Sako TRG Scope Alignment Problems

gorky

gorky

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I have had a world of trouble mounting a scope to a TRG

I started out by optically centering the scope (Swarovski PV-S 6-24x50). I then mounted the rings and bases. Currently using 2-peice TRG Optilocks.

I realized, upon boresighting, that I was in trouble. I run out of windage - I need approximately 2.5 MOA more just to zero (confirmed at range). I thought maybe one of the rings/bases was backwards so I took everything apart and reversed the bases. Remounted, reboresighted, still run out of windage (same direction). Ok, take everything apart again, reverse just the rings, remount, reboresight, same problem, same direction. Last option, took everything apart, reversed just one of the rings, same problem, same direction.

OK, so no I am thinking the rail on the TRG is buggered so, setup still complete, I mount it to a TRG22. Same flipping problem.

So now I am stumped. I have had this thing apart so many times that the soft Sako screws are not going to take much more. What am I doing wrong ? I have not had this problem with the dozen or so Optilock setups that I have run on my Sako 75s and 85s. Am I aligning the rings/bases incorrectly ? How can I confirm this ? How I can I confirm that the scope is not buggered

EDIT: Swaro says this scope has 25 MOA windage adjustment, which I can confirm from optically centering the scope. Certainly not as impressive as the ample windage available on NF, etc
 
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#1 - check to see if your rings are pointing in the correct direction.

- Carefully look over the top of the scope, and see where the scope body tube is pointing. Is it pointing to the muzzle? Or is it pointing half an inch or an inch left or right of the muzzle?

- (alternately - remove the scope from the rings but leave the rings mounted. Now sight through the rings and see where they point - at the muzzle, or to the side?)


#2 - check to see if your scope internal parts agree with the scope's outside.

- set your elevation and windage knobs to the midpoint of their adjustment range.
- put the scope in the rings. Have the rings as snug as they can be but still loose enough to permit free rotation of the scope tube
- put a collimator/boresighter in your muzzle
- rotate the scope tube back and forth through at least 90 degrees of rotation. The location of the scope reticle will likely shift w.r.t. the boresighter's alignment grid. Adjust your elevation and/or windage knobs until the scope reticle does not rotate w.r.t. the grid
- your scope's internals are now aligned to the outside of its tube
- see where your scope knobs are. If they are more than a few MOA away from the midpoint of your adjustment range, there's something wrong with your scope.
 
gorky,

Does one of the bases have a small pin to prevent forward movement of the base on the tapered dovetail?

If this is what you have it will prevent the base from locking up snug on both sides of the dovetail. On Sakos I always remove that pin and then use small shims - usually made from a pop can - and I slide them in to control left to right offset and front to rear. Just play around with the shims a bit.

Tap the base forward until snug using a plastic mallet before tightening the screw.

I'm not real confident those short cap screws will hold the ring to the base either so I weld them on, then they never move.

If that doesn't work for you, then you have some real issues.
 
I have real concerns about shimming a scope or bases on a 338LM - just seems like a recipe for disaster.

I do know the pin you speak of. I will try removing it and seeing if that gets me anywhere. Not sure why that will affect windage, but I do recall that pin being not quite round (a bit oblong). Maybe that is enough to skew the rings enough. The lack of windage on the scope doesnt help either.
 
gorky said:
Sorry and why tap the ring/base forward ? The TRG rail is a straight rail, not tapered like my sako 75/85 rails
Click to expand...

I'd say BadAsMo is confusing the dovetail system used on most Sako's to the TRG system which is a straight rail.
If you problem is following to a different rifle when the setup is mounted on your TRG22, then that narrows your problem down to the rings or scope. If you have the option of switching either one out, you will have solved your problem. Try a different scope, any scope from one of your other rifles, as long as you know it will zero on its current setup. If that fixes it, you need to return the bad scope. If the problem still exists, its your rings.
 
Yeah that is my plan for tonight. I dont have a spare 30mm scope and dont want to rip apart on of my other rigs. I do have some Near mounts that just arrived so I will be trying that tonight. Fingers crossed that it is the rings/bases and not the scope.

You know, looking at the rings, it still seems like it is far to easy to have alignment problems with the optilock rings. How do you ensure that the rings are straight relative to the bases ? Looking at some of the literature, it seems like the hope is that the inserts will accommodate any misalignment of the rings which is just bull####.
 
I have a Sako 75 not a TRG so I was not sure if the TRG had a tapered base like the 75 or not. If the TRG is straight, then I would leave the pin where it is to stop the rail from sliding forward due to recoil.

I personally just love the Sako Optiloc rings because you cannot possibly bend your scope. The scope is held in a relaxed state which is ideal for scope function.

The issue I have with those rings is how they attach to the base with such a short screw head that is easy to stip. As I said above this is easy to resolve with a welder. You could even use something like JB weld which would be almost as good.

As for why your scope is pointing in a different direction than the barrel - I would take that up with Sako - It's a long shot but maybe the barrel threads are not machined in line with the bore.
 
And so it looks like the problem is the rings/based. Mounted her up in nightforce rings on a near base and got her zeroed. I think te optilocks are still ok, they are just very finicky about alignment and with the swaro's less than ample windage, I ran out of windage too soon.

As I recall, the new TRG platform has an integrated pic rail rather than an optilock rail - very good call Sako
 
rule of thumb #1, use the same manufacture for both ring and base combination, nightforce/nightforce,badger/badger/near/near, tps/tps the rest is just cheap Chinese junk
 
gorky said:
And so it looks like the problem is the rings/based. Mounted her up in nightforce rings on a near base and got her zeroed. I think te optilocks are still ok, they are just very finicky about alignment and with the swaro's less than ample windage, I ran out of windage too soon.

As I recall, the new TRG platform has an integrated pic rail rather than an optilock rail - very good call Sako
Click to expand...

If you are refering to the TRG M10 then yes, but current TRG's with the pic rail factory installed still have the parallel dovetail as well.
 
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