frequently asked questions

and Troubleshooting

 

The information here is an effort to help with some of the issues our customers have come across (and come through).  If you need additional help, take pictures if you can and email us.  We'll see what we can do.

 

Known barrel/action issue

A few customers have reported that their shots were high/right or low/left.  After some investigating, we discovered that some rifles had a barrel that was not parallel to the action.  The Vietnam era Telescope/Auto-Ranging ART II Operation Manual even documents this issue and how to work around it with the ART II Scope.  (See page 3, B.4.)  Here is a document that we drew up to help you determine whether your barrel and action are parallel.

 

Want the scope directly over the barrel

When using the Standard High or Standard Low scope mount, you may find the scope is not directly over the barrel.  While is isn't essential that the scope be over the barrel, (and it's only off a fraction), if you don't want to allow for it, we've found that the Standard Low mount with high rings will place the scope directly over the barrel.

 

Using Loctite...or not

Bassett does not recommend using loctite on the mount bolt.  It is not necessary and wrecks the ability to remove the mount/scope unit when not needed.  Testing by the AMU at Fort Hood, Texas, in 1980, determined 22 inch-pounds to be sufficient to hold the mount with no shifting and yet not distort the rifle action or compromise accuracy.  If you want to put loctite on something, Bassett says using it on the ring screws wouldn't hurt...provided you didn't want the ability to mount different scopes on the mount.

 

Iron sights

Using the Standard High Scope Mount, a 65mm outside diameter objective bell will clear the hand-guard by 1.5mm.  This measurement was taken at 6.5 to 7 inches forward of the mounting bolt center with the recommended old style Weaver rings.  This allows for using the iron sights.

 

Using the Picatinny Rail High Scope Mount, a 50mm outside diameter objective bell will show a little in the iron sites but you can see enough to use them.  See picture.

 

Note about Weaver Rings

Bassett recommended Weaver Rings back in the beginning: Weaver medium height styles # 49041 or 49120 for 1” diameter or 30 mm scope tubes, respectively; and styles # 49045 or 49152 extended for ¾” eye relief with 1” or 30mm diameters, respectively.

Since his recommendation, weaver has changed their product’s (“Style”)¹; We have not tested weaver rings since then and Bassett would probably still say go with the old style if can find them at a gun show, He used to say “They might not win a beauty contest but they were functional”

¹And we don’t know if they’ve changed materials or quality

 

Returning to Zero

Camp Perry Hi-power Masters and law enforcement personnel found that if reinstalled to the original mounting torque, it will return to battery within a half-minute of angle at 100 yards.  Consistency of weight and method installing is what produces the best accuracy.  Use the Installation Instructions.