What do you use to level the reticle?

I levelled my son's 308 Winchester this way, and he consistently hit steel at 1200 meters.

My max distance for consistent hits on steel is 500 meters.

The result of the exercise is not perfect alignment, but close to perfect, so that the induced windage is minimised at long range and can be compensated for with a few clicks.
Do you also do a ttt to get rid of the rest of the error?
 
I have not done a TTT because there is no indication from shooting that a correction is necessary.
It is difficult to see if a correction is necessary at 1000 yds since there are so many variables. Might be chalking up a discrepancy to wind, mirage, spin drift, coriolis, etc when it is actually cant.
 
Most everyone has a handle on a canted reticle and how to detect it.
Who uses a level on your scope to make sure the cant is not in holding the rifle straight up?
I was fighting that a couple of months ago and when I had my reticle straightened and noticed a slight cant at 300 yards.
I found my cant was me not holding the rifle straight up and a level on the scope cured that.
Who else uses a scope level?
 
I think this was the one I bought but if the level is long it will hang up on everything it touches.
I was told by a person I count as a great shot that if you don't have a level on your scope you won't know if the cant is due to the reticle canted or your holding the rifle in a canted state when you fire the rifle.
Does that sound reasonable to you folks?
 
I think this was the one I bought but if the level is long it will hang up on everything it touches.
I was told by a person I count as a great shot that if you don't have a level on your scope you won't know if the cant is due to the reticle canted or your holding the rifle in a canted state when you fire the rifle.
Does that sound reasonable to you folks?

Not exactly. You use a level mounted on your scope only after you have mounted the scope perfectly in line with the bore. You use a plumb-line to make sure your scope is plumb while you mount your level. Once your level is mounted, if your bubble is centered you know you are not canting the rifle right or left.
 
If you have a one piece picatinney or weaver type rail, and a scope with a flat spot on the bottom of the turret housing, you can try this:

1) Take a short stack of business cards or other card board cut to size.

2) Place just a few too many between the flat spot and the rail for the scope to sit flush.

3) Tighten rings to proper torque value. The scope self levels as it compresses the card stock without needing three hands.

4) Remove card stock from between rail and scope and torque once more.

You are done. If either the sight base or reticle are too crooked for this to work, then you have more important issues to consider.
 
An update on the two flashlight method.

A plumbline is not necessary.

Hey, if you can look down a .204 barrel and see when the bore is exactly split in two with an image on the wall, more power to you. But even if I could do that I would still want to verify with a TTT, which requires . . .

a plumb line.

Fortunately my plumb-line was free, made from some twine that was lying around and weight tied onto it.

Or you can shoot at long range to verify, but then you have to wonder if there was wind involved.
 
Dog Rocket I like the card trick.
Ky Windage I am past that.
As I stated earlier in this thread I have my reticle perfectly centered with the tool I talked about.
On a Led Sled first then on a bag I made sure the reticle is perfectly level. I did a TTT test and it was perfect!Up to 30 moa it was still super true.
I don't carry the led sled when I shoot other than the range with tables so I went to shoot at targets 100 then 200 then 300 yards and I shot to the left at 200 and 300 yards.To make a long story short I found that when I shoot off hand or even on a tree limb or even a rock its possible to not hold the rifle truly straight up so talking to a guy that regularly takes animals at very long distances he asked if I used a level on my scope once I have confirmed with TTT that its proven not canted.I said no I don't then he asked then how do you know you are not inducing a cant?Great point so I bought one it really makes a big difference so now I'm just asking who uses a level on their scopes once they know beyond doubt that their reticle is perfectly straight up.
 
KY Windage I am up there in years and cannot see well.
Even with glasses I can't see a string line very far.
That little inexpensive tool made a straight reticle in seconds but when I tighten the screws on the Talley's it moved a bit so I loosened the screws again and re-inserted that little tool and let it stay in place and tightened the screws in an x pattern and it came out perfect only then I removed the tool.
I like Dog Rockets idea of using cards to make sure it don't move.
Man you folks are giving great advice,as I have said before I love this site!
 
Here is one of mine, made by Flatline Ops. It flips out for use. I have never seen a serious long range shooter who did not have some kind of level on their scope.

tf2n.jpg
 
I like your lever better than mine and the fact that it can go into a rifle sock without snagging on something and put in the safe makes me want one.
I'll look them up.
Old Rooster
 
In my older years I have just gotten a little more serious about long range shooting so I don't know all the stuff I need quite yet.
In the past I have lived with a self imposed limit at 500 yards but I have taken a large Muley buck a little longer than that.
I ranged the deer at 593 yards and took it with a single shot so I'm getting a little more serious.
I have replaced some of my most used dies to Redding bushing dies(a lesson I learned about here on this forum)and practice when my health allows me so if I speak like a newby it's because I am.
I am just learning things you folks knew many years ago and I appreciate your patience.
Thanks
Old Rooster
 
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