Pawn Shop 30-06: Scope Base | The Ballistic Assistant

In order to see how this rifle shoots I elected to mount a scope on the rifle. This isn’t the only way to test accuracy, but due to the rifle not having any rear sight, this was the cheapest way for me to test things out. I purchased an EGW Mauser Scope Mount because it was cheap and undrilled.

EGW Scope “Tactical” Scope Mount. I could careless about the Tactical, and more that it will allow me to drill the holes where I need them.

Given the scope mount was $36 it gave me some room to make a mistake or two. That’s probably the wrong mentality to have, but it’s the truth. Part of the reason I am doing projects like these, on rifles that are inexpensive and plentiful, is that if I make a mistake, it’s a mistake I can afford. I can purchase a brand new rifle that will shoot 1 MOA or better for $350. Sometimes I can even find them with a scope already mounted. For me these projects aren’t about the economics but about learning to do things and having some pride in what I’ve accomplished.

I took quite a bit of time laying out where the holes needed to go in the mount. The holes were space .873in apart, which from what I could tell, was atypical of most Mauser scope mounts. The spacing was the same on the rear of the scope base as it was on the front.

I used a carbide scribe to mark the hole location, and the calipers to measure where the holes needed to go.

I neglected to take pictures of the actual drilling, but I used a 1/16 drill to drill a pilot hole and to check the locations of the holes. I then used a 11/64 to actually drill the holes for the #8 screws. The counter bore was drilled with a 1/4 drill bit. I drilled the hole just deep enough to allow the screw to stick out from the bottom by ~1/8 and then set the stops on the drill press to drill the next hole. Since the front and rear scope mounts are different thicknesses I had to repeat the process twice.

Even after my careful measurement and drilling I still managed to screw it up and need to break out the files. As evident by the top screw hole.

I checked the fit and hole alignment several times and it became apparent I was off on my first and last hole. I ended up breaking out the needle files and opening up the holes some.

I have found that a small set of cheap needle files are in invaluable addition to the hobby shop. You have to have some patience but rest assured you can do the same type of damage as you would with a Dremel. 🙂

As the end of the day with the rail installed you can’t tell that I totally messed up that one hole.

I get it, I’m the guy they call “Bubba” when it comes to gunsmithing, but everyone has to learn somehow, and I would never attempt to do this one someone else’s gun.

I used a little Blue Loctite on the threads when I installed the screws. Just incase someone in the future would want to remove my handiwork in the future.

Honestly, I am happy with this. The bolt opens and closes without drag, and the mount is on tight.

You ever look back at purchases you made when you first got into your firearm hobby and cringe? I know I do. That scope mount is one of those purchases. It’s fine for AR’s but it’s only acceptable on bolt actions when you want a chin weld instead of a cheek weld.

I corrected myself and found a proper scope and scope rings. Did you really think I’d go to the range with the previous monstrocity?

Incase you wanted to know what the scope is…

These are cheap scopes, and yes I bought this at the pawn shop the same time I bought the rifle. I think I paid $10 for the scope.

With the scope mount and the scope on the rifle, it’s time to take it to the range and see what the rifle can do!