Scope leveling?

T

tpende

Guest
is there a trick to make sure that the scope is exactly level with the rifle? i ask bacause i have a mil-dot scope and if it is not square it will hit left or right when i use the mil-dot to aim. i tried eyballing it by alighting the bottom of the reticle with the center of the back of the bolt, but thats tough to do and get it just right. i considered putting the bi-pod on it an putting a level bubble across the top turret, but it looks like the bi-pod doesnt hold the gun exactly level. any tips??
 
Here's one

Get your scope mounts level by either blocking up your rifle or adjusting the legs on the bi-pod until they are level. Re-install your scope on the mounts without disturbing the rifle and then lay a small level on the top turret. that should do the trick.
 
Last edited:
that sounds like a fairly good idea. but theres gotta be some trick to it. course maybe it doesnt make a whole lot of difference
 
Reads like a Man that cants a rifle, Welcome to the club.

I know what I write won't cost you any money and that maybe a shame as I have seen a bunch of different gizmo's that do the job.

Here goes. First get your eye relief where you want it. Next tighten down the rings so you will fell the resistance when you turn the scope. Grasp the stock forward of the trigger guard with one hand and hold the butt stock with the other hand, push the rifle away from your body and move the rifle till it straight up and down, glance down at the scope and look at the cross hairs. Look for the relationship of the vertical held stock and the straight up and down cross hairs. Now if you are using Weaver rings you have to add some cross hair cant to allow for the screw pull down on the screw side you put the cant to the opponent away from the screws.

How to verify? holding the rifle in the same way, look at a door frame or a window frame, put the rifle to shoulder and look at the same things again. Lock her down and verify nothing has changed.

Or go find the Rube Goldberg thingy with the rubber bands.
 
No trick

It is important and it is pretty simple. Once you get your scope level you might consider one of thoes small levels that attach to scope so that you can see if the rifle is level when you are shooting.
 
Last edited:
I like to use a 6 inch piece of flat bar with a line level on top to level the gun, while a 6 inch torpedo level levels the scope.
scopelevel1.jpg
 
Leveling

Also after leveling plump a Leupold bore sighter from your set up and check that the X-hair tacts up and down correctly as the last two scopes from Leupold were sent back and new parts added as they did not track correctly. The scopes track excellent now. Thats why I buy from Leupold they will correct the issue. Amazing after correcting the tracking issue how much easier it is to hit the 600 and 1000 yard gongs.:D
 
good point ill have to try that when i get it all leveled off. i hope it does im not sure just how good zeiss scopes are, but im guessing pretty good. it would hold a 200yd zero darn good after cranking it up to shoot at 500
 
I've had a lot of luck using my collimator, which from the results appears to be made with precision.

Working on the premise that the centre of the collimator grid must point to the centre of the bore, I fiddle the collimator & the scope until the crosshairs are precisely aligned with collimator grid & lock it down. According to the geometry I learned at school, that can only happen when the scope crosshairs are plumb over the bore.

I still check it afterwards by setting up a plumb line at a passable distance (around 100 yards suits me), locking the rifle in a vyce with the vertical crosshair aligned with the plumb line & running the elevation knob up & down to prove that it's on the money (& that I don't have one of those cocked crosshairs that the 6BR site speaks of).

I've never found fault with this system shooting out to 1200 yards.
 
Leveling scope(s)

Seems like I'm always swapping scopes. Lock up rifle in a padded bench vice with the barrel in the vice, lay a small level across the top of the receiver/ base mount. Mount scope in rings ( usually Burris Signature Zee), snug down but still be able to turn scope tube, lay small bubble level on top of elev. adjustment, turn scope 'til level, snug down screws. Go to range with a 24" to 36" carpenters level, staple target with top edge level, set-up rifle in front rest & rear bag & verify level. Usually O.K., but will have tools the first time.
 
I have a level-level-level Wheeler tool and have found it to be useless. I've not found good correspondance between the turrets and the recticle when it comes to level.

I have thought about making a tool that will level the bolt raceways but so far, following the procedure below, I haven't needed it.

I use a small precision level that clamps to the scope base (Weaver rail) which can be in place when the scope is in place to level the rifle. I project a laser level vertical line on the wall at the other end of my shop, attach a scope level that clamps around the scope so that it can be moved, align the vertical scope recticle to the line on the wall (a set of wooden V-blocks works, or the scope can be sitting in loose scope rings), set the level on the scope to level with the recticle vertical and tighten it carefully, check that the recticle is still vertical when the level is centered. At this point I have easy to see references on the scope and rifle.

Then I set the scope on the rings, tighten the rings carefully with both levels centered. I leave the level on the scope as a shooting aid, I usually take off the level that is clamped to the rail.

Works for me.

Fitch
 

Attachments

  • Two levels and Millet Mount-C.jpg
    Two levels and Millet Mount-C.jpg
    24.6 KB · Views: 828
  • 10 MOA base Installed-C.jpg
    10 MOA base Installed-C.jpg
    23 KB · Views: 846
They don't cost much compared to the cost of a good scope, and they make it easy to use the expensive scope on several rifles:

The scope mounted level is this one:

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=8739&title=ANTI CANT DEVICE

The one I use on the Weaver Rail is this one:

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=1758&title=BUBBLE LEVEL

The Weaver Rail level moves from rifle to rifle. The scope level stays with the scope. Makes swapping an expensive scope to a different rifle pretty fast and easy.

YMMV

Fitch
 
i made both of those tonight out of 60 series alum. the scope mount one turned out great but the weaver mount one i cant get i to stay straight when i tighten the screw in. it wants to torque it so it doesnt sit perpendicular to the action. i made two and still cant get it right. it looks so simple. im no pro but im wondering if the one you buy does the same thing
 
Last edited by a moderator:
tpende said:
i made both of those tonight out of 60 series alum. the scope mount one turned out great but the weaver mount one i cant get i to stay straight when i tighten the screw in. it wants to torque it so it doesnt sit perpendicular to the action. i made two and still cant get it right. it looks so simple. im no pro but im wondering if the one you buy does the same thing
Click to expand...

I was just fussing with it and it doesn't seem to.

Fitch
 
Sir, you need this scope to be as exact as possible...correct? You can do a search and find the same answer but I'll give you a cheap and easy way of leveling your scope.

I. Set up the rifle in a solid vise or bench setup and point it toward a white wall about 15-20 feet away (adjust as necessary). If your rifle has a flat forend, then level off the bottom of it. If not, and you use a bipod. Level the table and put the bipod on and then check the top of the receiver or bases. Get this all leveled up. The take a string with a plumb or weight on it and hang it against the wall or directly in front of it and make sure it's hanging straight. Align your verticle crosshairs with the string. Then run your verticle adjustment up and down and see if it tracks correctly. You can also do this by leveling a horizontal string with a string level also and the best way in a combination. It will show any tracking problems with the scope also...not POI but tracking with the click adjustments. And the best thing is....it don't cost squat to do it this way.

Hovis
 
All said and done

I have gone back to doing it by eye. I am satisfied that I can get them close enough by simply installing the scopes loosely enough to be turned in the mounts and mounting the rifle to my shoulder as if I were to fire it off-hand. I rotate the scope until it appears to be straight and tighten it up, being careful to keep the reticule level and plumb. Sometimes, keeping it level and plumb is a challenge but , hey, I'm retired now ! :D
 
pete

thats the way ive always done it. it just dawned on me that if i was using the mil-dots it would be off if it wasnt level. but if i wasnt going to use them id just do like you said, throw it on there loose and eyeball it. its worked so far
 
I have seen those......

scopes where someone has grabbed the 'scope & pulled while twisting to get the proper eye relief, it gouges through the anodization on the 'scope tube,(unless you use the Burris Zee rings) as the 'scope is pulled through the rings. It appears like a snake, that liked 90 degree angles, dragged a key down the side of the 'scope while it made its way carefully down the tube!!:eek::D:D
 
not if your careful and make sure there is not dirt or grit between the rings and tube, and that you dont have them too tight while adjusting it. ive done it several times with my zeiss and theres not a mark on it.

it also depends on the quality of the coating im guessing
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top