Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Leupold Windage Bases / Why?

What would be "gross" windage adjustment on the Leupold bases? I keep looking at them wondering why a guy would need them. Shouldn't the scope offer plenty? Do you somehow need to "center" the cross hairs of you new scope and then mount and adjust windage from the base? How would I know where the exact center of adjustment would be on the scope?

The easy way to find the optical center of a scope is to place the objective end flat against a mirror in a well-lit room, (I use the bathroom mirror) and look through the scope.

Adjust the windage and eleveation until the reticule and its reflected image are coincident. You are done.

Ted

'Cause some people shoot Pre-64 Model 70's and Marlins that have the barrels screwed into the receiver at an angle.

Great tip! I have always just counted the "clicks" and went back to the middle.

I've just spun the turret to the very top or bottom, counted how many revs it took back to the other end, and centered it right in the middle, if need be. When your windage is centered, it allows for more ele travel, so that's always nice. I'm slowly replacing all windage adjustable bases with Talley LWs. Just makes me a bit more comfortable knowing there is one less thing to come lose or fail.

Thanks for all of the good info - I had now idea.

Goes to show ya that a bow hunter should not try this stuff alone.

So when I go to the sight in range and I have set up my scope in the mirror (or clicks) and mounted it in the exact middle of the bases I need to shoot a group and see where my impact is? Then adjust the base for windage? That makes sense.

You guys a great

Look at it this way...as a bowhunter you already have all the challenging stuff down.

They were developed when scopes didn't have as much adjustment as modern scopes do. Personally I detest the rings as they have a nasty habit of the windage screws loosening up and your rifle loosing the ability to group at the most inopertune time. If you're going to use the dovetail style of rings/bases, go dual dovetail.

Not quite.

Bolt action or falling block procedure:

Center the scope in its adjustments and install. Then use the windage base to achieve a horizontally centered sight picture while bore sighting on a 100 yard target. Then use the vertical adjustment of the scope to vertically center the sight picture on the same target.

Now fire the first shot.

I like them, but have had some heavy kicking Weatherby's that were shearing the dovetails off the rear ring. Went to Talley's for those.

+1, I'm going the same route....

OK, that makes sense as well.

Yes, I have had plenty of experiance with the bow and enjoyed plenty of success. But unlike other bow hunters (most hate rifle hunters and I do not know why)I have always loved my gun collection and have been an avid bird hunter for 40 years. Life member in the NRA and a closet collector of military weapons and hand guns.

I just have never taken big game with a rifle and I want to. I recently traded for a .358 Norma and I just purchased a new Winchester model 70 all weather in .270WSM. Both need optics, so I am taking a crash course in scope installation.

Unless you have those bases already, I suggest going with a different set up.

Well I bought bases already but they always could be returned. They look tough enough for me. I am pretty good about watching my stuff and keeping everything tight. I am checking out Tally

don't use the STD's on a rifle with greater recoil than a 30-06

I put my 700 Mountain Rifle .260 Remington on the Talley diet. My rifle lost 4.1oz after I finally got the Leupold STD's off the rifle and the Talleys mounted up.

Years ago rifles were not drilled and tapped from the factory and to mount a scope required a smith to do drill and tap your rifle. The holes were often less than perfect. Also many early rifles with factory holes did not get all the holes perfectly aligned. If you have a rifle that needs them in order to get the scope zeroed, that is what they are made for. I've never run into an issue, but understand it still happens on rare occasions with modern rifles.

If you don't have a rifle problem you don't need them. I hate the darn thngs with a passion, and if I had a rifle that truly needed them, I'd sell the rifle.

Problem is when you start moving the rear base you twist the hell out of the scope....it's not what I want

dual dove tail guy here

++1. I had the windage bases break twice on me when shooting a 300 wsm. Both times the windage screws were tightened up and a few months later I noticed my groups opening up latterally. Both times, as it turned out, the screw heads sheared off. I'm glad this didn't happen on a hunting trip. Now it's talleys for me from here on out.