Scope levels - Your experiences?

[Fire_9]

it’s a good practice to have your gun as level as possible. It willnot only keep your impacts from wandering it will also keep your form the same.

and fyi.....you always level the optic to the gun....not to your shooting stance....

If I had a rifle with a buttbad that I could rotate to fit my shoulder, I’d agree. If I was shooting at average to longer hunting distances, I feel going to your natural hold is superior. When you forget to check your level before you take a shot you have a higher likelihood of having a level optic which is most important. To each their own though, I think both ways give acceptable results

Gunsmithing - Scope level to a rifle

Reading over this resurrected thread got me thinking. And that's not always the best place for me. It's obvious that the only thing that matters is that the reticle is level when the shot is taken. The rifle could be canted a few degrees and as long as it was zeroed in that position with a level...

www.snipershide.com

Page 2 has a good breakdown of the error that is actually induced

 

[ccc23454]

I have a natural tendancy to slightly cant a rifle, my true long range rig has one and it helps. Inside 6-700ish? dont think it would matter much.

 

[antelopedundee]

For those of you who install their own scopes how do you determine that your vertical crosshair is indeed vertical? Do you just bring the rifle up to your shoulder until things look right and call it good? Or put the scoped rifle on a known level surface like a table with a suitable front and back rest and go from there? Unless you have a larger room and good lighting trying to align vertical crosshair with a plumb line is harder to do.

 

[JRD]

I've noticed with my bow...If I'm shooting along a sidehill, I will need to consciously cant into the hill to keep the bubble level in the middle. Add shooting up and downhill and there could be some lefts and rights you don't expect. I've seen it in archery so I want to see for myself with my rifle. for $12 delivered, I'm willing to give it a try.

You should look into a third-axis sight (and actually set it up properly). They will eliminate some of your problems here.

 

[Fire_9]

For those of you who install their own scopes how do you determine that your vertical crosshair is indeed vertical? Do you just bring the rifle up to your shoulder until things look right and call it good? Or put the scoped rifle on a known level surface like a table with a suitable front and back rest and go from there? Unless you have a larger room and good lighting trying to align vertical crosshair with a plumb line is harder to do.

Hang a plumb bob and level your crosshair to that

 

[HandgunHunter]

How I level a cross hair perfectly.....or true the scope.

Set a target at 300 yards. Draw a perfectly vertical line up the target.

shoot. Come up several minutes in elevation then fire again. If the impact is not on the line then I adjust level of the optic. Keep repeating this until it’s perfect.

obviously the wind must be calm.

 

[bowhuntmontana]

For those of you who install their own scopes how do you determine that your vertical crosshair is indeed vertical? Do you just bring the rifle up to your shoulder until things look right and call it good? Or put the scoped rifle on a known level surface like a table with a suitable front and back rest and go from there? Unless you have a larger room and good lighting trying to align vertical crosshair with a plumb line is harder to do.

I do the string and plumb bob method as well. I use the Wheeler system to first level the gun front to back and side to side, have the scope already adjusted to the right eye relief, then align the vertical crosshair with the plumb line. Make sure everything stays where it should as I torque the screws. Has given me the most reliable install.

Those kits come with a level intended to go across your top turret, but I haven't found that to produce consistently reliable results. I've aligned the vertical crosshair before with the gun level and then placed that other level across the top turret before just to see if it was also level, and often it isn't, but I know the crosshair is perfectly vertical. So I stick with the plumb line.

Then I head to the range to see if my shots string horizontal at all at different distances. That's where the real proof lies, assuming I can shoot.

 

[Don Fischer]

I've never used or even seen one of them. Got a question. How do you level that thing on the rifle? If your scope is on level is it even necessary?

 

[mtmuley]

I don't have any experience with one, and on a hunting rifle I'd say it is unneccessary. Too much to deal with can mean a missed opportunity, or a missed shot. Between a rangefinder, turrets and reticle it gets hard to keep track of in the heat if the moment. I had a missed opportunity on the biggest bull I've ever had my gun on because I wanted a range for dialing. I could have held on that bull and killed him. Simple is best on a hunting rig. Just my opinion. mtmuley

 

[ImBillT]

Cant matters. My opinion is that if you can see well enough to install the level properly that you can see well enough to mount scope equally well and keep your crosshairs level from shot to shot.

That said, the scope level could potentially help remind you to limit/eliminate cant when you’re shooting. If it makes you shoot consistently, then use it. It is by no means a requirement, and it isn’t going to make a careful person go from shooting terribly to shooting wonderfully.

 

[Don Fischer]

I don't have any experience with one, and on a hunting rifle I'd say it is unneccessary. Too much to deal with can mean a missed opportunity, or a missed shot. Between a rangefinder, turrets and reticle it gets hard to keep track of in the heat if the moment. I had a missed opportunity on the biggest bull I've ever had my gun on because I wanted a range for dialing. I could have held on that bull and killed him. Simple is best on a hunting rig. Just my opinion. mtmuley

Interesting. I agree with it all. Something I do do is sight in all my big game rifles for MPBR at either a 6 or 8" target. With that most hit MPBR at right around 275yds and I can generally hold dead on to 300 and still have a good hit. Past several years I have broke down and started carrying a range finder. Discovered when I can use it I'm generally to far off game to spook it so take my time with it. Mostly I use it when I first sit down somewhere to get a feel for how far out everything is. Then have the longest avenue's down and don't fool much with them.

 

[antelopedundee]

I've never used or even seen one of them. Got a question. How do you level that thing on the rifle? If your scope is on level is it even necessary?

I've found it handy at the range where the benchtop may not be flat. If you use a bipod ideally you would adjust the legs according to the level. For a hunting situation it may not be necessary unless you find yourself in an unusually contorted position.

 

[cacklercrazy]

If I had a rifle with a buttbad that I could rotate to fit my shoulder, I’d agree. If I was shooting at average to longer hunting distances, I feel going to your natural hold is superior. When you forget to check your level before you take a shot you have a higher likelihood of having a level optic which is most important. To each their own though, I think both ways give acceptable results

Gunsmithing - Scope level to a rifle

Reading over this resurrected thread got me thinking. And that's not always the best place for me. It's obvious that the only thing that matters is that the reticle is level when the shot is taken. The rifle could be canted a few degrees and as long as it was zeroed in that position with a level...

www.snipershide.com

Page 2 has a good breakdown of the error that is actually induced

I know this is a little different, but since I can't start a new thread yet. I thought i might add a question to this one. I plan on adding a level to my scope, because I see the benefits of, but does a 4 in sun shade also help enough to justify the added weight to the gun?

 

[HandgunHunter]

I know this is a little different, but since I can't start a new thread yet. I thought i might add a question to this one. I plan on adding a level to my scope, because I see the benefits of, but does a 4 in sun shade also help enough to justify the added weight to the gun?

for an extended session prairie dogging I think a sun shade can be of use. For 1-2 shots hunting I’d skip it.

 

[cacklercrazy]

for an extended session prairie dogging I think a sun shade can be of use. For 1-2 shots hunting I’d skip it.

Thank you. That's also what I was thinking.