparing to paying someone to mount a scope, it's mostly paid for.