Did I ruin my scope?

T

Troponin

New member
Hope I didn't damage my scope.

Last night I wanted to mount my scope onto my new Ruger .223. It comes with Ruger rings, since the bases are specialized. I couldn't find instructions on how to install, so I figured I would just wing it...after all, how hard could it be?

So, I installed the rings onto the bases. I set the scope in there and it seemed to fit into the front one easily, but is was snug in the rear one. I looked at the spacing and it appeared to be fine. I knew that I was not off because when I put on the top of the ring on, that was sung too, almost as if they were barely large enough.

Hind sight, I should have contacted Ruger first about it. I have never had a ring fit that snug. Aren't the rings supposed to allow the scope to set in it pretty loosely? It only took a little pressure to push it down into the ring and to put the top on, but I suppose that looking back, any pressure could cause some damage.

Lastly, I have a question. How do you all get your cross hairs squared? Do you just move it until it looks square?

Just called Ruger. Was told that it should not fit like that...boy, I REALLY hope this did not mess up my scope. ****!!!!

Why is this crap happening to me, especially now? My .22 mag is still out of commission due to a firing pin malfunction. It's been out for about 6 weeks now. I bought a .243 that had accuracy/POI issues, bought a .223 that can't be used now because of the Ring problem.

All these guns I have and I can't use one of them. UGH!!!

If this is damaged, can I hold Ruger responsible? I don't have the f'ing money for a scope right now, nor do I want to buy another one because of a defect that Ruger sent me. I am so sick of quality issues with guns.

I am at work until 6pm now and cannot get home to take it out before it does damage, if it hasn't happened already.
 
I'll bet the scope is fine. put it on a 22, rest on a bench and shoot(lots).. no need to adjust the scope, just make sure the holes are grouped.
 
The scope is still mounted. Should I just leave it in and see how it shoots? I am just afraid it will dent the scope from a pressure point.
 
yes, see if it shoots good. those monotube scopes are stronger than you think. if you squeezed it out of alignment the optics would give a distorted view. does it look good sighting through?
 
I only looked through it in the house, but it appeared ok.

I'll be able to take it out tomorrow and shoot it in.

One other thing, do these ruger rings have adjustments on them so you don't have to start with the fine tuning adjustments on the scope?
 


Get a scope ring lapping kit for the next time. Lap the rings and then put in your $300 worth of glass....




-tINY

 
Or.........

Epoxy Method of Scope Mounting
submitted by Paul Workman.
Based on an article by Rick Jamison of "Shooting Times" Magazine





Distortion of the scope tube (bending) can result in vertical or horizontal adjustments either sticking or not returning to the original set point after being adjusted for wind and elevation. For example, sometimes an adjustment or two will produce no change in POI, and a subsequent adjustment results in a huge jump in one or sometimes both the vertical and horizontal directions. Another example is the scope not returning to zero, even if the corrections are ultimately made in the same (“down and left” ) directions.

Scope tube bending can take place if the alignment of the rings is off by only a few thousandths of an inch. This can occur as result of errors in the rings or the height of the receiver between the rings. Further, if the axis of the rings are not in perfect alignment with relation to each other, the scope tube will be bent which can result in binding. Both of these situations can exist whether a one or two piece scope base is used, depending on the rings and the base(s) used…in theory anyway. And, there is some potential for distorting the tube by over-tightening the ring caps.

Lapping or epoxy can be used to correct the alignment problem.

Lapping has the advantage of being perhaps the fastest method from start to finish, but it must be done carefully and patiently to avoid creating more problems than the one intended to be solved. The lapping tools wear out and a worn lapp can result in less than perfectly straight and aligned surfaces for the scope to rest in. Constant and uniform pressure and elbow grease must be applied to a lapp in fresh & true condition. And, even with the best of lapping jobs, the actual fit to the scope tube is almost never perfect: The radius of the scope tube being less than the radius of the ring resulting from lapping – usually resulting in a two point hold when the scope tube is sandwiched between the bottom half of the ring and the top half. The result is less grip on the scope often leading the shooter to over torque the cap screws in order to assure the tube doesn’t slip under recoil. Thus the tube is distorted by taking on an oval at the point of ring contact; which may or may not cause a problem depending on degree of distortion and other factors.

Epoxy mounting solves the perfect fit problem. The epoxy exactly fills the gap between the bottom half of the rings and the body of the scope tube. The fit is similar to that resulting from glass bedding the action into the stock; complete and continuous. However, start to finish requires about 24 hours, depending on the epoxy used. One the other hand, the epoxy method requires no elbow grease.

Epoxy Procedure:

After mounting the rings and aligning them to your specifications, remove the top half of the rings and degrease the contact (saddle) area of the bottom half.
Put release agent (I use wax or shoe polish) on all other ring surfaces to keep the epoxy from sticking to where it will ooze under pressure; don’t forget the screw holes.
Place a coating of metal impregnated (I use JB Weld) epoxy in the saddle of the bottom rings; about 1-2 mm (1/16th inch) thick and spread it evenly over the entire surface of the ring saddle.
After waxing the scope in the ring contact area, place it in the rings and hold it down firmly but gently in place with either a couple heavy rubber bands, or use the top half of the rings, tightening them down until the epoxy oozes out the sides. Not too tight – just enough to seat the scope tube against the rings; but no more (it’s a feel thing). (Note: Only a rough orientation of the scope to the final position is required at this time.)
After the epoxy sets up to a stiff plastic consistency (about 6-8 hours @ 70° F for JB Weld), remove the scope and trim away the excess epoxy ooze (I use an Exacto knife), leaving only the layer in the bottom of the ring saddles.
Remount the scope and the rubber bands and let the epoxy cure (for a total of 24 hours if using JB Weld).
The secret to the scope staying put under recoil comes now: Before you clamp it in place, use some powdered resin (available in sporting goods stores – I use a little bag intended for tennis) and powder the scope all around the tube in the area contacted by the rings. After the scope is situated where you want it, tighten it in place, firmly without over doing it.

The resin will do the lions share of the holding – far better than the rings alone, in my experience. The scope is now held in a mold making an exact fit – providing maximum contact. Thus the resin/epoxy mounting applies tremendous holding ability compared to the point contact holding that usually results even after lapping. This means less need to crank down on the top half of the scope rings, and thus lessening potential for distorting the scope due to over tightening the top half of the rings.

Not counting curing time, time spent aligning the rings and later the scope itself, the epoxy method requires less than 5 minutes actual effort. Not often is easier better, especially when it comes to accuracy.

Cheers
 
Not that it will help you this time but maybe next. I have a old 1" scope I purchased at a yard sale for about 3 bucks. I always mount it first when mounting rings.
 
I am having my step father make me an aluminum pipe 1" thick and 12" long.

The scope went back to the factory. I had it on my .243 and was having trouble with POI. I then put it on my .223 and making any adjustment throws it all over the place and my POI is still changing.
 
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