Which bubble level is right for me? (List of available parts and issues with each inside)

[physhphude]

I use the u.s. optics swivel level and it keeps me consistent.

hope this helps,
mike

While I like the way the USO level works, both examples I have seen have had issues. Neither are actually level, and one has a lot of play in it.

To the OP. I've been through several levels at this point. I think the biggest factors are: make sure it is able to display actual level or is adjustable. (USO and the AR one are not adjustable. Doesn't look like the JEC is either) and I have found that bubbles that do not stick out to the left side will suffer from parallax issues if you use your left eye. If your head position is off, the level will read differently.

The next one's i'm looking at are the flatline or the accuracy first. I'm not sure why the asymmetrical mount on the flatline bothers you. It looks like the best one of the bunch especially since it is adjustable in both positions. The torque required is not that great, and I don't think the forces applied are much different than traditional scope mounts. Just think of it as one side of the caps being already screwed down. I'm not engineer but I think the forces are nearly identical to traditional mounts.

One level I just picked up is the deros level grouse. It is an electronic level that seems like it will be faster to use,

 

[Garvey]

JEC said it will be 3-5 weeks before the rail mounted bubble is available and price will range from $80-100. I am assuming it will be $100... I am also torn between the Tubb or the JEC. I already have a NF ADI on my rail so I may go with the Tubb so I can actually see it! But I do like the looks of that JEC. Plus I think I would prefer to have it on my rail how do I know if I have it canted by just putting it on my scope tube? Is there a method to square the square that I should do. I figured there would be less guess work with a rail mount seeing that is what you get. I can just see me spinning it ever so slightly on the scope tube.

Square the square. Perfect analogy.

In any anti-cant level mounting situation I verify that it is in fact level, or that the scope is level to it. I have the USO level and have been happy with it, but I will most likely be getting a JEC for the next rifle. In any case, be it tube mounted or pic rail mounted I verify level against a plum line. I have a 20 pound piece of steel tied to a 1/2" rope that I suspend from a tree 50 yards from the shop. Make the vertical line of the reticle parallel with the plum line and check a rail mount level against it, loosen the rings and adjust the scope as necessary, retighten screws. If it is a tube mounted make the reticle level to the plum line, make the level read level, tighten the screws.

A plum line has no choice but to be perfectly level, barring high wind and/ or earthquake.

 

[Shotplacement]

Wow I really like the JEC. Which one is the one that has the bubble built into the rings?

 

[earthquake]

I've used several. The $16 one from Brownells is a POS. It wasn't level and it bent really easy. I had a USO swivel style and i didn't trust it. It seemed to change levelness every time i swung it open. Then I tried the Spuhr. While sexy being that it's integrated into the optic mount, I found it hard to see. It is dark in it's small recess and I had to break cheek weld ever so slightly to see it because it is so close to your face. It's almost too close for your eye to focus on when in position.

I just ordered a Flatline Ops Recon mount. It will be my first scope mounted level...and hopefully my last!

 

[LoneWolfUSMC]

The last level I got, I gave away. My body came equipped with them (inner ear).

 

[bogeybrown]

Have and like the Accuracy 1st. I have it mounted forward near the objective bell which allows my eyes to see it inside the scope along with my reticle when I have both eyes open. It has saved me multiple times at longer ranges where I would have missed wide due to cant but without the level would have thought I misread wind.

 

[ronas]

I have 3 Hollands. One on a nightforce 2.5-10x32. The other two are on a pair of 5-25x56 Premiers. They line up in just the right places for easy viewing. They are reasonably priced and of very good quality.

 

[ceylonc]

I like that JEC swing mount. Hopefully they will be available soon.

We just signed up as a JEC Customs dealer this week! We're waiting on availability for some items, but some have already been listed on the deltaoutdoorsman.com website. Check them out here:

Delta Outdoorsman (Powered by CubeCart)

The Swing Mount Level isn't available yet, but Jason is saying that we're looking at a June release. I'll update as news arises...

Ceylon
deltaoutdoorsman.com

 

[Eric B.]

Check the Horus website for their combo ASLI (Angle, Slope, Level Indicator) device. I mounts to either side of a 30 or 34 mm. dia. scope or on the mounting rail.

Weak eye side viewable whether left ro right handed depending on which side of the scope you mount it.

About $80. for the device. Reads slope in CoSine and degrees.

 

[tylerw02]

I really like the Accuracy 1st unit.

 

[dbowhunter]

The main thing that turned me on it is that it "locks" open and it's always "level" with the rail, that USO one could be any position at any time, this one, even if swung in a little bit accidentally should still be level.

This would not be the case. You get involved with second/third-axis leveling problems. Take it to the extremes to see the physics behind it. If you had your gun angled up at say a 60 deg angle or greater, as soon as you started to fold that level toward you, the bubble would shoot right toward the gun. A level like this will only work when deployed at a perfect 90 deg to the gun. This comes into play a lot with archery sights with built in levels.

When looking at levels, make sure they are rock solid mounted square to the vertical plane of the bore/line of sight of the optic. This won't necessarily be square to a scope body or rail. With your scope sighted in, level the bubble. Then find a place where you can aim the gun as vertical as possible at a plumb/horizontal line then do the same thing in a downward direction. If the bubble isn't perpendicular to the vertical plane of the bore (aka line of sight through a sighted in optic), the bubble will shift left/right when you aim the rifle up/down. This won't be a big deal for flat-land, but everything counts and it just gets more extreme with higher angles. If the bubble runs while the reticle stays on your line, you'll have to shim the bubble mount some way, as none of these appear to have a 2nd/3rd axis leveling system.

I've seen many a high angle shot missed in archery due to improperly adjusted level bubbles on sights. You initial trajectory is never perfectly parallel to the ground when shooting so this will throw your bubble off to varying degrees, and will be huge at extreme angles.

Hopefully that made some sense. It might never effect you until you shoot high angle stuff in the mountains and you trust the level more than you do your gut, but if you've checked it out and verified it twice to work at these extreme angles, you won't have to worry about it then, nor will it have any effect at smaller angles you might see more often.

 

[tuner]

Using the BSquare on two rifles. They mount to rail and stay out of my way.

 

[TAF070]

I use a flatline ops and love it! I can easily see my bubble with it flipped out with out having to come off of the target for follow up shots.