Everyone is Wrong! Level Your Scope with One Simple Trick Cost Free

I guess Billy Dixon used this technique…….. 😂😂😂

Is that a pocket pussy?

No i use a simple tool putting it between scope and gun it levels itself when mounting

nope,youre all still doing it wrong!

a plumb bob is used for adjusting your scope mounted level to read level when the vertucal crosshairs are aligned with the string,
NOT for aligning the scope to the gun.

the vertical crosshair should ALWAYS be aligned with the center line of the bore so as to keep shots from drifting off to one side as distance increases.

to do this requires only a mirror,
setup at half the distance of your closest parallax,
looking through the scope at the image of your self in the mirror,
you want to make sure that the vertical crosshair intersects the center of the scope objective and the center of the bore at the same time.
then use the plumb line to set the scope level to level.

I do the same thing using a leveling lazer

I eventually got the Arisaka scope leveling device to mount my glass but of course it works fine on pic rails. Before that I would use a couple of cheapie bullet levels to align the gun and scope.
https://youtu.be/bAd_JWLmomI

Hello. I am a first time air gunner/shooter. What a revelation it was to hear you say, "The reticle is crooked." That was my exact reaction after carefully leveling my rifle on its cant-enabled bi-pod. I have a bubble level up front on the top Picatinny rail. My high-quality rings are on straight and tight. I used the FixIt Stick Scope Jack tool to perfectly align the scope inside the rings, 90 degrees to the gun. 

I'm still getting use to, or learning how to use the sight window of the scope, how far should I be from the eye piece, etc. When I finally got a good sight picture the vertical line of the reticle looked off, maybe a degree or two at most. Also I noticed the target seems to drift around behind the reticle in the sight picture, depending on where my eye is.

Finally, in frustration, I hung a plum bob off of a tree in the back yard, some 63 yards down range. To my dumb-struck amazement the vertical reticle line in the scope and the hanging string are perfectly parallel. I stared for about 30 seconds. What the hell? So why does the reticle still look off? I couldn't figure it out; I had to believe my own eyes. Anyway, your explanation really helped me figure it out. At least I know I'm not "seeing things" or going crazy.

Next I have to learn how to zero the scope. I dumped my first 12-round mag of pellets at the target. Not one damn hit! God knows were the pellets went off to; hopefully somewhere into the forest behind the back yard. Man, this is going to be a long learning curve. Anyway, thanks for posting; your video really helped. By the way, nice piece of property, sir. Take care.

That’s how I do it too. And yep I have in the past used bubble levels only to shoulder the rifle to se my reticle slightly canted, what a pain. So the plum bob is definitely the way to go.

Hey bro,thanks alot!

I don't have a plumb bob setup so I use a different method. I mount the scope and then put it to my shoulder where I position the rifle till I'm holding it vertical, then slowly raise my eye to the scope. You eyes are accurate. When the vertical movement of my eye from receiver to crosshairs are aligned, then I tighten the rings. Checking that they haven't moved. I also use the Arisaka optical level to lock the scope in position. Doesn't always work as some scopes don't have a flat bottom, but it helps to hold it in position as it's a adjustable wedge design.

What is that finish on the RPR?

I can put this in a perfect solution for all of you put a level on your scope on the bottom if you're caps aren't level then put one on your pic rail put one on the barrel and another one on the scope tube and what all these are level the scope and gun have to be level then if you don't shoot too good you might look into something you can't change operator error!!!!!!!!!!!
Beagleman

I've fitted lots of Scopes over my fifty years of shooting and have tried every way under the sun. The worst way is using levels. This is the best way by far.

What if your gun , on a mat, on grass, is canted?? Sit it down on a leveled table, and I bet it won’t be in line with the string. I think your wrong on this one, just my opinion. Ky

says bubble levels are junk, no good , off from one to the other then says add a bubble level. ok dude your batting a 1000

Your wrong also. The idea of using a level on a rifle is sound. Your understanding of why is in error.

All scopes are different, using the turret to level is a assumption it is dialing straight up and down. That is not always the case.

If you level your reticle at 50 or a 100yards , but the erector assembly does not dial straight up in down , you will get a windage shift as you dial up and a shift the opposite direction when dialing down. At a 1000 yards you could have several inches of shift.

What you need to do is set your scope base on reticle tracking using a tall target.

You will need a 4’x2’ back stop that doesn’t move with the wind.

Draw a vertical line with a level, the a horizontal line at about 2” off the bottom. You fire a shot at the intersection of the lines being careful to use the lines you drew to air. Your cross hairs must rest on those lines! Next dial up 10 moa. Fire another shot using the same point of aim. That shot should hit near the top of the target hopefully on the vertical line. It it’s off to the side it will hit off to the side of your point of aim , there will a slight error in elevation.

Rotate your scope just a little go back to 50 yard setting , check your setting and adjust for poi , you need to resign to. Fire a careful shot it should hit yhe intersection of the lines dial up 10 moa shoot and see if it strikes the vertical line. Repeat until both shots strike vertical plum and hopefully on the line. Reset for 50 yards , now with the rifle set with the cross hairs on the vertical and horizontal lines set your scope level.

Now if you are using the level dial for a distance shot the scope will track properly. During this process you should verify if the scope is dialing as advertised. You take careful measurements between the two shots. Using math you can determine it your 10 moa adjustment is actually 10 moa.

Go to applied ballistics you tube and web site. Look for using or shooting a Tall target for rifle set up.

When done don’t worry if your torrent caps are not plum. They could be tilted. What’s important is you know if using the level set this way the scope will dial correctly and will be spot on with your ballistic program .

I try to always finger before I screw.

How did you level the rifle? That’s why I use a final scope level.

Boy, I had to rewind that one…lol…the gent is giving out " not so correct info"…lol
Your rifle is first in needing to be plumb/ level ( flat top action or rail makes it easier…after rifle is set plumb/ level, then scope as shown or several other ways leveling it…all the same out- come.
But the fact here is…UR RIFLE NEEDS TO BE IN LEVEL FIRST!!

People-DO NOT DO THIS

Ok, this method truly makes the scope level! Typically I have difficulties with the other part though, which is the mounting rifle itself level (or as you put it, comfortable).

Do it this way. Then zero your rifle at 100 yds, adjust the scope for a target at 400 yds and shoot it. Come back and tell us how many feet you're off horizontally. Some high school trigonometry might help you here. 😉

Arisaka leveling wedge is better.

What you say about bubble levels is true. I saw a guy in the store taking several levels off the rack and setting them on the same surface in all places. I said What are you doing?
He said I’m seeing which level is reading the same ( doesn’t necessarily have to be level but that be nice if you can find that surface in a store) in the same plane. For example all three levels read flat level is ideal. Or at least in the same plane ie all off the same way. Mass production isn’t always the best. Made sense.
With that being said. Once you do what he says in the video wherever you are comfortable and hit you set the level. Hopefully with the horizontal. Cheers. Hope this helped.

The plumb line needs to also bisect the bore.

Not my 2 cents on mounting your scope. Paramount Tactical YT video on "How to Mount a scope the Right Way." Best video out there these days. Plumb bob is not for me a lot of modern tools today to mount that scope correctly: Wheeler Engineering and magnetic scope leveler from Leupold works for years.

I may be wrong here. I understand what you are saying about being comfortable and rifle is canted and that's your shooting hold. I think this may work at short ranges but the barrel is installed at a slight angle upward squred with the chamber and centerline of the gun right? So if you set scope and shoot with a cant, when you make verticle dope adjustments at long range it won't be straight verticle adjustments. If the barrel is canted it will throw the bullet off a bit horizontally at distance. Thats my thoughts. I level my scope to the chamber. So is my thinking wrong here?

Even easier, and can be done in your back yard, use a mirror. Set your side or objective focus to it’s shortest distance. Many are 25 yards. Set up a mirror at 12.5 yards away. Look through scope into mirror so you see your reflection. Rotate scope so verticle portion of reticle is centered on the rifles bore. Tighten screws. Done. No plumb bob no range no levels. But if you’re only shooting a hundred yards or so (typical deer range) eyeballing the reticle to what you think is level is entirely adequate.

2:50
And IN FACT, the alignment of the vertical element of a reticle can be more critical to WINDAGE results than ELEVATION results. Think about it: If your vertical element is a only few degrees out-of-plumb, it will have very little effect on the point of impact VERTICALLY, because the GRADUATIONS (MOA, Mils) for drop compensation are what determine that. BUT, if you're compensating for 30 inches of DROP via the BDC markings on the vertical element, your WINDAGE can be GREATLY affected by a non-plumb element, since the effect on WINDAGE is MULTIPLIED as you move down the reticle and then COMPOUNDED by the DISTANCE to target.

2:04
Always take TWO readings from your bubble level by turning the level 180 degrees between them, then take the AVERAGE of the two outcomes, i.e., if your level is not "dead nuts", the level should indicate a slight tilt in one direction in the first orientation, and an equal slight tilt in the OPPOSITE direction when turned 180.

You can also TEST your bubble level via this method. If it indicates EXACTLY level in both orientations, your level is "dead nuts"; if it DOESN'T, it's NOT, but still usable via the above procedure.

So you align your Vertical cross hair while mounteds to your shoulder. So it is canted to some degree. But at the end, you then say add your bubble level, Seems to me it canted, it is not going to show level? What am I missing?

Intelligent.

"in truth we dont want the reticle level to the gun" Uh yeah we do want the reticle level to the gun. If your reticle isnt level then any markings on the reticle cannot be used properly.

Dont follow these directions…!!!!

The gun must be plumb centered under the center of crosshair.

Not negotiable for accuracy

Well, lot of comments on this one, and by all right, this is wrong. You might use this technique if you always shoot on the same distance.
But if you sight in at 100m / yd, your bullet will pass the vertical sight line and never go back as soon as you shoot at further distance.
The results will be worse the more cant you have on the rifle and also with increased distance bore/LOS

Perhaps for 100-150 yard hunting shots.