Rifle Scopes Using scope turret to level scope fail

[pitdog85]

I thought I would post my experience with this as their may be others unaware of this. Many places around the net show a method of levelling a scope by making sure the gun is level by putting a level on the picatinny rail And then using another level on the top scope turret to match the 2 levels. With my swfa scope I took the turret off to ensure t is level and it is. So I put the turret back on to my zero mark and found that by moving the turret to 90 degrees and then 180 the turret goes from dead level with the gun too completely unlevel. So what is happening is depending where in the 360 degree rotation the turret is interested could be either level or way off!!!!

maybe I just have a faulty scope but id be interested to see if anyone else used this method and check their turrets level at 0,90,180 etc and see what you get. I resorted to using a 4ft level around 10metres away and levelling the reticle as best I could with the level. Without other tools this is all I could manage at home without using the turret method.

 

[1time]

I level using a level on the turret. Then I hang a plumb bob and make sure the reticle itself is plumb. If you can lock the rifle down well enough, you can run the elevation on the plumb bob and make sure the tracking is straight.

 

[supercorndogs]

You may have run out in your turret because of the way it attaches to the center brass post. If it is one their turret covers that attaches with three screws around the top, I would expect run out.

 

[demolitionman]

My experience is the same w swfa. Like stated I leveled reticle with a plumb line hung from a tree limb.

 

[Strykervet]

I have a Wheeler setup that allows adjustment of the levels, plus it clamps to the barrel so you are levelling the scope/turret to the barrel and not the rail.

Another way is to use feeler gauges between the erector housing and the rail, that's what USO used to say to do, but that's still just a way to get the scope on straight, probably not a final position.

Finer adjustments can be made later, but this is how I mount the scope to begin with.

 

[roggom]

same here, if the housing is flat, I use one of those pocket rulers from home depot as its a bit thicker than a feeler guage. You just slip it in a pic slot, angle it up and rotate the scope till its flat.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Johnson-6-in-Stainless-Steel-Pocket-Clip-Rule-7202/204513472

 

[PlinkIt]

Adjustable parallels work well for using the bottom of the scope

Or use a flashlight projected backwards through the scope to project the reticle onto the wall if you want to do plumb line in the house. You can adjust magnification and ocular ring to focus the reticle very nicely onto the wall

 

[blcouch]

My little sister got me the Ariska optic leveler for Christmas. Works quite well.

Arisaka Optic Leveler Combo https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W8AXZ98/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_DoTOzbB32E0C7


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[_Windrider_]

I bought the badger mounting jig. Haven't had an issue since.

http://www.badgerordnance.com/gunsmithing-tools/dead-level.html

 

[Gil P.]

I use a picatinny rail mounted level, and another level on top the the elevation turret. Then I take it to the range and check the reticle in a leveled 10 mil line at 100 yards. It's always been on. I've there is an issue, I level again at the range.

 

[scudzuki]

You can check whether the top if the turret knob is exactly perpendicular to the axis of the elevation turret by levelling the knob then rotating the knob 45 degrees (1/8 turn) at a time and again checking the level. If the top surface does not remain level throughout its rotation, it's not perpendicular. However, it's possible to find the midway point of it's out-of-level-ness and at that clocking the knob will be perpendicular to the elevation turret axis, and can be used to set the elevation turret plumb.
Personally I'm more concerned with the turret axis being plumb than the reticle, because I dial my elevation corrections. A reticle that is rotated relative to the turrets moves the aiming little enough to be of no consequence when it's only used for wind correction which tend to be 1/10th of elevation corrections at a given distance.
Fortunately I've not needed to choose between which to level as I've never had a good scope (from Bushnell ET and up in quality) where the reticle was rotated perceptibly.

 

[Lowlight]

Scope companies will check level using the flat on the bottom of the scope...

Deck of Cards,
Feeler Gauges

Any flat to flat sure to square the scope to the top of the pic rail is all you need. Still have to check it on a plumb line, but it's the quickest and safest way to go.

The turrets, the barrel, etc have nothing to do with it. You are leveling the reticle to the fall of gravity nothing else. Barrels are round, barrels are profiled, the outside has very little to do with the bore, once the bullet leaves the barrel it's all about gravity so the scope is leveled to gravity, not the rifle.

Don't waste your money on expensive kits to level the scope. The Badger Dead Level is the best tool when you are doing a lot of lot of scopes, but otherwise, those elaborate kits with a handful of $6 levels to throw all over your rifle is a waste of time.

 

[pitdog85]

thanks for all the responses guys, yesterday I actually came across franks video of using the stack of cards to level the ATCAR scope so I went out and bought a stack of cards and remounted the scope using this method.

 

[Hondo64d]

The MPA chassis sure does help mounting a scope level. Makes it easy to know the rifle is level while using plumb line to get crosshairs level.

John

 

[samnev]

thanks for all the responses guys, yesterday I actually came across franks video of using the stack of cards to level the ATCAR scope so I went out and bought a stack of cards and remounted the scope using this method.

I also use a stack playing cards under the scope turret to level it then check it with a hanging plum bob to be sure. Has always worked.