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Scope Level Question

james

Gold $$ Contributor
I have a question regarding leveling a scope. I have 6.5 CM with a Sightron PLR 8x32 mounted on it and I use a bipod versus a rest. I used a couple of small levels to line up the scope with the action where the crosshairs appear to be perfectly horizontal. I then placed a level on top of elevation turret and found it was not level, I then adjusted the scope so it was level. This resulted in the cross hairs being slightly canted. I'm thinking it is related to a slight variation in how the bipod is mounted. I know if the scope is not level it will affect long range shooting e.g. 600 yards. My question is should I ensure the scope crosshairs are level/horizontal to the action or should I level the scope off the elevation turret even though the cross hairs are slightly canted?

Thanks
 
I usually level with the top of the scope base which is flat.
Then Align the crosshairs with this plane.
First you may use a level across the scope base before mounting scope so you know that is level first to work off of.
Then you may mount your scope and level across the top turret
Some scopes have a canted reticle in relation to the top turret (think china and phillipines scopes)
which can be aggrevating since then which do you level, the top turret or the reticle?
I use the top turret still since this is the actual mechanism that moves the reticle
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Also, watch how you tighten the scope ring screws as if you tighten them only on one side first it will pull the sccope over requiring a re-leveling.
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You can do a pretty darn good job just by eyeballing it as the human head will level itself to within less than 1/2 degree (has to do with your inner ears, the vestibular apparatus)
 
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After first getting the action level I adjust the horizontal crosshairs with a level laser line cast on my basement wall, this with the turret bottomed out. I the raise the line on a wall where I can rotate the turret to highest point noting if it travels level up to that point. Then rotate the laser 90 and do same check with moving the vertical crosshair full rotations of the turret. This insures you can tell if your reticle is tracking straight in both planes..
 
The top of the turret is not always level. The way I think of this is the vertical crosshair should be in line with the bore of the barrel. I first line up the vertical crosshair with a plumb line at 100 yards and attach a scope level to the tube and center the bubble when the vertical crosshair is plumb. Then I use the following tool to get the center of the scope in line with the center of the barrel.
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While the center of scope is over center of barrel, rotate the scope to center the bubble level. Tighten the ring caps and you're done.
 
How you mount your scope is really not that important. You want your vertical turret to track straight up and down, or if using the reticle to hold over you want your reticle to be plumb/level. Most good scopes will track vertically when the reticle is plumb. The only way to ensure this vertical tracking is to have a bubble level mounted to your scope and align that with the scope's travel. If your gun is canted or if the scope is mounted off center from the bore it will only cause very small errors in windage (assuming the scope is tracking correctly). If the reticle is tracking crooked then your errors will grow exponentially as distance increases.

I do as Rwfish does. Level the gun in a vise, then use a laser level or a known vertical line to align the reticle. Mount your bubble level to the scope so it's consistent with the reticle. Then run through the scope's travel or do a tall target test to verify your bubble level is aligned with the vertical tracking.
 
^^^ THIS ^^^

El Matador nailed it. So many people obsess over getting the reticle square to the action or the rail or the bore, but really what matters is how the reticle tracks relative to the force of gravity. It has to move straight up and down in parallel with gravity's lines of force. The bubble level is key to this. You can mount your scope all crooked, but if the reticle is aligned with gravity, you're good to go!
 
Level the action, set eye relief with light ring tension on scope body. Use a flashlight from ocular end to illuminate the reticle on a nearby wall, hang a plumb line next to the vertical reticle image. Without moving the firearm, rotate scope so reticle image is parallel to your vertical line. Once reticle is plumb, you can spin the turrent ,up/down see if the image tracks on the plumb line. Only time I use my lead shed anymore.
 
I shoot with a bipod and rear bag so I shoulder the rifle and set the scope’s vertical stadia to plumb. This way I’m letting the rifle settle into a natural position without using muscle and having to force a correction; if there’s any cant to the rifle it’s minimal.

As mentioned above, having the scope travel vertically is what’s important
 
I stack feeler gauges between the bottom of the scope and the scope rail. I’ll tinker with it until I have it within .001 on each side.

Do remember, a perfectly level crosshair on a perfectly level gun will appear to very slightly cant left if you’re right handed and right if you’re left handed. I mount using a vice and know I’ve got a good vertical crosshair when I can see the opposite canted crosshair while shouldering on both sides.
 
Clancy said:
Do remember, a perfectly level crosshair on a perfectly level gun will appear to very slightly cant left if you’re right handed and right if you’re left handed. I mount using a vice and know I’ve got a good vertical crosshair when I can see the opposite canted crosshair while shouldering on both sides.
Click to expand...
I've noticed this and thank you for bringing it up.

Can you explain the reason for it?
 
james said:
I have a question regarding leveling a scope. I have 6.5 CM with a Sightron PLR 8x32 mounted on it and I use a bipod versus a rest. I used a couple of small levels to line up the scope with the action where the crosshairs appear to be perfectly horizontal. I then placed a level on top of elevation turret and found it was not level, I then adjusted the scope so it was level. This resulted in the cross hairs being slightly canted. I'm thinking it is related to a slight variation in how the bipod is mounted. I know if the scope is not level it will affect long range shooting e.g. 600 yards. My question is should I ensure the scope crosshairs are level/horizontal to the action or should I level the scope off the elevation turret even though the cross hairs are slightly canted?

Thanks
Click to expand...
I leveled my scope by lining it up against a 1300 ft. TV tower outside my front window.
 
Hang a plumbob at 100 yards over a blank piece of paper. Dark string
level scope with that Don't worry about turret caps
Make sure bipod is fully down on the legs
 
I made a scope jig. A piece of flat aluminium, with 2 levels (X and Y) affixed with a foot long piece of Picatinny. It mounts to a camera tripod/ball head, so can be levelled in both axes. The scope is mounted into the rings on the jig, then transferred to the rifle.
 
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