Shimming to Raise Scope

[deltaenterprizes]

I bought some high rings to mount a scope on a Savage Model 25 in 22 Hornet and the bell of the scope touches the barrel.
I shimmed the scope with two pieces of business card, aprox .060”and it clears now.
My question is weather it would be better to shim between the bases and the barrel?

[fast ronnie]

If you shim between bases and barrel, I would use a metal shim, brass if you have it available, then use some locktite or such so that things don't move around. I have done them both ways. If at the range and I need to shim, thin cardboard or a piece of target paper work for a temporary fix.

[country gent]

I would recommend shimming between bases an barrel with a little twist to it. I would obtain a poece of stock with the same dia as the barrel receiver ( where the blocks set) rough up the shim and bases good and clean then epoxy the shim to the bases clamping on the round stock to form the new base. Left a little proud on the edges the shim can be filled and then finished to not show at all. holes can be spotted thru after shim is glued on and cured.

On the hornets trajectory adding .010 -.020 more to back ring would add 5 -8 mins elevation in the bases also. Her you would want to mount the rings on a bar then remove from bases. Remount rings to bases this maintains spacing and alighnment. glue shims and clamp to round stock with clamp in the center. This might help keepscope centered better and allow more elevation adjustments over distances.

[NyFirefighter357]

I've always used copper flashing as that is what I've had available and I have different thickness. Anytime I come across a piece or scrape of copper flashing I always tuck it away for just that reason.

[Preacher Jim]

Brownells has shims that raise the base. I used them to level bases but they work great.

[deltaenterprizes]

I got some some .030” brass strip at a local hobby shop.
The card stock is only.010”, so I will have.010” extra space under the scope.
Thanks for the help!

[PTCSmith]

Return the rings and buy a set of Extra High rings.

[deltaenterprizes]

Return the rings and buy a set of Extra High rings.

I bought the rings on line and shipping would be almost as much as the rings!

[deltaenterprizes]

I cut the brass strip and drilled the holes and used some longer screws and used the bases to press the brass strip to the contour of the receiver!
The shims work like a charm!

[odfairfaxsub]

Brass or copper. Brass would be better... won’t marr your finish in my opinion and go under the base if possible

[oldracer]

I had that issue with both my slug guns that have Unertl scopes, 2 inch models and the end hit just as I was set to shoot at 200 yards. The default block height was way too low so I ordered higher mount blocks. They came with the correct length screws too. So I would suggest buying mounts that are higher, most reliable way to do it.
John

[bob208]

al. soda cans are .006 thick. you can stack them up they are very flexible to mold and are free.

[deltaenterprizes]

al. soda cans are .006 thick. you can stack them up they are very flexible to mold and are free.

The soda can may be free but I would have had to make 10 of them instead of 2!

[KCSO]

I bought a load of old brass shim stock at a sale a long time ago and am still using it. I prefer one shim of the right thickness and I usually acraglass it to the bottom or the mount after it has been fitted and formed. hen I have to cut one if I am short I make up a couple extra in case I am in a hurry some time.

[John Boy]

Being a diabetic, I shim everything with the used shin plastic test strips

[fiberoptik]

Being a diabetic, I shim everything with the used shin plastic test strips

Never thought of using test strips![emoji106]


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[S.B.]

Try some Ultra High rings?
Steve

[redhawk0]

I had a scope on my old Rem 572 where it was just the front ring that was slightly low. I could never adjusted the crosshairs up high enough to sight it in. I used a folded plastic drinking straw under the scope on just the front ring. Being a 22rf...it didn't need to be torqued down until it bled....I would think a 22 Hornet wouldn't need that either. I used plastic to avoid moisture wick issues that cardboard would cause. I had that scope mounted for 37 years before the cheap scope fogged and I replaced both it and the rings just 3 years ago.

redhawk

[Clark]

Sometimes I shim with narrow strip of tape until it is aligned just right with the shims compressed by the base screws finger tight.. Then I fill in the space with epoxy and put the screws in finger tight.
After the epoxy is hard, I torque the base screws hard. The gunsmiths for rifles going to Africa frown on this, and use Solder. The sniper guys use the same system as me.

[725]

When I've had to do it, (not often), I've used .22 cases to make a shim. It worked very well.

[Willbird]

I admire your solution to the problem :-).

Sometimes finding a fix that you can do now helps a LOT :-). I would put the shims under the bases for sure, by putting it IN the ring you changed the inside radius of the ring.

The cats meow way to do it is to find shims that will work work, then put a bore sighter in the muzzle, align the bore sighter with the rifle sighted in. Then take the scope OFF, optically center it...then adjust the shims and everything so the rifle ends up sighted in with the scope optically centered, or maybe at some other point that you like. For long range stuff I like them to sight in at 100 yards only 1/4 of the way up from lowest elevation, this gives me 3/4 of the vertical to use for ranging.

I have never had a bore sighter, I have done the above in my old shop where the bridgeport was by a window by clamping the rifle in the mill vise, then moving the vise until the rifle was sighted on an insulator on a transformer about 100 yards away. I had 6' tall windows but the glass was painted over on the bottom sash to deter the looky loos who love to see your lathes and mills and try to buy them "because your not using them" :-).

[Clark]

Years ago I bought a 2x12 IOR scope used with IOR rings.

This week I took off the rings and found two layers of beer can under the front tube inside the ring.
It seems the scope tube is 35mm and the scope rings are 34mm.