Jeffrey Van Zandt
Well-Known Member
do not know about it being the first one Short action has the same tool for many years now and not made in china
What do you use to level the reticle?
- Thread starter Old Rooster
- Start date
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Had an old Rec guy told me to plumb your target with a plumb bob. Then, one shot max up elevation and one shot max lower...you should have a straight vertical line on target when done, if not your scope is not plumbed to your rifle.
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I just level with a 4' level off the mounted rings with the tops off. Of course this only works with rings that have symmetrical halves.
milo-2
Well-Known Member
Wheeler makes a bolt raceway level, I do not believe it is a one size fits all though. For me sometimes it is a drop in fit, other times I scratch my head. If you run a rail of some sort for a base, theoretically it should be square(doesn't make sense) or fit to the action and it can be used, just lock the rifle down and try not jolt it while mounting the scope, then lever reticle.
When you shoot, is or are your rifles level? I try to shoot just one stock, Manners T4A, I like the rifle canted slightly left, makes it harder for me to get it right the first time doing it in my garage.
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Seems like there's allot of devises to level scope to your action but the hardest thing for me is to make sure my action is level. You can level off your rail if it is true with action but say you have a hunting action and don't have a rail. I was over at my Gunsmith's shop the other day and he was mounting a scope and I ask him how was the best way to level the action and he pull out a short flat piece of bar stock that was the same width as a Remington 700 action. He pull bolt out and slid the the flat bar stock into action then set his level on the flat bar stock so he knew his action was perfectly level. From there he said you could do several things. He attaches a wheeler level to barrel and matches it up to his action level. So I had him make me a flat bar stock and it fits all my custom action as well as my Remington 700 actions. It has made scope leveling allot easier for me by getting the action level first.
Plumb Bob here as well...easiest way
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If you always shoot the rifle off of bags and a rest, leveling the action then the scope, works just fine. There are lots of ways to do that, as evidenced by the first 5 pages of posts. For a hunting rifle, I want the scope level when I have the rifle shouldered the way I shoot that rifle 90% of the time. Mount the rifle then use a leveled black marker crosshair or plumb bob line at 10 feet or more to level the scope. Once tight, recheck that the scope is still level with the gun mounted in hunting/shooting position.
I know how to level the rifle. My question was more directed at someone that is just shouldering the rifle and assuming it's square while setting their reticle. Nothing in that case in my opinion would be level at all.
greenejc
Well-Known Member
I use the Wheeler bubble level kit. It works quite well for me. I level the rifle in the work mount and then level the scope to the rifle. I do want the scope leveled to the rifle, because I mount Shepherd scopes on my rifles when I can afford them. The vertical reticle needs to be as close to vertical to the bore as possible for the wind wind adjustment to be zeroed at distance. So far, I've been able to hit within the expected (by me) group horizontally out to around 600 yards, which is as far as my range extends. I don't have access to a range that lets me shoot farther than that at this time. The rounds hit within a 6 inch circle of point of aim on a still day, at that distance. They're also within 3 inches of point of aim above or below point of aim, using the 600 yard aim point. I find that having the scope reticle aligned with the rifle helps me level the rifle better.
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rockwind
Well-Known Member
what a great tool. very similiar to the sphur tool. i have come across turrets that are lower than the flat bottom of the scope and then it doesn't work as well sadly
ntsqd
Well-Known Member
Years ago the shop that I worked in had a simple tool to align scopes. It was an 'L' shaped piece of clear acrylic that had a thin rib molded into the inside face of the short leg. To use it you pulled the bolt out of the action and laid the long leg on the lug raceways. Two fingers pushing down thru the loading port squared it up. Instant vertical reference line that was perpendicular to the raceway surfaces. It was easy to look thru it and twist the scope until the reticle aligned.
I have looked and looked and looked for another one and have concluded that I'll have to make it.
I have the Wheel leveling tool and like with most of the Wheeler stuff that I own I'm not overly impressed. I'd had my eye on the Arisaka tool for those mounted on a rail and have a 12" long rail section mounted to an aluminum plate so that I can do that work off of the rifle, need to make a move there.
I have looked and looked and looked for another one and have concluded that I'll have to make it.
I have the Wheel leveling tool and like with most of the Wheeler stuff that I own I'm not overly impressed. I'd had my eye on the Arisaka tool for those mounted on a rail and have a 12" long rail section mounted to an aluminum plate so that I can do that work off of the rifle, need to make a move there.
