How important is perfect level your scope to your gun?

[ImpactX]

I see people attaching bubble levels and whatnot on there guns and scopes trying to get perfect level. How would you know your gun is even level? Since most guns aren't flat on top how would attaching a level on the barrel you know its even level. So when I install my scope. I hold the gun to where it looks straight and level for my eye. Then I loosen the scope rings and rotate the scope till the cross hair is level. I double check that gun is still level and cross hair is also level using only my eyes. No bubble level or any attachment. Am I doing it right or am I doing it the wrong way. When I go to my crosshair is level, that's all that matter or is there more to it than just having crosshair level during shooting.

 

[coastal drifter]

As for leveling your scope I found a string hanging from a doorway, a tree, the ceiling on your porch with a bolt/nut/weight (plumb bob) will give better accuracy than a level. I also use the vertical line on my reticle as a visual more than the horizontal line.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSW9m8knn7A
if you copy and past the youtube there is an interesting video about (cant)
A barrel is round, it don't know left cant from right cant, its the reticle that's important to level. the man in the video proves it out to 800 yards

 

[Bedrock Bob]

It's important to have your crosshair plumb and in line with the bore. It does make a little difference.

You can level the gun with a bubble level and align the vertical crosshairs with the doorjamb (or any other plumb structual line). That's the way I usually get it done.

You can bend a little pendulum from a brass welding rod and line up with that. Or buy a tool that's basically the same thing. You stick it in the barrel and the weight pulls it plumb. Then line up on the indicator rod sticking above the barrel.

You can use a mirror and align the vertical crosshair with reflection of the bore. It's a process.

The object is to get your vertical crosshair lined up with the bore or at least plumb when the flats of the rifle are level.

 

[Rizz01]

I have levels on all my airguns.
I mount the level and then level the scope to it using a string with a weight on it.
It DOES make a difference. The competition shooters are using levels, Why can't we?

 

[WoodWelder]

Perfect level means little on short range shots of under 150M......

I will now talk a bit about a level, they are extremely accurate if your bubble isn't too small or two large for the reading bar lines from right to left. When you look at the bubble size, if there is too much space between the edge of the bubble to the reading line then you are guessing. Purchase a bubble that has little to no space on either side of the reading marks.

Is the case in which your bubble rests on accurate? Mark perfect level or plumb and record the reading dead center. Now, rotate end for end align your reading mark you made and look to see if the bubble is dead center again?

75% of bubble levels purchased are complete garbage.........As far as those levels sold at the gun shops to level your scope, save your money, most of those are garbage as well.

I have never ever used a level to set a rifle scope......Could be I am gifted?

 

[davecole]

This is what I use. It squares the crosshairs to the bore. Once you're “squared up” install the bubble level of your choice. One that clamps to the scope. Not one that attaches to the rail/action because it may not be level.

EXD ENGINEERING VERTICAL RETICLE INSTRUMENT | Brownells

Check out the EXD ENGINEERING available Online at Brownells Today and many more Scope Mounting Tools products are available in our Optics Department.

www.brownells.com

 

[Bedrock Bob]

Perfect level means little on short range shots of under 150M......

I will now talk a bit about a level, they are extremely accurate if your bubble isn't too small or two large for the reading bar lines from right to left. When you look at the bubble size, if there is too much space between the edge of the bubble to the reading line then you are guessing. Purchase a bubble that has little to no space on either side of the reading marks.

Is the case in which your bubble rests on accurate? Mark perfect level or plumb and record the reading dead center. Now, rotate end for end align your reading mark you made and look to see if the bubble is dead center again?

75% of bubble levels purchased are complete garbage.........As far as those levels sold at the gun shops to level your scope, save your money, most of those are garbage as well.

I have never ever used a level to set a rifle scope......Could be I am gifted?

100% true. Pretty close is close enough unless you are shooting long range.

Any level is garbage. Even the good ones. Unless you can flip them over or turn them around and compare the readings your guessing.

I level my rifle in a rest with a magnetic plumbers level (using both sides). Then align the vertical crosshair on the door jamb. Close enough.

If your crosshair is out of level your windage will walk at range. To a lesser degree your elevation. If you get it close it simply won't be noticeable at airgun ranges. Neither will a little can't when shooting. Of course you should have it as close as you can. But it's not going to make much difference on paper nor hunting.

 

[daddypaddy]

Perfect level means little on short range shots of under 150M......

I will now talk a bit about a level, they are extremely accurate if your bubble isn't too small or two large for the reading bar lines from right to left. When you look at the bubble size, if there is too much space between the edge of the bubble to the reading line then you are guessing. Purchase a bubble that has little to no space on either side of the reading marks.

Is the case in which your bubble rests on accurate? Mark perfect level or plumb and record the reading dead center. Now, rotate end for end align your reading mark you made and look to see if the bubble is dead center again?

75% of bubble levels purchased are complete garbage.........As far as those levels sold at the gun shops to level your scope, save your money, most of those are garbage as well.

I have never ever used a level to set a rifle scope......Could be I am gifted?

yes, you are gifted. some people have eyes that see in two different directions. i am gifted too.

 

[Dr. Kralenstein]

yes, you are gifted. some people have eyes that see in two different directions. i am gifted too.

 

[Dr. Kralenstein]

I've never used levels and I've never had any issues. I also shoot under 50 yards mostly, sometimes I get to shoot out to 75 or so.

I just make sure my cross hairs are perpendicular to the top of the breech and zero my gun. Use dots or Kentucky windage from there.

 

[Trucker3573]

Check out Utah airguns latest video on YouTube.

 

[WoodWelder]

 

[daddypaddy]

I've never used levels and I've never had any issues. I also shoot under 50 yards mostly, sometimes I get to shoot out to 75 or so.

I just make sure my cross hairs are perpendicular to the top of the breech and zero my gun. Use dots or Kentucky windage from there.

same here. i’m using a circle dot.. center dot zero at 50yrds, top of the circle is 20-25yrds, bottom of the circle is 75-80 yards.
anything over 100yrds “+” style reticle are calibrated using my gifted eyes.

 

[Dr. Kralenstein]

View attachment 508135

I used to be able to do that when I was younger. Now when I try, I crap my pants. It's got me out of jury duty twice though!

 

[nervoustrig]

Cant error is proportional to the projectile's drop, and since pellets drop quickly, cant error comes into play at relatively short distances....much shorter than it does with centerfire rifles, for example.

A 10.3gr JSB pellet will have as much cant error at 100 yards as a 30-06 will have at 400 yards. Though even at shorter distances it can still be meaningful for a discipline like field target. At 50 yards, a 2° cant angle will produce about 0.2" of lateral error for the same pellet. At 100 yards, the error grows to over 1 inch (i.e. a doubling of distance produces over 5x as much error).

 

[daddypaddy]

View attachment 508135

when you’re a right handed shooter but you’re trying to shoot left handed.

 

[jarmstrong]

rephase the question,,,​

How important is perfect alignment your scope to your gun? (scope cant to gun)​

is a better question,, or
how important is your gun being level when shooting? ,,, is another question,, (gun cant to target)

I will link to an alignment thread, SCROLL UP to the photo of starlingassn
looking through a scope at 5 yds to a mirror,,, parallax at 10 yds
just click in the box below to go to the discussion

SCOPE LEVELING WITH FLASHLIGHT

Apparently, you did not read what was posted in this thread about how to accurately mount a scope and level. The device, like many before, makes assumptions that the reticle and the base of the scope are perfectly aligned. No to mention that it is an unnecessary expense to do something that...

www.airgunnation.com

 

[nervoustrig]

I see people attaching bubble levels and whatnot on there guns and scopes trying to get perfect level. How would you know your gun is even level? Since most guns aren't flat on top how would attaching a level on the barrel you know its even level.

There is a very popular misconception that installing a scope must start with leveling the gun. Granted, one can get a pretty decent result most of the time by leveling the gun and then leveling the scope, but there are over a half dozen potential sources of error that can diminish it.

What we really want to do is align the reticle with the bore. Why? Because we want to be able to aim with the reticle and have confidence the projectile's trajectory will rise and fall along the reticle.

The good news it is possible to do with no special tools. All you need is a mirror.

Mounting the scope (i.e. how to eliminate scope cant)

1. Prep the scope by mechanically centering it (puts the reticle in the middle of its adjustment range)
   

   Centering a scope - 3 methods - Airguns & Guns Forum

   Centering a scope - 3 methods, Air guns, Airgun Forum

   www.gatewaytoairguns.org
2. Loosely mount the scope in the rings such that you can still rotate it.
3. Set up a mirror at a distance of, say, 5 yards and set your scope's AO to 10 yards.
4. Look through the scope at your reflection in the mirror. Twist the scope in the mounts until the vertical bar of the reticle simultaneously bisects both the muzzle and objective bell [see footnote 1]. Then lock it down.
   
   -> Scope alignment is complete. You have eliminated scope cant error. Proceed with attaching a level...

Attaching a level to the gun (i.e. how to eliminate gun cant)

1. View a plumb line (string with a weight dangling from it) through the scope.
2. Orient the gun so the vertical bar of the reticle superimposes on the plumb line.
3. Secure your spirit level so it shows level. A scope-mounted level is best so you can adjust the level as needed. A level that attaches to the rail usually has no way to adjust and should therefore be avoided.
   
   -> From now on, hold the gun so the spirit level shows level and you will be eliminating gun cant.

Footnote:
[1] Refer to photo courtesy of @starlingassn here

 

[JaceSpace1369]

I used to just eyeball it, but I got the fix it jack and since then it's what I use to make sure my scope is level to the rail on the gun. Everytime I've double checked it with a level it didnt need adjustments. So I stopped checking the level.

Scope Jack | Fix It Sticks

Use the Fix It Sticks Scope Jack to quickly and easily level your scope to your NATO/Pic rail.

store.fixitsticks.com

 

[Firewalker]

...How would you know your gun is even level? Since most guns aren't flat on top how would attaching a level on the barrel you know its even level. ..

Any gun with a milled receiver will index off of the top, the rail then is attached or milled from the top giving a fantastic reference for a level and scope mount.

Cant does affect shots a lot more than most understand. I attached a guide that is pretty radical but you get the point.

"Are levels important?"

Indeed, they are.