Scope cant

[Gimlet]

Why do I find it such a pain to set a scope up level? I always have

I fiddle and faff and fine tune and I'm convinced its perfect then when I pick the rifle up next time its running down a mile and I think how the hell did I not see that.

I don't cant the rifle when I shoot but my eyes seem to play tricks when I'm setting the scope up.

I've just bought a Nightforce NSX 5.5-22 X 56 with a NP-22D reticle and that has been the worst ever. Must be because there's no long vertical stadia. Great hunting reticle especially illuminated with a lamp but God ist been a fiddle. Must be my eyes.

 

 

 

[Muddy Funker]

I know everyone has their routine but I'll get a spirit level bubble on the rifle, the hawk ones do the job just fine.

 

Then make a plumb line with white string and a weight and hang it off washing line, then I can fiddle around with the rifle on the kitchen table aimed into the garden without the obligatory "there's a sniper in the garden" calls to police.

 

The bubble on the rifle tells me that's straight, then line up vertical scope post with string, surely everything is bang on after that? Seems to work for me.

[The Essex Hunter]

I lock up the gun on a bi-pod and set the stock on a sand bag then use my boat level off the mounts to get the gun horizontal, I previously set the eye piece distance and marked it with a piece of tape, then lay the scope in the mounts and tighten all the screws evenly.

Then put the level on the top cap and proceed to tighten all the screws up in a cross sequence.

I make sure the gaps are even on the mounts as well I use a low strength thread lock on the screws.

A quick check off an up right post off the bi-pod in the garden works for me….

 

 

TEH

[welshwarrior]

I lock up the gun on a bi-pod and set the stock on a sand bag then use my boat level off the mounts to get the gun horizontal, I previously set the eye piece distance and marked it with a piece of tape, then lay the scope in the mounts and tighten all the screws evenly.

Then put the level on the top cap and proceed to tighten all the screws up in a cross sequence.

I make sure the gaps are even on the mounts as well I use a low strength thread lock on the screws.

A quick check off an up right post off the bi-pod in the garden works for me.

 

 

TEH

Same but I use a plumb line as the final check

[kent]

I have a permanent line scribed on a post total vertical on my driveway. I set the rifle up on a rest with a bubble on the action sat on my island in the kitchen then bring the scope into line with the line checking all the time as I tighten. I then go and shoot three groups at a target on a nil wind, the target is just a very large blank sheet pinned to a board I mark a large line down it in black marker with the spirit level vertical and a centre aim point (obviously following an initial zero) shoot a group for the centre then wind max elevation in and shoot another group using the same aim point. yet again another group this time with the turret with minimum elevation. No cross over should occur and it also tells you your adjustment range in minutes. if your out first mark the scope and mount in pencil, adjust and try again. Trying to move it just so and remembering were you are and were is hard without the pencil lines.

Hope this helps, its a faff but very much the only way for sure

[Gimlet]

I must admit I've never followed any elaborate mounting procedure using plumb lines or levels. I just use my eyes, and I've always managed to produce consistant POI throughout my working range. But on one rifle in particular I'm not convinced the mounting blocks machined on the receiver are true. I believe this is not uncommon on mass-produced rifles, even modern, supposedly quality ones. I can get the reticle appearing perfectly perpendicular to the action when sighting through the scope, but viewing the whole rig at arms length the scope does not appear to sit square on the rifle. I can get it right one way but not both, and I can be utterly convinced its perfect one moment then next time I look it seems out a mile. Though as I say the reticle is a very tricky one because it doesn't have a vertical stadia, or a full width horizon line, and that plays with the eyes. I will try again using a vice, level and plumb line.

I've found the rifle extremely accurate in the field but it could be that this new scope will find out any machining error when I start pushing the distance on the range. If the mounting blocks are out I don't know if anything much can be done about it as they are machined out of the receiver not screwed on to it. It will be a pity if the rifle turns out not to be up to target shooting.

Edited March 30, 2013 by Gimlet

[kent]

if the action grooves are out it can be sorted with mounts. Not having a totally vertical crosshair means when you dial in up you wander one side of your zero and winding down the other, its more important than you might think to check this and get it spot on. mount a long bar of the same diameter as the scope in those mounts you think are not true the length will be a dead give away 9-10 times by eye