[Step-by-Step Guide] How to Mount and Boresight Your Rifle Scope at Home

[The Hobby Gunsmith]

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to share a new video I put together that walks through the full process of mounting a rifle scope and collimating/boresighting it — perfect for anyone looking to tackle this as a DIY project at home.

I break down the tools you'll need, the correct procedures, and some key tips to help you get everything mounted properly and zeroed in as efficiently as possible. Whether you're new to optics or just want a refresher, I tried to make this as straightforward and helpful as I could.

Hope this helps some of you out — feel free to check it out and let me know what you think!

Stay safe and shoot straight,

 

[Clancy]

You did say to let us know what we thought… so I’d like to mention a few things.

The video quality is great.

I don’t recommend the use of wet thread locker in ring caps. It will generally leak around the scope ring circumference, especially if the holes aren’t through and through. There are some thread lockers that dry ahead of time and I think those are fine and encourage them.

I’d put the level on the non dominant side so you don’t have to break cheek weld to see it. The rifle will be more pleasing to the eye with all the ugly hardware on the off side as well.

 

[The Hobby Gunsmith]

You did say to let us know what we thought… so I’d like to mention a few things.

The video quality is great.

I don’t recommend the use of wet thread locker in ring caps. It will generally leak around the scope ring circumference, especially if the holes aren’t through and through. There are some thread lockers that dry ahead of time and I think those are fine and encourage them.

I’d put the level on the non dominant side so you don’t have to break cheek weld to see it. The rifle will be more pleasing to the eye with all the ugly hardware on the off side as well.

Thanks for the feedback — I really appreciate you taking the time to watch and share your thoughts!


You're absolutely right about the thread locker — and just to clarify, I actually let the Loctite tack up a bit before installing the screws, specifically to avoid it seeping out around the ring caps. I believe I mentioned that in the video, but I totally understand how easy it is to miss depending on the pacing or how it was phrased. I definitely agree that using it fresh and runny can cause a mess and even risk getting on the optic.


As for the bubble level — good catch! I actually debated the placement and ultimately just went with what felt comfortable at the bench for the demo. But you're 100% right, placing it on the non-dominant side can be a better long-term setup to maintain cheek weld and keep the dominant eye-side clean. Great point about aesthetics, too — minimizing visible hardware on the dominant side does make the rifle look cleaner overall.


Thanks again for the constructive input — always open to ideas that help make the content more useful and accurate for everyone!

 

[LVLAaron]

You did say to let us know what we thought… so I’d like to mention a few things.

The video quality is great.

I don’t recommend the use of wet thread locker in ring caps. It will generally leak around the scope ring circumference, especially if the holes aren’t through and through. There are some thread lockers that dry ahead of time and I think those are fine and encourage them.

I’d put the level on the non dominant side so you don’t have to break cheek weld to see it. The rifle will be more pleasing to the eye with all the ugly hardware on the off side as well.

Vibra-TITE 213 VC-3​

 

[Will Henry]

Decent photography and production so, pretty good. The explanation re. seating the rings against the forward surface was a good point to make but could have been a little more clearly done. I find it very difficult to find the right words when the camera is on. You do better than I. WH

 

[The Hobby Gunsmith]

Decent photography and production so, pretty good. The explanation re. seating the rings against the forward surface was a good point to make but could have been a little more clearly done. I find it very difficult to find the right words when the camera is on. You do better than I. WH

Thanks, I really appreciate that! Yeah, it’s definitely tough trying to talk naturally with a camera pointed at you—especially when you’re also trying to remember the right terms and keep everything technically correct. The firearms community doesn’t cut much slack either—seems like there’s always someone ready to nitpick the smallest detail! lol Still, I enjoy the process and just try to get better with each video. Glad you caught that point about seating the rings—I’ll try to explain it a bit clearer next time. Thanks again for watching!