Insufficient scope adjustment..Suggestions ?

[Pygmy]

I am experiencing a problem with a friend's rifle that I never have dealt with.

 

It shoots WAAAAY to the left.  I ran the windage adjustment all the way to the right..Still about a foot to the left at 25 YARDS !...The scope base has some windage adjustment.. I moved that as far as it would go and it still prints about 6" to the left at 25.

 

The rifle is a Belgian Browning Hi Power Safari Grade in 30-06. The scope is a vintage Denver Redfield 3x9 with post&crosshair. The bases and rings are Buehler.

 

I suspect possibly some torqing of the scope, but I'm not gunsmith savvy enough to deal with that..

 

Any suggestions ?  At this point I'm ready to give him back the rifle and tell him to take it to someone with the knowledge and tools to correct the problem.

[biggamefish]

take the scope off and remount it.  I would totally take the rings off to.  Then try again.

[steve863]

Different mounts might work, but that's an expensive proposition and may or may not do the trick.  If the scope was shooting high or low, then a shim could do the trick.  I've had to do this with one of my rifles and never had a problem afterwards.  Don't know how effective this would be for your situation, however.  Probably not too easy to shim it on the side of the scope.

 

 

 

[CharlieNY]

If remounting the scope does not work, you my want to try some windage adjustable scope rings. Major companies like Burris, Weaver, and Millett make them.

[fasteddie]

I prefer the Millet Scope Rings . You can loosen one side and tighten the other to tweak the horizontal adjustment . After that tweak the adjustment on the scope .

 

 

[Lawdwaz]

I'd try another scope to confirm that the Redfield is chicken chow mein.

 

Then I'd know my next move. 

 

Need a test scope?  I can send you one....................

[Culvercreek hunt club]

My Father had a Bushnell do the same thing one year. The scope was toast for some reason. good at the end of the seasons and couldn't get it to center in the summer. You gotta have an spare scope laying around. At least one of the underpowered fixed 4's...lol

[steve863]

 You gotta have an spare scope laying around. At least one of the underpowered fixed 4's...lol

 

 

The worlds last remaining fixed 4 power scopes are welded to Pygmy's rifles and they ain't coming off for anyone! LOL

[jjb4900]

I've never done it, but was told that if having difficulty with the amount of adjustment, crank the elevation and windage as far one way as possible, then count number of clicks going back the other way till you max out, than go back half the amount (make sense?).........I don't know if "tweaking" the tightness on the rings to adjust a scope is a good idea, I use a torque screwdriver so that all screws are equally adjusted....

[fasteddie]

..I don't know if "tweaking" the tightness on the rings to adjust a scope is a good idea, I use a torque screwdriver so that all screws are equally adjusted....

 

I have done this with the scopes that I have Millet rings on . Both sides get tightened so if you screw in one side more than the other , your scope is off . It works for me and I will continue to do this easy adjustment .

 

[moog5050]

_{I know nothing of Buehler rings and bases, but if you have to twist the ring in the base, be sure you have it correctly aligned before mounting the scope.  I have to assume either the bases or scope are bad.  Before wasting more ammo, if its a bolt action, I would bore sight with the bolt removed.  I bore sight like that in my basement at 20yds on an archery target and am usually within 4-5" at 100yds at the range when I start the final sighting in.} 

[steve863]

 _{I have to assume either the bases or scope are bad.} 

 

 

Not necessarily.  The scope mounting screw holes on the action may have never been drilled correctly.

[jjb4900]

I have done this with the scopes that I have Millet rings on . Both sides get tightened so if you screw in one side more than the other , your scope is off . It works for me and I will continue to do this easy adjustment .

 

ok, I misunderstood your first post......now I get what you were saying, and I agree, uneven tightening of the screws can rotate the scope.

[moog5050]

Not necessarily.  The scope mounting screw holes on the action may have never been drilled correctly.

 

 

I guess that is true.  I didn't think that they aren't factory holes.  That leaves little option without redrilling or bases that allow for serious windage. 1ft off at 25yds is waaay off.

[steve863]

I guess that is true.  I didn't think that they aren't factory holes.  That leaves little option without redrilling or bases that allow for serious windage. 1ft off at 25yds is waaay off.

 

 

Factory holes can be drilled incorrectly, too.  That's the case with a spare rifle I have.  The quickest fix for me without swapping mounts or scopes was a thin shim between one of the scope rings and the scope.  Not a perfect solution, but it works, and the scope has held it's zero for years nonetheless.

[jjb4900]

was the rifle ever sighted in with this scope or another attached?

[moog5050]

Factory holes can be drilled incorrectly, too.  That's the case with a spare rifle I have.  The quickest fix for me without swapping mounts or scopes was a thin shim between one of the scope rings and the scope.  Not a perfect solution, but it works, and the scope has held it's zero for years nonetheless.

 

I would return the gun to the manufacturer if I bought one with the holes messed up from the factory.  But, if its an older gun, probably too late.  I can see shimming if it was a vertical issue but shimming to the side is most likely difficult and, if it can be done, would certainly create a potential for that scope moving since it won't be held tightly by most of the ring front or back.  Start with the possible easy fix by testing another scope IMO.

[steve863]

I would return the gun to the manufacturer if I bought one with the holes messed up from the factory.  But, if its an older gun, probably too late.  I can see shimming if it was a vertical issue but shimming to the side is most likely difficult and, if it can be done, would certainly create a potential for that scope moving since it won't be held tightly by most of the ring front or back.  Start with the possible easy fix by testing another scope IMO.

 

 

I would agree that since the problem with Pygmy's gun is windage adjustments, I don't think the shim solution would work for him.  I think newer scopes have more adjustments than old ones, so a new scope might solve things without needing to swap the mounts.  Unfortunately there will be some trial and error before a problem like this gets squared away.

[wildcat junkie]

Lay a metal yard stick or other true 3' or longer straight edge over the centerline of the base screws & along the barrel. That will tell you if there is an alignment issue w/the holes.

 

The images I came up with for the Beuller rings/bases look like the old Redfield Sr & current Leupold std bases. They should have ample windage to correct any slight misalignmenet in the base screws. To be 12" off @ 25yds would require just about 5/16" misalignment in a 24" barrel length, about 1/16" between the front & rear base. That should be easy to adjust out  W/the bases.

 

If there is no obvious misalignment in the bases, (or barrel) I would suspect the scope.

 

Trying another scope would probably be the easiest aproach.

Edited December 29, 2014 by wildcat junkie

[pistolp71]

First, I would just throw another scope on it and try that, just to narrow it down.

 

2 fixes, one is to lap the rings. Although with the amount you are talking about, it may not be enough.

Second and probably the best, is to use burris signature zee rings with the offset inserts

http://www.burrisoptics.com/sigrings.html

 

Your welcome.

[wildcat junkie]

OP has rings & bases that would already allow plenty of adjustment to change POI 12" @ 25 yds.

 

If the base screws were that far out of alignment it would be obvious with a straight edge check..

 

Either the scope is whacked or the barrel is bent. My money is on the scope.

 

 

[pistolp71]

Oh I agree, something is not right. Most likely the scope. My suggestion was if he was set on using the scope he had.

[thphm]

If it has the dovetail mount on one end and the other end with a screw on each side, Make sure the screws are adjusted the same amount. Also I had 2 different semi auto's , older rifles to some now days. One the scope mounting screws on the receiver were drilled and tapped off center from the center of the bbl. and the other the hole in the receiver was drilled and tapped on an angle which the bbl. threaded into, which put the bbl. off to one side.

[Lawdwaz]

I would return the gun to the manufacturer if I bought one with the holes messed up from the factory.  But, if its an older gun, probably too late.  I can see shimming if it was a vertical issue but shimming to the side is most likely difficult and, if it can be done, would certainly create a potential for that scope moving since it won't be held tightly by most of the ring front or back.  Start with the possible easy fix by testing another scope IMO.

 

50+ year old gun in question here.

[jjb4900]

50+ year old gun in question here.

yep, so a little history on whether or not it was ever successfully sighted in before could help in narrowing down the problem.