How Do You Level Your Scope To Gun?

[Snareman]

I have a Remington 700 .270 that I will be sighting in soon.  I have a new Nikon Monarch 3.5-10x50 scope as well that will be mounted on it.  Now that I'm getting myself up to par on long range shooting, it seems it's necessary to make sure your scope is level to the gun.

I want to know what method you use to level your scope to the gun?

While studying up on this subject, the first thing that caught my attention was a product called Wheeler Level-Level-Level.  I figured it's what I need and for only $20 to $23 it's worth it.  You can see a one-minute video of how it works at YouTube below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIjQz6nahrw

Like a smart consumer if this the first major thing I think I found for the job, if I spend more time I'm sure there are other ways.

So, is this a good product I could use?

And, What method(s) do you use to level your scope to the gun?

Thanks,

Snareman

[243dave]

Here is what I've used for some years now and it works well and very simple to use. Better than the midway product ? Don't know.  http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm?contentID=productDetail&prodID=RJRL01&src=tpCtg    Dave

[nilescoyote]

Depending on your set up, this is what I have found to work best for me.

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=248968#Post248968

One problem you will run using methods that level the reticle is the scope body will not be level, which will cause the adjustments to adjust at angles rather than true up/down and left/right.

Some shooters will not be bothered by this because once they set the scope in they leave it there. Those of us that "dial" in our shots for differing distences WILL be effected by a miss aligned scope as the elevation will also effect the windage impact.

[Snareman]

One problem you will run using methods that level the reticle is the scope body will not be level, which will cause the adjustments to adjust at angles rather than true up/down and left/right.

Question:  Don't you mean people will have problem if they try to level the scope body instead of the scope reticle?  Seems to me the scope body can be mis-aligned, but if the crosshairs are level, I'm good to go. ??

Snareman

[Badnews Bob]

The wheeler toolworks great for leveling your rifle, the magnetic base helps. But any small level that will fit a flat place on your reciever will work, Just make sure you have the rifle secured so it won't move, Level your action side to side ( fore and aft don't matter) then sight on a piece of string with a weight on it, (try to have your string about 50 yards awayand use a fairly thick string) Line up the verticle and your good to go. Make sure you've set your eye relief correctly before you snug it down,  Then use the bore sight methods to line yourself up for the first shot.

 By the way, if you want to get the best out of this stuff try reloading also, it helps find the right load and being as you sound like a hands on kind of guy I think you'll like reloading.

[Coyote Hunter]

Here's what I use:
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=360476#enalarge



It comes apart and the metal bar sits on a flat surface (usually the scope base) and is held in place with rubber bands.  You just look through the scope and adjust it before tightening the rings.

[trotterlg]

Guess I am just old and not into leveling gadgets.  I set the scope in the rings, then move my eye back until I can only see a small dot of view through the scope.  Then I just move my eye up some until I see the bottom of the vertical cross hair in the dot.  By moving my eye from side to side I center the vertical redical in the dot then look to see if the cross hair is pointing directly to the rear of the bolt or if it is pointing to one side or the other, just rotate the scope so that the vertical cross hair is pointed directly to the center of the bolt and you are set.  I think it is the most accurate way of getting things level with the action and it requires no tools.  Check some other rifles that have been set up any other way and I will bet you find them slightly off.  Larry

[BruceP]

Gee Larry, I was beginning to think that I was the only one using that method. It seems to work as well as any if done right.

Bruce

[trotterlg]

Nice to see someone else who likes simple solutions.  Larry

[nilescoyote]

One problem you will run using methods that level the reticle is the scope body will not be level, which will cause the adjustments to adjust at angles rather than true up/down and left/right.

Question:  Don't you mean people will have problem if they try to level the scope body instead of the scope reticle?  Seems to me the scope body can be mis-aligned, but if the crosshairs are level, I'm good to go. ??

Snareman

Sorry for the confusion, I'll try to explain it a little better.

If you dial in your range, like I do, the adjustment turrets need to be as precise (level) as possible. The reticle level I am not concerned with. Remember the reticle resides in a tube with in the scope body and it is not uncommon for it to be off a small degree or two. Ive seen it in cheep scopes as will as expensive Leupold mk4's.

In that link, provided you have a flat area on the underside of you scope where the turret housing is, the easiest way to level the scope is to use a feeler gauge (found at auto part stores) set the gauge on top of your scope base and under the flat area of the turret housing. Do this while the scope is in the rings but loose enough to turn. It will take some trial and error to find the correct height on the feeler gauge, once you find the correct height where the gauge will fit between the two and the scope no longer rotates that is when you tightening the rings down enough so the scope will not move. wiggle the feeler gauge out and finish tightening the rings.

[jhm]

If they can build the parimids using a plum bob it's good enough for me, I now have a lead sled that I cradle my rifle in and use an old adjusting arm lamp that clamps on the end of my work bench atach a plumb bob to it and make sure the rifle is in the sled where I want it then adjust the scope in the rings so that the CROSS HAIL is plumb tighten down if using weaver rings repeat and repeat until satisfied.   Jim

[Swampman]

Excellent post!

I use a lot of Weaver rings because they are very strong.  Trying to get the crosshairs square drives me crazy.

[Singleshotsam]

It's my experience, that it doesn't matter how level your reticle is, or how well it looks to you, some jacka$$ always picks it up after you labor for hours getting it "perfect" and says, "Them crosshairs is crooked..." 

Makes me want to punch them everytime lol

[KRP]

Plumbing the reticle doesn't mean the scope will track correctly, it's a good place to start though.  You are going to need an ACD to make sure the rifle is level in the field and then you can adjust the scope to track accordingly.

[Mckie Hollow]

Dave Tubbs writes that it is alright to cant Your gun while shooting and advises to do it. I wouldn't argue the point with Him. This means that the cross hairs would be level, but may be askew to the guns reciever.

[trotterlg]

The vertical cross hair has to point to the center of the barrel for things to work properly, if the scope is slightly off to one side or the other and the vertical hair does not align with the center of the bore the scope will not be properly aligned when it is level, it will be slightly left or right of the bore.  Larry

[mattmillerrx]

I just shoulder mine, look through the back window, and line up with a telephone pole that is several hundred yards away.  I have moved since then and now use the fence which is much closer and not as good but I then verify it with my neighbors house, line up in the corner of one of his windows it is about 150yrds away and works pretty well.  I still check that things are centered on the barrel like mentioned before as one last check.  Of course all this is done with an unload gun and all the saftey stuff before I catch to much slack over it.

I had now idea so much was involved with this as some of the other post say, but these are all hunting rifles and I keep my shots pretty close so it has not been an issue for me and seems fast compared to some of the methods here.

[nilescoyote]

Dave Tubbs writes that it is alright to cant Your gun while shooting and advises to do it. I wouldn't argue the point with Him. This means that the cross hairs would be level, but may be askew to the guns reciever.

Maybe so, but he still uses a spirt level attached to the front of the barrel to insure the "cant" is the same on every shot.

[Mckie Hollow]

Point - Agreed to

[Dave in WV]

If they can build the parimids using a plum bob it's good enough for me, I now have a lead sled that I cradle my rifle in and use an old adjusting arm lamp that clamps on the end of my work bench atach a plumb bob to it and make sure the rifle is in the sled where I want it then adjust the scope in the rings so that the CROSS HAIL is plumb tighten down if using weaver rings repeat and repeat until satisfied.   Jim

I have a wood rifle vice for cleaning and maint. so I get the rifle level and use a plumb bob or more recently the vertical bars in the window grille. My Rem 7600 is the easiest to get level. I just place a small magnetic torpedo level on the action side aim the rifle at the window grille and turn the scope.

[jhm]

Matt the next time you see a telephone pole laying on the ground measure the top thickness and measure the bottom thickness I will bet you the sides are not PLUMB when standing up.   Jim

[billy_56081]

I put me a bipod on the rifle then I lay on a slab of cement and level it on the siding on a building. Now town folks don't be doing this by going into your driveway and using the siding on the house across the street. You best hope the locol cop who shows up is a shooter or you will have alot of explaining to do.

[kiddekop]

I have a Remington 700 .270 that I will be sighting in soon.  I have a new Nikon Monarch 3.5-10x50 scope as well that will be mounted on it.  Now that I'm getting myself up to par on long range shooting, it seems it's necessary to make sure your scope is level to the gun.

I want to know what method you use to level your scope to the gun?

While studying up on this subject, the first thing that caught my attention was a product called Wheeler Level-Level-Level.  I figured it's what I need and for only $20 to $23 it's worth it.  You can see a one-minute video of how it works at YouTube below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIjQz6nahrw

Like a smart consumer if this the first major thing I think I found for the job, if I spend more time I'm sure there are other ways.

So, is this a good product I could use?

And, What method(s) do you use to level your scope to the gun?

Thanks,

Snareman

My GS was Ellis Simon ,he first leveled the rifle in a wood workers vice,mounted the Redfield  steel base or  bases, then installed Redfield Steel rings in the scope bases leveling them to the rifle & then installed the scope leveling it to the rifle using shellaced business cards as temporary shims later to be miced & replaced by metal shims(they can be made out of an aluminum coke can) then he used a colimeter to rough in the zero.The Level,Level from midway is nice  but most scopes are aluminum so magnets don't work.I use a torpedo level & eyeball everything.

[trotterlg]

This is the best picture I can get, the scope is on a Savage 24 30-30 over a 20 gauge, but it gives you an idea of how it works.  in the picture you can see the front sight with the vertical cross hairs faintly visiable, you can see if you extend the vertical cross hairs that they will pass through the middle of the hammer, this puts the scope perfectly aligned with the bore of the barrel.  Now look through your scope like this and see if your vertical points to the center of the bore.  Larry