I have not commented on the pictures because neither way either of you posted them is "truely" representative of what I see in the real world, but I understand what each of you were trying to point out in posting them, each the way you did.
What you don't consider, IMHO, is I'm sitting in front of a square computer monitor viwing this, the picture is framed itself in a way that leads a person to one conclusion or the other, both which do not represent what I see in the field, and it's impossible for you to even post a pic on here that would.
The first pic that was round, still had a square border, that influences your thinking right there again.
Dave shows the "world" tilted because that's what the shooter tends to do and he's trying to explain, orient the hairs to the animal as we normally see it on flat ground, and that's all he was trying to show. Of course the world don't rotate in reality, but you only realize that looking through the scope AND seeing a frame of referance. Just look at a painted wall and rotate the scope, you may see rotating texture on the wall when you cant the scope, but damned if you can tell which way's up in that sight picture (the world).
Your surroundings are what help you determine which way is up, or they don't help, just depends on what the sight picture is that determines the amount it helps.
A friend of mine taught underwater emergency egress, disorientation will kill you there. Getting out of an airplane underwater begins with FEEL, bubbles on your face in the water, and much more.
Lack of trees for one, snow, or tundra covered ground, up in the rocks, and on and on can lead you off to cant your rifle thinking you aren't.
Too me, a couple degrees cant is something I won't be taking a chance on in the field at LR.
My GOD Doug, that's a giant picture! I'd say you'll be plenty fine, you used a level.
