What is the best tool to use to level your scope reticle, apart from looking at corners of rooms, hanging stuff from the ceiling and all the other home made gizmos.

Thanks,

Reddy375

How much $$$$ do you want to spend?

Level the action using what ever feature you want. Add the scope and sight it at a plumb line.
Leveling the action may require that you hold it in a vise so it does not move while installing the scope.

I lay a small 6" steel rule across the top of the base and align the scopes horizontal cross hair to that.

I look through the scope, and when the cross wires are perfectly alinged vertically and horizontally, I cinch down the ring screws.

Don

Time for my own "take" / what I use. I get the rifle steady in a gun vise with everything else worked out first. Eye relief correct for the shooter, ready to do the final screw tightening, etc. Once I think the reticles are level (using tricks like in the previous posts) I back off a little and, holding my head level I switch eyes. That is, I look with left eye closed and then right closed. What I look for is the horizontal crosshair seeming to tilt slightly upward on the right-hand side with my right eye closed, and vide versa with the left eye closed. If it seems equally tilted, I call it good.

The other suggestion is to buy a scope level.

Barry

Usually the plum bob and level, but for problem cases, sometimes I use the "look the wrong way method"

Get a black line on a white surface on the floor, put the highest and lowest point of the butt on the line and look through the scope backwards, then line up the x hair to the black line.

(make REAL sure you unload the gun first)

I read about a home made dilly the other day ,someone had taken a wooden dowel rod the diameter of a scope,drilled a smaller hole in the middle and had this long skinner rod dowel running out to the end of the barrel,this was to aline the rings with the barrel,then they claimed you could look thru a scope with a mirror on the other end and aline the crosshairs where they come together,if there not right,the mirror will show a double set of crosshairs,you turn the scope until the 2 crosshairs line up as 1?I have not tried this trick,but thought the dowel rod was pretty nifty.I usually try to just take my time and play & adjust until iam satisified the crosshair is level,after shooting a bit,if i decide its off a smidge,i just retry..Once my rifle is shooting perfect,i leave it all alone...except to tighten it down as far as i can with out over tighting and snapping the screws off...
I try to make sure my rifle is sighted in deadnuts on and then i dont worry about anything ,except concentrateing on makeing the shot as best i can.....like a old timer told me one time,experminting with different loads & bullets with your new rifle to find out what it likes the best..is half the fun of shooting...and makes for a great shooting rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by SR4759:
Level the action using what ever feature you want. Add the scope and sight it at a plumb line.

FWIW, that's how I do it.

I put the action in a vice and mount the bases and then use a level to set the action. i mount the scope in the rings and get them just tight enough i can move the scope and place the level on top of the elevation adjustment(since the verticle line of the reticle should bisect it) rotating the scope until level. tighten and recheck.

Eyeball it. That is what you will be doing, each time you shoot it.

Keith

All the experts here have confused me. In simple terms that I can understand, how do I level the rifle? Seems to me that once the rifle is level, then any plumb line or level can be used to square the scope. Please!

quote:

Originally posted by MikeMichalski:
All the experts here have confused me. In simple terms that I can understand, how do I level the rifle? Seems to me that once the rifle is level, then any plumb line or level can be used to square the scope. Please!

What are you talking about. Mine is the simplest method of all. Doesn't require leveling the gun. Takes all of 5 seconds. Longer if you include tightening the screws.

quote:

What is the best tool to use to level your scope reticle, apart from looking at corners of rooms, hanging stuff from the ceiling and all the other home made gizmos.

Thanks,

Reddy375

I guess no one read my Q I was asking "what is the best tool". Thanks.

The best 'TOOL' that I have ever used was to close my eyes, shoulder the rifle, open my eyes, align scope to eye...

Unless we are going to go to the trouble of having a stock custom fit to our face, which is what I have ended up doing more and more often on my own rifles, we are going to have to sacrifice either levelness of scope, or fit of rifle.
Personally I am far more interested in whether or not my cross hairs are level to my eye instantly when I bring the rifle to my shoulder.
Usually they end up canted justa slight bit to the right on a stock that has no cast off.

quote:

Originally posted by reddy375:

quote:

What is the best tool to use to level your scope reticle, apart from looking at corners of rooms, hanging stuff from the ceiling and all the other home made gizmos.

Thanks,

Reddy375

I guess no one read my Q I was asking "what is the best tool". Thanks.

I did, and I said the best tool is a straight edge. A little cheap 6" machinists rule.

quote:

Originally posted by reddy375:

quote:

What is the best tool to use to level your scope reticle, apart from looking at corners of rooms, hanging stuff from the ceiling and all the other home made gizmos.

Thanks,

Reddy375

I guess no one read my Q I was asking "what is the best tool". Thanks.

Whatever bench vise is appropriate and a small level. You do not need an application specific tool.

I have had good luck with the "level level level" from wheeler engineering. It has a level that bridges the bolt raceway and a level that sits on your elevation turret and when both bubbles are in the center you know that you are square.

Easiest way is to look from the muzzle end, I usually rest the butt on the ground have a peep.

99.9999 of you don't need me to tell you that the rifle shouldn't be loaded when doing this - am I wrong in reminding the 0.0001%?

quote:

Originally posted by reddy375:
What is the best tool to use to level your scope reticle, apart from looking at corners of rooms, hanging stuff from the ceiling and all the other home made gizmos.

Thanks,

Reddy375

(Segway Scope Leveler) . Has horizontal marks
and a small flat bar that lays across scope
bases, atached via a rubber band around action.
Simple around $20 and works well. You put
device on with scope screws loose, look thru
scope & level it.
http://www.chuckhawks.com/segway_reticle_leveler.htm

the best tool is a level.

put the scope in the rings (or bottom half if horizontally split) on the bases and determine eye relief, mark scope tube in reference to one of the rings

in a padded vise, level the rifle across the bases (or across the bottom half of one of the rings if horizontally split) using a decent level, like a small Starrett

put the scope in the rings, referencing the eye relief to the previously made mark

just snug the ring screws to secure the scope tube enough so it can still be turned in the rings

place the level across the top turret and bring the turret to level

tighten the screws

check it

I like tin cans way,that sounds perfect to me.I also agree with bucko and hog killer,it doesnt do any good to square anything if it looks caddy wampus when you look into the sight with your eye....thats why i fiddle and shoot until iam sure iam satisfied ive got her right,I will loosen one up in a minute and redo it if i dont have confidance in the scope set up,I have used all the store bought levels and they worked fine for me as well/zero is zero...I have also known a crack shot lefty that canted his rifle just a little and had his scope mounted so it was level with his cant style,even though his natural tendency was to cant the rifle a bit...it worked for him/no problems...
Old habits are hard to break,I still like to look at a level 2x4 or level line on a tile wall or hand rail/Door frame,etc. just to see the scope lines ,line up at the ends,thats the old way before the internet and all the info thats out there now,I also have heard folks useing laser beam bore sighters but i have never tried that to get on paper,i still just look down the bore and bore sight the old way.
"Tools,we Kentucky windage raised rifleman dont need no stinking tools to see how to shoot thru a scope,LOL" This is a good post,i enjoyed it... Good luck!

Lots of good ideas here. Now, how do you get the old style Weaver rings right the first time. It always takes me three times, until I lower my expectations to match my abilities.


I don't worry about getting my scope perfectly level, but I do make sure my target stand is level. That way, my rifle may be canted, but it canted the same way every time.

bja if it only takes you three tries your doing good.

quote:

Originally posted by bja105:
Lots of good ideas here. Now, how do you get the old style Weaver rings right the first time. It always takes me three times, until I lower my expectations to match my abilities.

The best way to align the weaver rings the first time is to stand behind them and carefully take aim at the shit can.

I installed a scope last night. For the 'nth time, I used the Segway Reticle Leveler and it took 10" to align the reticle.

quote:

Originally posted by Hog Killer:
Eyeball it. That is what you will be doing, each time you shoot it.

Keith

Bingo!
Give that man a cigar!!!

Westpac
one of us

Posted 20 April 2009 09:32 Hide Post
I lay a small 6" steel rule across the top of the base and align the scopes horizontal cross hair to that.

Posts: 1839 | Location: SLC, Utah | Registered: 23 February 2007

It's kind of what I do sort of !.

I have a universal any Rifle bench rest that I made . It has a permanent plumb wire out near the muzzle

end of the rest , It blends perfectly with a #4 German reticle at that distance . So you can see if

It's out of whack .The yoke or saddle and the stock vice move on a true center track so as to adjust

for any size or length of Rifle . I first set up the Rifle Bench level


I then level the action both ways not the barrel or the stock Just the action with a machinist bubble .

Then I lock the Rifle in nothing moves . Install and align rings lay in the scope with a drop of

locktite on the bottom rings only check plumb wire too reticule . GOOD to Go , leave it for a few

minutes place ring caps on and alternately tighten caps with a torq driver .

Then without moving anything open my door slip in my laser bore sight adjust the scope

for whatever setting I want . ( I have a target on my shop wall outside the door exactly 25 Yd. away )


I'll tell you it may sound complicated and unnecessary but it isn't !.

The Best part is that laser bore sight . I can adjust on the wall for 25 Yd. too 1200 yd .

Every single time I shoot a Rifle after using that thing , the target has holes centered

and no more than 1/2" high or low for point of impact . It's NOT ME it's that laser sight !!!.

quote:

Originally posted by bja105:
Lots of good ideas here. Now, how do you get the old style Weaver rings right the first time. It always takes me three times, until I lower my expectations to match my abilities.


I don't worry about getting my scope perfectly level, but I do make sure my target stand is level. That way, my rifle may be canted, but it canted the same way every time.

With the old style weaver rings, that have only the 2 screws on the side, put a little square of double sided tape on the bottom of the ring first and the scope won't turn on you when you tighten it down. Having said that, like Westpac I cannot see ever using them again unless I'm making a 60's era period piece.



Even if I live t be 200.

The lines are supposed to be horizontal and vertical? I thought they were supposed to make and X. Damn. How do you level the crosshairs again?

quote:

Originally posted by reddy375:
What is the best tool to use to level your scope reticle, apart from looking at corners of rooms, hanging stuff from the ceiling and all the other home made gizmos.

Thanks,

Reddy375

Reddy,

By now you can see there are a bunch of different ways to level a scope. Personally, I am not so much concerned about the recticule being level than I am with the recticule being square with the bore. If the barrel is not directly under the scope the bullet is going to be going left to right as well. There are a few gizmos you can use- scope collimator, bore sighter, etc but a simple way of doing it is to simply put the gun in a cradle and aim it at a mirror about 15 feet away and adjust the scope so the vertical post goes through the image of the muzzle in the mirror.

All of these suggestions will work, some take longer than others.

The easiest way I found is use a bore sighter (not laser).

By making sure that the vertical/horizontal on the bore sighter graph and the scope ring are lined up your scope is level.

And your first shot will be on target.

quote:

Originally posted by daniel77:
The lines are supposed to be horizontal and vertical? I thought they were supposed to make and X. Damn. How do you level the crosshairs again?

You guys are confusing me now. Are the cross hairs supposed to be level or plumb.

quote:

Originally posted by wino:
You guys are confusing me now. Are the cross hairs supposed to be level or plumb.

depends on whether you shoot target or gangsta style.

Several of my rifles have Picatinny bases on them. Attach the rings to the base. I place the rifle with the scope base and attached rings in my machine rest and tie it down with a length of latex tubing I use for bedding actions. Keeps it nice and tight. Then I get the base level from front-to-back by sliding the rear bag back and forth under the butstock. Next, I adjust the screwfeet of my rest to level the set-up side-to-side with small bubble levels that you can buy at Home Depot or Lowe's placed on the scope bases. Now that the rifle is level-level, I take away the level on the Pic base, lay the scope in the rings and gently put the top rings on and start to screw them down in a criss-crossing pattern to keep the gap between the top and bottom rings about even. I have another level on the top turret of the scope to make sure it stays level. I adjust if things start to slip a bit. I slowly screw down the rings, checking the bubble level on the top turret as I go. It takes maybe ten minutes to do the job...



Six pictures ought to be enough. You get the idea...

I use an EXD Vertical Reticle Instrument



which I have verified has a true bubble



and fits over the scope tube and barrel



I clamp the rifle in a padded vise pointing out the door to a 4' level sitting on a fence 30 yards out and

• Take all the cant out of the rifle by leveling the EXD device
  
• Rotate the scope so the reticle is level with the 4' level 30 yards out
  
• Carefully tighten down the rings keeping both the EXD level and the reticle level (not easy to do)

While I am doing this I install and level a ScopLevel and this will enable you to shoot with a level reticle and relevel your scope much easier if you ever move it.

Works for me and takes the guesswork out of it.