Need help with Marlin 60 + Nikon scope

[IXFE]

I bought my son a Marlin 60 recently and picked out a Nikon Prostaff 3-9 Rimfire BDC scope.

Trouble is I'm having a hard time siting it in. My groups are hitting 7-8 inches low at 50 yards. Simple, just turn the elevation turret up, right? The issue is it's already all the way up. Seems I have no more adjustment.

How can this be? The only solution I can think of is a different mount (currently using low profile rings). I mean, I've heard of mounts that are canted downward, but isn't that for guys shooting long distance? I can't understand why a 22 would need that at 50 yards.

Any ideas?

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[deadeye]

The scope is not touching rear sight? What brand rings I have had cheaper rings not be quite a matched set as in one being slightly taller, not too sure how that happens. Personally I would get just a slightly taller set of rings.

 

[Joe13]

Shim the back ring under the scope.

 

[Member 5605]

This shouldn't be a problem that's happening.

Personally I would set your rings as far apart as you can. It will help with changing the amount of leverage/force on the mounts.

Second it will allow you to shim a little better if needed.

First thing I would do is swap the rings around, OR maybe get a taller pair so they clear the sight a little more. I haven't had good results will Millett on rings. They just didn't work well (it appears those are Millett).

I love that exact rifle, waiting to buy another and mine always were tack drivers.

 

[jbett98]

Try swapping the rings front to rear.

Here's a neat trick to bring a scope back to factory zero with ease.
Take the scope and place it flat against a bathroom mirror with the room lights on bright.
Look through the eyepiece and you will see two sets of cross hairs.
Adjust the knobs until one set of cross hairs joins the other. Presto, back to factory zero.

 

[Member 5605]

Try swapping the rings front to rear.

Here's a neat trick to bring a scope back to factory zero with ease.
Take the scope and place it flat against a bathroom mirror with the room lights on bright.
Look through the eyepiece and you will see two sets of cross hairs.
Adjust the knobs until one set of cross hairs joins the other. Presto, back to factory zero.

I just learned something. It makes perfect sense too!!!

 

[IXFE]

Guys... great responses. I really appreciate the help.

As mentioned, the rings on there now are really low profile. So much so that the front of the scope is just barely resting on the front site. I'm now wondering if that is ever so slightly forcing the scope to aim high. For that reason, I'm thinking new rings are in order.

Love the mirror trick. I'm going to do this before I mount it again.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Really nice looking rifle! I hope your son likes it!

Good job taking him shooting, he'll remember it always!

 

[AMT]

If taller rings don't do the trick, try bore sighting it. If nothing works, don't forget that anything made in mass quantities could have a factory defect. Maybe the elevation adjustment is hosed???

 

[Member 34319]

Try swapping the rings front to rear.

Here's a neat trick to bring a scope back to factory zero with ease.
Take the scope and place it flat against a bathroom mirror with the room lights on bright.
Look through the eyepiece and you will see two sets of cross hairs.
Adjust the knobs until one set of cross hairs joins the other. Presto, back to factory zero.

I'll seriously have to try this. I've always just counted the clicks from dead bottom to dead top and divided by two.

 

[jbett98]

When you peer into the scope, just let your eye relax and the cross hairs will come into a hazy focus.
Some scopes need a little extra light shined onto the mirror right next to the scope.
And make sure the scope is flat & tight against the mirror.

 

[IXFE]

Okay, I bought new rings yesterday (medium height) thinking they'd be just a smidgen higher. I went to put them on tonight only to realize they're the same height.

But then I noticed something... the scope was indeed resting on the rear site, no doubt pushing it up a bit. I hadn't noticed this at the range.

So I took off the scope and did the mirror trick, setting it back to factory zero. So cool...

Then I decided to use the old rings and just space them apart more and inch the scope forward so it would clear that rear sight. I figured I'd save myself $35 that way.

Then as I was tightening down the screws on the old ring bases, I noticed just as they'd start to get firm, they'd break free again. It was as if I couldn't really crank them down. That's when I realized that what probably happened was those ring bases had moved back some, bringing the scope in contact with the site, pushing the scope up and ruining any hope of siting it in.

So I ditched those junky rings and any ideas about retrieving my 35 bucks. The new rings went on and they are much higher quality... and made in Tualatin! I tightened them down and got the scope moved a bit forward off the site.

Headed to the range later to see how it goes...

Here's some pics of the old junky rings and the new ones mounted up. Notice the slim clearance with that rear sight!

 

[jbett98]

The folks at Warne are great. Did you torque the rings down, or just by feel?
You can remove the rear sight and move the scope back a bit if a more natural eye relief is needed when moving the rifle up to your shoulder.

 

[IXFE]

The folks at Warne are great. Did you torque the rings down, or just by feel?

Just by feel. No torque wrench. Is that bad?

The package didn't specify

 

[jbett98]

Being a .22 not so much. A high power rifle would need it.
I like to move the scopes eye relief into focus when the rings are slightly loose, instead of twisting the eye piece back and forth after the scope is torqued down.
In a perfect world, you should be able to mount the rifle to your shoulder with your eyes closed and when opening them, the scope is in perfect position without moving your head back or forward to get it into a clear view.

 

[Member 5605]

If I said it before I'll repeat if I didn't then here it goes:

Love the .22, I had one exactly like that as my first and as an idiot I sold it when I became an adult. Those micro grooved barrels would outshoot my built up $500 10/22. I got it when I was so young we cut the stock down to fit me and when I grew we added the piece back. I bet I shot 10,000+ through mine.

Have fun with that rifle!

 

[IXFE]

Problem solved! Took her to the range tonight with my boys. Took about 5 shots to get it sited in at 50 yards. Then the boys started throwing darts!

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Very nice! That rifle should last them a lifetime with fond memories of dad!

 

[Joe13]

Marlin 60 was my first and favorite .22lr and I agree it is incredibly accurate without mods.

Congrats on solving the issue!

 

[etrain16]

Marlin 60 was my first and favorite .22lr and I agree it is incredibly accurate without mods.

Congrats on solving the issue!

Same here. Marlin 60 is my first gun, got it from my dad for Christmas one year. It will always be in my collection, at least until I pass it on to my daughter.