anyone using this?
- Thread starter markT
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I use a variation of it, works well to get close then plumb bob a line in front of scope to get as close as possible to a correct level. Works very well in a pimch like in the field and scope is bumped out of level.
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It's quick and works great so long as everything about the gun and the scope and the mounts are perfect. Frequently better than simply eyeballing it but subject to a variety of errors that can be frustrating if you trust it implicitly.
It takes a little time the first time you do it but there is a mirror method that avoids those shortcomings:
www.airgunnation.com
It takes a little time the first time you do it but there is a mirror method that avoids those shortcomings:
Best way to level a scope
I’m planning on receiving a scope that I had ordered tomorrow and I like to have everything as close to perfection as possible, what is your guys best way to level a scope
www.airgunnation.com Upvote 0
Works great for getting a near level starting point. "Nervoustrig" is right about not trusting ONLY that device.
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It's difficult to put 100% trust into any inexpensive tool.
BUT, the accuracy is easily verified.
Place your tool and check the angle. Now turn the tool 180°, and put it back in the SAME location as it was during the first measurement. Now check the value.
If it's the same...good tool accuracy, good part level.
If the value is different, divide the difference by 2 and you have your angle. BUT you also now know that your tool...isn't so good !
Mike
BUT, the accuracy is easily verified.
Place your tool and check the angle. Now turn the tool 180°, and put it back in the SAME location as it was during the first measurement. Now check the value.
If it's the same...good tool accuracy, good part level.
If the value is different, divide the difference by 2 and you have your angle. BUT you also now know that your tool...isn't so good !
Mike
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The main problem with these type of devices is that they assume that the top of the gun and the bottom of the scope are truly at the correct angles to begin with in relation to the reticle.
If those assumptions are true, then they work. However, as nervoustrig pointed out, there are methods that are more precise and work well, but require a little bit more work.
However, once you do it (mirror method or other) you will know your scope is correct where, because of the assumptions needed with these tools, you will always wonder if that last miss was YOU or the scope being off because it wasn't set right in the first place.
Oh well... having said all that, I have long had one of these tools on my list to buy. Just never remember to add it when I do make purchases online. (chuckle)
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That is good for verifying the squareness of a tool or the accuracy of a spirit level. However in the context of mounting a scope, square and level features cannot be trusted to align the things that matter which are the reticle and the bore.
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im this close to making a youtube vid telling everyone they are trying to level their scopes WRONG!!! lol
all the gadgets and levels in the world cant do what the mirror method does.
and you already have all the items in your posession probably
1. a gun rest of some type.
2. a mirror.
3. a bright colored string with a weight attached.
4. a scope tube mounted level.
all the gadgets and levels in the world cant do what the mirror method does.
and you already have all the items in your posession probably
1. a gun rest of some type.
2. a mirror.
3. a bright colored string with a weight attached.
4. a scope tube mounted level.
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Go ahead and make the video. There are others, but it never hurts to have one more and YOUR video may actually explain it better than the others.
As soon as you have it up for viewing let me know! (smile)
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That's true, a regular level accomplishes the same thing as a wedge jig. They each allow for squaring the scope body to the gun's action, which is a relationship that might accidentally align the reticle with the bore.Yeah, I think that's cool, but a regular level is fine.
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That is a pretty cool tool. I think I would like using it to speed up the process. I currently use feeler gauges or a stack of business cards to achieve the a rough leveling. But, I would still check it with a plumb line and a bubble level like I do when using feeler gauges, before calling it good.
Reading this post reminded me of something that I noticed long ago when it comes to me and properly leveled scopes on my guns. Decades ago, I used to think I was pretty darned good at aligning a scope on a rifle just by eyeballing it, but once I started using a plumb line and a level, I learned that I was not. What I also learned besides the fact that I could rarely get a reticle plumb visually without some tools, was that on every gun I picked up and brought it quickly to my shoulder, that had the reticle aligned as precisely as I could using the level and plumb line, it ALWAYS looked like it was tipped to the side. I think it looked like it was slightly tipped to the right, but can't recall for sure, other than it was always appeared to be tipped in the same direction.
I learned an easy way to use a plumb line at the shooting range, from a friend of mine who, is almost 80 years old now, and often amazes me at his shooting abilities. He would draw a fairly long vertical line with a Sharpie marker on his bore sighting target using a 3 foot carpenters level. He also used the level when tacking his targets to the backer board.
Reading this post reminded me of something that I noticed long ago when it comes to me and properly leveled scopes on my guns. Decades ago, I used to think I was pretty darned good at aligning a scope on a rifle just by eyeballing it, but once I started using a plumb line and a level, I learned that I was not. What I also learned besides the fact that I could rarely get a reticle plumb visually without some tools, was that on every gun I picked up and brought it quickly to my shoulder, that had the reticle aligned as precisely as I could using the level and plumb line, it ALWAYS looked like it was tipped to the side. I think it looked like it was slightly tipped to the right, but can't recall for sure, other than it was always appeared to be tipped in the same direction.
I learned an easy way to use a plumb line at the shooting range, from a friend of mine who, is almost 80 years old now, and often amazes me at his shooting abilities. He would draw a fairly long vertical line with a Sharpie marker on his bore sighting target using a 3 foot carpenters level. He also used the level when tacking his targets to the backer board.
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just sayin,and yell at me if you wish.
scope leveling kits that level the scope to the gun are snake oil IMO,
but i know alot of people are very set in their ways,
and you cant show them a better way,
since "they have been doing it this way for xx amount of years"
BUT
plumb lines are only for making sure your crosshairs are perfectly vertical so you can then in turn adjust your scope mounted level to read level.
but that is only part of the process of setting up a scope,
it ensures that your scope level is set properly to your crosshairs.
to be certain that your vertical crosshair bisects the bore of the gun takes more than levels.
which is why those in the know use a mirror to be absolutely certain that the vertical crosshair runs though the center of the bore,
to alleviate drifting left or right as range increases.
leveling a scope body to the gun using just levels,like trig said (and he knows whats up) may "accidentally" end up aligning the crosshairs to the bore,if all the planets are aligned just so.
thats it,im starting my video today lol
scope leveling kits that level the scope to the gun are snake oil IMO,
but i know alot of people are very set in their ways,
and you cant show them a better way,
since "they have been doing it this way for xx amount of years"
BUT
plumb lines are only for making sure your crosshairs are perfectly vertical so you can then in turn adjust your scope mounted level to read level.
but that is only part of the process of setting up a scope,
it ensures that your scope level is set properly to your crosshairs.
to be certain that your vertical crosshair bisects the bore of the gun takes more than levels.
which is why those in the know use a mirror to be absolutely certain that the vertical crosshair runs though the center of the bore,
to alleviate drifting left or right as range increases.
leveling a scope body to the gun using just levels,like trig said (and he knows whats up) may "accidentally" end up aligning the crosshairs to the bore,if all the planets are aligned just so.
thats it,im starting my video today lol
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It's stuff like that that makes me thankful I'm rarely concerned about anything beyond 100 yards.
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You know the worst part? I have zero need to do this, but will, after reading this, almost certainly feel a strong need to do this to my scoped guns...
The side of me that is nearly neurotic about having stuff 'right' is downright giddy to have more crap that needs done.
So, how the heck do you manage the left/right offset?
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I had to check that I was in the right forum - I've used something like this for checking the pitch(angle) on roofs for years.
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Regarding shooting inside of 100 yards, cant error is still pretty significant when shooting pellets. It is proportional to the projectile's drop...for those who came up shooting centerfire rifles, cant error at 100 yards is insignificant because the bullet drop is so small. For example a .30-06 drops about 2.5 inches at 100 yards. By contrast, a 18gr JSB pellet shot at 30fpe has dropped over 30 inches.It's stuff like that that makes me thankful I'm rarely concerned about anything beyond 100 yards.
With a modest cant angle of 2 degrees, the horizontal POI error is [drop * sinØ] = 30 * sin(2) = 1 inch.
Of course with pellets being so susceptible to being pushed around the wind, that 1 inch error would be easy to dismiss as a breeze, but the breeze is just another factor conspiring to create a miss. I can't control the wind but I can make sure my scope is mounted correctly and that i"m holding the gun level.
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ive cut and pasted this a bazillion times it seems,
but what the hell lol
best method ive found for properly mounting a scope is the mirror method,
it perfectly aligns the crosshairs with the bore.
now im not talking about using a mirror to optically center a scopes turrets in their adjustments,
this is just to align your scope to the bore,
to eliminate shots drifting to one side as you go further out (considering windless conditions)
get a mirror,
set it up at half the distance of the closest parallax adjustment on your scope.
look through the scope at your reflection in the mirror (a steady gun rest helps)
loosen your ring screws and rotate the scope till the vertical crosshair intersects the center of the bore and the center of the scope objective at the same time.
tighten your rings in small amounts and keep checking that the scope didnt come out of alignment
"bam" your crosshairs are now aligned with the bore
THEN.... you can use a plumb line to level the crosshairs for setting your scope level.
(bright colored cord with a weight on the end hanging from a branch works for me)
(again a steady gun rest helps greatly)
adjust the gun till the crosshairs follow the plumb line,
then adjust your scope mounted level to read level and lock it down.
thats all there is to it,works every time,
and no pricey extra tools needed.
nobody has to try it if they dont want to,
but if you try it,
i can pretty much guarantee youll never setup a scope any other way ever again
carry on lol
but what the hell lol
best method ive found for properly mounting a scope is the mirror method,
it perfectly aligns the crosshairs with the bore.
now im not talking about using a mirror to optically center a scopes turrets in their adjustments,
this is just to align your scope to the bore,
to eliminate shots drifting to one side as you go further out (considering windless conditions)
get a mirror,
set it up at half the distance of the closest parallax adjustment on your scope.
look through the scope at your reflection in the mirror (a steady gun rest helps)
loosen your ring screws and rotate the scope till the vertical crosshair intersects the center of the bore and the center of the scope objective at the same time.
tighten your rings in small amounts and keep checking that the scope didnt come out of alignment
"bam" your crosshairs are now aligned with the bore
THEN.... you can use a plumb line to level the crosshairs for setting your scope level.
(bright colored cord with a weight on the end hanging from a branch works for me)
(again a steady gun rest helps greatly)
adjust the gun till the crosshairs follow the plumb line,
then adjust your scope mounted level to read level and lock it down.
thats all there is to it,works every time,
and no pricey extra tools needed.
nobody has to try it if they dont want to,
but if you try it,
i can pretty much guarantee youll never setup a scope any other way ever again
carry on lol
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