How critical is scope level?

[Satterlee Scott]

Great so we speak the same language and probably learned them from the same places. But back to the subject; can you do you look at a bubble level at the same time? With precision focus on top of it all. Because I can't.

In a match I'll get it set up on each pass and just ride out what I have. If I see the reticle really get torqued I'll pause and fix it. Ut in the field hunting I get my initial reference to it and do a final check before sending it.

 

[WildRose]

Shoot with both eyes open and you should be able to do both at the same time. Your point is more valid when shooting movers however. For anyone that has similar training, I'd be curious if they'd be looking at a bubble if trying to use an ambush method and looking at a bubble at the same time. My brain can't focus that hard these days

If you level the rifle ahead of time you'll know if you've canted it on the move or once reaching your ambush point because you will notice a change in the relationship between the crosshairs and horizon/terrain/objects in the field of view. At least you should with a little practice.

 

[dfanonymous]

I agree with both of you.

 

[dfanonymous]

So going back to where this all began about reticle levels built into scopes, I I usually can just tell my rifle is about level with rare exceptions by looking at the reticle so when I do use a bubble, I kind of do the back and forth focus where my eyes or both open but my brain focuses and on the level, target, level, finger, kill

 

[basinman]

It seems that the higher the scope is from the bore, the more effect cant will have.

 

[Rifleman97]

It seems that the higher the scope is from the bore, the more effect cant will have.

This is very true for when the scope is level to the gun, but the whole unit not being level to the ground.
But if the gun is perfectly level to the ground, but the scope being mounted 1 degree off, the result is very minimal.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

What happens when you cant a rifle is you turn some of your elevation into windage. A scope canted right will impact low right. An easy way to visualize this is to cant a scope 90 degrees, you just turned you elevation turret into a windage turret. The crosshairs mean nothing and the scopes relationship to the bore is practically irrelevant. What matters is the erector travel inside the scope and that its on a vertical plane every time. So if you want to use a scope level, you level it to the scopes internal travel, not the rifle or crosshairs.

 

[jebel]

Here's the formula
A(.0175)(x°)
Where A is the amount of drop at the range you're shooting at and X is the angle in degrees your scope is tilted.

Rifleman97, I like this formula (responses #2,3,5 above), but I have a question. Don't you also need to multiply by the height of the scope over bore in inches? If I read your formula correctly, you're using one degree of arc from a 1-inch radius circle (0.0175) as the distance of offset per degree of cant. But the OP's example was a scope mounted 1.75" above the bore, where the offset is 0.0305" per degree. So wouldn't you multiply what you have listed by the scope height as well?

 

[Danehunter]

As a competitive shooter I can say that in the first few matches I actually forgot to use my level on shots over 200 yards about half the time.

But using it in both practice and matches it has now become "muscle memory".

THEREFORE:
1. Practice using your level every time you have a chance, either in dry fire or range practice USE it. You will also begin to unconsciously remember what level "feels like" in different positions. No lie.

2. For your next scope try to get one with a built in reticle level. So far SIG and Leupold have them. Soon nearly every top end scope will have them.

Eric B.

 

[theosmithjr]

As a competitive shooter I can say that in the first few matches I actually forgot to use my level on shots over 200 yards about half the time.

But using it in both practice and matches it has now become "muscle memory".

THEREFORE:
1. Practice using your level every time you have a chance, either in dry fire or range practice USE it. You will also begin to unconsciously remember what level "feels like" in different positions. No lie.

2. For your next scope try to get one with a built in reticle level. So far SIG and Leupold have them. Soon nearly every top end scope will have them.

Eric B.

When shooting anything, paper, steel or varmints from a bench I use a Bald Eagle front rear which has a Round Bubble Level built into it for Level Setup. Then on my Rifle Scopes I have Bubble levels to insure the rifle is resting LEVEL on the Front Rest and Rear Bag. In the field when my Bench, Front Rest, and Rear Bag aren't available, I trust my EYE, then the BUBBLE LEVEL on the scope. After 50+ years of Shooting I can Detect the SLIGHTEST CANT WHEN I LQQK thru my glass. My 2 cents fellas.
Theosmithjr

 

[jebel]

Rifleman97, I like this formula (responses #2,3,5 above), but I have a question. Don't you also need to multiply by the height of the scope over bore in inches? If I read your formula correctly, you're using one degree of arc from a 1-inch radius circle (0.0175) as the distance of offset per degree of cant. But the OP's example was a scope mounted 1.75" above the bore, where the offset is 0.0305" per degree. So wouldn't you multiply what you have listed by the scope height as well?

Rifleman97, I think I answered my own question, and it's "no, you would not include the scope height over bore center as an additional variable." As I'm thinking about this now, the 0.0175 is relevant to the angle of cant, which doesn't change based on how high the scope is mounted. It's essentially the sine of 1 degree of cant. So the formula would remain as you stated it originally: (Degree of cant)(0.0175)(Drop of bullet at target distance). Correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks