What do you use to level the reticle?

[bachekermooni]

EXD ENGINEERING - VERTICAL RETICLE INSTRUMENT

 

[fiftybmg]

Please expound. How do you make sure the gun itself is level?

You dont care if the rifle is level, you care that the reticle is perpendicular to the bore. Levelling the rifle or levelling the scope does not ensure scope alignment to bore. Both have to be aligned relative to each other.

 

[OFFISHN]

The way to level the rifle is with a piece of bar stock sitting on the action rails. Now level the action horizontally. When this is level I apply my wheelers barrel level to match the action level. All of this is done while the rifle is in a gun vise to keep it stable. Now you can remove the action bar stock and level and rely on the barrel level to keep the rifle plump. Now I hang a plumb bob on the wall about 10' away. I then shine a flash light (needs to be really bright light and turning off the room light also helps) thru the objective end (opposite of normal viewing) casting a image on the wall next to the plumb bob. Check your barrel level from time to time and adjust your reticule to the line. You can adjust your eye relief and focus to sharpen the cast image on the wall.

 

[misterc01]

I level the rifle action so it is level horizontally - thanks Wheeler. Then I mount the scope and check against action - again thanks wheeler. Then, being SURE the action is level, I align the horizontal line in the reticle with the vinyl siding on my neighbor's garage wall, which I previously ensured was level. To check it all, I use a Stanly laser level that has both horizontal and vertical display on the siding, and verify the reticle crosshairs. Lastly, Then I mount a level on the scope body. So far, so good.

 

[LDHunter]

I've used every gadget I've ever come across to level a scope and other's scopes and quite simply after checking with a plumb bob after have found that none of them are as good as just using a plumb bob in the first place. Everyone starts with "first level the rifle".... LOL... If someone has figured out how to perfectly do that then I hope they tell me. Possibly on a perfect custom action you could do it but I would still check with a plumb bob which is a PITA but the only method I totally trust.

I have a 2' orange plastic carpenter's level I hang from a 25yd target in a perfectly vertical attitude as a replacement for a plumb bob and get it perfectly centered in the bore and with the vertical crosshair and ever so carefully start tightening my ring screws which in itself is tough to do while not not turning the scope.

I really like the flashlight idea and after getting one perfect with my method will check to see if the flashlight method agrees.

 

[25WSM]

I can't find his the exd tool works. I looked on utube and it shows a delrin plastic piece. Anybody have a link to how it works. Thanks
Shep

 

[bachekermooni]

I can't find his the exd tool works. I looked on utube and it shows a delrin plastic piece. Anybody have a link to how it works. Thanks
Shep

Brownells. I tried to post a link. See prev page.

 

[RiverSink]

How do know that gun is level - plumb when you use this method? If gun is canted even a small amount you could be off with windage by quite a lot at distance it seems like to me.

With a rail mounted level.

 

[25WSM]

I see the tool but not how it works.
Shep

 

[AI338LM]

I use a tool similar to the triangular device provided with the Spuhr one piece mounts. The Arisaka Defense Scope Leveler Combo sold by Midway or similar.

 

[Tbone]

Level the action with Caldwell level, install scope, ,point rifle at leveled Redfield target mounted on wall, turn scope to level x-hairs, WALA!

 

[J3n]

I use a tool similar to the triangular device provided with the Spuhr one piece mounts. The Arisaka Defense Scope Leveler Combo sold by Midway or similar.

I've used this too but last weekend was mounting a hunting scope and in getting it as low as possible I found there wasn't any space to use the Arisaka tool as it couldn't fit between rail and bottom of scope. First time I've run in to that.

 

[25WSM]

I've seen way too many scopes that didn't have the verticle crosshair perfect. If you use the arisaka tool on one of these it will still be crooked. I'm liking the flashlight method more after watching it done on a utube video.
Shep

 

[freddiej]

There are many little trick devices. I have never used them, I have friends that use them. I have access to them anytime I would like but I still use a confirmed vertical edge of a building across from my shop, a confirmed long range level on the rifle and line up the vertical post of the scope with the edge of the building's singular window. If parallel then the scope is level.