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Long Range Hunting & Shooting
Is a scope level needed?
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<blockquote data-quote="Pdvdh" data-source="post: 1013421" data-attributes="member: 4191"><p>600yds is barely far enough to make or break your shot placement on large game animals without a scope level. For prairie dogs, or testing your equipment and ability to shoot bughole groups on targets at extended ranges, it seems foolhardy to not ensure that rifle cant is minimized, using something better than "it looks about right to me". 500yds is about where I start to get concerned about rifle cant POI error on large game sized targets. You can get away with some rifle cant at that yardage. I believe I'll still experience better accuracy using my scope level, but in the boiler room is in the boiler room. Having said that, there's no reason not to be shooting my best, when the hunting situation allows time to dot all the i's and cross all the tees.</p><p></p><p>Like others have experienced and expressed, plumb and mount a scope level on your rifle and then go lay prone, parallel with the contour lines on the face of a mountain side with a 10-20 degree slope. When your field of view and horizon becomes tilted 15%, then see how well your sense of level compares with your scope level. No shooting at targets required. If your rifle isn't level, the error in point of impact can be calculated for the various yardages with a ballistics program. After seeing the <em>cant</em> I placed my rifle in, I never felt the need to shoot targets to demonstrate the effect of rifle cant on my group sizes. Any more than I felt the need to shoot groups at long yardage to demonstrate the <strong>known</strong> effects of Coriolis drift, spin drift, wind drift, or any other <u>known</u> sources of POI error. I didn't know about spin drift and Coriolis drift until I experienced them on 1000yd targets. After I researched these causes of error and understood them, I never spent further time proving they existed by shooting targets. And after I observed my rifle's cant, all I was interested in doing was minimizing that source of POI error to the extent possible.</p><p></p><p>I personally don't have concern on the closer shots on deer, sheep or black bear sized game. When hunting circumstances allow the thorough review of my mental pre-shot check list, I'll try to confirm my scope level on any shots exceeding 400 yds, simply because its a good habit to form for the longer shots. When I'm shooting for groups and developing loads, I'll use the scope level at any yardage, even the close ones. If it becomes an engrained habit, I'm less apt to overlook it when I want every advantage possible for the longer shots.</p><p></p><p>And I'll admit I've forgotten to check my scope level prior to firing on occasion in the past. Most often when the situation is fluid and there's already several things that need ongoing tracking prior to the shot. Like changing ranges, variable winds, and even slope of the shot due to movement by the targeted animal up or down the hill side.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Pdvdh, post: 1013421, member: 4191"] 600yds is barely far enough to make or break your shot placement on large game animals without a scope level. For prairie dogs, or testing your equipment and ability to shoot bughole groups on targets at extended ranges, it seems foolhardy to not ensure that rifle cant is minimized, using something better than "it looks about right to me". 500yds is about where I start to get concerned about rifle cant POI error on large game sized targets. You can get away with some rifle cant at that yardage. I believe I'll still experience better accuracy using my scope level, but in the boiler room is in the boiler room. Having said that, there's no reason not to be shooting my best, when the hunting situation allows time to dot all the i's and cross all the tees. Like others have experienced and expressed, plumb and mount a scope level on your rifle and then go lay prone, parallel with the contour lines on the face of a mountain side with a 10-20 degree slope. When your field of view and horizon becomes tilted 15%, then see how well your sense of level compares with your scope level. No shooting at targets required. If your rifle isn't level, the error in point of impact can be calculated for the various yardages with a ballistics program. After seeing the [I]cant[/I] I placed my rifle in, I never felt the need to shoot targets to demonstrate the effect of rifle cant on my group sizes. Any more than I felt the need to shoot groups at long yardage to demonstrate the [B]known[/B] effects of Coriolis drift, spin drift, wind drift, or any other [U]known[/U] sources of POI error. I didn't know about spin drift and Coriolis drift until I experienced them on 1000yd targets. After I researched these causes of error and understood them, I never spent further time proving they existed by shooting targets. And after I observed my rifle's cant, all I was interested in doing was minimizing that source of POI error to the extent possible. I personally don't have concern on the closer shots on deer, sheep or black bear sized game. When hunting circumstances allow the thorough review of my mental pre-shot check list, I'll try to confirm my scope level on any shots exceeding 400 yds, simply because its a good habit to form for the longer shots. When I'm shooting for groups and developing loads, I'll use the scope level at any yardage, even the close ones. If it becomes an engrained habit, I'm less apt to overlook it when I want every advantage possible for the longer shots. And I'll admit I've forgotten to check my scope level prior to firing on occasion in the past. Most often when the situation is fluid and there's already several things that need ongoing tracking prior to the shot. Like changing ranges, variable winds, and even slope of the shot due to movement by the targeted animal up or down the hill side. [/QUOTE]
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