How to Make a Scope Ring Alignment Bar

It is impossible aim at your target accurately with a misaligned scope.

Scope bars allow you to align your scope rings perfectly and achieve precise aim, but you need to match the rods' and rings' sizes perfectly to accomplish that. Therefore, custom-made scope alignment bars are the optimal option for maximum precision. You don't have to seek the help of a professional for this task, as you can make your own scope bars by using polymer clay. This material is malleable before baking -- ensuring you can make bars that fits perfectly to the rings -- and hard when baked, allowing you to use the bars over and over again.

Things You'll Need

• Polymer clay
• Ruler
• Oven
• Carving knife

Instructions

1. Measure the scope circle's diameter with a ruler. Be absolutely precise with your measurements, as even a 1mm deviation can make the difference.

2. Roll polymer clay on a flat surface to form two 3-inch-long cylinders that feature the same diameter with the scope rings. Try to make the cylinders' diameter a millimeter larger than the ring's diameter.

3. Slide the cylinders through the scope rings to check if they fit perfectly. If you are struggling to insert them into the rings, use a carving knife to make the cylinders slimmer by scratching their surface. When the cylinders have fitted tightly, roll them in the rings to ensure their shape matches perfectly with the ring's opening.

4. Place the cylinders on a flat surface and use a sharp carving knife to give each cylinder one pointed end. Be careful not to press the cylinders towards the flat surface, making them lose their shape. At the end, you should get two pencil-like shapes.

5. Try the bars on the scope rings again, to ensure they still fit perfectly. Gently remove the bars from the rings and put them in a regular oven.

6. Bake the bars for 30 minutes per square-inch of diameter. For example, if your bars feature a three-quarter-inch diameter, bake them for 1 1/2 hours. The optimal baking temperature varies from brand to brand, so check your clay packaging for details.

7. Allow the scope alignment bars to cool down overnight, before using them for the first time to adjust the rings on the scope mount of your rifle.

References

• Wheeler Engineering: Scope Ring Alignment Bars
• Polymer Tutorials: Clay Baking

Resources

• Precision Rifle: Pointed Scope Alignment Bars -- Another Point of View