I even unscrewed the Rigby mount to try to just get it to turn in the socket but while it fit perfectly, it will not turn whatsoever.
Yep. No way to turn that with your hand. Broom handle or screwdriver handle. Takes a little leverage. I’ve used the scope as well, but I think they recommend against it..
I have the same problem with these mounts on my Chapuis and have tried not to use the scope to turn it.
SUCCESS!!! Wow...it took me taking a screwdriver handle to get it to turn but it worked saving me a trip to the smith!!!! Thanks guys much appreciated!!!!!
Follow this Flipper Dude’s advice. I miss the instructions step at times.
. That being said, I think you have to roughly figure out eye relief and then mount the front ring on the scope. What you DO NOT want to do is attempt to get the front ring perfectly true by eye/square and then tighten down the front and back rings mounted on the rifle. If the front ring is not perfectly aligned, and you tighten both rings, then you can actually put a crease in the scope if you fully tighten. For this reason, I have mounted the front ring first. Again, read the directions, but I think it would be ideal to have one of the 34mm acrylic tubes some have mentioned above, but I don’t think you would actually damage the scope anyway if you follow Will’s method. You still will likely have to loosen the rings after initial mounting for final eye relief adjustment, but just make sure that front ring is true before you tighten everything down. I have never used/owned one of the Wheeler/other alignment tools, but also could be of some utility.
Only took me three shots to get my 404 perfect at 100 yards after I bore sighted it the old fashioned way looking through the bore on a spot on my fence then aligning reticle to it. I had zero problems with loading, unloading after the shot. It is an incredible sweet shooting rifle that I think will become my favorite of my Rigbys
Excited to hear how it shoots for you. I haven't handled nor shot a Rigby in 404, but can say my 416 Big Game Rifle is the most accurate large bore bolt gun I've owned or even shot. It consistently shoots ragged single hole groups at a 100 yards with factory Barnes ammo if I do a decent job at my part. Not difficult to get 3-shots in 0.3" and occasionally better. Love that rifle and the only reason it gets semi-neglected is my current adventures down the double rifle rabbit hole.
I hear yah on that, but once I started aligning and lapping my rings along with the advice of Morris from Alaskan Arms; I’ll never go back to the way I used to mount scopes.
