I understand principle of setting the cross hairs to a level line at 100 yards (increasing the distance for setting the crosshairs) instead of the 50 feet that I am presently using. I do not have a Picatinny rail, the rings (Talley) are attached to a round receiver; round top Ruger 77. Presently when the rings are installed onto the rifle, I take the top of the split rings off, I "then" place the level off of the rings to get the rifle level, and "then" clamp the rifle in a Tipton vise to keep the rings/rifle level. Once the rifle is level, I level the crosshairs to a level line that I placed on the wall 50 feet away. If I use this process, only setting the crosshairs level with a plumb line at 100 yards, the scope ought to be mounted properly? The scope is a Leupold and there isn't a whole lot of bearing surface on the top of the scope cap or the internal turret, that is why I have not been leveling the scope referencing from the scope cap itself. Once the crosshairs are leveled to the axis of the rifle out to 100 yards and still clamped in the Tipton vise, "then" the cant scope ring is attached to the scope tube, and then leveled. I get what you have written in your post about doing trying to do everything possible to reduce your error, that too is what I am trying to accomplish
. I do not know if I'll ever be taking an 800 yards shot, however I would like to ensure that my rifle is capable of making the shot if it presents itself. With all else in place I now have to work on the nut behind the trigger
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Thank you for everyone's responses.