Bubble level?

[RWE]

Anyone have any idea how these bubble levels work in the cold? Sometimes I'm hunting in -10 when I'm after coyotes. Just curious if they freeze up.

No idea but I sure as heck freeze up -10!

 

[FirstBubba]

Anyone have any idea how these bubble levels work in the cold? Sometimes I'm hunting in -10 when I'm after coyotes. Just curious if they freeze up.

IIRC, any kind of "bubble level" is also called a "spirit level".
That's because the liquid inside is alcohol!
My dad called his level a "whiskey stick"!
They use alcohol because the viscosity is extremely low and it reacts quickly to the slightest movement!
IF you're outside and your level freezes up, you should probably go INSIDE!

 

[highfinblue]

IIRC, any kind of "bubble level" is also called a "spirit level".
That's because the liquid inside is alcohol!
My dad called his level a "whiskey stick"!
They use alcohol because the viscosity is extremely low and it reacts quickly to the slightest movement!
IF you're outside and your level freezes up, you should probably go INSIDE!

I'd like to go to Saskatchewan one time to hunt big bucks, but then there's that cold thing; -30 seems extreme to me. I've heard it's all about the right clothes, but I don't think they make the right clothes for me unless someone has a wood burning stove inserted into the coveralls.

 

[nube2.0]

Anyone have any idea how these bubble levels work in the cold? Sometimes I'm hunting in -10 when I'm after coyotes. Just curious if they freeze up.

Ive never had one freeze in minus 30

 

[aschler]

To a degree yes' we have adjustment legs on our rest to get close but again it has not been the most important aspect IME.
This is just my perspective but a scope erector moves up down left or right.
Center is still center, unless I'm holding a great deal of windage the elevation is well within reason.
Again some of the fellas have addition levels but most of the top shooters in the nation that shoot with us do not ( at least that I've noticed ) and we hold a great many of the records set at long range so there must be a connection.
We discuss things like powder charge or seating depth, bullet pointing and tipping or how the environmental conditions are affecting the loads but I can't recall ever discussing how if I only had a scope level my results would have been better.
Again, I do not fault any one for there choices or dispute another man's finding after he tests for himself, hopefully I haven't…I just stated my observation from a decade of 1000 yard shooting and probably should have just kept my mouth shut..
I will add just to be open minded that I have not spent equal time in the field long range hunting, moving forward I may or may not find value in a scope mounted bubble level. If I do I would certainly report with those results.

B

I'm not suprised it isn't something you discuss because it seems like you would need to work pretty hard to induce much cant in the rifle if the whole system is properly setup in the beginning.

 

[FirstBubba]

I'd like to go to Saskatchewan one time to hunt big bucks, but then there's that cold thing; -30 seems extreme to me. I've heard it's all about the right clothes, but I don't think they make the right clothes for me unless someone has a wood burning stove inserted into the coveralls.

I've worked in -30°F temps.
Working in -30°F temps is like working in 110°F temps!
YOU GOTTA KEEP YOUR WITS ABOUT YOU!!!!
Dead still (no wind), -30°F weather CAN be deadly! You can't become lethargic (hyypothermic) and not even realize it!!

 

[Teri Anne]

I use levels on the tube; I tried on cheap rail mounted one but on flat surface, the bubble wasn't level. Rail mounts would work but obviously you need to ensure your reticle vertical is plumb when the bubble is level.

I use an MDT rail level when I am setting up my scopes. When the rail is level, I rotate the scope to ensure I am bracketing a 20 story building - vertical wire aligns with the side of the building, and the horizontal is aligned with the roof. I double check with a level on the turret - all three have to be alignment. Once the ring screws are tight, I remove the MDT. Since there are not tall buildings within 100 miles of my CO place, I only do this in PHX and only in the early morning before mirage makes it impossible. I have a pole in concrete in CO that is perfectly plumb, but I find the building solution to be much better.

Like you said, once you have a bubble on a scope, you can move it to another rifle without a problem, assuming the rail slots are perfectly flat. Easy to check that with the MDT.

It's a good thing that you don't live in France. Your theory might not work on the Leaning Tower, and for the most part very few buildings are level. They may have started out that way, but settling took any chance of it remaining level away, probably before the 5th story was raised.

Gravity makes a plumb bob hanging from a bright colored string hanging from just about anything perfectly vertical. Take your rifle, put it in a gun vice, level it then align it with the hanging string. Run your elevation up and down, any variation, even ever so slightly, off the string shows that the scope is not tracking vertically. If you are sure that the scope is mounted perfectly level to the rifle, then there might be a scope issue, but more than likely it's simply not quite square. Might not matter much at short range, but the further you are away from your target the more there is a chance of a miss, even if you did everything right.