Mallardsx2
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I dont shoot far enought to need one. But I understand the premise.
SCOPE LEVEL?
- Thread starter antelopedundee
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ShadowFast1
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If your natural hold works with the gun being level, what I would do is hang a plumb bob at 40-50 yards and with your rifle level, check to see that your vertical crosshair is in perfect parallel with the plumb line. If it's not then rotate your scope until it is and tighten it back up. If you're not going to do that then there is zero point to using a level as it's not going to be doing what it's intended to be used for which is to keep your reticle level to the world.
HandgunHunter
Well-known member
Well we have diverted to another topic.
to achieve perfect adjustments for the scope going up, down, L, and R.
The scope must be level to the rifle. If the scope is canted then the adjustments won’t be true since it will actually be adjusting at an angle from center.
If the gun is not held level then it has the same issue.
When you start adding all these things together then add field shooting factors like miss judging wind, distance error, head/tail wind, out of position shooting, parallax and so on you will find the stacked tolerance starts changing hits to misses.
to achieve perfect adjustments for the scope going up, down, L, and R.
The scope must be level to the rifle. If the scope is canted then the adjustments won’t be true since it will actually be adjusting at an angle from center.
If the gun is not held level then it has the same issue.
When you start adding all these things together then add field shooting factors like miss judging wind, distance error, head/tail wind, out of position shooting, parallax and so on you will find the stacked tolerance starts changing hits to misses.
BuzzH
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No kidding...
ShadowFast1
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You are absolutely right Bc. If you're really looking to get your system dialed in ideally you'd have both scope and rifle level. There's a segment in the video I linked to that addresses scope centerline over rifle action centerline offset. If you're only going to level one thing, the scope reticle or the rifle, leveling the scope reticle removes the most amount of error.
This is how we always leveled our reticles: And with a helper you can set your scope level at the same time...
1. Plumb bob against wall of gun room (or line drawn on wall with a level, in our case).
2. Level gun in vise. (1-2 feet from butt plate to wall)
3. Shine flashlight backward through scope and plumb vertical cross hair with line on wall.
4. Tighten scope.
5. Mount scope level
1. Plumb bob against wall of gun room (or line drawn on wall with a level, in our case).
2. Level gun in vise. (1-2 feet from butt plate to wall)
3. Shine flashlight backward through scope and plumb vertical cross hair with line on wall.
4. Tighten scope.
5. Mount scope level
antelopedundee
Well-known member
So how do you make sure that the gun is level? If you have a Weaver style base you can use one of those levels that attaches to the base for that. Obviously you're also using padding of some sort in the vise.
Can't remember which action level that we use to level the gun, but here is the vise my buddy has...
LOTHAR WALTHER PRECISION TOOL BISLEY GUNSMITHING VISE | Brownells
Precision, German-made gun vise modernizes the original Parker Hale design so popular decades ago with English shooting ranges for detailed gun cleaning and ...
www.brownells.com
ShadowFast1
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There are several ways to attempt to level the action. Some guys do it off the bolt raceways some guys will set a level on top of the scope rail. In any of these things you're relying on the assumption that either the action was mated dead true to the bore of the barrel, or that the scope base is machined properly, or that the holes for the scope base screws were drilled and trapped straight. I think there's a point in all of this where "Good Enough" is good enough.
antelopedundee
Well-known member
Here is my setup!
Vise with pads; the pads were one of my best gun related items to acquire.
A level you cam use if you have something like a 1 piece base with dovetail. Cheap at Lowes IIRC. Won't fit with a scope installed unless you have high or extra high rings.
Gun in vise.
Gun in vise with level in place. If I was at the range I'd adjust the front rest or bipod to bring it to level or close enough. Every bench there seems to be different as regards to being level so I assume most shooters rely on the scope crosshairs to adjust their rigs to level. Amazing that a post about a hole went this far.
Vise with pads; the pads were one of my best gun related items to acquire.
A level you cam use if you have something like a 1 piece base with dovetail. Cheap at Lowes IIRC. Won't fit with a scope installed unless you have high or extra high rings.
Gun in vise.
Gun in vise with level in place. If I was at the range I'd adjust the front rest or bipod to bring it to level or close enough. Every bench there seems to be different as regards to being level so I assume most shooters rely on the scope crosshairs to adjust their rigs to level. Amazing that a post about a hole went this far.
