Friends

Is it worthwhile to pay a gunsmith to mount a scope on a rifle?  The rifle is already drilled and tapped, I'm using a picatinny rail made for the model of the rifle, and the scope comes with its own rings-I am a newbie when it comes to optics...

If you have never done it, you may feel more comfortable having a LGS set it up for you.  But, there's no real mystery to mounting a scope.  You have to learn eventually.  Try doing it yourself, being careful not to bugger up screw heads or strip threads.  If you can't get it right, then bring it to a smith.

I have always mounted my own scopes.

You need to:

1. Set eye relief.

2.  Make sure cross hairs are level. You can buy a set of levels to do this for maybe $20 on Amazon.

3.  I've never torqued down screws.  I tighten them in a crisscross pattern and this has worked for me.

4.  Boresighting.  You can buy a cheap laser to get you on paper or you can physically look down the bore and line it up with the crosshairs.  I've found most scopes with get you on a 18"x18" target out of the box.

If its already drilled and tapped, it's not rocket science.  You want a good inch lbs torque wrench so you dont strip out screws.  Only other real "trick" is leveling the reticle roll, to make adjustments "true".

Ive used these with good results. 

https://www.amazon.com/Neiko-10573B-Screwdriver-Inch-Pound-Included/dp/B000RZ1D86/ref=mp_s_a_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1534213824&sr=8-18&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=inch+lb+torque+wrench&dpPl=1&dpID=41Lk2Sp45kL&ref=plSrch

https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/sight-scope-installation-tools/scope-reticle-levelers/professional-reticle-leveling-system-prod56977.aspx

Lots of videos online

 

thank you!

Buy the tools and mount it yourself. Chances are you will be mounting more than one or two scopes in your lifetime, so buying the tools would be cheaper than going to a gunsmith in the long run.

Torque screwdriver, scope leveler, loc-tite, lapping kit, boresighter