Bolt handle hitting ocular bell.

[Bazoo]

I have a savage 110 that I'm changing mounts and rings on. Well low weaver rings, and now lower mounts and my ocular bell gets kissed by my bolt handle. Scope is a bushnell sportview 4x32. I want the scope lower for a better cheek weld.

So my question, is it an issue that the handle bumps the ocular bell? It needs maybe .010 more clearance, so it ain't much. It has clearance unless the handle is held up when cycling. I thought about relieving the handle a little, but it doesn't bother me that it rubs a little, if it won't hurt the scope. Will it eventually wear through the bell?

Thanks

Bazoo

Post Script,
I didn't think to clarify, the handle is not hitting the bell on opening, but rather rubbing against it during it's rearward travel, and only if I hold the bolt up during cycling.

[LawrenceA]

I think it is unlikely to wear through the bell but depending on the lenses internally is there a risk of it damaging a lense or throwing it off somehow?
Would be better off relieving the bolt handle in my humble opinion

[Texas by God]

Luckily Savage 110 bolt handles are detachable. So you can buy an extra to modify and keep the original. I’ve had Mausers that did this but it didn’t hurt the scope except cosmetically

[snowwolfe]

Earlier CZ rifles has this issue as well. The easy answer is get out your Dremel and grind off what you need to get clearance and polish the bolt and blue if needed. If you are handy it will come out looking good. I sure as heck would not want to bang the scope every time a round was chambered.

[country gent]

I would ty a .010-.015 thick shim under the mounts to see if this cures the problem then epoxy the shims to the mounts and clean up the edges. The bolt handle hitting is going to be a impact that isn't accounted for in the lenses mounting ( sideways) like mounting a rifle scope on a spring piston air rifle. It will also eventually remove finish and material from scope and bolt handle.

With the radius of the ocular and where it hits .010 shim may be plenty but removing material from handle may take more like .015-.020 due to the straighter movement. raising the ocular changes the angle on the touch do to the radius of the ocular.
Put a light coat of wax or grease on the bolt handle and cycle the smear will show where its hitting. If below centerline of ocular then you'll gain more shimming scope do to radius falling away every .001 raised

[Three44s]

Another thought, what about backing up to a little taller base or set of rings again and add cheek height to your stock instead?

Three44s

[Steelshooter]

Another thought, what about backing up to a little taller base or set of rings again and add cheek height to your stock instead?

Three44s

++++++1

[EDG]

If you ever adjust the focus on your scope you will wind up with multiple skid marks on the ocular bell.

You can shim up the bases using Brownell's or home made shims (per country gent's post) or you can buy a spare handle, grind it for clearance and have it reblued. A handle with clearance ground on it would be a permanent solution until you get a scope with a larger ocular.

I suppose the last alternative would be a scope with a smaller ocular bell.

[Bazoo]

Thanks for the replies.

I just have it mocked up right now. I have my eye on a different mount, so I might just hold off in hopes that will be just enough higher. Pictures look like it's the same thickness.

I've considered using a leather cheek riser but I don't like the way they look. I've really considered all of the options offered.

I wonder if I could just bend it by hitting it with a big hammer. Course I'd use something to keep the hammer from dinking it. It looks cast to me, so I'd guess it to be brittle.

[Shawlerbrook]

Agree on going the shim route.

[charlie b]

I'd not hit it with a hammer unless you can confirm it is not a cast piece.

I would grind on the handle if you need the scope that low. Like stated above, replacement bolt handles are relatively inexpensive so you could get one and experiment. Another solution would be to cut off the original ball, use a die to cut threads and put on a new 'ball' end that is angled away (and maybe a little longer).

[Bazoo]

It ain't the ball of the handle that hits, it's the shaft portion. About halfway the length.

It didn't occur to me to try a different handle to see if the difference in manufacturing tolerances would give the clearance I need. Next time I go to the gunsmith I'll ask him if he has one I can try. He probably has a stock one from replacing them for others.

Grinding it would work, except it's not exactly blued. It's a cheap gun and has something like parkerizing on the bolt and receiver. Almost browning. I don't want to have the handle blue since the gun isn't other than the barrel.

I know different scopes will have different sized bells. But this being an older scope I'm suspecting it's not on the large side. I don't have any other scopes to compare it to however.

[samari46]

I had to do some grinding on the bolt shaft after the smith reforged the handle for a scope mounted on a 1891 Argentine Mauser. Still had plenty of metal on the shaft when I was done. Wasn't blued but in the white. After the grinding used various grits of silicon carbide paper and a home made buffing setup did the rest. I'm with buying a spare handle and do your alterations on that one and keep the original one when and if you sell the Savage. Lowe's sells just about any grade of silicon carbide paper all the way up till 2000. lacking a dremel or grinder of buffing rig you can do a very presentable job by hand. Look for a cheap round file and wrap whatever sanding paper (aluminum oxide,zirconia or silicon carbide paper) and have at it. Frank

[Bazoo]

Thanks samari, I'm familiar with metal filing and polishing.

I went ahead and attached the bases. Then the weaver rings, I got the crosshairs straight on the second try. I'd guess it was about 4 degrees that it moved.

I've decided to just do nothing with the bolt handle interference for the moment. It only rubs when I hold the bolt up as cycled. When cycled normal from the low position or shouldered, it doesn't touch that I can tell. I tend to put down pressure on the bolt handle when cycling, so during normal cycling it will only bump occasionally.

I'll ponder on the next course of action a while. When I get the other mount I want, I'll see if it is just that smidge higher I need. I'll see if the gunsmith has another bolt handle for me in the meantime, and what he wants for it.

Thanks for all the suggestions and tips.

[Three44s]

The name escapes me but there is/was an outfit that makes a synthetic rubber self adhesive product in a couple of thicknesses for adding to the top of butt stocks and they are black or charcoal colored.

The name kick eze, cheek eze rings a bell and I see the name Nokick come up.

A leather pad could be dyed dark to blend into the stock.

During the search there are now many companies now with products of many confurations and flavors now.

Three44s

[Tripplebeards]

Would not modify the bolt or gun on any way. To modify a rilfe worth hundreds of dollars o accept a $39 optic imo is not the route to go. Do yourself a favor and buy the correct hight rings. Your going to eventually either wreck or knock your scope off if you dont. You,your eye, and the trajectory of your gun with a 4x optic will never know the defence between low and meduim height rings. Been there. Did that, dozens of times. I use to get caught up on how low my optic had to be. I have rifles that shoot cloverleaves with the old goofy see through rings/mounts that make my optic sit a good 2" plus inches above the bore. The only way your going to probably see any bullet trajectory change in ring height is going to be way past where you'll wver feel comfortable shoot shooting your gun with a 4x optic. That's why I have bdc recicles and mil dots in most my rifle optics. Where ever it drops to I have some sort of aiming point reference. BTW keep your receipt to take your optic back to the retailer if /when it fails. I’ve sent Bushnell 2 emails in the last week with zero responses. I also called their consumer line over 16 times and was on hold with their automated answering system for almost an hour several times and finally got tired of listening to the elevator music while doing other tasks and hung up. I finally found a corporate number today and was told not to call the number but to call the automated number. Needless to say I was wasn’t too polite at this point and was linked the the corporate sales manager. Guess what?...I got his voice mail! I left a message of zero responses on my emails and no phone call pick ups...besides my information on my defective bushnell. We will see if he calls back. If not it’s going in the garbage...where all bushnell’s belong IMO.

[Geezer in NH]

You mounted the scope to low, shimming is the Correct fix. Any other fix is dumb.

Can't always get what you want the scope is to low so lift it a bit and forget about it.

[Bazoo]

I didn't think to clarify, the handle is not hitting the bell on opening, but rather rubbing against it during it's rearward travel, and only if I hold the bolt up during cycling.

[Tripplebeards]

One size higher rings is all you need. I have extra rings laying around (on purpose) from the same trial and errors to test on new rifles.

...BTW Bushnell never called back or emailed today after I left My message.

[Bazoo]

Using medium rings won't work as they raise the scope too much for comfort. I don't understand how raising the scope doesn't bother others. It kicks my cheek if the comb is too low. This rifle was made with no irons and a raised comb, so I'm not trying to accomplish something off the wall.

I am wanting a different base that looks to be the same height. The base I have now I don't like the spacing of the slots, where as the previous bases the slots were fine but they were too high. So as funds allow I'll get the new base and see if it is just a touch higher. I most likely will shim the bases if I can't resolve it by either changing bases or swapping bolt handles. I do want to stay with the factory bolt handle.

The bushnell scope I have is an old one from the 80s. I generally buy used older stuff. New stuff just doesn't appeal to me.