Should you have to shim a leupold scope?

DAMN STRAIGHT TALK. BE THERE DONE THAT.
GREAT ADVISE. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
WILEYWACKER/IN .UT
 
Think that is bad, I had to shim a scope tube to hold it tight in the rings!! The worst part is it took me years to figure out it WAS the scope, not me or not bumping the rifle. I had an old Redfield, 460$ at Midsouth, It had 20thousands of play in the ring area. It looked like they turned it too far at the factory. You could see the movement in the ring area if you grabbed the rear of the scope and pushed it side to side. I used a couple brass sheets cut to size to shim it, then traded it in at the factory for a new one.T.20
 
I really appreciate all of your help with this problem. To answer some of your quentions, yes the back base has windage adjustments. I took the gun to a gunsmith and he used his windage tool to correctly align my rings, re-mounted my scope and the same problem existed.

As far as puting undue stress on the scope tube I asked that same question to the tech at Leupold and he assured me that this would not cause any problems. I think ERICKG hit the nail on the head when he mentioned the tolerences of the rings and bases.

Leupold is sending me the shims and I plan to try that and I'll let you all know how it works.

Thanks again for all of your help
 
Quote:
They are leupold bases.



They are the wrong Leupold bases for your gun. I just went through this on a Savage 16FSS. Believe it of not the Accu-Trigger and Pre Accu-Trigger guns use a different base.

If you shim what sounds like two piece bases in you writing you'll hose your scope.
 
Last edited:
If you have to shim a scope to sight it in something is bad wrong! I would tell the folks at Leupold the same thing. I have used Leup scopes for over 30 years and have never had to shim one!

If you need more elevation, I would recommend Warne 20 MOA bases and TAC Rings. Take on and off with a torque wrench and zero is there. Also, can switch scopes from one base to another on different rifles with little adj. as well.
 
Sometimes when things are off it can be the surfaces of the reciever that are off and eventhe barrel shooting off in one direction....not to be confused with accuracy.
 
Your rings or bases or both are mismatched for the application.

I have never had to shim a scope. I could see it if it were some screwy application like mounting on a mod 94 or something. With todays technology things match up pretty well if your using mated quality components.

Do you have the scope mounted with the vertical adjustment knob on the top and the windage on the right?
 
I've been running a .015 brass shim under the back ring of my Leupold for over 20 years now and it hasn't caused me any problems. Those VariX 2 scopes don't have a lot of adjustment range, and I don't like being in the upper end of adjustment to be zeroed at 100 yards, so I did some math and shimmed it.
Quote:
The highest I could get it to shoot was three inches below zero.



Exactly the problem I had, 3 inches. Weird.
I couldn't even put shims under the back base, since it's a quick detach H-K mount, I put one between the scope tube and the ring (after carefully forming it) and sandwiched it in.
 
I would not shim that scope.

You will end up putting undue stress on the scope tube and ring marks that won't wipe off.

Sounds to me like bases aren't seating on the reciever right.

Shim under the rear base before shims under the scope.
Then lap the rings in.

Or just go with the Burris Sig. series with offset inserts.

Clayman
 
Ditto on the lapping! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

I used to have one issue or another with mounting untill I broke down a bought the lapping tool from Midway. After using it on a dozen or more installs Ive learned how lousey even the best rings are. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Its amazing what a little lapping will tell you about your "perfect alignment".

Nefj40,

You got a definate calling in the art field! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowingsmilie.gif That pic was worth a thousand words. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Dave
 
If shimmed and lapped how will it cause stress to a scope? I have Leupold 6.5X20 that has been on at least 5 diff rifles and doesn't have a mark on it. All but 1 of those rifles were shimmed. I agree that the Burris Sig. rings and bases would be a great option as would the long range bases being made today. Ask if you can watch when your smith remounts your scope. See if he uses ring alignment rods and ask if he will lap your rings after shimming and re-center your reticle with either the mirror, v blocks or click counting method. I don't think there is anything wrong with shimming if done right, but there is more than one way to skin a cat as you have seen in the examples above. What ever method you choose I hope your elevation problem is solved. RR
 
I watched the smith use alignment rods on the rings and I personally counted the clicks 260 vert and 260 horizontal and centered it myself. I know he didn't lap the rings but I will be sure to do that when I get the shims in.
 
Quote:
Quote:
Please explain to me how a scope being off left-to-right has anything to do with elevation......



Here, I drew ya a picture. Which scope has more elevation remaining?

[image][/image]



I knew I didn't want to get into this one the minute I posted it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif......That pic is exactly what I thought you were thinking.......If the scope is sitting like that it is either improperly mounted or needs lapping, because it is not in full contact with the ring. It is NOT what his problem is. What we have here is an alignment problem. Take that picture, center the scope in the ring so that it sits right, centered and all the way down in the ring. Now turn it and try to get it to line up with the front ring. Alignment rods would be helpfulhere. It won't, right? My guess is that the receiver is not tapped correctly. This problem can literally be fixed in 10 minutes with a shim to one side under the rear scope base. Set it so it brings the the base both up and over at the same time.......
 
Well that just goes to show even a picture doesn't always explain the situation!

2muchgun,
You aren't looking at rings in that picture! That outside line would be the scope tube... the inner circle represents the scope reticle moving inside the scope tube.

Granted if the outer circle represented the rings your thoughts would be correct and lapping or shimming or just sending the out of align rifle back to the factory would be warranted! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/angry-smiley-055.gif

I'm guessing you have the wrong rings. It is hard to look at rings and tell if they will fit or not, and sometimes the wrong front and rear bases get mixed up even from the factory! I once helped a guy at the range who had reversed the mounts on his Ruger MKIIVT... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif they use offset height mounts... he went so far as to actually try to mount his scope and put some really nasty bends in the tube! Thank goodness it was a cheap BSA! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif

Nikonut /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
I understand that I'm not looking at rings, but what I'm saying is that it is the alignment of the rings that is causing the problem. I've experienced this a couple of times, and a poorly tapped receiver was the culprit. All this assuming of course, that the reticle is centered in the tube to begin with......I'm not saying that was he drew is wrong, I was just trying to get him to shed a little more light on the subject, as I believe it is the alignment that is causing the problem....
 
Quote:
Please explain to me how a scope being off left-to-right has anything to do with elevation......



Just in case you fall down and you're laying on your side!
 
Damn...it's amazing what "information" is floating around in here.


People.....

The only thing that can cause that much loss in elevation is bad rings, or bases, or both.

It has nothing to do with the scope, or likely the gun. Even if the receiver is drilled wrong, it would likely cause windage problems, unless it's so far off that you can see it by eye.

Shimming won't hurt anything in and of itself but you shouldn't have to shim for normal use.

First thing I'd do is toss the Leupold mounts. Get some Burris mounts with Signature rings....problem solved.
 
Wrong answer....If his receiver is tapped out of line, it will cause the scope to do what is pictured in the drawing when you try to line it up, only instead of being over to the side in the middle, it would be jammed up in the corner at 10 0'clock or 2 o'clock. Because the scope cannot sit flat in both rings at the same time at that angle, it will rise up to one side. With alignment rods it would be visible to the naked eye. Burris Signature rings seem to be the cure all for people around here who have no clue what the real problem is. Yeah, they might work, how much stress will be transferred to the tube I don't know, but definitely some. A gunsmith would shim it and be done in 10 minutes........
 
Back
Top