I've read about importance of keeping rifle level - why don't scopes offer level as an aid?
Depends how it is implemented... Could be a digital reading or analog projection or even bubble projected on top.Seems challenging to make it visible inside a scope, and it would obstruct the view.
External levels are easy to use and cheap enough.
Related question - why are mounting rings are actual circles with no keying feature (so scope/rings could be mated together at preset angle - while allowing front/back movement)? Are there times where one would not want scope to be perfectly aligned to rifle/base?
Seems challenging to make it visible inside a scope, and it would obstruct the view.
External levels are easy to use and cheap enough.
Maybe you should go mount a few scopes first. Then you will know why.Related question - why are mounting rings are actual circles with no keying feature (so scope/rings could be mated together at preset angle - while allowing front/back movement)? Are there times where one would not want scope to be perfectly aligned to rifle/base?
Who's to say that the base is level? That's in its own right a presumption. The first and only Tactical Machining upper I bought the pic rail on top was totally out of spec for width much less level. The idea is that the end user calibrates the system. If a maker had a scope/rifle all together at once I could see such a thing being more plausible.
Old technology. WW2 era Brit No.32 scopes and brackets for the No.4 Mk.1 T sniper rifle has an indexing pin on the turret housing that fits in a slot in the front cradle to plumb the aiming post but does'nt allow any fore and aft movement of the scope.Related question - why are mounting rings are actual circles with no keying feature (so scope/rings could be mated together at preset angle - while allowing front/back movement)? Are there times where one would not want scope to be perfectly aligned to rifle/base?
If space engineers did it they would have the scope free floating in the rings so when you shoot gangster or prs your scope would be level and as a bonus voice activated for yardages.
COST 1.5 MIL
They have no problem doing it on precision alignment optics used in industry.
With precision alignment Optics you aren't worried about obstructing the field of view and making the operator take more time to aquire object or target. Different worlds where things happen slow vs fast and picking a target or animal up in varied terrain can be challenging when you start obstructing the view. Even reticles get in the way so I don't see how a bubble level wouldn't pose the same problem.
That said, I'm just an amateur and someone more knowledgeable than me will hopefully chime in