How to Mount a VXL, VX7 or VX7L Scope

Mounting your new high tech scope might seem like a job that only a qualified rifle smith can do, but with a few pointers you will find Leupold has made this job simple for most any rifle enthusiast.

Before you can mount any scope, you will have to  to match your scope and rifle combination. Choosing the right mount starts with selecting the base that matches your rifle, then selecting rings that work with your base.  The rings will also have to be the right diameter as the scope tube and should allow sufficient clearance between rifle and scope bell. 

Now that you have selected a base that fits your rifle, the mounts that match your base and scope, you are ready to start mounting your optics. Aside from all the cutting edge features and lens coatings that have made them sought out by hunters across the nation, the VXL, VX7, and VX7L  scopes are designed to reduce the distance between the rifle bore and cross hair. This reduction in scope height reduces the amount of optical error caused by a scope that was mounted with a slight cant.

1. Check to make sure your rifle is not loaded. Keep the rifle pointed in a safe direction at all times.

2. If you don't have a barrel vise to hold your rifle securely, make sure you have something soft like carpet under your rifle to catch anything that falls.

3. Prep your optical system

   Cleaning your rifles receiver is best accomplished with cotton cloth and isopropyl alcohol that can be picked up at a local pharmacy. Thoroughly clean the top of the receiver where the scope base will mount. A clean surface will insure your mounting system does not move through the season. Clean your mounts and the scope tube where the mounts will attach. A grain of sand could mean the difference between a hit and a miss.

4. Mount the base or bases to the rifle

   Securing the base to your rifle is one of the most critical steps in assuring your scope is mounted securely. Coat the threads of the base screws with Mobile 1 synthetic universal grease or a similar grease. At first glance you might think grease would make your screw loose, but a machinist or mechanic can tell you that applying grease to the threads of your screw before installation allows the screw to be torqued evenly. Position the scope base on the receiver and start the screws in with your fingers. Finish torquing your screws down with the allen wrench that came with your mounts. Turn the screws until they are tight, do not over tighten, especially with an aluminum receiver. If your mounts did not come with a wrench that matches the screws, use the appropriate flat head screwdriver, allen wrench, or torx head screwdriver. It is very important that the fit between the wrench and screw is good or you can end up damaging the screw head, your rifle, or yourself.

5. Mount the scope rings

   Scope rings are packaged with the screws installed. Remove the screws from the scope rings and put them in a safe place. Screws have a nasty habit of falling and bouncing into hard to find places, so an extra moment spent here will save you time in the long run. Apply grease to the scope ring screw threads. Position the ring on the scope base and start the screws. Snug the screws down in both rings, but do not tighten at this point.

6. Checking ring position

   Carefully hold the scope up to the scope rings to insure that the spacing between the rings is right for the scope. Carefully put down the scope.

7. Make adjustments to the ring position if necessary so your scope will fit in the rings.

8. Securing the rings

   Tighten the screws that hold the rings to the scope base. Again use proper fitting tools to avoid damage.

9. Mounting the scope

   Grease the threads of the screws for the upper half of the scope rings. Carefully set your scope in the rings that have been installed on the rifle. Make sure the half moon shape is down, pointed to the barrel side. Don't worry about the cross hair being level at this time, just make sure the barrel is fitting into the half moon shape on the scope bell. Secure the scope with the top half of the scope rings. Install the screws, but do not tighten them. The scope should still be movable in the rings without force.

10. Adjusting eye relief

    Hold the rifle up to your shoulder and look through the scope. Gently move the scope in the rings until you see a full site picture in the scope. Remember that a VX7L scope has blackened lens edges in the scope to prevent glare, this is the latest in optics technology and is there for your benefit.

11. Leveling the crosshairs

    Gently rotate the scope in the rings until the half moon shape is oriented to the scope as shown. Snug the screws so the scope no longer moves in the rings. Shoulder the rifle and double check that the eye-relief is correct and the crosshairs are almost level. Loosen the screws and make adjustments as necessary. Set your rifle on its bi-pod, in a benchrest, or on sand bags to see fine adjustments that need to be made. If a rest is unavailable, shoulder the rifle then rest the front of the rifle on a rolled up towel. Hold the rifle without tilting it to the left or right. Look through the scope and carefully rotate the scope so the vertical crosshair is in line with the rest of the rifle. (This works best if you are at a target range so you can make adjustments while siting in on the vertical or horizontal lines of the target frame.)

12. Torquing the top ring screws

    Using a proper fitting allen wrench, torx wrench, or screwdriver, tighten the ring screws until they are secure. Do not over tighten or stripping could occur. If the ring is of the 4 screw design, tighten them in an X-pattern for best results.

13. Congratulations! You have just mounted one of the world's finest optical instruments to your rifle.