Tikka T3 scoped yesterday by Grouse River, but worried

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smu johnson

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First time post here, hi!

I'll make it quick: I have two concerns after having my Vortex scope mounted by Grouse River to my Tikka T3 Lite SS that I'd like to ask for opinions / advice on.

1) My friend mentioned that it's ideal to have the scope mounted as close to the barrel as possible. But their mount job seems like it could be lowered about 4mm or so. Perhaps what they did is fine and that's usually how they come? Pic below of it on my laying on my bed:

iwVelKT.jpg


2) After looking through the scope, I almost wonder if the crosshairs are a smidge "counter clockwise", or if it's my automatic habit of nitpicking after looking down a brand new scope and rifle mount. Has anyone else ever been concerned with that and had it adjusted back at the store / by themselves easily enough if it bothered them? I'm a bit anally-retentive but to me it seems like it could go one micro-tick back clockwise. I'm not really sure if it's grounds to take the gun back to the store and have someone look through it to get a 2nd opinion, but then again, I did pay for them to mount it, and it seems like it'll be a small thorn in my side for years to come if it really is slightly off.

P.S. I also bought the gun and scope at the same time, but opted to have the scope put on later because I just wanted to enjoy the boxed goodness of it for a few days. When I brought it back, I had to pay for it $30 for the mount and about $70 for the rings.. Do some stores just mount the scope + eat the cost of the rings for you sometimes? I asked a guy at the store a few days later (unfortunately didn't see the girl who sold me the gun in the first place) and he said they don't normally eat the cost, but I can't help feel though that I may have missed out had I just let them mount it the same day.

Thanks for reading.
 
Rings are extra unless they come with the rifle. Stores often will mount and bore sight for free.

If the scope is crooked then slack off screws and adjust- it's not rocket surgery.

Check your bolt operation to see if you can go lower.
 
Looks ok to me except for the ocular lens as mentioned already. Here's mine with a Near rail. Lots of room for adjustment, and 25MOA of extra elevation.
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Looks ok to me. As for it not being 100% vertical, that depends on how YOU hold it. The fellow that installed it may have held it sightly different than you do so it would look perfect for him. If you don't like it or can't modify how you hold it, slacken the screws and adjust to your liking.
 
The scope is slightly high but its not that bad.
When you hold the rifle, do you feel the scope is too high ?
If not, its fine.

What is the clearance between the bolt handle and the scope when you cycle it ?
If you have room, you can go with lower rings.

IMO, a scope always should be leveled with the rifle.
I always use bubble levels when i mount a scope.

Its like everything else, do it right or do it twice !
 
The main thing of a properly mounted hunting scope is fast acquisition of a clear sight picture and a proper eye relief so you don't "scope" yourself.
Try this:
Pick up your rifle and quickly look through the scope. If you have to bend or twist your head or neck in some weird way to see a clear round picture without interference from the sides of the scope tube then you need different rings and risers. Also if your eyelashes touch the rear ocular then the scope is too close to your head!!
The height the scope is mounted is irrelevant and vary from person to person based on their head and neck anatomy. Comfort and quick target acquisition is the key.
On a hunting rifle, the scope is usually mounted low. The design of the stock allows that.
On precision type rifles, a lot of people use higher mounts often due to the size of the bell (x50+)but they also have multi-adjust cheek risers on the buttstock to accommodate that.
 
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Scope looks fine height wise.

Unless you buy it as a package, the rings are not "free"....included in the price maybe, but not free.

Like Gatehouse said, if you think the scope is askew, its an easy fix when you go to sight in at the range.
 
I would never let someone mount a scope for me to use. Even if they did a perfect job of aligning the crosshairs, and torquing the fasteners, without the shooter present, they have no way of setting the optimum eye relief for the shooter.
 
Having a gun store mount your scope is like having the shoe salesman pick out any size of shoe and sell it to you. You need to play with different heights and distances. Some guys need a scope mounted very far back and some need it very far forward. All a function of how the rifle fits you and how your cheek/eyes line up behind the scope. Do it yourself, you'll enjoy the gun much more

Patrick
 
stubblejumper said:
I would never let someone mount a scope for me to use. Even if they did a perfect job of aligning the crosshairs, and torquing the fasteners, without the shooter present, they have no way of setting the optimum eye relief for the shooter.
Click to expand...

This^^^^.
Also I have both the Wheeler two piece kit and the EXD Engineering Vertical Reticle Instrument, USD $46 at Brownells.
Use the Wheeler at home but much prefer the EXD at the range. So simple, so accurate. Best kept secret.

 
njlondon said:
This^^^^.
Also I have both the Wheeler two piece kit and the EXD Engineering Vertical Reticle Instrument, USD $46 at Brownells.
Use the Wheeler at home but much prefer the EXD at the range. So simple, so accurate. Best kept secret.

Click to expand...

How does this device work? I'm in market for a tool like that (bought a Schmidt and Bender)
 
scott_r said:
Reason why I bought a Wheeler scope level kit, I guarantee my stuff is level or come pretty close when I do it myself.
Click to expand...

I have the same kit. I know that is what they use at grouse as well because I see a scope being mounted everytime I go in there and they are always using it.

To the OP, if you are that concerned, take it back to them and ask them to set up the levelling kit so you can confirm its level yourself. Or just buy the kit and do it yourself since you are so "anal retentive".
 
scott_r said:
Reason why I bought a Wheeler scope level kit, I guarantee my stuff is level or come pretty close when I do it myself.
Click to expand...

You might be surprised just how crooked your body actually is, if you try to mount scopes with your eye. I had to get a Wheeler kit as well to get my scopes square to the rifle's action.
 
stubblejumper said:
I would never let someone mount a scope for me to use. Even if they did a perfect job of aligning the crosshairs, and torquing the fasteners, without the shooter present, they have no way of setting the optimum eye relief for the shooter.
Click to expand...

Exactly, and it's not rocket surgery....
Every gun owner should be able to do some basic mechanical things with their guns, or try and find a new hobby.
 
1st issue: Grouse sucks!
2nd issue: Grouse sucks!
Any idea of what the 3rd issue might be?
Support a sponsoring dealer, not a big box wanna be at boutique prices that never has what they show online in stock.
Local doesn't make convenience when you deal there, however, take it back and don't leave until YOU are happy.
 
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