Offset scope base

[ranger140892]

I originally added this to an existing thread in Main Message Board, but I think it's more relevant here.

My 81 y/o mom is right handed, has macular degeneration in her right eye, and cannot shoot off her left shoulder because of her pacemaker. I tried a couple of different offset picatinny mounts, but all the ones I've seen are made for "accessories" and weren't rugged enough for a scope, especially her heavy Nightforce's and Schmidt Bender's. So I made this base for her. I just finished and tested it yesterday, and it worked much better than I anticipated.

I started with a set of steel picatinny rings, and milled off the scope radii. Then I TIG welded a 3/16" steel plate to the rings. I drilled out several 1/2" lightening holes, and drilled and tapped six 8x40 holes down the left side. Then I machined a picatinny rail from a blank, and attached it to the base. All the machining was done with the base attached to a model 70 receiver, in order to keep everything square in the milling machine. I made this base so that she could use it on any of her rifles that have picatinny bases. I've already hatched a plan for a better one, but she'll be able to finish out deer season with this mount. The next one will be TIG welded directly to the receiver's scope base. This will lower it a bit.

 

[LarryDScott]

Nice mount.
At 81 and still deer hunting, ya got to give her an ata girl for that.
LDS

 

[PigButtons]

Awesome idea. More close ups of the device would be appreciated. And how about a pic of Mom at the wheel?

Instead of TIG welding to the receiver's base, why not make the plate with an L joggle along the bore axis? It looks like you have the clearance and still be able to get to the horiz. adjustment turret.

 

[ranger140892]

I'll deliver it to her this weekend, but won't have to time to photograph her shooting it. But she'll be back for hog hunting in February, and I'll get some pics of her shooting it then. Mom is a hoot, and a total riot during deer season....the kinda riot where entire cities are destroyed! That rifle is one I built for myself last year. Mom saw it and threw a fit. Guess who owns it now.

The reason I'm going to TIG weld the next version to the rifle base, is to lower it a bit. A lot actually, probably .625" I did consider putting a right angle on it, but it would get in the way of the windage turret. It's not as much offset as you may think. Only 1.825", and the next one will have less offset. Of course, you could rotate the scope 90 degrees, but it really won't serve anything.

Those aren't especially pretty TIG welds, but they're solid. The welds on the front and rear were machined flush in the milling machine. The next one won't have any fillet welds. They'll all be plug welds, and not visible. Btw, I strongly discourage anyone from buying those new low vortex rings. They're garbage in my opinion. But after a lot of lapping, they'll work for now. Looking at this pic, you can see how much lower it'd be if the lower rings were eliminated and the plate was welded directly to the base.

In the second pic, you can see that I forgot to trim the six 8x40 base screws. Doesn't matter cause this base will get replaced after idiot season is over.

I think I got the length judged pretty well. It allows for quite a bit of adjustment on both bases.

 

[PigButtons]

Got it. My bad, I thought it was integral to the action not attached to the top therefore my comment about not welding directly to the base. It's a very cool idea. Can't wait to see the next version.

 

[One Eye Pete]

My nickname isn't one eye Pete because I have good vision in both eyes. I an a natural righty but I am legally blind in my right eye. I can shoot lefty but not as good. Over the years I tried everything. When you offset a sight from the centerline of the barrel it's Ok at a given distance but it can cause aiming problems as you change distances. What works the best for me is a fairly simple solution. Most of my gunstocks are cut out for an adjustable.cheek piece. I then remove the cheek piece section from the adjusting hardware and replace it with a flat plate. I then mount the scope normally with extra high rings. This allows me to place my chin on the flat plate in the cut out area and my left eye is low enough and centered to look directly through the scope without having it offset. I adjust the plate as necessary to get the height right. Adding a layer of foam on the flat plate helps too. This works for shooting off hand or prone. When shooting F class matches resting my chin on the plate also helps me from getting neck fatigue when waiting for the.right wind conditions. You don't necessarily need the adjustable hardware just the cutout in the stock. I don't have pictures right now but if you want I can post some.

 

[ranger140892]

My nickname isn't one eye Pete because I have good vision in both eyes. I an a natural righty but I am legally blind in my right eye. I can shoot lefty but not as good. Over the years I tried everything. When you offset a sight from the centerline of the barrel it's Ok at a given distance but it can cause aiming problems as you change distances. What works the best for me is a fairly simple solution. Most of my gunstocks are cut out for an adjustable.cheek piece. I then remove the cheek piece section from the adjusting hardware and replace it with a flat plate. I then mount the scope normally with extra high rings. This allows me to place my chin on the flat plate in the cut out area and my left eye is low enough and centered to look directly through the scope without having it offset. I adjust the plate as necessary to get the height right. Adding a layer of foam on the flat plate helps too. This works for shooting off hand or prone. When shooting F class matches resting my chin on the plate also helps me from getting neck fatigue when waiting for the.right wind conditions. You don't necessarily need the adjustable hardware just the cutout in the stock. I don't have pictures right now but if you want I can post some.

Pete, I'm also right handed and blind in my right eye. Mom has macular degeneration, while mine was from an injury in Uncle Sam's service. I always trained ambidextrously, so shooting off my left shoulder isn't a big issue for me. We tried a few options for Mom. This one seems to be working out. We know about the offset, and how the geometry effects POI. If I was using it, I'd zero with a right offset equal to the scope/bore offset. But for Mom, I zero'd at 75 yards. Theoretically, from point blank to 150 yards, she'll always be within 1 7/8" of where she aims. That's more than adequate for Mom's deer hunting shots.

 

[One Eye Pete]

Whatever works for the shooter. The workmanship on the offset looks first class.
I got keratoconus in my right eye when I was a teenager. I didn't even realize it until I picked up a bb gun and couldn't see the bead at the end of the barrel. I had a cornea transplant but it still didn't bring the vision back. I shoot long range at various distances a lot and have enough trouble with vertical so I keep my scope on the centerline so I don't have two adjustments to screw up.
I used to shoot short range benchrest lefty with a fair amount of success but shooting prone is just more comfortable righty.

 

[ranger140892]

Whatever works for the shooter. The workmanship on the offset looks first class.
I got keratoconus in my right eye when I was a teenager. I didn't even realize it until I picked up a bb gun and couldn't see the bead at the end of the barrel. I had a cornea transplant but it still didn't bring the vision back. I shoot long range at various distances a lot and have enough trouble with vertical so I keep my scope on the centerline so I don't have two adjustments to screw up.
I used to shoot short range benchrest lefty with a fair amount of success but shooting prone is just more comfortable righty.

Yeah, that sucks. But I imagine like me, you don't consider it an impediment. My only gripe about it is that I run into people all the time that remember me because of the eye patch, but I can't remember them. Everyone remembers a pirate with an eye patch!

 

[ranger140892]

Well, Mom harvested a doe yesterday with the new scope setup. And now she's texted that she just dropped another one with it.