Submitted by: Jeremy Flamand

Here are some tips on installing a new scope on your 10 ML or 10 MLII. First off, stick with high quality STEEL bases. Some of the Savage 10 ML users have had problems with the aluminum bases, and believe me you do not want to experience them for yourself! I usually clean out the pre-drilled and tapped mount holes in the gun with a small wire brush to remove any little bits of grit or junk. Also be sure to clean the mounting surface of the gun and the bases to ensure that no dirt gets in between them. Place the base (or bases if using a 2-piece system) on the gun and install them with the screws provided. Tighten each screw a little bit at a time to ensure that the base will sit as flush with the receiver as possible. Use a thread locker or Loc-Tite on all of these screws. Tighten the base screws as tight as you can without stripping the screw or the wrench. Leopold supplies Torx screws and a Torx wrench with their mounting systems because of the added torque they provide. The key here is to make sure they are VERY TIGHT! That being said, once the base is installed, you can attach the rings. I used standard or medium height rings with my 40mm scope and it fits just right. I think that medium rings should still work with 44mm scopes, but 50mm scopes would definitely require a set of high rings. If using the Leopold "turn-in" style base, be sure to use a wooden or plastic dowel to turn the front ring. DO NOT USE YOUR SCOPE TO DO THIS!! To do so could damage your scope! I used a wooden broom handle, but a short length of 1 inch dowel would work. With the bottom half of the ring installed in the base (or bases) you can lay your scope in the rings. Put the top half of the rings on, and get the screws started but do not tighten them fully. Adjust the eye relief by moving the scope forwards and backwards in the rings until you get it right for you. You can test the eye relief by shouldering the gun with your eyes closed, then find where the gun feels right, and then open your eyes. If the eye relief is not right the instant you open your eyes, then adjust the scope until it is. This may involve buying an extended base or ring set, depending on how you shoulder your gun. Once you have the eye relief correct, make sure that the crosshairs are aligned properly (some people use a plumb line to make sure they are absolutely perfect, but I usually just eyeball it) and tighten the ring screws. Again use Loc-Tite and tighten them all in an alternating sequence so that the gaps between the top and bottom half of the rings are equal all around. Be careful not to over tighten these screws. You do want them VERY tight, but keep in mind that the tube of your scope is not solid steel like the receiver was. Use your judgment here. You want them tight, but you do not want to damage your scope. Once this is all done, bore sight your scope and head out to the range!

NOTE - Some of us have found that the front base screw bottoms out in the receiver when using the Leopold bases. Before you install your bases, check how many turns it takes to bottom out the screw WITHOUT the base attached. When you install your base, make sure that your front screw does not go in as far as it did without the bases. If it does, you are going to have to find a shorter screw or your groups will be all over the place. Back to top

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Tip on installing Weaver style bases

Posted by: 1SHOT-1KILL - 12/16/2001

The Savage action, including the 10ML & 10ML-II, have a longer than normal span between the front and rear bridges. If you turn the Weaver style mounts, so that the ring slots or facing inward toward the port, it will allow the rings to be fitted on the scope between the front and rear objective bells. It will allow you about 1/2" of movement to aligne the scope. This is with standard scopes not compact scopes. Compact scopes will require dual extension rings. A set of Medium rings will allow the mounting of up to 44mm front objectives. 50mm ojectives require a set of high rings.

Also for longer scopes you may have to remove the rear sight. One screw is all you have to remove to remove the rear sight. If you want to remove the front sight, drift the blade sight out and reomve the one screw under it. Also if you use scope covers or flip up scope cover you may have to remove the rear sight as well. Back to top

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Correcting scope cant on a low budget.

 

By Randy Dunn with help from Doug Blair

Up front I want to be clear that I'm no gunsmith or pro target shooter. I'm a self-proclaimed Savage 10ML enthusiast. Most of the info I have for this article was gathered from the WWW and from trial and error.

As I was testing loads with my Savage 10MLs and started shooting longer and longer ranges I discovered that even the slightest tilt or "Cant" of the barrel along its axis would result in a poor group. The further out I shot the worse it got. I discovered that a few things had to be aligned with the target. The vertical line of your crosshair has to be in line with the vertical centerline of the barrel. The centerline of the barrel has to be in line with the vertical centerline of the target. As you know as the bullet flies its path arches some due to gravity, so the further out you shoot the worse it can be if your gun/scope is tipped or "canted".

Any gun will "throw" the bullet off if you tilt the gun when fired. Also the more of an arc or faster the bullet drops the more this will be noticed. Also if you are shooting either uphill or downhill the drop will be less than over flat ground. Look at this way, if you were shooting straight up (please don't try this) or straight down there is no "drop" to the bullet. When shooting across a flat horizontal field your drop will be at the maximum.

I came up with a few steps to set up a scope if you don't have access to the correct tools to mount a scope like a gunsmith has.
All you need is:
1. A solid bench or shooting platform you can level and can clamp a bench vice on to.
2. A bench vice big enough to clamp your gun in with some soft rags or a towel so you don't mess up your guns finish.
3. Some "C clamps" or big vice grip pliers to clamp the vise to the table.
4. A small carpenters level. A new "line level" with good square sides is nice.
5. Black electrical tape
6. A target board or a large piece of cardboard you can mount about 50 to 75 yards away.
7. Tools to work on your scope and gun with.
8. A black marker.

First, is the "leg work". Set up a target out about 50 to 75 yds in front of the bench or table. Try to make it at least 3 feet square so it's easy to see through the scope and also through the bore of the barrel. Make it sturdy, so it can't move. Take the small carpenters level and make a level horizontal line on the center of the target or cardboard. Make an intersecting vertical line like the horizontal one. Using the black electrical tape carefully place the tape in the edge of the lines to make them easier to see. I put some staples in mine because I bought cheap tape, and it wasn't sticking well.

Make sure the table or bench is level. Attach the vice to the table with the "C" clamps or vice grips. It helps if the table is level on the ground, the vice is level on the table and set so if the gun is in the vice the gun points at the target.

Remove the bolt of the 10ML and take out the breech plug so you can see through the barrel.
Place (be careful you don't mar anything!) the rag or towel in the vice and the gun in towel in the vice to hold it (I placed mine in so it was gripped just below the action forward of the trigger).



Here's the tricky part, make sure the GUN is level (so it isn't tipping to either side as it points at the target) by setting the level on the flat areas on the top of the receiver, if your scope is on, it might be easier to remove it and get the gun level. AT the same time look through the barrel and make sure it is pointed at the target. You'll want to see it the target through the scope also.

After you have the gun level and aimed through the bore at the target, make sure it's snug in the vise. Check it all again.

 

 

Carefully remount the scope as to not jar the gun off "level".
Loosen the rings on the scope so you can twist it. You want the cross hairs to be parallel to the tape on the target, carefully tighten the scope rings. Check it again.

If the gun's level, and the target's lines are level and the cross hairs are parallel to the lines on the target the scope is ready to sight in.
Any "gun cant" is user error.

 

 

 

 

At this point some long-range shooters attach a bubble level to their gun or scope. (While it's still in the vice and everything is level.) This gives them a quick reference to see of they are canting or tilting the gun. I use them on my 4x12 scopes that I use for the 200 plus yard range. They help. I found that I do cant a bit to the left, and with the bullet drop out past 200 yards with the loads in the Savage every little bit helps.



This is a good time to "bore sight" the gun. Loosen the gun in the vice a little bit so you can move it. Look through the bore and line the center of the bore up with the center of the target, start by looking with your eye close to the gun, then back away and keep centering the gun bore on the bulls-eye. When you're sure its as good as you can get it tighten the gun down in the vice so it won't move. (Be careful with that stock!)
Now adjust the scopes cross hairs with the windage and elevation knobs to the center of the target. This will get you "on the paper" so you can sight it in.

You can take this a step further now that you have everything out. Bore sight your gun as mentioned above then fire one shot at the bulls-eye on the target. Put your gun back into the vise and get the crosshairs back in the center of the bulls-eye then lock the gun down to where it can't move. Take the scope adjusting caps off the scope and adjust to where the crosshairs are moved to the center of the bullet hole. If you were "on the paper" with the first shot your next shot should be right into the bulls-eye. Back to top