Scope leveling

[NJRaised]

I have a new gen 2 PST. I locked the scope down and the reticle is about 1 degree canted from the turret tracking.

Do I level my bubble level to the reticle or to the tracking of the turrets?

Fwiw, I typically dial and holdover only occasionally.

Thanks.

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

Reticle. Always.

The turrets may not be level to the reticle and will rear its ugly head when you start to dial for longer shots.

You can also shoot a tall target test, making sure to keep the same POA and dial 1.0 Mil at a time.

If your shots stay vertically aligned, you’re in good shape.

If they start to stray off to one side or the other, your reticle isn’t level.

 

[NJRaised]

I’m just guessing here, but wouldn’t you want the bubble level to be level with turret tracking? That way when you dial, your center crosshair is tracking perfectly plumb?

I’d imagine that the bubble being level to a canted reticle would make dialing a nightmare when dialing elevation.

School me if I’m wrong.

 

[Gohring65]

Send it back.
As stated above, the farther you dial past optical center the more pronounced the error will become. It’s not worth fighting, send it back.
Call vortex right now, you’ll probably have another one by Monday.

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

Why would your reticle be canted? The whole point of leveling a scope is to make sure your reticle is level.

 

[NJRaised]

I put the scope on a homemade “vise” (pic rail mounted to my work bench (rock solid). I Leveled the reticle to a plumb line, and then dialed my elevation. With the reticle originally square to a plumb line, as I dialed elevation, the reticle began moving right of the plumb line with more and more elevation adjustment.

So my question is, assuming a non perfect scope (canted reticle ), do I level my bubble level to the turret tracking or reticle.

Assuming a perfect world, the turret tracking would be square with the reticle but it’s not.

 

[USMC 308]

Feeler gauges or the Arisaka Leveling Tool and be done with it. Takes minutes instead of dicking with a plumb line, vice and bubble levels and still wondering if you got it right.

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

I put the scope on a homemade “vise” (pic rail mounted to my work bench (rock solid). I Leveled the reticle to a plumb line, and then dialed my elevation. With the reticle originally square to a plumb line, as I dialed elevation, the reticle began moving right of the plumb line with more and more elevation adjustment.

So my question is, assuming a non perfect scope (canted reticle ), do I level my bubble level to the turret tracking or reticle.

Assuming a perfect world, the turret tracking would be square with the reticle but it’s not.

Something’s fucky.

If your reticle is plumb, then it should adjust vertically without any deviation, left or right.

Is the rail that’s mounted to your bench level?

If it’s not, your scope may be level but your rings will not be.

And when you install the scope on your rifle, your rings may be level, but your reticle will not.

 

[NJRaised]

Something’s fucky.

If your reticle is plumb, then it should adjust vertically without any deviation, left or right.

Is the rail that’s mounted to your bench level?

If it’s not, your scope may be level but your rings will not be.

And when you install the scope on your rifle, your rings may be level, but your reticle will not.

Which is the whole point I’m making… the reticle is canted in relationship to the turrets.

 

[Aftermath]

I'm with getting it repaired...
BUT, you should level to tracking.

 

[davsco]

Which is the whole point I’m making… the reticle is canted in relationship to the turrets.

send it back, vortex has excellent CS.