How do you level your scopes?

win94luver said:
I eyeball it.
I want the scope level the way I most comfortably hold the gun which isn't 100% plumb.
My guns hit what they are aimed at.
Most of my rifles in my hands can consistently group 1 moa or less at 100 meters.
Never missed an animal yet because of marksmanship.
Good enough for hunting. Good enough for me.
Having stated the above it's clear I'm not a 1000 yard bench rest shooter.
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me too
I tend to cant my gun a bit left anyway so i don't get too worked up about it - usually I look out the window with the cross hair on the corner of my shed and if they align vertically its game on from there.

And same as Win94 i am not a 1000yd bench shooter, just a hunter
 
Ask any leftie when he shoulders a right handed shooters rifle ---- he'll likely tell you its canted (ever so slightly). And vice versa. No matter what method you use.
 
Stolen from Spuhr mounting system?
Works great.

Spuhr-leveling-wedge.jpg


stickhunter said:
It does seem like that at first, but he's actually referring to reticle leveling using this technique (replacing the wedge with feeler gauges):

I haven't tried this method, yet, but it's intriguing. I usually do an initial leveling with a bubble level on the turret cap and action, and then should and look at the corner of a distant house to double-check --- a plumb line at 100yds would be even better. I suppose there's a possibility that the reticle may not be at right angles to the turret cap, hence the double-check.
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Got Juice? said:
level the gun, then use a string line at 100 m
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THIS ^^^^^

LEVEL the action....draw a plumb line at 100 yards. Plumb the vertical crosshairs to plum line.

There is a trick however.

Not everyones shoulder is built the same. It maybe neccesary for you to cant the rifle slightly to where the rifle is shouldered comfortably and is repeatbable.

Mount a bubble level to scope.....and get behind rifle and shoulder it so you feel comfortable. Check your bubble level. It maybe neccesary to cant your rifle ...in that case your going to have to keep the verticle crosshairs plumb but tweak your bubble level so it matches how you shoulder the rifle. Otherwise you will need a rifle with adjustable butt plate.

I find its easier and more accurate to shoot the rifle where it feels comfortable....otherwise you will be constantly looking at your bubble level and "fighting" to keep it level.

Level scope.....canted rifle.

Final step for me would shoot a group @ 100 yards. Then dial scope up 24 inchs & shoot another group. Make sure the groups are directly on top of each other.
 
Can-down said:
We are discussing reticle or crosshair level and plumb ...... sounds like you are talking about adjusting the angle of the scope it self.
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stickhunter said:
It does seem like that at first, but he's actually referring to reticle leveling using this technique (replacing the wedge with feeler gauges):


I haven't tried this method, yet, but it's intriguing. I usually do an initial leveling with a bubble level on the turret cap and action, and then should and look at the corner of a distant house to double-check --- a plumb line at 100yds would be even better. I suppose there's a possibility that the reticle may not be at right angles to the turret cap, hence the double-check.
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That's correct. I saw the Spuhr method with the wedge and modified it for use with the flat Picatinny rail to the flat scope turret bottom using the feeler gauges instead. It's my own idea and it works great.
 
I have check the cheap levels against my machinist level and seen some of the cheaper stuff be out almost 3/4 of a bubble, so you get what you pay for.
 
tikka 2 said:
I have check the cheap levels against my machinist level and seen some of the cheaper stuff be out almost 3/4 of a bubble, so you get what you pay for.
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Excatly why I use the string method. A plumb bob doesn't lie. It's an easy method to correctly align the vertical cross hair with center bore of the rifle. If you actually use the turret adjustment or reticle for compensating for longer range shots proper alignment is absolutely critical.
 
stickhunter said:
It does seem like that at first, but he's actually referring to reticle leveling using this technique (replacing the wedge with feeler gauges):

I haven't tried this method, yet, but it's intriguing. I usually do an initial leveling with a bubble level on the turret cap and action, and then should and look at the corner of a distant house to double-check --- a plumb line at 100yds would be even better. I suppose there's a possibility that the reticle may not be at right angles to the turret cap, hence the double-check.
Click to expand...

Interesting approach. Thanks for clearing up my confusion..... :)
 
I don't turn sighting in a scope into a big f'ken production and the job still got done.
Meat in the freezer again this fall.
The buck didn't know it was sighted in the crosshairs of a scope attached to a slightly canted rifle a fraction of a second before it died.
 
wheeler level and iphone level to geth close
I live in an urban centre there are a lot of squared angles out my windows. Lights off and check by spotting around the neighbour hood.

Lights off so I din't alarm any neighbours.
 
VancouverS4 said:
wheeler level and iphone level to geth close
I live in an urban centre there are a lot of squared angles out my windows. Lights off and check by spotting around the neighbour hood.

Lights off so I din't alarm any neighbours.
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You got me onto something good.
I pulled out my phone and downloaded and installed a level application.
Works good.
Tells me the number of degrees the surface the phone is sitting on is off of level.
Cool and useful.
Thanks.

I used a small plastic level from the kids handy andy tool set for the action and the phone on the scope cap.
Was off a bit but not by much.
 
Set a level on a flat part of the gun, scribe a black line on a target at 25 yards with another level, clamp the rifle flat, and align the scope to the line on the target. Easy peasy.
 
jiffx2781 said:
This. Simple yet effective.
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Yes it is. 12.00 plumb bob and a simple rifle rest. at 100m you can really see it. to the guys that don't level your xhair/scope to gun, i feel sorry for you. It makes it sheer hell when the vertical adjustment goes up 1/4" and to the right or left.... then when you adjust for windage, you click right, and the darn xhair still drifts away from plumb.

Levelling the scope to the gun makes sighting in a breeze.
 
Just tried a new method and it worked great. Laser level. Got the gun levelled in a cradle and secures, shot the laser level up the wall of the shop and aligned the crosshairs and tightened it down. Easy peazy.
 
A lot of complicated and over engineering here, I think. I can understand such level of precision for bench rest and extreme long range rifles, but there is a very easy way to accomplish this, more than adequately, for hunting rifles.

One can simply align the receiver and scope while holding the rifle out at arms length with the barrel resting on something firm. From that distance it is easy to see when the scope is square with the receiver. Then just tighten the ring screws, and check again.

You can also very easily determine when a reticle is not square with the adjustment turrets doing this.

Ted
 
I'm with Ted^. For typical short- to medium-range rifles, this method works well and is easy and intuitive.

A lot of the methods propounded in this thread are merely complicated ways to insure that the turrets are level. Doing it Ted's way, you'll be surprised at how often hyou discover a crosshair and a reticle that don't perfectly match up. It's not as common a problem today as it once was, but it still happens. I've even had Leupold inform me that a scope whose turrets were visibly askew from its crosshairs was completely within spec and would not be repaired under warranty.

The arms-reach eyeball method will get the crosshairs level, which is what matters.
 
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