Level on rifle scope

[cacklercrazy]

I've never had one on my hunting scopes. Why do you put one on a scope? Is it like having a level on your bow site? If so I understand it.

 

[carter33]

Your rifle and scope need to be level in order to dial at distance. If your scope/rifle combo is canted then some of the elevation you dial will result in your bullet not travelling the correct amount of elevation and some of it will transfer to windage error. Basically your intending to do dial on an x-axis(elevation) but if your canted your no longer on that x-axis perfectly, your now on a vector resulting in the y-axis(windage) error.

I am sure someone else can explain better than I just did but hopefully it makes sense enough to get the point across.

 

[LightFoot]

I've never had one on my hunting scopes. Why do you put one on a scope? Is it like having a level on your bow site? If so I understand it.

It is exactly like the level on your bow. Must be level to account for the arc of the bullet.

>>>----JAKE----->

 

[cacklercrazy]

It is exactly like the level on your bow. Must be level to account for the arc of the bullet.

>>>----JAKE----->

Thank you

 

[TNKnoxville]

Yep correct, I put mine on just after the rear bell so that I can see with my left eye and make sure I'm level. I shoot right handed. It was interesting what I thought was level was actually canted.

 

[eric1115]

Important point to note, is that the reticle and erector assembly of your scope is what needs to be level. Lots of folks get super wound up about getting the scope perfectly square to the rifle, but that doesn't matter very much (within reason). In fact, a good argument can be made that if your natural hold of the rifle has cant to it, mounting the scope so it's level when you're holding the rifle is better.

A scope and rifle combo that are true to each other, but is held 6deg off of level, will move .1 horizontal for every 1 vertical (whether dialing or holdover). Vertical is affected very minutely (what you think is 10 will be 9.98). So dialing 14 minutes for a 700 yard shot gives 1.4 minutes, or around 10" of horizontal error.


A scope that is mounted 6deg out of level, with a bubble that is true to the scope, will have a horizontal difference of about .2" if the scope is 2" over bore.

If that rifle is perfectly zeroed at 100, you will have about a 0.2 MOA error at distance (though smaller at closer ranges like 200-300). That same 700 yard shot now has 1.2" of horizontal error.

If that rifle is zeroed with a 0.2" offset to the correct side, it will maintain that 0.2" out to distance. On our 700 yard shot, that is 0.03 MOA, or about 1/10 of a quarter minute click.

 

[swampthing]

After I started using a level, I was surprised at how often I had my rifle canted!

 

[Montucky]

Especially on uneven ground it’s amazing how much you cant your rifle

 

[cacklercrazy]

Especially on uneven ground it’s amazing how much you cant your rifle

Thank you everyone for the good info.

 

[StopMakingSense]

If you get one for the scope, here's what I think is the easiest way to level it out. Cabelas or Scheels will just level the scope and the bubble to the rifle.

First, put a plumb bob and get it close to the wall. I then take a headlamp on the highest setting, loosen the band so it fits around the scope and stays permanently on looking through the scope. From there I can see the reticle lines on the wall. From there it's just ensuring your reticle is exactly on with your plumb bob line and the bubble is level.