Provided herein is a sight base useful to render military-style rifles equipped with battle sights to be retrofitted with telescopic rifle scopes. Use of a device according to the invention provides sporting use and accuracy to rifles originally conceived as weapons of war, in a quick and convenient method. A sight base according to the invention is readily attached and detached from a rifle, and provides surprising accuracy owing to the rigid means by which a scope may be affixed to a rifle through use of the scope base provided herein.