Where do you level your scope from?

[DMikeM]

I noticed on my guns that the action or breech block is not level to the stock. Also any thing attached to the dovetails is not level. I have previously set my level breech block to the cross hairs in a hanging rope. I found that when i hold the gun up the cross hairs are not level unless I turn the gun slightly. So how do you go about getting a level scope?
Now I am trying to level by the small flat spot behind the action on my B26 and it seems to be closer to true level when I hold up the gun.

[fisherdude]

I eyeball getting the rifle verticle in a gun vise. Usually, for a commercially built rifle, the stock is machined on a stock duplicator and the but of the rifle is verticle and in line with the bore.  A level laid across the turret cover can then level the scope.  You can usually do pretty well just eyeballing it by looking at the verticle cross hair and the edge of a building or pole that you know to be verticle.  Snug the screws down a little at a time going from side to side and verifying verticle or the mount will often cause the scope to rotate slightly.

[fnash]

I have a level that clamps to the dovetail. In a gun vise I level the rifle by that. I do my scopes in the house so use the corner edge of the room for the vertical adjustment. I too tighten the screws back and forth like an engine block, keeping check with the vertical wall until all tightened down.
Frank

[DMikeM]

Thanks for the answers.
I found that any adapter plates clamped to the dovetail are not level with the rest of the gun so using a dovetail level would not work in my case. I will go with what feels right as level and adjust from there. I to go back and forth a little at a time.

[shady816]

i use like fnash said normally vise the stock with it as close to level as posible and i have strick a verticle and horizontal lines on the wall and use those to square up the crosshairs and i found that most leapers scopes the turrets are not square with the crosshairs so don't be to alarmed to find the turrets slightly cocked i know it looks bad but better to be accurate. and sometimes the best way to level the gun is to just use the scope rings without the top cover on as a level point.