Rifle Scopes Fun with a laser level
- Thread starter azimutha
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I like the idea, a lot faster than waiting for the plumb bob to settle. Big question, what model did you buy and what did it cost you?
I've used that before as wel as a survey plumb rod at about 200-300 yards. I put it farther out as its thicker and I can be finer. Or you can use your neighbors house if your in town.
Great idea. Kind of embarrassed I had not thought of doing it.
Not neccessarilly. The rifle will automatically cant in the natural shooting position. You just need to make sure the reticle is level. Your better off setting the rifle in a natural position on a swivel bipod than level the reticle.
Dude you gotta take that idea to Caldwell!,,, your on to something there! that is thinking outside the box. Cool idea and very marketable. If it goes just send me some brass? 
I just thought about taking my rifle and laser level out and use my neighbors house as a back drop. Of course it should be slight dusk outside (to really see the laser) with the idiot standing in front of his grill.
Him: "wtf James"
Me "hey Pete, just leveling out my rifle scope"
Him: "WTF!!!!"
Lol
Make sure you practice running the bolt while pointing the rifle in his general direction. seems like a good idea
I have never used a laser level. Some of the job sights I worked on dry- waller's used them to put the walls up an inch out of plumb in 12ft. Elev. crews put rails up 1/2 inch out of plumb. ( a 1/64 is the standard) So, how accurate are they, or is it the user that makes the errors? Not dis'n on, you truly curious.
Use on all the time to level my scopes.
Makes me wonder if they'd either knocked them around too much or didn't know how to use them. Mine's a DeWalt DW087K and it flashes if it's not stabilized. Basically, they need to be set down or mounted to something so the housing is within 5 degrees of plumb. Then the gimbal mounting inside can self-level. Seems right on with this one and not bad for $160.
Lasers don't shoot straight lines on boat hulls. Tried to make a water line on a boat with one and it was crooked.
My mind was blown because I could turn the laser to a wall and it was perfectly straight
My mind was blown because I could turn the laser to a wall and it was perfectly straight
Thanks azimutha, I suspected as much. I think every one around here just places it on concrete and goes. At $160 and no other use to me I'll stick with the plumb bob. If I had one, this is a good idea.
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Guess all those rail level's I see on people's rifles are just a waste of money, eh? We aint shooting high power here.
I used to lineup a window sill or door jamb in my house (that I first verified with a level) with the stadia.
I did that until I figured out it is much better (for me) to use the feeler gauge method.
I did that until I figured out it is much better (for me) to use the feeler gauge method.
I never thought of using a laser level, that's a great idea!
I've got one and it self levels if you get it within 5 degrees of being plumb. I bought it to build my deck and it's pretty much spot on accurate. The guys that put up the drywall crooked more than likely were being sloppy and in a rush, I doubt it had anything to do with them using a laser level. I can't tell you how many times I've seen guys form up a rectangular foundation and have it 6" out of square. All they have to do is stretch a tape from corner to corner but many times they're too lazy to do that.
I've got one and it self levels if you get it within 5 degrees of being plumb. I bought it to build my deck and it's pretty much spot on accurate. The guys that put up the drywall crooked more than likely were being sloppy and in a rush, I doubt it had anything to do with them using a laser level. I can't tell you how many times I've seen guys form up a rectangular foundation and have it 6" out of square. All they have to do is stretch a tape from corner to corner but many times they're too lazy to do that.
I always start(You probably implied that too Gary) by stretching the tape from corner to corner and driving a 2"x2" stake at each true corner. I'm not a builder or in the concrete trade, it's just a habit my dad taught me - why pay someone to do what I can do myself. I'm a Jack of all trades and a master of none.
Sorry for the off-topic reply. However, my wife bought one of those leveling lasers for me when I built the deck around our above-ground pool. I'm going to go level my reticle with my rifle shouldered in my shoulder pocket.
Sorry for the off-topic reply. However, my wife bought one of those leveling lasers for me when I built the deck around our above-ground pool. I'm going to go level my reticle with my rifle shouldered in my shoulder pocket.
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I think you'd be better off leveling the reticle true to the rifle itself instead of when it's in your shoulder pocket. Everybody's going to have some natural cant to the rifle when it's mounted, but what really matters is how true it is to the rifle itself, that way the vertical adjustments will track true. I've mounted scopes in my basement with a cinder block wall by setting the rifle in a gun cradle, taking the top half of the rings off and laying a level across the bottom of the ring to make sure the rifle is perfectly vertical. I then put a ratchet strap across it to hold it in place (still checking the level) and mount the scope using the cinder block wall cracks to true the crosshairs. Works pretty good for me, but I may try the laser level next time.
There's a bunch of ways to skin that cat if you get creative.
There's a bunch of ways to skin that cat if you get creative.
I've got this particular scope in a Spuhr mount. Spuhr provides a wedge that is pushed in under the scope belly, and performs the exact function feeler gauges would. I had that wedge in 100% contact in the slot on the bottom of the Spuhr mount and the belly of the scope. It's canted 3 or 4 degrees easy, but it's square to the Spuhr mount and to the Picatinney rail. There aren't any flat spots on the action to level the rifle. The more I think about it the more my head hurts.
The cheap levels are accurate to 1/8' at 30 feet. The more expensive levels are accurate to 3/32" at 35'.
So for all practical purposes setting the laser back 10' from a wall should get you accuracy that is dead on. Its not the level itself that is "inaccurate" at a given distance...its simply the line "grows" in width at that projection distance.
So for all practical purposes setting the laser back 10' from a wall should get you accuracy that is dead on. Its not the level itself that is "inaccurate" at a given distance...its simply the line "grows" in width at that projection distance.
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What's the feeler gauge method and how is it done?
Stack some feeler gauges between your 1 piece base and the flat spot on the bottom of your scope
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oh I see
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