Can crosshairs on a scope be realigned?

[Gerry52]

I have a Discovery VT-T scope (old one) that's always been one of my favorites. When I have ALL the exterior surfaces of my equipment showing level (scope vertical turret, mounting rail, rifle stock) the scope crosshairs are slightly canted about 3-5 degrees. I can still shoot "lights out" with my gun but, being as OCD & anal as I am, the crosshairs not looking absolutely vertical to me bugs the heck outa me. Hence, my question. If 3 out of 4 things show true level I damn well want the 4th to be that way!

 

[Danoh]

Can’t answer your question, but I’ve had a couple over the years like that. I agree, it is irritating.

 

[Scotty1]

I don’t use the elevation turret to level off of, but rather a plumb line down range.

 

[Airgun-hobbyist]

With every new scope I get I set up the scope's cross hairs to parallel with a hanging plumb line, and then a permanent bubble level is attached to the tube. Then I check turret tracking and know if it is true and correct to the reticle. If these two things are correct the scope can be mounted to the gun and trued to the bore centerline. If the scopes reticle and turret tracking does not match then the scope gets sent to the manufacturer as defective.

With the bubble level on the scope's tube always indicating the level to gravity, you can set up the scope in any orientation in the mounts on the gun that is most comfortable to you that produces accurate results; though it should bisect the bore's centerline.

 

[r1lover]

Switch hands, mount the gun and look through the scope. I bet the cross hairs look canted in the other direction. The same thing bothered me for a long time too till I realized it wasn't a problem.

 

[Airgun-hobbyist]

Switch hands, mount the gun and look through the scope. I bet the cross hairs look canted in the other direction. The same thing bothered me for a long time too till I realized it wasn't a problem.

This is exactly the reason for mounting a permanent bubble level on the body of the scope. Gravity does not lie; but body position, the horizon, angled targets, trees and more outside influenced can give a false illusion of what is truly vertical.

 

[Gerry52]

I will realign my scope, yet again, with a plumb line & train myself to ignore the exterior appearance of the scope being canted. I've accomplished harder things in my life! . After all, it's about long range accuracy, not appearances.

 

[JungleShooter]

Someone talked earlier about aligning the scope with the bore.
But I'm not sure this was clear enough....


➊ The first thing should be that the vertical crosshair of the scope has the be aligned with the bore:
(a) Rest the gun and aim at a mirror 10y away at max magnification.
If the vertical crosshair goes through the center of the muzzle, the scope is aligned with the bore.
If not, rotate the scope until it is.
The eliminates scope cant.


➋ Then aim the scope at a plumb line some distance away, and hold the gun such that the vertical crosshair is aligned with the plumb.
I that position, mount and tighten a bubble level to the scope tube (not the mount or the rail).
This eliminates gun cant.


➌ Now, when shooting, only make sure the bubble is level, and you have eliminated both scope cant and gun cant effectively.

Matthias

 

[Airgun-hobbyist]

Someone talked earlier about aligning the scope with the bore.
But I'm not sure this was clear enough....


➊ The first thing should be that the vertical crosshair of the scope has the be aligned with the bore:
(a) Rest the gun and aim at a mirror 10y away at max magnification.
If the vertical crosshair goes through the center of the muzzle, the scope is aligned with the bore.
If not, rotate the scope until it is.
The eliminates scope cant.


➋ Then aim the scope at a plumb line some distance away, and hold the gun such that the vertical crosshair is aligned with the plumb.
I that position, mount and tighten a bubble level to the scope tube (not the mount or the rail).
This eliminates gun cant.


➌ Now, when shooting, only make sure the bubble is level, and you have eliminated both scope cant and gun cant effectively.

Matthias

I do steps 1 & 2 opposite of you for scope mechanics testing purposes. With the bubble level attached and plumb, if the scope turrets and cross hairs do not track true then there's no reason to align with the bore, and it should be returned to the manufacturer as defective. If it tests true, then I go through the process of aligning it to the bore, and do a "walk back tune" similar to what we do in archery for perfect vertical alignment.

 

[JungleShooter]

I do steps 1 & 2 opposite of you for scope mechanics testing purposes. With the bubble level attached and plumb, if the scope turrets and cross hairs do not track true then there's no reason to align with the bore, and it should be returned to the manufacturer as defective. If it tests true, then I go through the process of aligning it to the bore, and do a "walk back tune" similar to what we do in archery for perfect vertical alignment.

I like your testing approach, I will put that into my notes, cool.

Matthias

 

[spinj]

Someone talked earlier about aligning the scope with the bore.
But I'm not sure this was clear enough....


➊ The first thing should be that the vertical crosshair of the scope has the be aligned with the bore:
(a) Rest the gun and aim at a mirror 10y away at max magnification.
If the vertical crosshair goes through the center of the muzzle, the scope is aligned with the bore.
If not, rotate the scope until it is.
The eliminates scope cant.


➋ Then aim the scope at a plumb line some distance away, and hold the gun such that the vertical crosshair is aligned with the plumb.
I that position, mount and tighten a bubble level to the scope tube (not the mount or the rail).
This eliminates gun cant.


➌ Now, when shooting, only make sure the bubble is level, and you have eliminated both scope cant and gun cant effectively.

Matthias

That’s exactly how it’s supposed to be done—aligning first the scope by ensuring that the vertical line of the reticle intersects the center of the bore then leveling the entire rifle, with a rifle-mounted bubble level (preferably one that mounts to the scope tube for adjustability), against a plumb line. Or similarly, without the scope yet mounted on the rifle but with a scope-mounted bubble level, leveling the scope against a plumb line then mounting the scope on the rifle and leveling the vertical line of the reticle with the bore.

By doing either above, both the scope and rifle can be set truly vertical when leveling the bubble on the gun when shooting … avoiding all that “my gun shoots 1” to the right at 15 yards, dead on at 30 yards, and 1” to the left at 45 yards” (or the other way around) nonsense.

 

[Gerry52]

Thanks all! I'm well versed in mounting & leveling scopes so I wasn't looking for "how to properly level a scope". I was wondering if crosshairs can be repositioned/rotated within the scope. Remounted yesterday using plumb line & mirror. Gonna zero it out later this morning.

 

[steve123]

Send it back, that is unless the warranty has expired, then too bad so sad, like with my 13 year old 8-32 Hawke Sidewinder that lives in the bone pile of old busted scopes because the warranty is only to the original purchaser and for only 10 years.

Having everything perfectly level isn't "all that". I don't pursue that particular perfection and have won plenty of matches. When I missed it wasn't because the scope wasn't plum and leveled. I either muffed the shot or got the wind wrong.