What do you use to level the reticle?

[Rhovee]

It doesn't matter. If action is level. So is the stock where your cheek will rest. Level action. Then level reticle to plum line, laser level, horizontal line on target 100 yards away that's level. Your rifle doesn't know if it's shot upside down or sideways. Round bore. Round bullet. When you dial your scope. It needs to be level. So it goes in a vertical line.

Correct, the level tools work of the action, so how do you know the action is true to the bore line?

 

[Blackdirt Cowboy]

Everyone certainly has their own method that works for them. Here is mine. It is uncomfortable for me to hold a rifle against my shoulder perfectly level. It just doesn't fit in my shoulder pocket right, so when I shoot, my rifle is slightly canted. So I set up my rifle in a vise with that cant. Then I level the reticle to a plumb line. Then I attach a bubble level and make sure it is indicating level while the reticle is level to the plumb line. Now, when I put the rifle to my shoulder at that same canted angle that's comfortable to me, I know the reticle is level in relation to the world.

 

[Barrelnut]

This tool aligns the scope reticle vertically over the bore so you don't have POI drift shift down range.
With the tool installed align the reticle over the bore by tilting the rifle slightly left or right. the align the reticle to a plum bob. Works really well.
https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-...ers/vertical-reticle-instrument-prod6097.aspx

 

[Rick Richard]

As mentioned, I level the action and then use a plumb line to set the reticle.

 

[dfanonymous]

It's assumed that the receiver and the barrel is squared enough. A trued action is more precise, this is usually one of many difference between a well built attention to detail action vs a mass produced.
I know some people don't think the bullet rises when it leaves the barrel, and some people might, both are technically true. A barrel/action generally has about 2 degree of upward travel built in. This allows the bullet to move slightly upward to give some freedom of movement since gravity acts upon it immediately after leaving. I'm not going to get into yaw as it has no bearing on this. I want to state this has little to no general effect, but though it was worth mentioning to give context to this next bit. Because the scope sits above the the bore also adds a upward travel of the barrel hence, for any of you that that's done a battle zero, you get a 50/200m zero or 25/300 if you're in the corps.

So the reticle....
If you have a (#) degree cant to the left you will have a shot that is left...AND low as well. It does effect drop to that end.

 

[Old Rooster]

I really like Barrelnut's tool.
I am going to get one of those.
Here is a video of using the tool I bought from amazon.There are others that show how fool proof (I'm serious) this tool is but I'll just list one:

Old Rooster

 

[KyCarl]

That guy is really rough Did you see the marks he was making on that scope?
I'll do my own.

 

[sturner]

Tag

 

[Rich Coyle]

I use the side of the pump house.

 

[sturner]

I got the defensive edge levels

 

[sp6x6]

Spurh one piece mounts have a built in level on them and they supply tool like that with mount, and on my rifle its on a custom Defiance action.Checked with plumb /level method and it was on.

 

[RSRW]

The guys at Vortex told me to use a plumb bob line. It works great. Just align your vertical axis with the line and your horizontal will be in line. Make sure you tighten the screws on the rings properly or you will throw it off when they are tightened.

 

[Opa-lopa]

The level on your smart phone is good to about 0.3 deg, probably better than you can eyeball with a bubble level..

 

[robpiat]

The arisaka tool is the original. There are a lot of knockoffs out there, but it's such a high value tool I didn't mind paying a few bucks more. You won't regret it.