While it’s not necessary to adjust your scope on your rifle, it is very important.
To get the most out of your scope and rifle, you must be able to adjust them to fit. The analogy I use is that a race car driver can’t drive a regular car as well if it hasn’t been adjusted for the driver. They’ll still be far better than average drivers, but they won’t be able to achieve the best performance if the car isn’t set up properly. Three areas should be explored when it comes the position of your scope on your rifle.
- The scope’s highest point
- The scope’s forward/rearward positions
- Your scope’s rotational level
Each of these three will be discussed below. However, I have a video that walks through each one in the ocular focus.
ASSERTING THE HEIGHT OF YOUR SCOPE
You will need to raise your head when shooting if your scope isn’t at the correct height. This is easy to spot. With your eyes closed, place your full weight on the cheekiest part of your stock. Once you feel comfortable, you can open your eyes to see the scope.
You will know the correct adjustment to make if your head isn’t moving up or down if it’s not. You can tell if your head needs to move upwards (most common) by noticing a tired neck from past range sessions.
ADJUSTING THE SCOPE FORWARD AND REARWARD
You should not worry about the forward/rear position until your scope is at the correct height. With your eyes closed, get on the rifle and place your hands in a comfortable position. After you have set your scope, lift your eyes up so that the scope is at the correct height. Move the scope forward or backwards until you see the entire image clearly. You’ll notice a “scope shadow” around the image if the scope is too far in one direction.
Scope shadow is a good thing. It is what lets you know your eye is aligned properly behind the scope. You need to adjust the scope so that you can see no scope shadow when your eye is properly aligned behind the scope. People will strain their necks by moving their heads so that they can see through the scope. You also run the risk of getting “scope bite” if you have the scope too close to your eyes. ”
LEVELING BY ROTING THE RIFLE SCOPE
Once you have verified that the scope is at the correct height and distance from your eyes, it is time to verify that it is level. Bubble levels are not a good idea to level a scope. They give you a false sense accuracy. I have seen shooters with crooked scopes, and they often used bubble levels.
To make sure the rail is mechanically level, I prefer to use a flat top for the scope. In the video, I used a flat piece. However, this video was taken a few years back and the idea of using a flat bottom for the scope has grown in popularity. There are many cool tools such as this one:
A level scope is essential. It will help you shoot with your rifle level and ensure your elevation adjustments go straight up.
CONCLUSION SCOPE ADJUSTMENTS
We hope you have learned some tips and tricks about how to adjust your riflescope. Get your scope setup and ready to go.