Positional Tips for Mounting a Rifle Scope on a Long Rail
Posted on: 29 June 2019
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If you have a rifle that is equipped with a Picatinny rail and you've just bought scope rings that will mount to the rail with ease, there are a number of things that you want to carefully consider before you place the scope rings on the rail. It's quick and easy to mount the scope rings and remove them to remount them, so don't be afraid of playing trial and error in an effort to get the scope mounted in the right position. Considering these positioning tips will play a critical role in helping you to mount the scope where it's most suitable for you.
Weight Distribution
Rifles scopes can vary in weight significantly, especially when you're comparing a simple scope to a larger one that may have other attachments. When you place a scope on a rifle, you want the distribution of weight to feel natural. For example, when you raise the gun to fire, you don't want the weight of the scope to cause the barrel to drop or the butt to drop. If you mount the scope and the weight distribution doesn't quite feel right, move the scope in either direction accordingly.
Distance to Your Eye
Different people have different preferences about how close they want the back end of the scope to their eye. Obviously, you want to position your face so that you can see through the scope but not have it recoil and hit you as you pull the trigger. This is another reason that you may want to position and then reposition your scope rings and the scope itself. You don't want to have to lunge your head forward in an awkward position in order to see through the scope properly, as this could lead to neck pain if you're shooting a lot.
Appearance
It never hurts to mount the scope and then take a few steps back from the firearm and see how the scope and rifle look together. It's often the case that there will be a sweet spot — in other words, a position in which the scope looks just right. The setup can look awkward if the scope is too far forward or too far back, and while you want the location of the scope to be functional above all else, there's also value in having the gun look right visually. A small adjustment forward or backward can help with this.
To learn more about scope rings, contact a company like Alaska Arms LLC.