Getting scope level

[phillips321]

Hi guys,

How do I 100% make sure my scope it level above the bore of my rifle? If I tighten the scope in my rings with slight cant then when I dial I'll be adding windage 1 way or the other I assume?

First off I know I can hang a plum line at distance and then torque the scope tight once parralel to the down range plum, but how do I also make sure the rifle is level at the same time?

Thanks in advance from a newbie in long range dialing 

[lapua]

[phillips321]

Any chance of a few more photos as it's not clear what's going on here.

[ejg223]

Just you wouldn't need any of that with a Spuhr mount.

My guess. Green spirit level shows the rifle is plumb,   scope presumably not tight in the mounts yet. Scope crosshair straightened to the window frame in the background then front spirit level tightened plumb or checked with the edge on window frame. After that front spirit level should stay plumb when the scope get's tightened down in the mounts.?

edi

[lapua]

https://www.brownells.co.uk/VERTICAL-RETICLE-INSTRUMENT-EXD-ENGINEERING-289100000

[lapua]

Thats it.

levelling device aligns scope and bore, rotate reticle to window or swing rope outside. Vortex level is then levelled. Everything is then true.

i also have a sphur mount and pm2 on another rifle which is levelled with the tool supplied, and can be verified with the levelling device

[One on top of two]

I use ....

 

 

 

[No i deer]

Getting the scope level is easy.

Getting the rifle level/plumb is the harder bit depending on the action/stock.

[Popsbengo]

Slightly off topic:  I recently did a "survey" of shooters during a meeting to see how many canted their rifles.  Very scientific - I stood behind and looked 😀.  Quite surprisingly there were more than a few with noticeably severe cants and one or two seemed to have variable canting (and their results showed it!).  These were not novices but "experienced" shots.  Experience does not equal skill !

I certainly need a bubble to ensure my natural hold doesn't cant over  - I'd recommend them to anyone shooting long distances.  I can't have my rifle 'waiving about' outside at home so I set my Sphur mount level off the rifle (I use a tripod and lash up jig). Fit the scope up in the mount and check it tracks vertically against a handy Vodafone comms pole.  Torque everything up and recheck.  Then fit to the rifle so the barrel axis is sitting plum below the scope axis.  Any out of true with the rail is so small as to be negligible in my experience.

[Re-Pete]

Can't you see if it's canted when on aim?.......I certainly can, although I do get into spirit levels when fitting the scope to the rifle.

Pete

[Triffid]

There is a simple way of aligning scopes with no equipment other than the rifle . . .

Firstly make sure its unloaded, for reasons which will become obvious later.

Fit the scope in its rings with the eye-relief correct. Tighten the rings so they gently grip the scope, but still allow you to rotate it.

With the rifle-muzzle pointing straight upwards and the rifle butt on the floor, align the middle of the toe and heel of the rifle butt along a line on the floor -  a floorboard join or a straight line drawn on a piece of paper.

Look down the scope the 'wrong' way so you're looking at the floor. You should be able to see the reticle superimposed on the flood-board join.

Rotate the scope until they are parallel and tighten up.

This takes a few seconds to do and aligns the scope with the stock of the rifle (which you hold!) rather than its action.

 

Triffid

[Popsbengo]

8 minutes ago, Triffid said:

There is a simple way of aligning scopes with no equipment other than the rifle . . .

Firstly make sure its unloaded, for reasons which will become obvious later.

Fit the scope in its rings with the eye-relief correct. Tighten the rings so they gently grip the scope, but still allow you to rotate it.

With the rifle-muzzle pointing straight upwards and the rifle butt on the floor, align the middle of the toe and heel of the rifle butt along a line on the floor -  a floorboard join or a straight line drawn on a piece of paper.

Look down the scope the 'wrong' way so you're looking at the floor. You should be able to see the reticle superimposed on the flood-board join.

Rotate the scope until they are parallel and tighten up.

This takes a few seconds to do and aligns the scope with the stock of the rifle (which you hold!) rather than its action.

 

Triffid

One way to get a starting position but not so sure how accurate that would be when tracking out to maximum on elevation. That is what counts - the elevation tracks plum vertical with no side component.

[No i deer]

I set my scopes up on my dining room table which looks out to neighbours house which has white UVPC double glazing and a is brick built,plenty of verticle and horizontal reference points, also they have a white outside light I boresight on 😁,with bolt out I can hold my head and eye down so the verticle line goes plumb down through the centre of bore axis..

I double check with levels,I've boresighted within 4 inches several times