Dunno if it is me, but it is headache to be able to aim at a mirror and see myself through the scope as getting the mirror aligned to beam back is near impossible ?
scope/barrel alignment with mirror
- Thread starter lennyk
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Bro, you'd have to be a robot to hold it still.
You place the front bell flush against the glass with a bright light overhead of mirror. A bathroom make up mirror is best for this.
I check the reticle at lowest power, highest power, and whatever I prefer to shoot on, which is usually 6X if variable. Though irrelavent I know mils are true at 10X or highest power of scope, some at whatever given magnification manufacture states. I always put a yard stick at 100 yards or meters, depending what scope is calibrated for and check the reliability of the mils calibration.
Moving on. You'll find that counting total rotational travel of clicks & halving it will never be the same as optically centering it. One of the important things to consider when centering your mirrored image of reticle is try to place your eye inline with ocular bell same as you would if on action in stock.
You place the front bell flush against the glass with a bright light overhead of mirror. A bathroom make up mirror is best for this.
I check the reticle at lowest power, highest power, and whatever I prefer to shoot on, which is usually 6X if variable. Though irrelavent I know mils are true at 10X or highest power of scope, some at whatever given magnification manufacture states. I always put a yard stick at 100 yards or meters, depending what scope is calibrated for and check the reliability of the mils calibration.
Moving on. You'll find that counting total rotational travel of clicks & halving it will never be the same as optically centering it. One of the important things to consider when centering your mirrored image of reticle is try to place your eye inline with ocular bell same as you would if on action in stock.
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I haven't tried the mirror method for leveling as in my experience, the margin of error when leveling with a plumb line and bubble levels etc is so small I never see any left/right POI error arising from it, whether close or out past 100yds. Any time I have has been human error rather than issues with manufacturing tolerances.
One exception was a scope with the reticle not perfectly level with the turrets etc, but that also seems fairly rare.
I suppose if you're planning on the distances seen in see of these slug videos you might derive a small benefit from the mirror method. Any gun badly enough machined to cause significant problems with leveling probably won't shoot well enough to care anyway
One exception was a scope with the reticle not perfectly level with the turrets etc, but that also seems fairly rare.
I suppose if you're planning on the distances seen in see of these slug videos you might derive a small benefit from the mirror method. Any gun badly enough machined to cause significant problems with leveling probably won't shoot well enough to care anyway
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It’s much easier to do with a gun rest.
Place a white sticker or something similar on the muzzle to make it easier to see in the reflection.
James, FYI he’s asking about aligning the scope to the barrel rather than how to mechanically center the reticle.
Place a white sticker or something similar on the muzzle to make it easier to see in the reflection.
James, FYI he’s asking about aligning the scope to the barrel rather than how to mechanically center the reticle.
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Same here!
For me it's easier to simply "optically center" my scopes using the reflection of the reticle in a mirror, then bend my barrels so the poi is within about 1" of the point of aim at 30 yards ("fine tuning the poi" is done via the turrets).............
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeKUuY0yuCU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN5vu_tKl3o
If the scope dosen't have a flat AO (like my UTG Compact scope) I resort to simply "counting turret clicks "stop to stop" and dividing by zero". It's generally recommended by some to "spin the scope in vees" and align the reticle so it doesn't revolve off the aim point when "scope spinning"..........
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5HCgQ5hIsU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ-pF52t4TQ
I personally find........
1. The "spin the scope" method is too tedious.
2. The "count clicks divide by two" only mechanically centers the erector tube and the mechanical centering might not be the same as the optical centering.
3. As mentioned, I like using the "mirror method", however when I first receive a "new in box" scope I take it immediately to the mirror and check the alignment. If the reticle is already aligned within a couple clicks I don't even consider the other methods and only use the mirror method. If the "new scope reticle" doesn't align with the reflection in the mirror I resort to the tedious "spin scope" method.
For me it's easier to simply "optically center" my scopes using the reflection of the reticle in a mirror, then bend my barrels so the poi is within about 1" of the point of aim at 30 yards ("fine tuning the poi" is done via the turrets).............
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeKUuY0yuCU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN5vu_tKl3o
If the scope dosen't have a flat AO (like my UTG Compact scope) I resort to simply "counting turret clicks "stop to stop" and dividing by zero". It's generally recommended by some to "spin the scope in vees" and align the reticle so it doesn't revolve off the aim point when "scope spinning"..........
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5HCgQ5hIsU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ-pF52t4TQ
I personally find........
1. The "spin the scope" method is too tedious.
2. The "count clicks divide by two" only mechanically centers the erector tube and the mechanical centering might not be the same as the optical centering.
3. As mentioned, I like using the "mirror method", however when I first receive a "new in box" scope I take it immediately to the mirror and check the alignment. If the reticle is already aligned within a couple clicks I don't even consider the other methods and only use the mirror method. If the "new scope reticle" doesn't align with the reflection in the mirror I resort to the tedious "spin scope" method.
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Shifting the topic to scope centering…it’s mostly an academic point but none of the methods we commonly use* are actually optical centering, they are mechanical centering. Optical centering is something that requires sophisticated equipment. I say academic because we have no real control over the alignment of the optics and for our purposes any of these methods work well enough so I don’t find much fault in the interchangeable use of the two terms in casual communications.
FWIW, I used to obsess over getting a scope precisely centered using a V-block and then keeping really close via adjustable mounts, shims, or tweaking the barrel. On the advice of more knowledgeable folks like Scott (scotchmo), I now just try to keep the turrets within one full rotation of centered and even that is arguably overkill.
A key reason I like to start with a centered scope is that it lets me know if something is misaligned that perhaps needs to be dealt with…a barrel band that’s torqueing the barrel, a bent barrel, goofed up rings or dovetail, etc. Also by having centered the scope with either a V-block or in a mirror, I have some confidence that the reticle responds as expected to the turrets (not so with counting clicks).
Here’s a little article I drafted a while back along with some discussion on the topic:
https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=116903
*3 common methods: 1) spin in V-block 2) superimpose reticle’s reflection in a mirror 3) count clicks
FWIW, I used to obsess over getting a scope precisely centered using a V-block and then keeping really close via adjustable mounts, shims, or tweaking the barrel. On the advice of more knowledgeable folks like Scott (scotchmo), I now just try to keep the turrets within one full rotation of centered and even that is arguably overkill.
A key reason I like to start with a centered scope is that it lets me know if something is misaligned that perhaps needs to be dealt with…a barrel band that’s torqueing the barrel, a bent barrel, goofed up rings or dovetail, etc. Also by having centered the scope with either a V-block or in a mirror, I have some confidence that the reticle responds as expected to the turrets (not so with counting clicks).
Here’s a little article I drafted a while back along with some discussion on the topic:
https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=116903
*3 common methods: 1) spin in V-block 2) superimpose reticle’s reflection in a mirror 3) count clicks
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Ok, I was able to use a large full body mirror to check scope crosshairs intersected with barrel bore, spun scope a bit.
i then aligned my scope mounted cant Bubble level with a plumb bob line.
so once my can't bubble level is level the rifle is supposed to be plumb.
is it necessary to do the closeup mirror thing and check that the reticle reflects upon itself?
i don't really think so.
i then aligned my scope mounted cant Bubble level with a plumb bob line.
so once my can't bubble level is level the rifle is supposed to be plumb.
is it necessary to do the closeup mirror thing and check that the reticle reflects upon itself?
i don't really think so.
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So long as the windage turret wasn’t cranked way over to one side or the other, I wouldn’t worry about it.
If unsure, what you can do is zero your rifle and then recheck in the mirror and make sure the reticle still bisects both the muzzle and objective bell. If so, you’re good.
If unsure, what you can do is zero your rifle and then recheck in the mirror and make sure the reticle still bisects both the muzzle and objective bell. If so, you’re good.
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Yep....in the "true sense" the phrase "mirror method" is simply using the scope optics to align the reticle instead of "mechanically centering" the reticle via counting clicks then dividing by two which doesn't use the optics at all. The optics can't be re-arranged except for most scopes allowing focusing, parallax adjustment and moving the erector tube when zeroing............
The problem with "countin' clicks and dividing by two" is the fact that the clicks toward the end of "turret movement range" might not be moving the erector set at all.
I agree that the BEST way of "optically centering" (i.e. using the optical view to adjust) is the "spin the scope", however if I receive a new scope I take it to the mirror and check the reticle reflection alignment against the reticle. If the factory alignment is within a couple clicks of agreeing when using the simple "mirror method", that's how I do all future alignments.
The problem with "countin' clicks and dividing by two" is the fact that the clicks toward the end of "turret movement range" might not be moving the erector set at all.
I agree that the BEST way of "optically centering" (i.e. using the optical view to adjust) is the "spin the scope", however if I receive a new scope I take it to the mirror and check the reticle reflection alignment against the reticle. If the factory alignment is within a couple clicks of agreeing when using the simple "mirror method", that's how I do all future alignments.
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