How to Mount a Scope: A Step-by-Step Guide

Knowing how to mount a scope is one of the prerequisites for ensuring accuracy when shooting.

You can zero your optics all you want, adjusting your reticles or crosshairs until they are perfectly aligned, but unless your scope is mounted securely on your rifle, all that effort will go to waste.

Utilizing the proper method of mounting a scope on a rifle will help ensure more accuracy, precision, and consistency, not to mention safety, ensuring your scope does not go flying, giving you scope eye.

This guide will teach you everything you need to know about mounting a rifle scope correctly and consistently, the importance of proper mounting, and tips on ensuring accuracy and secure mounting at all times.

What Does “Mounting a Scope” Mean?

Mounting a scope entails attaching an optical sight (in this case, your scope) onto mounts compatible with your weapons platforms, which is a rifle in this case.

Mounting a rifle scope securely ensures proper alignment, stability, and accuracy whenever you aim. It allows you to zero and boresight your scope without worrying about the scope going flying due to your weapon’s recoil.

You will often attach your scopes to the base or mounting rail of your rifle using scope rings, accessories designed to cradle your scope, allowing you to make adjustments without worrying about shaking the entire optic.

When mounting your scope onto your mounts and then attaching those onto your rifle, you must use the right tools during the initial attachment and subsequent maintenance phases.

These will also allow you to mount your scope on a different rifle or use a different scope on the same rifle, as the process will often be the same across brands and scope models.

What Do You Need to Mount a Scope?

The mounting process requires specific materials and tools to ensure accuracy and proper mounting that is repeatable and sustainable. These tools are listed below.

• Torque Wrench – a tool for adjusting the torque setting of bolts or screws on your scope rings.
• Leveling Kit or a Scope Leveler – tools to keep your scope perfectly aligned throughout the installation process
• Gun Stabilizer, Gun Vice, or Gun Cradle – devices or mounts that keep your gun in place, allowing you to adjust and mount a rifle scope with increased certainty.
• High-quality Rings and Mounts – scope rings are compatible with your scope base and optic for more straightforward attaching on both ends.
• Degreasing Agents and Cleaning Swabs – cleaning agents are meant to dissolve excess oil as you mount your scopes, ensuring a firm fit and the longevity of your equipment.
• Thread Locking Compound/ Thread Locker – an adhesive that keeps screws in place, such as Blue Loctite.

How to Mount a Scope

The steps below will show you how to mount a scope onto a rifle.

You will simply have to follow them to ensure that your rifle scope is mounted correctly and will remain secure once you start firing.

Step 1. Choose Scope Mounting Hardware

When scope mounting, you must select the appropriate scope rings for your scope (the standard being 30mm or 1″ in diameter).

The ring and base setup is the most common method on rifles, wherein you attach your two rings to the rifle’s mounting base.

The rail and ring setup is most often used on a Picatinny rail, which is the standard on AR and military-style rifles. This setup is used primarily by tactical and long-range shooters, ensuring your rail and rings are aligned on the same plane.

Mounting scope rings on a bolt action rifle differs from ARs, as you will often not have Picatinny scope mounts and will have to attach your rings in the space between the ejection port, which requires a different mounting system.

That said, scope mounts on bolt action rifles are often lighter, provide better chamber access, are more affordable, and are easily swappable.

Step 2. Stabilize Your Gun

Position your firearm onto a gun vice or another stabilizing setup parallel to the ground. Take this opportunity to use degreasing agents to remove residue from your base screws, nuts, and pre-tapped holes.

After degreasing, reassemble your components to see if they still fit.

Step 3. Mount Bases or Bottom of Rings

When you mount the bases or the lower half of rings onto the firearm, follow the manufacturer’s torque instructions using the torque wrench. You can also use a thread locker to ensure every base screw remains tight.

Align them with the rifle’s receiver using the pre-tapped holes as guides.

Tighten your ring screws in a crisscross pattern for more pressure on the base, and stop when you hear a ticking noise.

Properly mounting the ring bottom halves to the base allows for clearance and free operation of the bolt and a sight picture unobstructed by the rifle muzzle or barrel.

For a Picatinny rail, you put a thin coat of oil under the rail before you mount a rifle scope. You can then apply Blue Loctite and set the rings to the manufacturer’s torque specs with a torque wrench.

For a base and ring combo, repeat what you did with the Picatinny rail, but only on the lower half of the combination.

Step 4. Level Your Rifle Scope

After setting the bottom half, you can then install your scope, tightening the top half just enough to lock the optic in place. Double-check your horizontal and vertical leveling to see if your tightening is effective.

Be sure to place a reference level on the rail, bases, or lower rings, and adjust the rifle until the reference level bubble is centered before torquing it.

We want our rifle scope to be on the same horizontal plane as the point of impact of your bullet. This means your scope is perfectly level, ensuring accuracy.

Step 5. Adjust Reticle Focus

Adjust the reticle focus for a crisp, crystal-clear image as you set your rifle scope to the highest magnification.