Inexpensive Side Wheel for most scopes

I like side wheels. I just like to be able to reach up and have a obvious ring to focus with. Some of the scopes put the lit reticle switch on the side adjustment and I end up twisting that. Anyway, that said I can't always find one for certain scopes. Other times they are so pricey I pass. My nature is I have no problem dropping thousands on a gun, but $100 for a side wheel?, I'll live without it. ?  UTG to the rescue. For under $15 you can get a 60-80 mm side wheel. I haven't found  a scope yet that I haven't been able to make it fit. You can use a Dremel but I've found this does a cleaner job. 

They have a removable inner rubber gasket. 

It has nubs on each side that are specific on how they go back in the wheel so look for that. I take a socket and turn the rubber gasket inside out so the grooves are now facing out. NOT the nubs. Do NOT grind the nubs off.

You can use a bench grinder or sanding wheel to start to SLOWLY remove the rubber. How much depends on the OD of the adjustment wheel you are putting it on. Depending on the scope you may not need to remove much if any. I can tell you the one I just did for a Nightforce it was quite a bit. You can just look as you continually rotate the socket to see how thick the gasket is trying to keep it uniform. Careful where the nubs push it out. It's easy to make it too thin there.

I usually use the side of the grinding wheel. Or a flat sandpaper wheel. I also keep it kind of a tight final fit. There will no longer be grooves to fit into the scope adjuster knob but will have two set screws that tighten down on the rubber nubs. I've not had one slip yet. The last one I even swiped the inside of the rubber with liquid soap to help it slide over the adjuster knob.

This next part is where I prefer the cone drill over a Dremel. You just get a perfect circle cut. I use a drill press but would think a standard drill would work too. It's thin aluminum stock. Hold the UTG wheel over your scope's adjusting wheel to get a idea how much it needs to be enlarged. No reason to make a large cut right off. 

I am just using a spray paint lid to hold it and allow room for the cone bit to drop.

Here is one on the Nightforce. You can see how much larger the hole had to be. You can't even see the UTG markings any more.

Here are a couple Athlon scopes that again you can see even the same brand scope took different size holes.

Sometimes the numbers on the UTG wheel will line up close to the range numbers on the adjustment wheel, sometimes not. This isn't for Field Target precision, it's for me to easily reach up and have a focus wheel.

For those of you scratching your head asking "Why did he post this" blame forum member Hotair. He asked me too. ?