Your Privacy Choices
Welcome everyone to the TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article sponsored by Wheeler, Tipton, Caldwell, and Frankford Arsenal, I decided to take a closer look at the Scope Mounting Kit Combo, 1″ & 30mm that Wheeler Engineering currently offers. Wheeler is one of a few companies out there that offer affordable examples of gunsmith technology. One example is their wide range of scope mounting kits and accessories. Let’s jump into the Wheeler Scope Mounting Kit Combo, 1″ & 30mm!
TFB Armorer’s Bench: Closer Look – Scope Mounting Kit Combo
Welcome to our recurring series of Armorer’s Bench which is made possible and brought to you by Wheeler, Tipton, Caldwell, and Frankford Arsenal who are our sponsors. Here, we at TFB hope to inform, entertain, and even inspire any would-be gunsmith or armorer out there. Ideally, with the information I provide and with the help of our sponsors, you can have some useful knowledge pertaining to the conservation and improvement of firearms technology while at the same time sharing experiences and teaching each other new tips and tricks along the way in the comments. Digging deep into what it is to be an armorer or gunsmith has significance but what is important is what those people do to show they’ve earned that title. I am happy to share my experiences and knowledge and hope it is informative!
Make your personal safety a priority:
- Practice proper gun safety. Always make sure before the firearm hits your bench that it is unloaded and safe to be handled.
- Wear the proper safety equipment. The main one would be safety glasses (decent ones) since parts are often under spring tension and you may work with high RPM tools. Other honorable mentions would be latex gloves or a respirator when working with potentially harmful solvents and oils. Also hearing protection when working with loud machinery or test-firing firearms.
- Modifications, alterations, and customizations will void your firearm’s warranty 9.5 times out of 10. Please take that into consideration before attempting any at-home gunsmithing.
- If you are unsure about proper safety practices, disassembly procedures, or warranty standards, stop, put down the tools, and consult a competent gunsmith.
Brief Overview: Scope Mounting Kit Combo
Recently I decided on a new deer hunting gun for this hunting season in the form of a Palmetto State 300 Blackout AR15 that I had for review recently that should go live in the coming weeks. WIth a new optics ready gun comes the necessity for a scope mount and optic. What better excuse to break out the Wheeler Scope Mounting Kit Combo!
So this specific Wheeler Scope Mounting Kit is one of a few in their lineup of scope mounting options and accessories. This particular one is appealing since it comes with the lapping and aligning bars for both common one-inch scopes as well as the increasingly popular 30mm scopes. For this outing with the AR15, it was not super necessary for me to use those bars since I had a one-piece precision-machined scope mount for my optic.
I decided to roll with Vortex’s Strike Eagle 1-8 which has been on my list for a long while and I paired it with their Sport Cantilever mount since it is affordable and lightweight. This kit is a super well-set up one since it comes with everything you would need for the basics and a little extra. The Level-Level-Level is an underrated tool to align reticles and the included thread lock is a pleasant addition. The real crown jewel of the whole kit is arguably the F.A.T. Wrench torque wrench which assists you in getting the desired inch-pounds put in the right place.
I mount scopes on a daily basis so this was a really muscle memory-heavy experience for me but the kit helped in that sense because I never felt myself wanting for much more or for a better or different tool. Having a decent bore sighter would be handy and I do have a Wheeler Professional Laser Bore Sighter which I did use and will do a deeper dive on later. Wheeler does offer an Ultra Scope Mounting Kit which comes with their bore sighter but not the lapping or aligning bars. To me, those extra bits are more important than a bore sighter or advanced level system that I could purchase separately.
The lapping and alignment bars come in one inch and 30mm. Those of you who may not know what they are for, they are used to ensure that your scope rings are precise and even throughout to prevent the scope from having a bias to one side to point off of one side over the other. To put it simply it makes everything centered. These are almost always used with Leupold-style ring and mount setups since they require a little bit of assembly and finesse. Even the most experienced gunsmith or armorer that uses these mounts and bases may find themselves out of alignment and the lapping and alignment bars help to make sure that everything points straight at the end. The video below includes the use of both tools.
Specifications and Highlights: Scope Mounting Kit Combo
The MSRP of the Wheeler Scope Mounting Kit Combo, 1″ & 30mm currently sits at $144.99. For a tool that you get and use forever, I think this kit is super fair and the only thing that will need replacing with time would be the thread lock. The kit comes with lapping and alignment bars for both 1″ and 30mm scopes, a Wheeler F.A.T. Wrench, a Level-Level-Level, flex driver for use with a power drill, and several screwdriver bits common to scope mounts.
The Wheeler® Professional Scope Mounting Kit and Scope Alignment Kit will properly align, attach and level your scope on your gun. Alignment and lapping bars make ring alignment simple and easy. The Level-Level-Level provides precise linear leveling for your scope and the F.A.T. Wrench® guarantees exact torque specs on your scope rings. A flex driver is included for use with a power drill.
Closing Thoughts: Scope Mounting Kit Combo
All in all, I think this is a really solid setup for a one-and-done kind of buy. You get everything you need for the basics and one important part is the torque wrench because scope torque specs are very important to how they perform. If you were considering buying the wrench why not just get the whole kit and get it over with. Beyond that get the kit that has all the essentials and hit the ground running. I have worked with the bare minimum and there is something so relieving about having the right tool within reach to make sure that the job gets done right so that a shooting experience is a positive one. This kit has my seal of approval and I highly recommend it over all the other kits that Wheeler offers.
As always, thank you for reading TFB! Be safe out there, have fun while shooting, and we will see you next time for the TFB Armorer’s Bench brought to you by Wheeler, Tipton, Caldwell, and Frankford Arsenal! Also, let us know what you think in the comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.
Pro Range Glasses, Clear
The Caldwell® Pro Range Glasses feature a stylish wrap-around design and are a great choice for all shooters. They feature an adjustable nose piece and temples for all day comfort. The scratch resistant lens meets ANSI Z87.1 standards and offers 99.9% UV protection.
Scope Mounting Kit Combo, 1″ & 30mm
Includes 1″ & 30mm alignment and lapping bars
Professional Laser Bore Sighter, Green
The Wheeler Engineering® Professional Laser Bore Sighter uses a high power daylight visible green laser and a high-strength magnetic connection to the barrel to deliver fast accurate bore sighting. This system works with virtually all firearms; rifles, shotguns, handguns. The magnetic connection to the end of the muzzle provides more precise alignment with the bore without the risk of damaging the bore, compared to arbor style bore devices. A machined aluminum body with soft rubber over-molding houses the laser module. Each unit is hand tuned during the manufacturing process with an innovative calibration mechanism. This allows for maximum precision, thus ensuring the best bore/optic alignment possible. Once precision calibration is completed the laser module is permanently secured in place insuring reliable performance and durability. Molded plastic storage case included. Runs on a single Lithium 123A battery (included).
Professional Reticle Leveling System
The Wheeler Engineering® Professional Reticle Leveling System (PRLS) is a precision tool designed to allow a scope to be perfectly leveled on any firearm with ease. CNC machining, factory adjustment calibration set screws, anodized aluminum construction and a protective molded case put the PRLS in a class of its own. The system is comprised of two machined aluminum level housings calibrated to their integrated levels. The Barrel Clamp Level is attached to the gun’s barrel while the smaller Reference Level is placed on scope base, bottom half of a ring or other flat surface perpendicular to the vertical axis of the gun. The gun is then rotated until the Reference Level is aligned. The tuning adjustment knob on the Barrel Clamp Level is then turned until its level is centered to match the Reference Level. At this point, the Barrel Clamp Level is calibrated to the guns axis. The scope can be installed loosely and the Reference Level placed on top of the scopes turret cap. The scope is rotated until the Reference Level is aligned with the Barrel Clamp Level and then simply secured in place. The Wheeler PRLS is the most effective instrument available for precision scope alignment.
Tipton Best Gun Vise
