No problem with the mount.

The problem is not the rings, the mount, or you. The problem is T/C. While I like their guns (both of my often-used MLs are T/C guns), this is a KNOWN, FREQUENT issue with the barrels used on the Omega and Encore. Now, some people probably bottom out the adjustment on the scope, get it to zero, and forget about it. I know a few of those. Others can't get enough adjustment or, like me, dial up at longer ranges and can't do that when the adjustment was all used to zero.

The problem is inherent in the barrel of these guns!!! There is no permanent fix outside of buying a different gun!

You have two options:
1) Get Burris Signature rings. These use plastic inserts (half-circle rings) which go inside the ring and hug all around the scope. The 30mm ones come with inserts pre-cast to cant the scope one way or the other; you can use them to introduce a downward cant to the scope to reduce the amount of clicks you need to zero the scope. I LOVE them, I use them on all my scopes. The 1-inch ones do not come with the offset inserts, you must buy a set separately.

2) Shim the back of the scope base. Use the curved face of a soda/beer can and trim so it sits under the base nicely. I used 3-4 layers and drilled a hole so the rear screws guarantee they stay in place.

My long-range Omega uses both of these mechanisms to maximize the upward travel I have. A buddy of mine just shimmed his Encore and shot it at my place last week...worked as I guaranteed it would.

I'm no gunsmith, obviously, but I can't understand how this could be attributed to the barrel.

Isn't the surface of the barrel where the scope is mounted parallel to the bore? And, isn't that the case with many similarly designed guns on the market? If so, it would not seem that the barrel could possibly be to blame.

Are you saying that the bores of T/C barrels are pointing downward in relation to the part of the barrel where the scope is mounted?

I'm just not aware of anything else that could cause this "known, frequent" problem. If this is a known problem, enlighten me to what is wrong with T/C barrels. Thanks.

Barrels are tapered, not the same diameter from breech to muzzle. Typically, the mounting surface where the screws are located is left parallel to the bore (if the scope mounts directly to the barrel and not a receiver). Apparently, this is not the case on Encore/TC barrels, resulting in a base/ring/scope assemble tilted a few thousands of an inch.

The location of the scope mounts on these guns is also a little unconventional -- rather than having forward and rear screws for the mount, both sets are positioned relatively close together towards the rear end of the mount. Perhaps this has something to do with the slight angle that results, I don't know.

You're making alot of assumptions to arrive at the conclusion that it can't be the barrel. How many of these guns do you own? How many different mounting systems have you tried on them trying to solve this issue before arriving at this conclusion? I personally own two Omegas with this problem, as I mentioned just helped a buddy with his Encore with the identical problem, in addition to half a dozen other shooting/hunting buddies with Encores/Omegas and numerous threads on this same issue on multiple hunting sites. I tried different bases, rings, and scopes, all of which failed to remedy the issue. T/C may not acknowledge to you that the problem is known, but anybody who spends significant time shooting many of their guns knows about it. They're not going to publicize issues, just like when I called in about the front sight on my Omega X7 they cut me off and said they'd send the correct replacement before I even told them what was wrong with it. Apparently they know they were supplying them with front sights too short to zero, but now 2 years after I bought mine I have heard of more people still having the same issue.

Next time you get access to an Omega or Encore where the Burris rings have not been used or has not been shimmed, count how many clicks are above where it shoots to 100 yd zero and the number of clicks below. I bet you will find it is nowhere near the optical center, as it should be.

You say the T/C barrels are tapered toward the muzzle. I don't know if that's true, but I can believe that. You also say that the area where the scope is mounted is tapered. Again, i can't say.

But if the area where the scope is mountedIS tapered, then the scope would be tipped downward in relation to the muzzle, correct? That would cause the gun to shoot high, not low. After all, as you have indicated, the fix for a gun that won't shoot high enough is to shim the rear mount up. The guy that originally posted could not get his gun to shoot high enough.

If his barrel was indeed tapered as you say, then his problem would only worsen if it were not tapered. I guess T/C doesn't taper the barrels enough.

I am not an expert, but I know the problem of the gun not hitting high enough cannot possibly be blamed on barrel taper and a scope tipped slightly DOWN. Not physically possible.A scope tipped up would cause the gun to hit low, but then the taper would be running in the wrong direction.

What other mystical properties do T/C barrels possess that all the similar CVA designs don't?

I don't own one but I do know a lot of guys that have and I've read plenty of posts on T/C guns. I can't say I've heard much about trouble getting them to hit high enough.

Hey guys, I didn't mean to stir up a hornets nest with this question. Sometimes the problem might be the same but the cause is different. Anyway I tried different rings (warne QR) and got the same thing, shooting too low. I guess my Nikon scope had more adjustment than this Bushnell.There is a slight gap at the front of the base and not at the back, meaning the barrel starts to taper before the end of the base. My Omega is not that way, tight fit from front to rear. I called Bushnell and got no satisfiaction at all. The lady said you might have to use some shims. I asked if there was some internal adjustments that needed to be made and she just said NO. All I can do is put the scope on a different rifle or shim the base. For a 300.00 scope you shouldn't have to modify anything.

Interesting. If there is a gap in the front between the base and the barrel, that suggests to me that the base is probably still parallel with the bore. Hard to say from here.

At least you know how to shim to fix the problem in the short term.

And I'm not stirred up, I'd really like to know what's wrong with T/C barrels that makes them shoot too low with scopes. One thing is for sure, it isn't barrel taper. Could be something else though.

It would be interesting to see where a bore laser sighter would project a beam in relation to your crosshairs when the scope is set to its center. That would be telling I think. Do you have access to a bore laser? They do make them for MLs.

Mounting a scope on the barrel is definitley not the ideal way to mount scopes. No doubt. However the main problem with the Encore and Omega is that the front and rear holes are too close together. The mounts need to be "stretched" out a bit.

Personally I would not consider the cheaper Weaver base on my Encore's. I have mounted scopes on well over a dozen different Encore's. However I prefer to use the Warne bases and rings. The Warne bases and rings are longer and stronger.

We have been shooting scopes on MZ's for over 20 years. There are inherent problems with a MZ that you just do not have with a 700 Remington.

When I have used the Warne bases and rings with a good quality scope I do not have any problems with the Encore-or any other MZ for that matter.

Switch to a Warne base-you can still use your Weaver rings. This should take care of your problem. But shimming is definitely not the answer because one person says that Encores have that inherent problem with their barrels. If you continue to have a problem with this then check your scope, or send the barrel back. There definitely is a problem, and the best thing to do is find the problem, and fix it, not put a band-aid on it.

To demonstrate the length difference I have a picture of the Warne vs. the Leupold base. Tom.

Like unclenorby said, if there is a gap at the forward end of the base and the barrel is tapered the base probably is parrallel to the bore. And maybe I should try a warne base instead of the weaver. Anyway, I was at Sportsman's Wharehouse tonight and talked to one of the guys that mounts their scopes and he said I should just bring it in and they could play around with it to find the problem. So I think next week when I am in town I will bring it along. Will let you know what happens.

It depends which way the taper goes -- is the front of the base higher or lower than the back. I do not have sensitive enough tools to tell whether the issue is this, or something that happens because as I stated the two sets of screws are unusually far back on the base.

As the OP indicated, when mounted the front of the scope base is slightly separated from the barrel. It is not hard to imagine, then, why the gun is shooting low if indeed the entire mounting surface is parallel to the bore (it is nothing more than an assumption to say that since there is a gap as the barrel tapers that the base must be parallel to the bore). Shimming the back removes this gap and fixes the problem, more or less. At least, for the 4 guns I have had personal hands-on experience fixing. So, for some reason, the entire mounting surface is not flat and parallel to the bore. The base ends up pointing slightly up. If you are so curious as to the "mysterious" properties of T/C barrels I suggest you get a micrometer and figure out the EXACT cause for yourself and us all.

To insinuate it can't be the barrel because similarly designed CVA guns don't have this problem is a bit silly, isn't it? The barrels are made by different companies to different specifications -- they are similar in cosmetics only. Does CVA use the same screw mounting system? That is like saying a Remington 700 can't have a certain problem because a Winchester Model 70 doesn't have it. C'mon now...