Rifle question: Need help please

I have a Winchester model 70 safari and when go to bore sight with a laser or looking through the barrel I can’t get the elevation adjusted enough. It is way low. The laser is at the bottom of the vertical cross hair and won’t adjust any higher. I switched to low rings and it didn’t change much. I took a pic. It looks like to me the front base is higher than the rear. I am sure there is a simple answer so I thought I would ask y’all. I am thinking that is what is causing my issue. Hope that makes sense.

Shims?

Is it possible the bases are swapped? They look the same but is one taller than the other?

+1

Front base does look higher.
Return bases and get right ones..

What brand are the bases? You might want to consider something like Talley Lightweights or DNZ Game Reaper. Both have worked well on my Winchester model 70. It's less to worry about since the rings are connected to the bases.

I measured them and they are the same. It looks to me like the receiver is higher in the front. This is a 1975 Winchester. I thought about shims but it’s a 458 win mag and wonder if the recoil might be to much for that.

Different ring heights

Need different bases. Set will have thicker rear. But will also have to verify screw spacing on the set. There are several different model 70 sets with long action , short action, short mag, pre 64, post 64, express...... easy to head home with wrong ones

I bet that’s what I did. Gives me a reason to go to Cabelas. Like I need one. Ha

You see something new every day.

Use a straight edge ruler or level laid on the front base to check the height of the rear base.

The rear should be equal height, or a touch higher will work too.

With Weaver bases, just buy a taller rear base, there is no need for a shim.

Weaver bases have a size number stamped on the top side on the current models to check what is on there vs. what it should be.

Here is a link to their reference chart:

http://www.weaveroptics.com/mountcharts/

Few other tips since that 458 will be rocking, degrease the threads on the screws and holes with Gunscrubber or acetone on a Qtip.. Cheap fingernail polish remover is 100% acetone, check the label.

Also, blue loctite and a torque wrench go a long way towards everything staying in place under recoil.

I’m interested to know if anyone can explain why a rifle would be made in such a way that the rear base is lower than the front? I can understand it being somewhat higher so that the scope is pointed slightly down (relative to the axis of the bore as with 20 MOA bases), which pitches the barrel up for long range shooting.

The receiver is lower but the tops of the bases is supposed to be at the same hight.
Why is the receiver lower? Maybe to reduce weight, or it could be an artifact from Mauser rifles.

All Mauser-type receivers like that including the Ruger 77 and CZ 550. The front of the receiver is bigger to accept the threaded barrel. Needs greater thickness for that. Rear is not as thick to save weight. It only has to house the bolt.

Take those back and get correct Talley light weight rings.

I want that rifle !!!!! dont know why, just cool !!!!! i'm a wuss though and need to keep my retinas attached.

you can load it way down, like 45-70 down. punch some cools holes it stuff.

DONT scrimp on mounts or optic. the .458 if you shoot factory loads will eat cheap crap up.

oh yea, i want that rifle

I want that rifle !!!!! dont know why, just cool !!!!! i'm a wuss though and need to keep my retinas attached.

you can load it way down, like 45-70 down. punch some cools holes it stuff.

DONT scrimp on mounts or optic. the .458 if you shoot factory loads will eat cheap crap up.

oh yea, i want that rifle

Good info.

I’ve never noticed the P-type scope rail that I added to my Model 70 has a higher lift in the back than the front.

When Mauser designed their first actions they never had optics in mind. The design has been around for well over a century. Winchester improved upon the Mauser action when optical sights were still in their infancy. Its easier to adapt for optics by making a base that works instead of redesigning the action.

I had that issue once on my Winchester model 70. I had the front and rear bases swapped. I had taken everything off and changed some stuff around. Then mounted the same scope and rings back up. Went to the range to dial it all back in. First shot hit about 30 yards in front of me. Took a long look at everything and discovered my mistake. Easily fixed when I got back home.

A lot of good info. Thank y’all very much.

Buz I could not wait to get my hands on it. I got it used and it only had 20 rounds down it. It came with ammo also. Pics don’t do this thing justice.

Thank y’all again