So my wife said I could top off my christmas gift today with a scope of no more than $150. I went to Bass Pro Shops and bought a Nikon ProStaff 3-9x40. The questions I have are-

Is there anything in particular that I need to look for in mounting the scope?

Should I take off my regular optical sights?

Anything else I should know that will make it easier and cheaper to sight the scope in?

Thanks

You need to get the right bases. Then if you want to leave your optic sights on the rifle, get some Warne QD rings and mount the scope in them. They are a great set of rings. Then you can take the scope on and off if you should need the open sights. And it makes it easer to clean around the scope bases and scope itself.

Start your sight in process at 13 yards. Take a cardboard box and cut a V on each of the two ends to rest your rifle in. Looking through the bore at a dot on a sheet of paper, move the cross hairs of the scope to the dot. This will put you on paper.

Then shoot three rounds and adjust your scope. After you have it on at 13 yards move back to 25 yards, then to 50 and so fourth. That is how I do my scopes.

I bought the TC bases for my Optima and they fit my scope. I don't want to use the open sights anymore so I guess I was wondering if it is normal to take them off. My eyes don't work as good as they used to so I am pretty sure I will be using the scope exsclusively.

Jake,the FIRST thing I done to my Prohunter when I got it home was to remove the iron sights. I shoot scopes on about everything I shoot(including hand guns) so the iron sights are (too me) just extra stuff to snag and carry on the gun. You can use the Filler screws found in the barrel to fill in the sight holes,and you can order a big one(they will send you 2 for the front hole. I also use blue lock tite on the filler screws,applied with a tooth pick in the holes. Ron

Thanks for the input guys. Iron sights off and scope is mounted. Can't wait to go sight it in.

Make sure all your mounts are tight and use some medium strength Loktite-Blue or green in color, use on all screws EXCEPT the top halfs of the rings. Those screws leave as normal. Then bore sight it, or do it your self by taking out the breech plug and look thru the bore to a 25-30 yard target.


Before you Bore sight the scope:

GENTLY turn the Up/Down adjustment all the way Down till it just stops--Do Not Force it past a gentle stop. Then move it all the way Up and count the full rotations..lets say it went around 10 times. Then back it off about 5 full turns. This will set the calibration to the Mid Range of the adustment.
Now do the same with the Left/Right adjustment dial. The object is to start your bore sighting with both adjusters set to the Middle of thier ranges.


Now get this-While bench resting the rifle, look thru the bore and put the target dead center of the bore, then slowly lift your eye up to the scope while keeping the rifle still. Take a look and see where the target appears in the cross hairs(Reticle).

NOW heres the trick: move the scope reticle(cross hairs) adjustments opposite of how you would normally sight in the rifle,

Example--if the reticle is to the right of the target, move the left/right dial to the RIGHT. If it is left of the target, move it to the LEFT. If it is high, move it UP. If it is low, move it DOWN.
I know it sound backwards, but just trust me.

Remember that to move the reticle(Point of impact) 1 inch at 25 yards that will equal about 16 clicks.

And don't forget to put the Breech Plug back in before shooting

LaneNebraska said all you need to know about mounting a scope. I personally believean important but often forgotten portion of mounting a scope is zeroing it before you bore sight. Last thing you want is to be near the end of adjustment and have the recoil bust her up! Never mind run out of adjustment and think you need to shim it to get to your POI!

Had 3 holes touching in my 'bull's eye' at 50 yards. Put 3 consecutive shots within a dot the size of a soda can bottom from 100yards. Even moved out to 150yards and put one in the circle. I fired a total of 13 shots. Thanks for all the help guys.

It sounds like you have a real good shooting rifle on your hands there.. nice going. It always feels nice when things work out so well. Now you just need to keep shooting.

My 8 year old son took a shot from the bench at 100 yards and put one in the dot, but he might have a black eye. He didn't hold it tight enough and that scope snuck back a bit on him.