Reticle not level or square to level housing?

Mnovak73

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Hey guys,
I ran into an issue while mounting a new scope on a rifle yesterday. The scope is a new out of the box Leupold VX6-HD. I'm not bashing Leupold here because I actually like their scopes, but this is a first. I just want to make sure I'm not missing something? I think I have to send this scope back to Leupold to be corrected. I line honed and made sure everything was straight and level, see pics.
 

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Doesn't the Vx6hd have its own leveling system? What does it say?
It doesn't give any information on adjustment. I have another identical VX6HD scope I set on it today and the reticle is level like it should be. I'm going to call Leupold tomorrow but I'm guessing I'll be sending this scope back to Leupold.
 
I guess I'm asking if in the position it's currently in, does it say it's level? If I remember it's a light that turn on if your canted. Off once it's close enough to level
 
I did not mount it because of the issue, but when the housing of the scope was level matching the rifle level the reticle is canted. If you look at the pics I attached to the posting the pic of the reticle is with the rifle and scope showing level. Reticle is obviously not, it's canted.
 
Maybe I'm missing something, but I have the Wheeler bubble set also. I don't trust them to be perfect, especially how you have the one setting on your turret. I'd level the action and then the crosshair using a plumb line. Shoot a Tall Target test and you'll know for sure.
 
Have you activated the battery yet? What Livetohunt said is true. If the scope is as much as one degree canted it is supposed to flash the reticle... Probably can't do that without the battery activated. Looks like the reticle is quite a bit off from the turret, but it would be great to see if the scope internal level detector is activated by the turret or reticle. Hope that makes sense. I never level by the turret, always level the reticle to a plum line. Then do a tall taget test to see if the scope walks the POI when dialed up. If it does, I adjust the reticle until it no longer walks.
Have a VX5 in the mail. Sure hope it doesn't look like that. Interested to hear what Leupold says.
 
Maybe I'm missing something, but I have the Wheeler bubble set also. I don't trust them to be perfect, especially how you have the one setting on your turret. I'd level the action and then the crosshair using a plumb line. Shoot a Tall Target test and you'll know for sure.
I have the action / gun level and if I level the reticle to a plum line the scope housing is way out of level. I'm afraid if I mount it this way level to the plum line and the scope back s physically canted it will not track right when adjusting. ? I uploaded a pic showing level, this is with the reticle level up a plum line. Notice how far off level the housing is.
 

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Have you activated the battery yet? What Livetohunt said is true. If the scope is as much as one degree canted it is supposed to flash the reticle... Probably can't do that without the battery activated. Looks like the reticle is quite a bit off from the turret, but it would be great to see if the scope internal level detector is activated by the turret or reticle. Hope that makes sense. I never level by the turret, always level the reticle to a plum line. Then do a tall taget test to see if the scope walks the POI when dialed up. If it does, I adjust the reticle until it no longer walks.
Have a VX5 in the mail. Sure hope it doesn't look like that. Interested to hear what Leupold says.
I have installed the battery and illuminated the reticle. I however did not do this while the scope was on the rifle. You bring up a good point, I am planning to call Leupold tomorrow and speak to a technical representative. I have another VX6HD and I set it on this rifle and the reticle was perfectly straight when leveled as it should be. I've mounted several optics and I've never had this issue.
 
Have you activated the battery yet? What Livetohunt said is true. If the scope is as much as one degree canted it is supposed to flash the reticle... Probably can't do that without the battery activated. Looks like the reticle is quite a bit off from the turret, but it would be great to see if the scope internal level detector is activated by the turret or reticle. Hope that makes sense. I never level by the turret, always level the reticle to a plum line. Then do a tall taget test to see if the scope walks the POI when dialed up. If it does, I adjust the reticle until it no longer walks.
Have a VX5 in the mail. Sure hope it doesn't look like that. Interested to hear what Leupold says.
Agree.
Always level the reticle with a plumb line not the housing, then the tall target test.

Also lots of bubble level housings are NOT true. If you can set one level then turn it around 180° in the exact same spot, if it reads any different the bubble housing is NFG.
 
Interested in what Leupold has to say and how they handle it.
This used to not be uncommon with Leupold, even their MK-4 scopes. I had been told by them several years ago (less than 8) that they considered 3 degree reticle cant to be acceptable. Also had them tell me there was nothing wrong with a scope I sent them that's turret adjustments were 10% off! That is why I had stopped using them on my personal rifles. They seem to have stepped up there game in the past few years and I really like some of their new offerings. Just bought 2 hunting scopes with the CDS and windplex, hoping for the best.
Good luck, hope things work out for you (sincerely, not being facetious).
 
I have several different tools designed for mounting scopes. My issue has always been leveling the rifle before you get started. If you use different methods you get different results.
It would seem that a verticle line running through the center of the scope AND the center of the barrel would be the most logical way of "leveling a rifle". I bought the devise that should accomplish this. It has a V that sits on the top of the scope, another that rests on the barrel and a built in bubble level.
However, if you level the rifle using this device and then stick a level across the raceways of the action you will see that they don't agree.
If you place another level on the scope base you may (or may not) get it to agree with one of the others.
How do you guys get your rifles "level" before mounting scopes?
BTW - If and when I get the rifle level, I always use a plumb line at 200 yds to remove any reticle can't.
 
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