Ever Happen To You?

[Jay24bal]

I mounted a new scope (Nikon Buckmaster) on my Savage .223 earlier in the week and took it out to the range after work today to get it sighted in (I also installed a new heavy barrel). I did not laser bore sight it like I normally do as the batteries were dead and I did not have any of the tiny things on hand. Anyway, I couldn't for the life of me get the thing sighted in. After 2 boxes of ammo I figured out the problem...the dials were installed backwards. When I clicked it expecting it move the POA right, it went left and up was down. After figuring that out, it was a piece of cake and was punching 3/4" groups at 100yds.

Anyone see this before?

 

[DnPRK]

Glad it is working for you now.

 

[math teacher]

Were they installed backwards, or did you install it 90 degrees off making the horizontal the vertical and vice-versa? Is the windage knob on the right where it belongs, or on the left?

 

[Picher]

I've had several Red Dot sights that had arrows backwards also. The simple way to get a quick zero is to clamp the rifle in a Lohman Site-Vise, sight a target through the bore and move each dial to coincide the scope image with the boresighted target center. Note that when the bore is looking at the center and the crosshairs appear high and right of center, the adjustment knobs must be turned UP and Right (because the rifle would shoot low and left if fired before adjustments).

After firing a shot or two, and if on-paper, make a partial adjustment, then fire another shot to see how the point of impact moves, just in case the click value is not as advertised.

 

[Axelwik]

I'm not sure why people need those laser boresight tools.

The way I've always done it is:

1) Take the bolt out
2) Brace the rifle with sandbags or whatever is on hand
3) look down the barrel and identify an object downrange while looking through the barrel (might have to move the gun around to find something)
4) Keeping the gun steady, adjust the scope to the same object

Done - This will get you on the paper. Sight it in.

 

[taylorce1]

I'm not sure why people need those laser boresight tools.

Because not everyone shoots bolt action rifles, can't bore sight a lever action that way, nor semi-auto rifles, and break action rifle are easier to bore sight with the butt stock attached and action locked. I know the OP's rifle is a bolt action, but there are plenty of reasons for owning a laser bore sighter.

 

[Axelwik]

Because not everyone shoots bolt action rifles, can't bore sight a lever action that way, nor semi-auto rifles, and break action rifle are easier to bore sight with the butt stock attached and action locked. I know the OP's rifle is a bolt action, but there are plenty of reasons for owning a laser bore sighter.

That's funny, it takes me less than 30 seconds to remove the bolt from my lever gun... one screw and the lever and bolt comes right out.

For a break open, well just break it open .

I've also done it on military M-16s; I'm pretty sure the same could be done with an AR-15 and most other auto loaders. (Maybe not a muzzleloader unless it has a removable breech plug.)

I'm just trying to point out that for most situations people don't need to waste their money. (Gee, I wonder how we did it before lasers?)

 

[taylorce1]

Yeah, some levers work that way, but try it with a Savage 99, Ruger 10/22, Marlin, Mode, 60, Mini 14/30, Benelli R1, Browning BAR, and like I said it is easier to do break opens with the action closed as it is easier to stabalize the whole rifle than just a barrel. There are more than one type of rifle that you can't look down the bore after removing the bolt. My point is there are plenty or reasons to own a laser bore sighter especially when you can't look down the bore easily.

 

[Axelwik]

Hard to find a rifle that you couldn't look down the bore with some disassembly. For something that only has to be done once I think it's a waste of money. With money so tight these days I was merely trying to point out to the readers on this forum that there are other options.

I typically do it at home before going to the range.

Sounds like an excuse to buy more "stuff." ...Each his own

 

[4V50 Gary]

I concur with Axelwix. Learn to do more with less. Tools just make things easier, not smarter.

 

[Jay24bal]

Clarififcation

I did bore sight it the old school way by removing the bolt. By doing so I was able to get it on paper with the first shots, but not dead center. The problems began when I was trying to walk it down to bull.

And to answer another quesiton, it was from the factory and I did not mess with the dials until sighting in. I do not know much about the inner-working of scopes, but is it possible that the gears or whatever moves when you click the dial were installed backwards at the factory?

Either way, I will just make a note on my range chart that the dials need to adjusted inversely of standard dials. The scope works great other than that.

 

[jmr40]

I've come across 1 red dot that had the dials moving the sights in the wrong direction, never seen a scope do it.

Bore sight tools are a waste of money, even on guns where you cannot see through the barrel. I've never needed more than 3 shots to zero a bolt gun. A lever or any other gun requires at most 1 more shot. I'd have to zero a dozen rifles a year for quite a few years just to break even on the ammo costs at that rate.

 

[2000ShadowACE]

I had the same problem with an Aim-point scope. Fortuately I figured it out, but only after burning through about three boxes of 30.06 cartridges.

 

[Picher]

A laser bore sighter helps to get a quick determination as to whether the scope can be zeroed without adding shims, etc. Sometimes it's difficult to do an actual bore-sight in one's basement at night.