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Installing a two-Piece Scope Base
Page 1
I prefer one-piece bases, as I think they are easier to install. But, the Swede has a reputation for being dimensionally uniform, so I opted for a Leupold two-piece base set.
The front base is installed exactly the same as one-piece unit, in fact the hole spacing and locations allows the use of a B-Square or Wheeler jig. The rear base has two holes neither one matched the locations of the jig holes in my B-Square jig. As the front and rear bases are the same width, I used a straight edge on THE SIDES to locate the rear base. Once located, I used a transfer punch to mark the holes. In the photo above, I am checking the bases for height. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT ! The left-right location of the bases is less important, as the rings can be rotated or shifted latterly, BUT IF THE BASES ARE NOT THE SAME HEIGHT THE SCOPE CAN BE DAMAGED.
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Ý Ý Here is a photo of the front base with the straight edge held tightly against the rear base. See the gap between the edge and the base? This tells me that the rear base is higher than the front.
NOW, since it is the rear base that’s high, it was possible that the base was mounted too far forward, causing it to "ride up" on the charger hump. To make sure that this was not the case, I removed some metal at the rear of the hump, re-assembled the base and checked again.
Here I am checking again, with the straight edge tight against the front base. Ý Ý Ý
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Ý Ý Note that the edge still indicates that the rear base is higher than the front.All of this was done to find the HIGHER base. It wouldn't matter which was higher, front or rear, but once identified, the scope is installed in the HIGHER of the two. In this case the scope was installed in the rear (higher) ring. By installed, I mean the scope was clamped in the (rear) ring and left "floating" through the front. IF THE FRONT BASE WAS HIGHER, THE SCOPE WOULD HAVE BEEN CLAMPED IN THE FRONT RING.
OKAY, here is the scope passing through, NOT CLAMPED, the front (lower) base. See the space? DON'T BE TEMPTED TO JUST CLAMP THE SCOPE DOWN !!
The lower base must be shimmed up.
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Ý Ý This photo shows the front base and two shims cut to fit beneath the base. The shims are steel shim stock, but a broken tape measure makes good shim stock. (I mean one of those spring loaded carpenters tapes. They are already curved to fit the receiver.) Anyway, I used two pieces of 0.010 stock. The snips shown are Xcelite electronic snips, and are absolutely the best small hand cutters available, but expensive.Once shimmed, the scope was mounted as usual.