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Offline bigbird09

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scope question
« on: January 31, 2011, 06:08:12 PM »
Just wondering when you put a scope on a rifle how do you tell if it is square or not.  I'm still trying to gather supplies and such as money allows, but with college its not allowing much.  So I'm kinda looking for more low-tech, tried and true suggestions.

EDIT:  if this would be better off in the scope section feel free to move it or let me know.

Levi
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: scope question
« Reply #1 on: January 31, 2011, 08:33:59 PM »
I mount the rifle in a Lohman vise, on a Handi I place an 8" magnetic torpedo level flat against the side of the frame between the pin heads  and align the rifle so it's perfectly vertical. I hung a heavy white string with a lead sinker on the end down the hall about 20 yds away, it makes a perfect surface to align the vertical X-hair with by rotating the loosely mounted scope in the rings, then tighten the ring screws evenly so as to not roll the scope in the rings, old Weaver rings are real bad about that because they only tighten on one side, but conventional rings will do the same to a lesser degree if you tighten one side too much at a time. I use a laser bore sighter to adjust the reticule to after the scope is tight, or you can break the action open and bore sight on an object a 20-25 yards away, an orange laying in the yard, a target at the range, even the neighbors porch light at night if no one is looking!  ;D

Tim

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Offline cwlongshot

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Re: scope question
« Reply #2 on: February 01, 2011, 02:57:07 AM »
Tim's method sounds like it will work perfectly.

On a handi I remove the barrel and square and level it in my vice from the lug at the bottom of the barrel, using a small torpedo and a Wheeler level-level-level tool. The bottom of the lug is flat and placed on a flat level surface in a vice as Tim suggested will also work well.

For many years it was just done by "eye". Mount and holding the rifle out with the muzzle on the ground look down the sides and top.

Using the Wheeler tool on a bolt action is very easy. One piece of it is designed to fit (and stay with magnet attached to it) across the open mag well once you opened bolt. Then the second level on the top turret of the scope.

CW
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Offline PowPow

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Re: scope question
« Reply #3 on: February 01, 2011, 08:35:13 AM »
I just look through it left-handed and right-handed and when it looks straight with each eye, I tighten it down.
Requires two eyes.
Guns always shoot where you point them.
The trick is to get them to shoot where you THINK you are pointing them.
Can't say that its perfectly square, but it shoots where I think I am pointing it.
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Offline bigbird09

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Re: scope question
« Reply #4 on: February 01, 2011, 09:07:18 AM »
ya so far mine shoots where I point it, but max range that I have been able to shoot is only 100yrds.  I eyeballed this one and it looks close, but I'm wanting something more definitive than eyeballed close.
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Offline helotaxi

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Re: scope question
« Reply #5 on: February 02, 2011, 05:36:37 AM »
Every scope that I own has a flat across the bottom of the shoulder.  The windage and elevation adjustments are referenced to that flat.  On most every rifle I have gone with a one piece base which provides a flat surface referenced to the rifle.  Open up a set of pocket feeler gauges and slide them in between those two referenced flats.  Adjust the gauges as needed to get the correct thickness allowing the scope to seat in the rings and tighten them down. 

The reticule alignment method takes a lot of work and relies on the reticule being square to the adjustments which isn't always the case.
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Offline Stillkickin

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Re: scope question
« Reply #6 on: February 02, 2011, 09:31:49 AM »
I have a tile floor with joints and lines running 90 degrees to each other.  I open the action and place the butt of the rifle on a vertical joint in the tiles, jockeying it until the joint line runs through the top center and bottom center of the butt.  Then I look through the scope backwards (down through the objective lens) and twist the scope until the crosshairs line up with the vertical and horizontal cracks in the tiles.  Tighten the rings and you're done.  No tools necessary.
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Offline mtbugle

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Re: scope question
« Reply #7 on: February 02, 2011, 06:15:32 PM »
I have done some of the level manors. Lately I have just held back far enough to get less than full circle of vision and center visible area in scope, then ensure verticle hair is pointing directly through center of action below it. This has been working pretty well and saves a lot of jockeying around trying to fight with a level. As was mentioned earlier, watch it doesn't shift while tightening down.
Thanks Don.
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Offline diggler1833

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Re: scope question
« Reply #8 on: February 02, 2011, 10:26:28 PM »
Quote from: helotaxi on February 02, 2011, 05:36:37 AM
Every scope that I own has a flat across the bottom of the shoulder.  The windage and elevation adjustments are referenced to that flat.  On most every rifle I have gone with a one piece base which provides a flat surface referenced to the rifle.  Open up a set of pocket feeler gauges and slide them in between those two referenced flats.  Adjust the gauges as needed to get the correct thickness allowing the scope to seat in the rings and tighten them down. 

The reticule alignment method takes a lot of work and relies on the reticule being square to the adjustments which isn't always the case.

This is very similar to what I do...and it works.
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Offline Savage .250

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Re: scope question
« Reply #9 on: February 03, 2011, 01:39:02 AM »
I know there are "tools" out there to assist in the proper leveling of a scope but I`ve just eye-balled  my set up since day one. Right or wrong, it`s worked for me over the years.  Plus they all have sighted in just fine.
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Offline cwlongshot

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Re: scope question
« Reply #10 on: February 03, 2011, 06:22:13 AM »
Quote from: Savage .250 on February 03, 2011, 01:39:02 AM
I know there are "tools" out there to assist in the proper leveling of a scope but I`ve just eye-balled  my set up since day one. Right or wrong, it`s worked for me over the years.  Plus they all have sighted in just fine.

By and large this will be just fine. BUT if your a long range shooter, rifle can't is a very real issue. It's not a good thing for small groups at long ranges.

CW
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Offline wreckhog

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Re: scope question
« Reply #11 on: February 03, 2011, 02:48:12 PM »
Quote from: cwlongshot on February 01, 2011, 02:57:07 AM
Tim's method sounds like it will work perfectly.

On a handi I remove the barrel and square and level it in my vice from the lug at the bottom of the barrel, using a small torpedo and a Wheeler level-level-level tool. The bottom of the lug is flat and placed on a flat level surface in a vice as Tim suggested will also work well.

For many years it was just done by "eye". Mount and holding the rifle out with the muzzle on the ground look down the sides and top.

Using the Wheeler tool on a bolt action is very easy. One piece of it is designed to fit (and stay with magnet attached to it) across the open mag well once you opened bolt. Then the second level on the top turret of the scope.

CW
I do this and I wiggle the gun up and down and back and forth.
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