The Remington 700 first came out in 1962, and since then it has been a very good choice as a bolt action centerfire rifle and is manufactured by Remington Arms.
They are developed version of the Remington 721 and 722 series of rifles, which were previously introduced in 1948. Sturdy, precise and reliable, this upgraded version of rifles soon found their place in the arms and ammunition communities worldwide.
The Remington 700 comes in two varieties of scope mounts: a one-piece and a two-piece scope base.
One-piece scope base
The former one provides better stability to the scope and helps in keeping the target fixed during long-range shooting. Also, one-piece bases aid heavy scopes on the rifle chambered at strong recoil by being able to be cantilevered off the front of the scope base if the need be.
Two-piece scope base
On the other hand, a two-piece scope base works on both long and short actions. It gives a leg up on the extra clearance to the ejection port that might be required while loading the Remington 700 rifle. It is recommended to select the version proposed by the manufacturer which is deemed to fit the rifle following your needs.
Pair them with scope rings for better accuracy
Next, you will need to pair the scope and the base with scope rings with the correct size that will allow the shooter to mount the scope as close to the gun as possible.
This helps with portability and accuracy when dialling. Also, one needs to ensure that all the required hardware that was mentioned on the website are included in the package.
Steps to follow while mounting the base:
Scope mounting isn’t very difficult, it just requires a few basic tools and a full understanding of mounting an objective lens of the scope on the rifle.
The following steps need to be followed while installing the scope on the bolt action rifle to ensure proper functioning, preciseness and utility of the weapon:
Cleaning the surface of the rifle
You need to prep the rifle to make sure that the scope mount fits snugly and perfectly on the base.
Firstly, remove the four-receiver screws that you were going to mount the bracket to with properly sized screwdrivers to not damage the screws.
You will be required to decrease each of the holes of the screws and clean any residue. If not done so, the scope might be unable to settle down onto the Remington 700. Take a q tip and clean the holes with rubbing alcohol or lighter fluid.
Securing and proper levelling of the scope
After cleaning your rifle, secure it in a vice or other device while installing the scope. It would be preferable for you to go ahead and level your rifle when securing it.
This can be done by placing the rifle scope bubble level on top of the receiver and at the barrel. This makes sure that the positions of the bubble are the same on both the levels and finally adjusting your rifle as needed by securing the screws.
In this way, your crosshair is perfectly vertical and prevents problems in long-distance shootings.
Firm fastening of the screws
Screw the scope base properly to the rifle mount after dry fitting the scope and see how you would want your forward mount to sit like.
Make sure that the long screws go with the rear base and the short ones with the front base. You might want to use a bit of thread lock formula, preferably the blue Loctite, not the red permanent one to screw the threads as the recoil from many rounds of shooting can cause the front mount screws to wiggle lose over time.
The thread locking will help everything to stay put and ensure that the screws are properly fitted and are not protruding when tightened.
Correct attachment of the scope rings and scope
After securing the scope base to the rifle, it’s time to mount the scope ring which comes in the range of low, medium and high. You will have to figure out which to use based on the particular scope and rifle combination.
If possible, use the Leupold QRW, as it fits with any type of rail system, and so if you need to take the scope off and swap it, or put it on another rifle, you could do it fairly quickly while in the field.
Attach the lower part of the ring to the scope base, then test fit the scope with the help of the bubble level to ensure that the crossbow fits into the slot.
Now place the scope in the bottom ring. It should be seen that the side of the scope with the logo of the manufacturer is placed opposite to the ejection port. After that, fasten the upper part of the ring properly with a torque wrench and a scope lead placed on the elevation knob to level the crosshairs.
Remember to tighten the four screws in an alternating manner to torque down only the standard specifications (torque value of 3.16-newton metre) mentioned.
Keep an eye on the bubble level throughout this process. It should be seen that the top ring pieces are not snapped onto the scope. Instead, use two Allen wrenches in the screw holes to slightly spread the rings so they go on without denting the expensive scope.
Precise setting of the eye relief
Before attaching the scope to the scope ring permanently, the user needs to adjust the eye relief of the scope to prevent the black halo. A ring that can sometimes be seen around the edge when looking through the scope at the target.
Place the rifle on a stable platform
To get the perfect eye relief and proper calibration of the scope, place the rifle on a stable platform and make sure that the scope rings are loosely tightened.
Hold the scope as you would do in the field and set at maximum magnification
Now place the rifle on your shoulder like you would do in the field, in the most comfortable position. It is advisable to set your scope lying prone and keeping on maximum magnification as that’s when the eye relief is the shortest and the face is farthest away from the scope, i.e., the most critical point.
Get an edge to edge clarity
Slide the scope towards the front as much it can go, then place your eye on the scope and slowly move the scope back. As soon as the black ring is removed from your sight of view and you get an edge to edge clarity, tighten the scope rings.
You have successfully set your eye relief. This is the most important and critical part and should not be hurried.
Proper levelling of the reticle
After finding the correct position for your eye relief, you need to level the reticle of the scope to confirm the accuracy and authenticity of the compensation of windage and elevation and the crosshair position.
First, secure the Remington 700 on a cradle and fasten the scope rings firmly on the scope. You would need your scope bubble levels once more.
Place one on the centre turret and the other on the rail or barrel of the rifle, adjust and rotate the scope until it fits the rifle levelling. Finally, tighten the scope by fastening the screws alternatively in the manner said before.
Ocular focusing and boresighting of the new scope
Before sighting in the new scope you would be needed to dial in your ocular focus to have a crisp, error-free and bright image of the scope’s reticle. Then, line up your rifle by aiming it towards a high contrast background or bright target points keeping a good sight picture and your eye at the required distance from the scope.
After that, adjust the scope’s diopter until your reticle is clearly in focus and line with the crosshair. However, it is still important to take your Remington 700 rifle to the range and go through a few practice rounds to make small adjustments as deemed necessary.
Now that you have learned all the procedures and precautions to take while mounting a scope, you are ready to hit the field with your Remington 700. This rifle is often used in middle and long-range distances, and hence, the scope becomes a mandate to have.
Keeping this in mind that the quality of the scope immediately affects the shooting capability of the operator. Moreover, a good scope needs an even better mount as it is what your scope relies on to be steady, accurate and reliable.
Some of the best scope mounts for this bolt action rifle available in the market at present are:
- LaRue Tactical QD Cantilever Scope Mount
- Game Reaper Remington 700-Long Action-Medium Mount
- Leupold Rifleman Detachable See Through High Rings
- Remington 700 Integral Scope Mounts Z2 Alloy Rifle
- Spuhr Quick Detach ISMS QDP Mount
- Burris Signature Rings
- Leupold Mark 2 IMS Cantilever Scope Mount
- Vortex Optics – Viper Extended Cantilever Mounts
One thing that the user must remember is that the biggest factor in a shooting is his/ her eyesight. If you have poor eyesight, you will be required to wear your glasses or optical lenses before levelling the scope, focusing the reticle and setting the eye relief, otherwise, the calibration of the rifle would be faulty and the aim inaccurate.