Scope mounting question

[PaseMkr]

Hello all,

I just received my DTA SRS A1 rifle and my Premier Recticles 5-25x56mm Tactical scope. I am new to the long range shooting and scope mounting and had a few questions that I was hoping you all could help with. I have the 36mm DTA scope mount was wondering if I just mount it to the rifle's top rail once I figure out where I am going to put it in order to provide myself with optimal placement and eye relief or do I have to worry weather the the rail on the rifle is level.

What amount of torque do I use to attach the mount to the top rail and what amount of torque do I use on the mounting rings that hold the scope?

When placing the rifle in a vise to mount the scope, do I need to make sure that the gun is level before mounting it?
I noticed that there is a single bubble level built into the back of the mount. Should it be level once I attach and torque down the mount or no need to worry about that?

I know that I need to make sure that the cross hairs are level, but is that all I need to make certain of when mounting?

Sorry for the rookie questions and tanks for your help.

Steve

[PaseMkr]

WOW, 19 views and nothing but crickets. Just as an update...I now have the scope mounted. I torqued the DTA 34mm mount to the rail while pushing it forward on the rail to 70in/lbs. I then put the scope in the mount and used feeler gauges between the bottom of the Premier Recticles 5-25x56mm Tactical scope and the flat top of the one piece mount to level it. I then began to tighten the screws on the mount rings little by little, moving corner to opposite corners until it was time to torque. I then torqued those to 20 in/lbs while leaving the feeler gauge wedged between the bottom of the scope and top of the mount.


I then ran a plumb line and it appeared to be parallel with the verticle line of the recticle.

A few last questions I am looking for clarification on:
When using feeler gauges, there is no need to level the rifle, because it levels the scope in relation to the rifle, correct?

With a DTA SRS A1, would I need to concern myself with verifying that the top rail on the chassis was level or would this not be something to worry about or matter?

The DTA 34mm mount, same question as above. Do I need to worry about it being level before mounting the scope?

What is the bubble level in the back of the DTA 34mm mount's purpose? Does it show whether the rifle is level or does it show if the mount is level in relation to the rail?

[ShadowPeo]

Personally I have not commented as I do not use DTA mounts, I am using Barrett ExRings currently, but am looking at trying a Sphur mount as well as a set of DTA rings in the near future, once I can get my grubby little hands on an AMR reticuled Kahles, so I cannot justifiably comment on this at this immediate point in time.

[Seddo]

I just dropped my SRS mount on the rail pushed it forward to touch the slot and tightened it up. That was a few years ago and I can't remember if I torqued it or not.

On my other rings unusually do the cross bolts to somewhere in the 30-40 inch pounds range.

[Archaos]

Or you could check the DTA website if your rifle didn't come with the owners manual. The details are there.

MOUNTING SCOPE
1. Identify front of base (fig. 26) (Screws should be on right side) Front should face muzzle.
2. Loosen and remove ring screws, loosen but DO NOT remove ring base screws.
3. Tilt base on right side, placing dove tail catch under picatinny rail. (fig. 27a)
4. Rotate base until flat on top of picatinny
rail. (ensure left dove tail goes under
rail)
5. Tighten base screws to 68 inch lbs. (fig.
27b)
6. If applicable install bottom half of 30mm reducer inserts (fig. 28)
7. Place scope inside ring.
8. If applicable install top ring inserts.
9. Install ring tops. (fig. 29)
10. Finger tighten ring screws (leave it loose
enough that the scope can still rotate inside the rings)
11. Establish eye relief
• Get into favorite shooting position • Pull rifle firmly into shoulder
• Close your eyes
• Affirm cheekweild
• Open your eyes
• Adjust scope forward or backward until any ghost ring goes away. (addi-
tional forward or backward adjustment can be gained by moving the entire scope ring base forward or backward along the picatinny rail)
12. Place feeler gauges (and spacer if neces- sary) between flat of bottom of scope and the flat on ring base, (fig. 30) adjust- ing the filler gauges until there is a snug fit.
13. Tighten ring screws to 15 in lb, rotating from left to right in a criss cross pattern. While you tighten, ensure filler gauges are not too tight. They should always have some left to right play.

Just check the DTA website for the pics

[Nicholas]

Our receiver chassis are 100% square and concentric with the bore as we machine them so no worry about gun rail being square. The feeler gauge method is the best scope leveling method and the only one I use. Of course it is possible for your reticle to not be square with your scope so you can decide if you would rather have visual squareness or mechanical squareness with your rifle. I go for mechanical because I want the reticle movement to be 100% vertical or horizontal as I adjust elevation and windage compensation. Of course holdovers won't be as accurate but I dial elevation and hold wind which is only a couple mils of hold-off in the worst conditions which will minimize negative effects from an out of square reticle. Whereas 14+ mils of mechanical adjustment will cause deviation problems.

[Seddo]

I use the feeler gauge method on mine.

[jdboy]

I normally use the feeler gauge method but with the scope being so high off the rail I used this instead.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 1246728104

It's just thicker versions of feeler gauges. I actually think it is designed for checking gaps on automobile body panels but that's just a guess. It worked great and is made from a polymer so they're no chance of scratching the top of the rail, mount, or bottom of the scope if anyone is worried about that. I have a Spuhr mount and actually liked this method better than the wedge that came with the mount.

[sib1948]

WOW, 19 views and nothing but crickets. Just as an update...I now have the scope mounted. I torqued the DTA 34mm mount to the rail while pushing it forward on the rail to 70in/lbs. I then put the scope in the mount and used feeler gauges between the bottom of the Premier Recticles 5-25x56mm Tactical scope and the flat top of the one piece mount to level it. I then began to tighten the screws on the mount rings little by little, moving corner to opposite corners until it was time to torque. I then torqued those to 20 in/lbs while leaving the feeler gauge wedged between the bottom of the scope and top of the mount.


I then ran a plumb line and it appeared to be parallel with the verticle line of the recticle.

A few last questions I am looking for clarification on:
When using feeler gauges, there is no need to level the rifle, because it levels the scope in relation to the rifle, correct?

With a DTA SRS A1, would I need to concern myself with verifying that the top rail on the chassis was level or would this not be something to worry about or matter?

The DTA 34mm mount, same question as above. Do I need to worry about it being level before mounting the scope?

What is the bubble level in the back of the DTA 34mm mount's purpose? Does it show whether the rifle is level or does it show if the mount is level in relation to the rail?

Just the way I have mounted the scopes on my DTAs. Plumb line works well for perfect level. May note slight rifle cant when scope level, depending how you stabilize the rifle when you shoot.

Enjoy your new weapon! Truly a great platform. If you have future questions, Orkan at Primal Rights website has great knowledge and sells most accessories on his website.