Canting What do you think?

[mo]

Here the deal is!!! I have two Night Force scopes. I bought a Badger Ordnance level that connects to picitanny mount I also have B square that's a lot cheaper and I like it better than the Badger.
I conected both to my scope mount to double check, and both show that gun was level. I then put a level on top of turret and leveled scope to gun. All level bubbles are exact! Well here's the crap is that will just drive you nuts! It's not level! The cross hairs are canted on both rifles!!!
So do you think reticles can be put in canted from the factory? Why don't scope makers and ring makers put indexing marks on scope and rings? That would take all the guess work out of installing a scope. Maybe it's because the reticles are put in un-level!
By the way, I leveled a target with a laser level and got back 200 yds. leveled the rifle with the picitanny level, and then leveled scope to target.

 

[jmason]

I suppose anythings possible, but did you try a long paper at 100 yards with a plumb line on it, with a dot at the bottom and using your bubble level(ignore the line on the paper), then dial up 25 or 30 MOA and shoot to see if you hit the line or off to the side?

 

[HUAINAMACHERO]

+ 1 with what jmason suggested
After having the scope installed, probably the best way to check how level is the scope is to shoot it at any given distance (100 yards) and then dial up 20 or 30 moa, and see if your shots are in a straight line in the target, if your scope is leveled, the shots should be in a straight line, if the line is angled you can turn your scope little by little to correct the canting.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I have zero confidence in using a bubble level balanced on a turret cover to determine anything.

How about this:

Attach a tall piece of white paper to your target backet at 100yds-200yds. Then use a 3'-4' level to draw a thick black plumb line on the white paper. Using your two picitanny mount levels to ensure that the rifle is level, just look through the scope and rotate it until the vertical crosshair is parallel to the thick black line.

A rifle vise of some kind would be handy but isn't necessary.

The test mentioned above is a good way to check everything out.

 

[mo]

I would think that leveling a line on target with a laser level would be the same principle as a plumb bob.

 

[mo]

VH that's basically what I I did with the laser level.

 

[mo]

jmason no I have not shot to see if it tracks straight up and down. I need to though.

 

[jrob300]

I have heard that there were a few Nightforce scopes that had reticle cant problems. You may not be crazy.

 

[woods]

I use the EXD device

BROWNELLS : EXD ENGINEERING : EXD ENGINEERING VERTICAL RETICLE INSTRUMENT - World's Largest Supplier of Firearm Accessories, Gun Parts and Gunsmithing Tools

which is very well made

I checked it with a level and it was dead on

you set your rifle up in a vise and put the EXD on the scope and barrel and when it is level it means your rifle is uncanted and your barrel and scope are in alignment

While your rifle and scope are aligned and uncanted you need to level your reticle by rotating the scope. I aim it out the door to a 4' level on a fence 30 yds out. When the EXD reads level and your reticle is level with the distant horizontal or vertical object, you now have to carefully lock the rings down. It is much harder to do then you think, carefully tighten the screws from side to side, alternating as you go.

After your EXD is level and your reticle is level then you need to be able to duplicate that at the bench or in the field. So take this opportunity to install a ScopLevel

Scoplevel Anti Cant Leveling Device

that folds down when not in use

Before I started doing it this way I tried the shoulder-it/rotate - shoulder-it/rotate and would get to the range and bench it and get frustrated cause the reticle was off. Then I tried the level-level-level

and found it frustrating and inaccurate (YMMV) cause finding a stable level area on your rifle is chancy at best, turrets on scopes are totally unreliable and the rinky dink bubbles a turn off.

But that's just me.

 

[mo]

Woods good post! Thanks for taking the time to respond....

 

[Mikecr]

Awesome post Woods.

 

[Topshot]

Mate,

Read the manual!
Night force says to level the reticle using the flat surface under the scope turret, not on top of the turret which may not be level to the reticle.

Do not use the top of the turret.

 

[joseph]

I have a neighbor that lives 200 yards from my house. We put a level on the corner of his house which is perfect. From my deck I can level my rifle and adjust the vertical cross hair to the edge of his house. I do not know how to get it any better than that.

joseph

 

[eaglesnester]

The problem you describe is one that I have also. When I throw my rifle up and look through the scope my cross hairs are canted. I have a level mounted on the scope as well and I level my scope using the bubble. When I do this my cross hairs are still canted. I ignore it I know the scope is dead level, it has to be. The cross hairs are canted because of the way the rifle is held and your eye and body position to the cross hairs. All 4 of my rifles that have scopes on them appear to my eye to be canted when I hold them.
Nothing wrong with your scopes and nothing wrong with your mounting procedures. It would seem that you are careful when you mount a scope. many folks do not stop and use a level at all.