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Recommend a level bubble

I like Hawkins Hybrid rings for my hunting rifles with dial turrets, they come with 25 MOA built in them, are light and rugged. You can get a centered level scope cap or an off set level scope cap. I’ve been using the off set cap and like it a lot. I’ve tried quite a few including NF, Hollands, mountain tactical and others all of which are good options, this is just the one I like the most. I find I can keep my cheek on the stock better and get a good view of what’s going on without breaking my cheek weld. The con is finding the darn things, you can find complete ring sets but usually you have to buh the off set level scope cap separately. Hawkins hybrid rings are popular and they don’t make a lot of them compared to other companies, if you can find them it might be worth your time, I really like them.
 

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What does a $120 level do that a $25 doesn't do?

Not a darn thing.

This is the one that I use I probably have 12 of them mounted on my scopes. They work perfectly fine I've never had a problem with any of them and I've never noticed any difference between one or the other.


When I first started buying them they were $6.99 now they're
$9.99.

Most of these are rebranded Chinese items. Don't fall for the marketing. Even if the mount were made in the United States by some whiz-bang machining company, the little level inside is still probably made in China.

You do not want the bubble level integrated into the ring or on the picatinny rail of the rifle. The bubble level is to be set to gravity. So when your scope reticle is perfectly vertical to a plumb line the bubble level should be at zero. And then you set that that way and you never move it again.

How the scope is mounted to the rifle is immaterial. The only thing that matters is that the bubble level is set to gravity.
 
The difference I’ve mainly noticed is the response to movement. The cheaper ones seem to sit static as you level the gun then jump all at once.
 
I like the Nightforce rings with the level incorporated into the top ring.
I set the gun up in a rest, level it, then install the scope so the crosshairs are level, then with a slight adjustment of the two top screws on the rear ring, I center the bubble.

I have used a version made on a 3D printer with a chinese level vial, and adjusted the same way, and they work fine on my guns that have regular rings.
 
Any bubble level needs to be compared with a known accurate level. As Tokay444 has shown they have a tendency to very in point of level. Which one is correct? You could be canting your rifle and not being aware of the fact.
 
I’ve had a few different types but one of my favorite is a Warn scope mounted that pulls out. I came across it in a Cabelas bargain bin for 1/4 price of new.

The 100 yd plumb Bob is how I level scopes that are going to be dialed for long range. I level the gun on my shooting bench then the cross hairs to the string and mount the level last.
Final step is aiming at the top of my plumb line and start dialing up to verify its following it down.
Then I feel like I can only blame myself when I miss lol. I’m probably not a good enough shooter to see any difference beyond that.
 
Why use a bubble? Digital is more accurate.


3 axis digital I use with my Avid Vice. It will drive you nuts…but it removes the optical judgement out of the equation.
 
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I tried many different levels - rail and scope mounted. For my purposes a bubble is a bubble. Two features stick out to me. While 3D printer levels work fine, I don’t like the rough texture. Feels creepy. Yes, things can feel creepy :) I’ve also found that levels with sharp corners tend to hang up on the foam in gun cases so I like ones with smooth corners.
 
I just mounted the expensive flatline ops that has flip out level and micro adjuster. Happy with it. Keep in mind that if you first level your scope reticle on a plum-bob then the accuracy of the bubble is immaterial as you will, in second step, adjust the bubble to ‘zero’ when the reticle is in line with the plum-bob. ( much easier to do with the micro adjustment feature).

If you use a ring replacement level like the Talley one, you might not be able clamp the ring down with the bubble being zeroed if your hold has a bit of cant. Best to use ring level when indexing off the receiver instead of your hold. And then the issue/question of your bubble accuracy comes into play.
 
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