Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Ruger scope issue

I mounted a bushnell elite 3200 on a new ruger compact and the scope will not zero shoots a little more than a foot to the left and the scope will not adjust to the right anymore. I swapped scopes put a leopold on it and same thing except its about 9 inches to the left. I wonder if this problem is in the rings or is the scope rail machines crooked or someting

...............Highly unusual! As with my Ruger Frontier, your new Ruger compact has the built-in to the receiver (integral) scope mount base, so I wouldn`t suspect that to be the problem. I would re-check your rings making sure that the bottom portion (half moons) are secured and aligned properly as well as the re-checking the scope rings themselves for tightness to about 20 lbs.

Try loosening the bottom base screws and re-tighten each a little at a time going back and forth. I use about 60 lbs of torque on those.

Two possibilities immediately come to mind. First, it could be that your rings are machined a bit out of line; can't swap them in a M77 since they are different heights. However, you might swap the upper ring halves to see if the are way out of line; or even just flip them around 180 degrees. The other possibility is that the receiver may be threaded crooked so that the barrel is pointed a bit off.

The easiest way to look for the problem, if it is one of these, would be to borrow a set of rings to fit a M77. Either use another set you have or see if you can borrow from someone you know.

(I hesitate to go here, but I suppose one should ask to make sure you understand which way to turn the adjustments to get the desired movement. It's rather surprising how many folks get this stuff confused.)

Did you check the rings for alignment? I lap all Ruger rings. Ruger rings are the only rings that have ever dented a scope tube for me. I had a set that the inner hole wasn't drilled all the way through. Ruger doesn't recommend lapping rings but they don't mind if they dent your scope. I'm betting your rings are way out of alignment. An alingment kit and lapping bar is your friend.

Yes,the dovetails can be machined out of alignment.I have not seen or heard of it in a couple years,but I do know of two from the late 70's,early 80's that were off enough to bind he scope tube and not zero.One was returned to Ruger and possibly a new receiver was put on.I lost track of the other. We found it by installing one ring at a time with a pointed 1" bar.The front was found to point to the right a good bit....

I realize that it's a major pain in the rear, but I'd send that rifle back to Ruger. They need to make that right. The windage maxed out, and it's still shooting 9 inches to the left......That's something significant, that the factory needs to be involved in. I would also ask them to mail you a shipping label for the rifle, as they should be footing the bill on that, and usually do, if you are nice and ask.

Bent barrel?

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There are a couple of possibilties.

I might try to place the rifle level in a cradle and lay something straight( cleaning rod or arrow shaft) in the bottom of the rings and see if it runs straight out over the barrel.

It could be the rings, the dovetails in the reciever, or the barrel or in the case of one rifle I had. The barrel was not straight in the reciever. (not sure if they missed a machining step or just cross threaded the barrle at the factory.

One good thing is that Ruger will take care of it as long as you havent modified trhe rifle.

I had the same problem with a 10/22 Mag, but where the rings are the same height I switched them around and problem solved.

My gunsmith says that he routinely laps Ruger rings because they virtually never line up like they should. I have checked a few of mine, and had to lap one set on a No.1 and one set on a 77...

Since I started lapping rings, I would have to agree with this statement. Last set I did was really out of whack, the gun's a shooter though and was one of the easiest guns to get sighted in that I've ever shot.

I've had that happen to me a couple of times. In both cases, the ring lugs were not properly seated in their recesses before being tightened. Loosen them up and place the lugs in the recesses by hand and slowly tighten them, holding the lugs in place. Shake them a little when tightening. E

Had a similar issue with a Ruger # 1 years ago. I contacted Ruger, and they delivered a new set of rings at the end of the week.

One could take some measurements and mill enough material off the appropriate side to rectify the issue. It would just be easier to have the maker fix things though.

Just going back to basics here, but are you sure you're not turning the windage knobs on the scope the wrong way?

No insult intended.

Out of all the different brand rings that I have lapped Ruger rings have been the most out of alignment !!!