What do you use to level the reticle?

[PNWdude67]

It doesn't matter. If action is level. So is the stock where your cheek will rest. Level action. Then level reticle to plum line, laser level, horizontal line on target 100 yards away that's level. Your rifle doesn't know if it's shot upside down or sideways. Round bore. Round bullet. When you dial your scope. It needs to be level. So it goes in a vertical line.

 

[freddiej]

wow, some really interesting ways of leveling scopes.. mine is a bit different. first I have a leveling device for the gun, it is a long range shooters level for weaver and P-rail systems, I level the gun which is on a bipod, then sight over across the field from my shop to the one window and frame I know that is true vertical and horizontal (carpenter's level verified this), then I line up the reticle with the window frame.. I have yet to have even a slightly off reticle.

 

[George Dean]

I have bought many different tools and still had a slanted reticle on a couple of scopes.
I have the Level Level tool from Wheeler,the Professional level system also from Wheeler I believe and have used the plum bob system and still have a couple slightly slanted reticles.
I just bought a new tool that fixed all my slightly off reticles and was only 19.95.
So far I have fixed all my slightly off reticles and a couple of friends with the same problem.
Has anyone used this before?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MC71PC4/?tag=lrhmag19-20
I hope all scopes I mount will be as easy as my new mounted Athlon Ares BTR 2.5-15x50.
Let me know if there are better tools out there.
Old Rooster

I purchased that tool and found that in my use it seemed imprecise. I prefer to mount my rifle in a vise, ensuring that its receiver is level, both fore and aft + no yaw, then line up my reticles with a plum-bob hanging at a distance. I have an articulating vise which allows me to do that, along with several bubbles from Wheeler.

I'm rather anal about this process and double check the receiver against the rail, then the reticle against the plum-bob as I tighten the top of the rings. As far as that tool, a flat piece of steel laid between the receiver and the middle of the scope gives you a Mark 1 eyeball reading as close as the tool. And no shipping costs, just fetch one out of a scrap pile.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Actually, that is not true or what causes a shift... it's the reticle not being plumb when breaking the shot. What is important is having a reference level true to the reticle. We have one piece revivers with integral machined rails as bases and do level them first as a starting point before plumbing the optic reticle in the rings. However, that is not what is critical to consistent POI at longer ranges. The important step is once the reticle is plumb, having a reference level mounted to the rifle system somewhere visible that is also plumb. It is not accurate to rely on your senses or what feels comfortable in the field. The barrel bore is round, but not straight, and tho it is nice to imagine your reticle is timed with the 12-6 position in relation to the axis of the bore it is not critical nor practical to reference anyway. We may be very close with the CNC machined flats on our integral receivers, but even then the stacking of tolerances from the receiver to the chamber and the bore, which again is never a perfectly straight tube, makes it a moot point. All that really needs to be done is to align and secure the rifle as close to plumb as possible with bases/rings installed, install your optic and find optimal eye relief, have a plumb line hanging far enough away the parallax can be adjusted crisply, rotate the scope to align with the plumb and torque rings. Finally, while the complete system is fixated with the reticle plumb...align your chosen reference level to be plumb and go shoot stuff at long ranges.

Sorry, dude...I am right on this one. Both the scope and rifle have to match - they aren't on the same plane. There are youtube videos about this with long range shooting - easy to look up and educate youself. Unless you have offset rings for some reason the scope sits directly above the bore. So If you are tilting the rifle a few degress off level because that is comfortable and compensating by tilting the scope so that the scope is level it will have the same effect as canting a leveled rifle and scope one way or the other. The impact is always left or right depending on how you have compensated and usually low - you can still zero the scope at a specific range, but if you dial or use the reticle for hold over, there is a material impact.

 

[Rhovee]

You do realize that you being off 1 degree on your center of bore theory that's 60 MOA right? I have changed numerous battles with same scope on action. Re-zero then away it dials. Barrels aren't straight. Going from proof to steel was 5 moa change in left to right. You realize that's .051". Not sure how you can measure center of bore that precise. But if it makes you sleep better at night then keep doing it. Those videos you are watching probably show a rifle that is canted and the shot. If you can't a rifle that doesn't have a level turret then yes it wouldn't throw shots.

 

[dbyes]

Defensive edge makes a leveling kit that is 59.95

 

[wildcat westerner]

This works for me and I know it is accurate for alignment because I have an 800 yard rifle range and with no wind my impacts are correct, R_L at both 200 and also 800 yards. I use Brian Litzs' tall target ( 4 feet) and precisely align the vertical target line with my Austrian level at 100 yards. I also make absolutely sure my rifle is in its vertical mode on the bench, then align the vertical cross hair perfectly perpendicular, The scope level is then mounted properly and it always takes awhile to tighten it down so it matches the vertical crosshair consistently. Shooting confirms whether its perfect or not.
I assume some reading this think this is a lot of work for relatively little gain. If you do any consistent long range shooting you KNOW that this subtle attention to detail is absolutely necessary. When getting down to shoot prone, its such a confidence builder when glancing at the scope level to align it properly before sighting and squeezing.
Time spent in doing this adds confidence when you go to take a long shot. You concentrate on the distance, the wind and know your rifle is in the correct position so that the reticle placement on the target is correct, not correct, you hope!

 

[Swiftkill]

I think that is what I said. The imaginary line between the center of the bore and center of the crosshair needs to be perpendicularly level with the bubble level. The center of the bolt shroud or firing pin should be centered. Otherwise, it will drive you nuts seeing the crasshair canted relative to the receiver.

 

[Barrelnut]

This image shows importance of the scope reticle pass thru the center of the bore. This what a few of us have been mentioning. If this is off enough, it will cause your POI to walk horizontally as you shoot past the distance that your scope is zeroed.

Here's the article:
https://www.longrangehunting.com/articles/leveling-the-scope-reticle-for-long-range-rifles.667/

 

[GMFWOODCHUCK]

You should level it in accordance to how you use the scope.

If you're using the dial then forget what the reticle looks like. It could be 45 degrees off and it doesn't matter. Up and down is in relation to the dial. Level off the turret.

If you're using the reticle for adjustment then level the reticle to the gun.

The reticle is independent of the turret with relation to it being square or not.

For most of us it matters little as we'll never shoot far enough for it to matter very much. The reticle and turret are gonna be awful close on pretty much any scope much over a handful of pocket change.

 

[Dr. Richard Gray]

I have bought many different tools and still had a slanted reticle on a couple of scopes.
I have the Level Level tool from Wheeler,the Professional level system also from Wheeler I believe and have used the plum bob system and still have a couple slightly slanted reticles.
I just bought a new tool that fixed all my slightly off reticles and was only 19.95.
So far I have fixed all my slightly off reticles and a couple of friends with the same problem.
Has anyone used this before?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MC71PC4/?tag=lrhmag19-20
I hope all scopes I mount will be as easy as my new mounted Athlon Ares BTR 2.5-15x50.
Let me know if there are better tools out there.
Old Rooster

 

[esshup]

If the reticle isn't level with the bore, then when you dial up the bullet won't go up, it will go up and off to one side....

I level the reticle differently depending on what the gun is used for. Short distance under 300 yds? I use a Wheeler tool that levels the bore to a level spot on the receiver, then I level the scope turret to the bore. If the gun is to be used for longer distance, I use the plumb bob at 100 yds with the rifle in a gun vise, then shoot the gun moving the turret max up/down to see if the bullet still strikes along that plumb bob line.

I ran into this problem the last gun I mounted a scope on. Dual Dovetail Leupold 2 piece bases, Leupold dual dovetail rings. Savage Muzzleloader. I leveled the bore to the receiver. Put a level on the rear ring, bottom half. Didn't align with the bore. didn't touch the gun moved the level to the bottom half of the front ring. THAT didn't line up with the bore OR the rear ring, but both rings were in alignment when using the Brownells ring alignment too. I checked both bases to the bottom of the rings and THAT didn't line up either.

Since I wouldn't be shooting past 400 yds I said screw it, double checked that the rings were aligned with a hone and mounted the scope using the plumb bob method.

 

[Dr. Richard Gray]

For years I have used a 4 ft aluminum framing level set up on an old music stand and line up the horizontal with either the top or bottom of the level. It hasn't failed me in over 30 years. One reason you may be getting them slightly off is that your rifle may not be level in your vice or sled. Everything must be level prior to starting or your just spinning your wheels.

 

[James L Holzhauer]

one of the problems I have had is that when aligned, you can get can't in the scope if you don't tighten the screws on the mount very symmetrically. It can be very frustrating.