level reticals????/

[buckslayer]

i got a ultra 20 slug gun and put a bushnell scope on it. i heard that you should level your crosshairs, and that is essentual for long range accuracy. is this nessicary for good accuracy under 200 yds :?  :?  i would like any info :grin:  :grin:

[Markus]

I'm sure I'm doing it wrong but all I've ever done is put it in the rings adjust it till it looks right tighten it up and shoot it.Once your zeroed and holding a consistant zero what more could you ask. I'd say even with modern slugs the max range is 150 yards + a little maybe. Shoot your gun and let it tell you how important it is. I'd shoot mine a lot more if it was cheaper.

[cattleskinner]

Well, to answer your question....yes, I believe it's necessary to level the scope.  Let me explain why.  I was shooting at a friends neighbors place last summer, where he has a range that stretches out to about 700yds.  After looking through my scope, he told me the reticles are crooked, and asked if he could show me how much...of course, I agreed.  I ended up looking at a farm gate out at about 600 yds., and then he told me to keep the scope on the gate while he loosened the rings, and spun the scope to level.....by that time, after keeping the rifle steady, the reticles were sighted in on a spot about 20 some feet away from where it was before :shock: !!!  Now I'll explain how he showed me to level a scope, and shoot a leveled firearm.  Go to wally world/kmart/etc..., and buy one or two of the cheap dollar or two levels(you need two of the green "level" tubes in order for this to work).  When you get home, carefully break the plastic around the tubes/slide them out/ or use a dremel tool to cut them out....it all depends on the level you bought.  Next, put your gun in a rest/vise, and put one of the levels between the scope, and the rail in one of the extra grooves in the scope base(it wedges in tight enough that it won't move, even when shooting).  Then, put the other one on the top adjustment turret on the scope so that it points side to side.  Then it's as easy as tightening the whole shoot and bang down, being sure to keep the rifle and the scope levels level the whole time.  When completed, just keep the level that you used between the scope and base there, sticking out to the left side of the gun if right handed, or right side if left handed.  Then it's just a matter of opening the eye not looking through the scope, look at the level to see if it's between the lines, and taking a shot.  Not much sense in leveling the scope, if you don't level it at the shot as well.  I did read somewhere that if your gun is canted 1 degree off of level that the shot will be inches off of point of aim.  So yes, I do believe that it's necessary to level it, and at a dollar or two, this method is much more economical than those fancy bells and whistles levels you find in Cabelas for $20+.  Hope this helps ya out, and the length of the post wasn't too painful :wink: .

~~~Cattleskinner

[WNY_Whitetailer]

I always level my scopes to the best of my ability.  I do it to the scopes on my rimfires, sluggers, black powder guns and rifles.

Here's the method I learned to level a scope...

Hang a string at a point far enough away to be seen through the scope.  Find a way to set your slug gun so it won't move,  such as in a rifle vise or on a bipod.  If you can, sight through the barrel so the string can be seen.  Place a level somewhere on the action or across the scope rail(depending on the size of your level) that would indicate the gun is level.   (A small level like the one used on a string works well.)  Using the bipod or rifle vise, level the gun.  Then sight through the scope and align the crosshairs to  match the hanging string.  Your slugger and scope should now be square with the world or at least as square as you would need it to be.  Hopefullly you reticles don't move with age.  :wink:

[scruffy]

Once apon a time my bench rifles were very precisely leveled and then the crossairs were levelled.  But that was when I did mostly target shooting at ranges of 100 to 250 yards.

Now most of my shooting is hunting.  When I pull up on a coyote I don't have a bubble I look at to see, ok, gun's level, on target, still level?, yep., ok sqeeze, fire.  No, I shoulder the rifle and fire in an off hand position or shooting stick, branch, etc.   For me the "natural position" is canted a smidge clockwise.  So on my hunting rifles, including my slug guns, I have the cross airs levelled to my natural position.

Simple rule, level the scope to how you will be shooting the gun.  If you will be shooting the gun from a level position have the gun level and level the cross airs.  If you're going to be shooting off hand and the rifle isn't level hold the rifle in that position and level the crossairs.

I hope my rambling made sense.

later,
scruffy

[bgjohn]

Once apon a time my bench rifles were very precisely leveled and then the crossairs were levelled.  But that was when I did mostly target shooting at ranges of 100 to 250 yards.

Now most of my shooting is hunting.  When I pull up on a coyote I don't have a bubble I look at to see, ok, gun's level, on target, still level?, yep., ok sqeeze, fire.  No, I shoulder the rifle and fire in an off hand position or shooting stick, branch, etc.   For me the "natural position" is canted a smidge clockwise.  So on my hunting rifles, including my slug guns, I have the cross airs levelled to my natural position.

Simple rule, level the scope to how you will be shooting the gun.  If you will be shooting the gun from a level position have the gun level and level the cross airs.  If you're going to be shooting off hand and the rifle isn't level hold the rifle in that position and level the crossairs.

I hope my rambling made sense.

later,
scruffy

I agree, that's how I do it. Works for me. :-)
JM