Canted reticle

[jde682]

This photo is my reticle in my Burris xtr II. The top of the reticle is clearly in line with the shadow projected from a plumbob. As you can see it becomes slightly more canted towards the bottom of the reticle. I'm wondering if this degree of reticle cant is a big enough issue that I should send this back to Burris for warranty service...or is this small of a degree of cant not a major issue and considered fairly normal for a scope of that price point ($1500).

 

[SpencerC87]

How is this a reticle issue and not a mounting issue? How have you leveled the action? What are you using to measure it? How have you mounted the scope?

 

[wsmallwood]

If you put the bottom line (or what becomes the bottom line as you move up) of the picture directly under the horizontal lines of the scope you can see the line is clearly canted. Whether just the photograph, incorrect mounting, or something else is really hard to say.

 

[Texas Solo]

Sure looks like a mounting issue to me. Yes you can a slight cant a9t the bottom, but the same can't is visible at the top.

 

[Walt Krafft]

I would rotate it to split the difference and go shoot. No big deal.

 

[Murray Brook]

I guess it would depend on what your plan for the scope is. If the reticle is actually canted and your goal is long distance shots, then yes it will show up. At a price point of $1500 I would want things as they should be. JMO

 

[JFrank]

I’m a right handed shooter, there are times when I look through a scope a see the reticle canted down to the left, after double checking both the action and scope are level, I still think the reticle is off however when viewing from a left hand shooters position the reticle is now canted down to the right.
IMO there is no excuse for a canted reticle on a quality scope that is inspected prior to distributing.

 

[jde682]

How is this a reticle issue and not a mounting issue? How have you leveled the action? What are you using to measure it? How have you mounted the scope?

The scope was sitting in the scope rings unsecured when I took this photo. I rotated the scope to line the top of the reticle in line with the plumbob. The bottom of the reticle is not aligning with the plumbob while the top is. We know the plumbob is straight and true, if I can't rotate the scope to make the reticle perfectly align with the plumbob, then that would mean there is an issue with the reticle itself.

 

[jde682]

Sure looks like a mounting issue to me. Yes you can a slight cant a9t the bottom, but the same can't is visible at the top.

The scope is not mounted securely in the photo. I was trying to align the reticle with a plumbob, my point is that while turning the scope freely I was unable to do that.

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

It's almost as if the reticle cell isn't seated evenly in place.

 

[SpencerC87]

The scope was sitting in the scope rings unsecured when I took this photo. I rotated the scope to line the top of the reticle in line with the plumbob. The bottom of the reticle is not aligning with the plumbob while the top is. We know the plumbob is straight and true, if I can't rotate the scope to make the reticle perfectly align with the plumbob, then that would mean there is an issue with the reticle itself.

But looking at the photo, the scope just needs to spin to align with it, you can still see gap between the reticle and the plumb bob above horizontal centerline, right up to what looks like the top of your hash marks. I think line thickness of the plumb bob is what is giving you the problem with viewing it properly, your reticle is hiding within it at the top.

 

[Albany Mountain]

It appears as if you fired a shot at the lowest point of adjustment, then fired a shot at the highest point of adjustment, you would be about 1/2 minute off on windage.

 

[jde682]

But looking at the photo, the scope just needs to spin to align with it, you can still see gap between the reticle and the plumb bob above horizontal centerline, right up to what looks like the top of your hash marks. I think line thickness of the plumb bob is what is giving you the problem with viewing it properly, your reticle is hiding within it at the top.

Here is another photo I took where the scope was rotated further. Here the bottom is aligned and now the top is not. I used fishing line for the plumbob, cant get it any thinner. The original photo was taken with a leveled action and leveled scope, this photo was just leveling the reticle itself, not the scope

 

[alf]

I don't know about all of the manufacturers, but I have read in the past, Leupold I think, that their standard is within several degrees of plumb is acceptable.

That's why I've never trusted leveling off a turret top.

 

[SpencerC87]

I've put both images in Fusion and measured the angles as close as possible, the first one shows it is 0deg30min26sec, the second picture shows it's 0deg30min33sec the other way. I believe you can get it closer to zero. When I've done this in the past, I setup the reticle to the side of the plumb line, not directly on top of it, and then softly tap the gun vise closer to matching vertical then you can clearly see the entire length of each and get them bang on.

 

[FTR_Mojo]

They'll say its within manufacturing tolerances. I had this exact conversation with March a few years back. Even sent it back to them.

Level it the best you can and dont worry about it.

 

[jrb06]

Curios if you still have the scope just sitting in the mounts, rotate if 90 degrees and see how well the windage reticle lines up with the plumb line.

 

[shoot4fun]

Curios if you still have the scope just sitting in the mounts, rotate if 90 degrees and see how well the windage reticle lines up with the plumb line.

I thought about that but almost immediately rejected it. The scope likely has a parallax turret on one side and elevation turret on the other. Don't know how he would get it to clear the base.

 

[Silo1616]

I would rotate it to split the difference and go shoot. No big deal.

This is the solution, because the rotational axis of the scope tube and reticle is likely not the same.

 

[jde682]

I thought about that but almost immediately rejected it. The scope likely has a parallax turret on one side and elevation turret on the other. Don't know how he would get it to clear the base.

I drew a 90 degree angle on the piece of paper with a speed square and checked the windage that way. The bottom of the elevation reticle and the windage portion made a perfect 90 degree angle. It just appears that the top half of the elevation reticle is misaligned with the bottom half of the elevation. So when the scope itself is leveled, the top portion is on center and the bottom is slightly canted. So I'm thinking I should just adjust the bottom half to the plumb line (like in 2nd photo) and mount the scope in that position rather than level to the scope body itself? Basically level the reticle and not the scope. The top half will be canted but I dont see the need for the top half anyways.