How do you get your scope level on your precision rifle?
- Thread starter pbr streetgang
- Start date
One thing to remember is the scope body and the reticle itself sometimes are not on the same plane and can be slightly canted to one side. Not usually a problem on higher end scopes but I have seen several "decent" scopes that where assembled that way.
I've got a level level level but I haven't had the chance to use it yet. I will hopefully get a chance to use it next weekend mounting my NXS on my Sako! 
If you want to see what it's all about here's a link:
Level Level Level
If you want to see what it's all about here's a link:
Level Level Level
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
After going through all sorts of contortions and after spending good money on gimmicks that claim to solve the problem, I stumbled across something that seems to work when I've used it. I simply put a small carpenter's square on the flat bottom metal with the floor plate open or with the action out of the stock on the bottom of the receiver and against the windage turret of the scope. Sounds crude don't it!! But very small errors are immediately apparent.
As stated by previous posters, checking the vertical adjustment is the proof of the pudding, although I prefer to shoot a box, moving 6 minutes after each shot, beginning with windage. If all is good the 5th shot should hit the first bullet hole.
As stated by previous posters, checking the vertical adjustment is the proof of the pudding, although I prefer to shoot a box, moving 6 minutes after each shot, beginning with windage. If all is good the 5th shot should hit the first bullet hole.
Its all been said, but I'll add mine. Bristol board with a big + on it made with a felt marker and carpenter's level. Mounted it 100 yds down range using a 24" level. I have a bubble level on my base so when the level and crosshairs all lined up with the +, I tightened er down .
.Bore laser centered on a vertical line at 50 yards then adjust rifle/scope so that the crosshairs are centered on the same vertical line, if scope looks canted at this point it is not important as long as the reticle is on the line. Secure rifle in vice or shooting rest. Then rotate the scope until the vertical hair is on the line. This centers the crosshairs and the bore on the same vertical plane placing the reticle directly over the bore. Then do the range test.
Cheers, Dino
Cheers, Dino
gunnertrav
Member
- Location
- Northern Alberta
i use the level level level from wheeler... works just fine for the 15 bucks it cost me, it is plastic and does seem cheapish, but it does do the job on most guns... T Bolts are the exception so far but with a bit of wrangling you can find a flat spot behind the action... its just weird to hold it all together
Farlsincharge
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Saskatchewan
We are talking about how to level scopes so that elevation adjustments using the turrets are accurate. If you are just zeroing your scope and leaving it there, holding over for longer shots, then none of this is necessary.
Think about it. If the scope is not level with the axis of the bore, any elevation adjustment is going to track off horizontally as well.
Internet opinions - u get em all -
Many uninformed opinions on this thread -
Vertical Reticle Instrument -
One Hole Groups
PO Box 4408
Lawrence Kansas 66046
785-842-5565
fax-785 -842-5330
1-800-800-806-9161
Brownells part # 289-100-000
And yes you need a plumb line - or a tower or a tall building.
Pre internet - good luck -You can have mine for 5 grand -
If u find one - get me an extra - I'll give ya 20 bucks -
Many uninformed opinions on this thread -
Vertical Reticle Instrument -
One Hole Groups
PO Box 4408
Lawrence Kansas 66046
785-842-5565
fax-785 -842-5330
1-800-800-806-9161
Brownells part # 289-100-000
And yes you need a plumb line - or a tower or a tall building.
Pre internet - good luck -You can have mine for 5 grand -
If u find one - get me an extra - I'll give ya 20 bucks -
I have one of those Verticle Reticle Instruments. One of the best tools I ever bought! Here's what I do:
I mount an Anti-Cant Device (bubble level) from Mounting Solutions Plus on my scope tube before it even gets near my rifle. I use a plumb line to witness the verticle reticle then tighten down the ACD. I now have a means to get the scope perfectly level without having to bend down and look through it all the time while I mount it in the rings.
I secure the rifle in a padded vice and check level in several places including:
across the mounts and/or receiver and/or bottom of the action and/or the 2 screws used to secure the butt plate etc. Once satisfied the rifle is level, I loosely mount the scope in the rings and rotate the scope until the ACD indicates level. I then use the Verticle Reticle Instrument to ensure the Objective lens is perfectly centred over the bore by adjusting the windage screws on my rings/base. Tighten everything down.
What I don't like about those level level level kits is I've found the elevation turret's trueness can often be out by a couple of degrees even on higher end scopes.
I mount an Anti-Cant Device (bubble level) from Mounting Solutions Plus on my scope tube before it even gets near my rifle. I use a plumb line to witness the verticle reticle then tighten down the ACD. I now have a means to get the scope perfectly level without having to bend down and look through it all the time while I mount it in the rings.
I secure the rifle in a padded vice and check level in several places including:
across the mounts and/or receiver and/or bottom of the action and/or the 2 screws used to secure the butt plate etc. Once satisfied the rifle is level, I loosely mount the scope in the rings and rotate the scope until the ACD indicates level. I then use the Verticle Reticle Instrument to ensure the Objective lens is perfectly centred over the bore by adjusting the windage screws on my rings/base. Tighten everything down.
What I don't like about those level level level kits is I've found the elevation turret's trueness can often be out by a couple of degrees even on higher end scopes.
The advantage to this tool is that it aligns the scope to the BARREL !
Also - With a tower or plumb line your vertical crosshair can be set EXACTLY vertical - An advantage when you have to use a lot of clicks or mildots for long distance .
As for shooter cant a scope level or rail level should be visible in the off eye during shooting for shot to shot consistency - It hard to level your target when its 500 yds away and moving -
If the scope is always held plumb, a little rotation of the scope in the rings will matter little.
For instance, if the bore is 1/4 inch to the left of plumb when the scope is plumb, and then the gun is zeroed at 200 yards, the bullet will continue to go right until it is 1/4 inch to the right of the bull - at 400 yards. ( Bulls eye - not Bull moose)
If the scope is adjusted then to shoot 12 inches higher at 200 yards but still held plumb, the bullet will still be on the plumb from bull at 200, and at 400 will have dropped straight down the target and will again be 1/4 inch to the right.
If however, the rifle is held off-plumb from how it was zeroed, any rise that was adjusted in to compensate for bullet drop would double the offset of bullet line-of-fall to the bull plumb line from 200 to 400 yards - and it would be considerable.
Remember how the bullet may rise to the height of the scope in say twenty-five yards, well if the scope is held out of plumb by 1/4 inch from the bore, then it will keep going in that direction by 1/4 inch for every 25 yards.
So at 25 it will still be zeroed - or very close, and at 200 it will be 1 3/4 out and at 400 it will be ( 15 x 1/4 = 3 3/4) 3 3/4 inches out in the direction that the scope was leaned. Lean it one way once and the other way once and we have quite a spread.
In application of this for hunters, Leeper and RifleDude are right. Put on your hunting clothes and grab your gun and sight out the window at the cat down in the pasture - then check the crosshairs to the window frame - then loosen the scope make the crosshairs plumb.
The trouble is carrying the window frame around the bush to line up with so the crosshairs are always plumb - but we do the best we can. : )
In application for benchrest - use a built in level or a bench block that levels the rifle consistently - because if you get the crosshairs off plumb, that will stack up by the total distance to target, divided by the distance until the bullet first crosses the line of sight ( less one ) times the amount that the crosshairs are out of plumb from the rifle bore. 1/8th of an inch out one way and then the other might spread your 1000 yard group by as much as (1000 divided by our assumed 25 yards to the first time the bullet crosses the line of sight = 40 - 1 = 39 X 1/8 = 4.875" x 2 ( because you leaned first one way then the other) = 9.75 inches of spread at 1000 yards.
If held plumb and zeroed, even a poorly leveled scope is better than a perfectly mounted scope held even a little off plumb.
For instance, if the bore is 1/4 inch to the left of plumb when the scope is plumb, and then the gun is zeroed at 200 yards, the bullet will continue to go right until it is 1/4 inch to the right of the bull - at 400 yards. ( Bulls eye - not Bull moose)
If the scope is adjusted then to shoot 12 inches higher at 200 yards but still held plumb, the bullet will still be on the plumb from bull at 200, and at 400 will have dropped straight down the target and will again be 1/4 inch to the right.
If however, the rifle is held off-plumb from how it was zeroed, any rise that was adjusted in to compensate for bullet drop would double the offset of bullet line-of-fall to the bull plumb line from 200 to 400 yards - and it would be considerable.
Remember how the bullet may rise to the height of the scope in say twenty-five yards, well if the scope is held out of plumb by 1/4 inch from the bore, then it will keep going in that direction by 1/4 inch for every 25 yards.
So at 25 it will still be zeroed - or very close, and at 200 it will be 1 3/4 out and at 400 it will be ( 15 x 1/4 = 3 3/4) 3 3/4 inches out in the direction that the scope was leaned. Lean it one way once and the other way once and we have quite a spread.
In application of this for hunters, Leeper and RifleDude are right. Put on your hunting clothes and grab your gun and sight out the window at the cat down in the pasture - then check the crosshairs to the window frame - then loosen the scope make the crosshairs plumb.
The trouble is carrying the window frame around the bush to line up with so the crosshairs are always plumb - but we do the best we can. : )
In application for benchrest - use a built in level or a bench block that levels the rifle consistently - because if you get the crosshairs off plumb, that will stack up by the total distance to target, divided by the distance until the bullet first crosses the line of sight ( less one ) times the amount that the crosshairs are out of plumb from the rifle bore. 1/8th of an inch out one way and then the other might spread your 1000 yard group by as much as (1000 divided by our assumed 25 yards to the first time the bullet crosses the line of sight = 40 - 1 = 39 X 1/8 = 4.875" x 2 ( because you leaned first one way then the other) = 9.75 inches of spread at 1000 yards.
If held plumb and zeroed, even a poorly leveled scope is better than a perfectly mounted scope held even a little off plumb.
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