Author Topic: Leveling a Scope.....  (Read 7181 times)

Offline Leadhead

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Leveling a Scope.....
« on: February 01, 2009, 10:02:09 AM »
I just recently purchased a CFX and a Leapers 3-12x44 mini swat scope. I live in the northeast, so everything outside is covered in ice. No relief in sight. So I've been working on mounting the scope according to what I've read here & elsewhere online. Therein lies my problem.
All the info I found said to set the rifle in some fashion so that the top of the receiver is level, and then to set the scope in the mounts & put a small level on top of the elevation cap, and adjust to make everything level. Sounds  great.........
But when I shoulder the rifle , the scope appears to be rotated quite a bit to the right. And if I try to rotate the gun to level the scope, it's very uncomfortable to hold. So the question is, do I level the scope with the receiver & force myself to adjust, or set the scope for how I shoulder the rifle ??  Will elevation & windage adjustments still be accurate without the scope being "plumb" with the receiver ??
I think I just gave myself a headache...........any help while I'm waiting for the ice to melt ????......Raoul

Benjamin Marauder .22(#004), Leapers 4-16x50AO
Crosman 2100 w/Leapers 3-9x32AO, Crosman 66, Crosman 760

Offline daved

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RE: Leveling a Scope.....
« Reply #1 on: February 01, 2009, 01:22:54 PM »
I've never come up with what I felt was a good way to level my rifle, so I just eyeball my scopes.  I set the vertical cross hair perpendicular to the receiver by eye, and shoot it to verify.  If my shots drift to one side or the other as the range increases, it's canted a little bit.  If the shots drift left, turn the scope clockwise, and vice versa.  And if I'm having a brain fart, reverse what I just said :-).

There are lots of high tech scope levelers out there, but I've never felt the need to invest in one.  The one thing I might get some day is a scope bubble level, several outfits make them, they're just a standard bubble level that clamps to the scope dovetail.  Use that to set the rifle level, then use a string and plumb bob to set the scope.  The other use for a level once the scope is set is to make sure you're not canting the rifle as you shoot.  Hope that helps.

Dave

Offline MEHavey

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Re: Leveling a Scope.....
« Reply #2 on: February 01, 2009, 01:52:57 PM »
Forget the levelers.  You just want to be natural/consistantly square.

Raise the rifle to your shoulder naturally and look through the scope for a known vertical line -- like a doorframe.  Adjust/rotate the scope so that door edge and the vertical crosshair line up naturally each time every time as you *first* look through the glass.  Alternately tighten each side of front and back rings a little bit and check again.  After that, tighten up.

Fugedaboutit....  :-)

Offline Leadhead

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Re: Leveling a Scope.....
« Reply #3 on: February 01, 2009, 02:07:53 PM »
Thanks.........so I guess as long as the scope is held consistently plumb & level to the eye, then all should be well. Now, if I can get a break with this weather, I can try it out on some targets.

Benjamin Marauder .22(#004), Leapers 4-16x50AO
Crosman 2100 w/Leapers 3-9x32AO, Crosman 66, Crosman 760

Offline MEHavey

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Re: Leveling a Scope.....
« Reply #4 on: February 01, 2009, 02:21:02 PM »
Most people naturally hold a rifle fairly vertically, hence why this method work in adjusting the scope to match.  If by chance you fall prey to what's come to be called "gangsta cant" (sideways) but set the scope to line up with the vertical door frame, the scope crosshairs will immediately look cockeyed when looking through them/glancing down to the receiver just below.  

When the crosshairs/receiver "look" right together, and the door frame still lines up vertically -- you're golden -- and life is good.



.

Offline Progun

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Re: Leveling a Scope.....
« Reply #5 on: February 02, 2009, 04:47:36 PM »
Hey Raoul, you know Mike is correct when he tells you that there should be a comfortable natural hold with your CFX and likewise a natural "straight" level positioning of your scope to make the fit and comfort of the scoped rifle just naturally comfortable to your neck, cheek and eye.In a perfect world with a perfect stock that fits you, along with a well manufactured scope it would just naturally work out that way.Even though your scope might be new, it's possible that it is flawed. If the crosshairs have begun to rotate in the tube,your scope won't be level with the gun. I've seen this happen to scopes but usually it takes a lot of shooting before this happens.Unless you get a lemon. Or the adjustment knobs have been maxed out and you have a "broken" scope. Should be: If the scope is good with perfect alignment of the crosshairs,leveling the gun and scope in synch SHOULD give you that perfect feel and sight alignment every time you snuggle up to it. If it doesn't, try leveling the scope only with a bubble level and pay no attention to how the crosshairs are positioned. When you look through the scope, do the crosshairs seem canted? If they are and you KNOW the scope is mounted level, then your reticle has began to rotate. If it has and you keep shooting it, it will only get worse and accuracy will vanish like a breath in the wind.If you determine that your reticle is canted, send that scope back. Incidentally, this is a good way to check any scope for reticle shift.

Offline Leadhead

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Re: Leveling a Scope.....
« Reply #6 on: February 03, 2009, 01:34:20 AM »
Thanks for the info, Dave. I'll take the scope off of the rifle & level it to check the crosshairs. Could save myself a lot of trouble. Thanks Again,...............Raoul

Benjamin Marauder .22(#004), Leapers 4-16x50AO
Crosman 2100 w/Leapers 3-9x32AO, Crosman 66, Crosman 760

Offline Leadhead

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Re: Leveling a Scope.....
« Reply #7 on: February 03, 2009, 01:52:52 AM »
Forgot to ask..............Is putting a small level on top of the elevation cap the proper way to level the scope ???  Or is there another way ???

Benjamin Marauder .22(#004), Leapers 4-16x50AO
Crosman 2100 w/Leapers 3-9x32AO, Crosman 66, Crosman 760

Offline Progun

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Re: Leveling a Scope.....
« Reply #8 on: February 03, 2009, 10:47:10 AM »
Hey Raoul, don't worry about removing the scope from the gun to level it.Leave it in the rings on the gun but with the ring screws loose enough to turn the scope tube as necessary.Just grab the scope by the elevation and windage knobs and turn left or right to "square it up".Lay your bubble level on top of your elevation drum or the screw on cap if it is flat. It could be that a mass produced rifle may not necessarily have a flat level receiver or scope rail once it is bedded in the stock. In other words, the barrel and action could just naturally be a little canted with the factory stock. A little inletting modification should address this if that is the case.

Offline TCups

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RE: Leveling a Scope.....
« Reply #9 on: February 03, 2009, 01:01:33 PM »
10-meter shooters sometimes intentionally set their rifles up to be shot with a pronounced degree of cant.  Keeping the rifle and scope vertical and level requires the neck to be bent toward the scope. This necessarily results in some asymmetric muscular tension in the neck and shoulder of the shooter.  Canting the scope and rifle toward the eye allows the neck (rather than the rifle) to remain more vertical in position, and the neck and shoulders to be more relaxed. (reference - The Ways of the Rifle)  Likewise, vertical risers on the front and rear sights will allow shooters with longer necks to be more erect and relaxed.  

A canted set up is OK if the rifle sights are zeroed to always shoot at a fixed distance, eg. 10-meters, because this easily compensates for the degree of cant.  But if the distance changes, then the degree of cant changes the POI. The pellet will tend "fall off" further to the left or right the further down range the target, versus just falling off the horizontal axis.  

With a canted shooting position, particularly with a mil dot scope, I suppose one could learn to compensate for the change in "windage" just like the change in "elevation" downrange -- haven't really thought about that or tried before .  I set up all my scoped rifles to shoot with the vertical cross hair of the reticle in line with the center of the receiver and then try to make sure the reticle is on the true vertical when I am shooting.  

Another observation -- target rifles with squared off forestocks (those that rest with a flat surface on the palm) tend to be easier for me to hold perfectly level than those with rounded forestocks. I notice that my CZ-634 and Walther LGR-U are both designed with this type of forestock, presumably for that reason.