Leveling a Scopes Reticle:
Several ways to accomplish this. I will speak to two options I have found to work very well.
Tools Recommended:
Inch LB Torque wrench (Wheeler FAT wrench works) or the "Fix It Sticks" with the torque limiters.
Feeler Gauge Set
Brand New Deck of Cards
THIN string (I use sewing thread)
Weight (washer works)
WHITE piece of paper
Rifle Holding Fixture (The Tipton works well)
Level
BRIGHT Light
OK....two options here. First one uses the feeler gages or deck of cards. Most optics have a "FLAT" at the bottom of elevation/windage turrets. MOST mounts have a "FLAT" (one piece) or...if using rings the rifle "May" have a flat (picatinny rail). If there is not a FLAT on both the scope and mount or rifle, then skip this and go to option 2.
FIRST establish eye relief. Set optic in the mount/rings, tighten ring screws per manufacturers instructions, but keep just loose enough to allow for movement (fore and aft/side to side). To establish eye relief for 3 position shooting, recommend that you establish the eye relief from the SEATED position.
Once eye relief is established, mark tube with tape, or some sort of reference.
Option One:
Set optic in the mount/rings, tighten ring screws per manufacturers instructions, but keep just loose enough to allow for movement (side to side).
Using a feeler gage or deck of cards, fill the space between the flat under the elevation turret and the flat on your mount or rifle's rail. Use enough gages or cards to make for a tight fit. Trial and error here.
Once it is set, verify the eye relief (look at witness mark) and then start to secure the rings per instructions. Carefully remove the gage/deck of cards when the rings are "just holding" the tube securely.
The above option is how I mount my NRA HP/CMP Service Rifle optics. It is fast, and it serves me well for what I do with those rifles. 200/300/600 yard shooting.
OK....option one is the easiest, but not necessarily the most accurate.
For my Long Range rigs, I do something totally different.
Establish eye relief as mentioned above.
Install rifle inside a suitable fixture. Move the fixture with the rifle to a wall. Workbench works also. Place an 8.5/11" piece of paper on the wall centered on the scope body.
Make sure that the scopes eyepiece is facing the white paper on the wall. You want it to be as close to that piece of paper as possible. The stock will determine how close you can get it.
Level the rifle inside the fixture (Tipton gun vice or similar).
Hang the thread (or very thin string) from ceiling, tie the washer to the bottom of the string. You want the washer to be suspended, and centered on the piece of paper on the wall. Think plumb bob.
Take a BRIGHT light and shine it down the objective.
Here is where the magic happens...you want to center the crosshairs on the vertical string. Trial and error will accomplish this.
Now secure the scope per manufacturers instructions.
Hope this helps.
There are articles on the suspended string method online. You can googlie that.
Another thing I do, for a variety of reasons, but namely to understand exactly how much elevation I have to work with in the scope, is to set the scope to mechanical zero.
Some may think that counting the total # of clicks and dividing that will give you the center. It may.....often times it will not, it will be close.
Leupold taught me this method a few years ago, and it works very well.
Prior to mounting the optic, take it and your wifes compact mirror to the brightest room in the house, typically the bathroom.
Put the mirror over the objective (front end of scope) and while looking thru the eyepiece center the reticle on the mirror image of a reticle in the mirror.
That will be mechanical center.
Now...you may want to count how many Mils or MOA in elevation you have available from mechanical center. It will change, but it is a good reference to know.
Mount/boresight the scope. You will likely lose some elevation doing that. Zero at the range (100 yards/200 whatever your preference).
Once at your preferred zero....now count the MOA or MILs available to you in elevation.
Why is that important? It will let you know your max distance that you can dial. It MAY let you know that you MAY need a 10/20 or 30 MOA scope base to "buy back" some elevation.
Typically a 20MOA base is required with a .308 Win to reach out to 1000 yards.
Hope it helps
R/
Chris
Quote from: navybowhunter on January 18, 2017, 11:19:46 AM
Once at your preferred zero....now count the MOA or MILs available to you in elevation.
Why is that important? It will let you know your max distance that you can dial. It MAY let you know that you MAY need a 10/20 or 30 MOA scope base to "buy back" some elevation.
R/
Chris
I've heard Chris's explanation as "running out of scope".
Great postings.
AJ
Quote from: navybowhunter on January 18, 2017, 10:39:59 AM
Hang the thread (or very thin string) from ceiling, tie the washer to the bottom of the string. You want the washer to be suspended, and centered on the piece of paper on the wall. Think plumb bob.
Take a BRIGHT light and shine it down the objective.
Here is where the magic happens...you want to center the crosshairs on the vertical string. Trial and error will accomplish this.
Very crafty! I wouldn't have thought of that. I'll try in the next time I mount a scope.
My method in the past has been to mount my rifle level and across a long room (I have 25 yards in my building) use a laser level to beam a crosshair onto the paper and then adjust the reticle so that it is square to the laser.
I always verify that the reticle is vertical by shooting the Tall Target Test. http://appliedballisticsllc.com/Articles/TallTarget.pdf (http://appliedballisticsllc.com/Articles/TallTarget.pdf)
Depending on the level of precision this at the least verifies your scope is tracking straight up and down and may allow a shooter to know their absolute click value.
Here's Brian Litz demonstrating it. https://youtu.be/12Wf0Cuwwi8 (https://youtu.be/12Wf0Cuwwi8)