How far back do you mount your scopes?

B

brewman

New member
Do you lean in, creep or stretch your neck into the scope?

Lots of advice says get your head in a position it naturally goes to with a decent cheek weld then move the scope back (At max power) until you get a good sight picture.

I find the scope seems way back if I try and position as above and would worry about the old eyebrow scar if not careful, especially with a prone shot.

What’s your opinion on the right way to position a scope?

Cheers!
 
Should be in a neutral as possible position. If you shouldered your rifle with your eyes closed, then opened your eyes ... Your rifle should be lined up.

Many people just buy scopes without considering eyes relief.
 
I mount my high power rifle scopes closer (further back) than most. The reason-most of my scope mounting and sight-in is done in warm weather and most of the actual use is in cold weather when several thickness of clothing will make the eye relief longer.
AR with adjustable stock- I set them so the shooter with the shortest eye relief can still use them and the rest of us can lengthen the stock.
If you're a "stock crawler", you do need to be careful or you will wear the eyebrow tattoo.
 
What caliber are you shooting? Is your hold going to be light or strong. Proper cheek weld, eye position & sight picture very important.
 
Its going to vary depending on the eye relief of the optic. One thing you get when you pay more is extra eye relief.

Assuming there is no hardware conflict (turrets & rings for example) I set up the rings just barely tight enough to hold the scope then assume my shooting position & slide back & forth, taking frequent breaks so the eye doesn't get led, until I just see the full image circle. Once there I tighten the rings. Where it ends up it ends up, its function I'm looking for, not cosmetics.

Here's where 2 of mine ended up for a comparison. The darker stocked rifle has a longer buttstock than the other so the scope eyepiece is further back.

(images (c) Wogpotter 2013 & 2014)
DSCF1316_zps976ef459.jpg


DSCF1304_zps0893116a.jpg
 
For a hunting rifle, I mount as far forward as I can and still see thru it. Don't need no black/cut eye socket.
 
Shop set up and range confirm

Lots of advice says get your head in a position it naturally goes to with a decent cheek weld then move the scope back (At max power) until you get a good sight picture.
Click to expand...
This is correct and there might be some exceptions and for good reason. I have never had to compromise this method. .... :)

I took a new set-up to the range yesterday and was having a slight problem viewing through my scope. Then I realized that the reason was that I was short-changing my cheek weld. Once I got into that, all went great and I was not that much off from my shop bench set-up, in fact, it was pretty darn good !!

Check this out and with the exception of one minor difference, this guy knows his stuff. Very good tutorial video ..... ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COoXVpGfXQE

Be Safe !!!
 
This is why choosing a scope with a longer, more forgiving eye relief is important and often overlooked, at least on a hunting rifle. It is less of an issue on target guns fired from fixed positions.

Eye relief can vary from 2.75" to almost 5" depending on the manufacturer and individual scope. The eye relief can vary depending on the magnification, some scopes are a constant distance regardless of magnification, most get a little shorter as magnification goes up.

I wouldn't own anything with much less than 4" and 4.5" is even better. Scopes with short eye relief will only allow you to see the full view within a very narrow range of adjustment, often meaning they have to be mounted too far back. Longer eye relief scopes will work well over a much wider range.

I like to mount them so they are as far forward as possible and still provide a good view at the lowest magnification and when wearing thicker winter clothing. I'm far less concerned about getting smacked in the eye than being able to pick up the target quickly in a hunting situation. With generous eye relief the view won't change even if only wearing a T-shirt. The eye relief is a little less at the higher magnifications, but still perfectly useable.

I simply prefer Leupold for these reasons. Even on the highest magnification I have more eye relief than most scopes do at the lowest magnification.
 
brewman said:
Do you lean in, creep or stretch your neck into the scope?

Lots of advice says get your head in a position it naturally goes to with a decent cheek weld then move the scope back (At max power) until you get a good sight picture.

I find the scope seems way back if I try and position as above and would worry about the old eyebrow scar if not careful, especially with a prone shot.

What’s your opinion on the right way to position a scope?

Cheers!
Click to expand...
that sounds like a combination of eye relief and length of pull. set yor length of pull then do your scope in that order. then you can adjust the scope according to your body position if you shoot off hand, prone, etc.
 
Shouldn't be any leaning in, creeping or stretching involved. As mentioned , you should be able to shoulder the rifle with your eyes closed and have a full sight picture when you open 'em.
Long eye relief scopes are for heavy recoiling cartridges. Not really necessary. If you get Weatherby eye brow it's from too short a stock or the scope is too close. Every scope's manual will tell you what the eye relief is.
 
Excellent point !!!

that sounds like a combination of eye relief and length of pull.
Click to expand...
Bingo !!!
This was my thought as well and length of pull should be a priority .. ;)

Be Safe !!
 
Im not really a scope person, so I tend to mount mine where the irons would normally be, on a rifle with peep sights.

The scopes mounted on Wogpotters rifles would never work for me, and I always had troubles with my HK claw mounts, as the Germans like to mount them towards the back of the rifle as well. Maybe its a European thing.

Generally, the rear of the scope on my rifles, are where the peeps would be, or over the rear of the bolt.

I also like shorter LOP stocked guns (normally found on military and older commercial rifles), especially for a gun that will be used in the field. The current trend of commercial rifles having a long LOP, high comb, and a recoil pad, drives me nuts.

I also like the "scout" type scopes and their mounting position, especially for a reactive type rifle. It gives a more "iron" feel to the gun, and is more inline with my normal, head down and forward, cheek weld.
 
You're supposed to shoulder the rifle naturally, comfortably...
When we mount our scopes, it's a two man job. Shooter shoulders the rifle, obtains natural cheekweld. Other person slides the scope fore/aft in the ring bottoms only until the correct eye relief is obtained, then the scope is marked relative to ring position. Tops installed just to confirm eye relief positioning one more time with shooter.

If all's good, then actual leveling/installation proceeds. You should NEVER need to strain or find yourself in anything other than your natural shooting position for correct scope positioning- both eye relief and height/cheekweld.

This is all about bone support (cheekweld) and not having to obtain and hold position with muscles- they will fatigue and result in shakes/tremors.

It is best to obtain this positioning in the most used style (prone, bench) as positioning will likely be slightly different for each.
 
Thanks guys, appreciate the info.

All my rifles are topped with Leupolds the two I’m mounting at the moment are a Sako 75 in 270 Win and a Browning BLR in 300 WM.

The browning is getting a VXI that used to live on the Sako, and now the Sako is getting a new VXIII, previously the VXI was mounted about ¾” further forward than where the new VXIII is now and they have very similar eye relief.

The browning has the rail hanging over the end of the receiver to get the mount back far enough, obviously LOP would be a factor too with both rifles but not sure I want to cut any stock down.

They both seem to be in a reasonably good position for me now without having to creep however like I said the old VXI was mounted a lot further forward and it never really bothered me to reach for it a little, but that don’t mean it was right either.

Think I’ll leave them as they are and see how it goes, I rarely shoot prone so not too worried, the Leupolds have over 3” relief at max power so Weatherby eye is probably not likely.

Cheers!
 

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Depends on my rifle's stock configuration. I first establish my comfortable "LOP" (length of pull) then fiddle with the scope until I can establish my cheek weld with my eyes closed, then open my eyes and my scope sight picture should be pretty close to ideal without head movement.
 
I got my half-moon eyebrow cut when I fired a .30-'06 off the roof of my buddy's car. But I did not put the big dent on the roof from the muzzle blast - he did that all by himself.

Jim
 
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