Wheeler Engineering Scope leveling kit

[Tominco]

Hey guys!

I've been eyeing up the Wheeler leveling kit for quite some time so, I decided to make a video review on it and some other tools from Wheeler. (The video's down at the bottom if you want to skip right to it.) I'll share some quick thoughts on each tool set here but, for more details and how-to's, check out the video! 

I mount and un-mount scopes on a fairly regular basis and I wanted something better to replace the DIY method I've been using. I saw this leveling kit about 2 years ago and it's been on my mind, as something to get, ever since. Michael Wendt uses it and likes it. Steve (AEAC) uses it too. That guy is constantly mounting scopes for his reviews and, if there were some major flaw in the system, I think we would have seen him stop using it. 

Overall, I like it! I think it's a great way to set up a scope quickly and easily. It's easy to understand how to use it after a quick read of the instructions. Both levels have trim adjustments. It's part of the way the system works for the larger one. But, it's an added feature for the smaller one which you don't normally see in levels that small. The included padded case is really nice to have as well. It'll do a great job protecting the system from getting dirty, damaged, or even lost (smaller level)! I don't have many gripes on the system but, if I were to pick on it, I'd say that I wish the smaller level had a magnetic base. 

I picked up the F.A.T. torque wrench in order to tighten down my scope bolts properly. Plain and simple. I've often wondered if I'm over or under tightening my scope mounting bolts and ring bolts and what the effects of doing so might be. Now, I can feel confident that I'm doing it right. On rare occasions, I've also found myself wishing I had a nice in-lb torque wrench for working on cars and other projects around the shop. This will come in handy for those times as well. It's a nice little torque wrench and, like the scope leveling system, is easy to use. A simple pull-and-twist will get you to the torque setting you're after. Inside the package was a sheet of paper stating calibration measurements from when it was made. That's a nice touch since I have no way of checking it to make sure it's right. The system comes with 10 bits but, unfortunately, none of them are Metric allen size. There are 2 torx, 3 SAE allen, and 3 flat blades (Which I would gladly give up for some Metrics!). Like the level kit, it comes with a case to keep things organized, together, and protected. 

I've been wanting a set of "P" handled allen keys for a very long time! When I go to professional airgun shops, I see sets like this. When I look in the back ground of pictures from rifle tuners and guys that are always tinkering with their rifles, I see sets like this. So, there must be something to it, right? On the few occasions where I've found myself wrenching in shop with a set like this, I've always found them to be very nice to work with which has only reaffirmed to me to get a set. This may be a small detail but, when you give one of these a spin and you feel the weight of the tool kick in to help run a bolt down... it's just feels nice! I always thought these were called "T" handle but Wheeler is calling them "P" handle. In using them, I think they are formed comfortably and length of the handles allows me to get enough torque out of them without having to switch to the shorter end. The base is made of plastic. If I were using this in a car mechanics shop, I might have wanted to see a metal base. Since these will be dedicated to the airgun room, plastic will work well. I wish they had spaced the larger keys out a little differently. There's a few instances of conflict of space. For example, if I go to pull the 4mm hex key, it runs into the bottom of the 10mm hex key and I have to lift them both in order to get it out. Personally, I rarely use the larger keys so, I think I'm just going to put the larger ones in a drawer. As you might expect, the holes in the base are sized and hex shaped which helps to get keys put back where they belong. I like the set and I'm really glad to finally have one for my shop!

Check out the video for more details. 

Happy Shooting! 

Tom



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrP2Jmy2pRk

 

[JoeWayneRhea]

Dude Seriously that is a GREAT VIDEO !!! Perfect presentation my friend . You are.looking so comfortable on camera !!! Way to go Bro

 

[airgunmike56]

Good to know, Good to go, Your videos have gotten very good and I look forward to more of them,

Thanks

Mike

 

[nervoustrig]

Just a heads up, the photos and description for the Wheeler kit on Midway tingle my spidey sense for some common errors and assumptions regarding scope leveling.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/189016/wheeler-engineering-professional-reticle-leveling-system

The most obvious is the photo showing a level attached to the barrel and another on the scope turret. There are numerous reasons why leveling these two will not necessarily result in the reticle being aligned to the bore. From machining imperfections, to scope ring centering relative to the receiver, to reticle registration relative to the turrets...any one of these things can produce alignment error.

Granted I could be missing something. I want to think a "professional reticle leveling system" has been properly engineered to remove these potential sources of error. Hopefully Scott (Scotchmo) will see this and comment.

 

[CampFussell]

Awesome Tom, I'm digging that allen tool set!

 

[Scotchmo]

...
Granted I could be missing something. I want to think a "professional reticle leveling system" has been properly engineered to remove these potential sources of error. Hopefully Scott (Scotchmo) will see this and comment.

We can setup a gun so it feels/appears correct/level using the OP's method. When mounting a scope that way, we might need to adjust the elevation AND windage when we resight for different distances. But for many, that is OK.

If we want the scope/reticle to track perfectly along the plane of the trajectory, we should reference the bore when installing the scope. A good optical bore collimator is best. But a mirror placed at a few yards down range can suffice.

I don't use bubble levels to install a scope. Starting with a mechanically centered reticle, I use a collimator or mirror to set the reticle alignment to the bore. The only thing I use a bubble level for is to insure that the reticle is held level/vertical when shooting.

nervoustrigger, - If it works for the OP's purposes, then no point in suggesting otherwise.

"ignorance is bliss"

Edit: Wheeler does sell a laser bore sight. A laser bore sight can act as a collimator. A mechanically-or-optically centered scope can be rotated in the rings until the laser dot lies on the vertical reticle at all distance (close and far). That indicates that the reticle is in line with the bore.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2130726870/wheeler-engineering-professional-laser-bore-sight

 

[nervoustrig]

Well said as usual.

Professionally marketed it is.

 

[Bigragu]

Scotchmo, on one of my own treads awhile back I posted about anti can’t bubble levels, and you came on and described this mirror method. So, I have been setting up my scopes with the Wheeler set up that Tominco has shown. All my scopes. Powder burners and my air rifles. After hearing of your mirror method, I had to try it, but I thought I would check where mine was at before loosening anything up(if I don’t need to re sight, I won’t, lol).

So, I set the gun up on my Wheeler Best gun vise, locked it in, and as far as level goes I made sure brim butt to muzzle the gun was level, and side to side, with a level on top of the elevation turret on the scope. Pulled one of our bathroom mirrors out, set up a few yards from gun, and looked thru. I looked to see if the vertical line on the scope intersected the direct middle of the barrel. It was already there. At first, maybe I thought I did something wrong, or did not understand your method well. In fact,I really had trouble looking thru the scope and trying to see that the vertical line fell on the barrel center without touching the rifle. So, I left it alone. I did, however, find that my anti can’t bubble level which is scope tube mounted was off a bit. I ended up taping blue painters tape bothe vertically and horizontally(intersecting them like a cross hair) that were both 100% level and plumb. When the scope cross hairs were in line with both those, then I adjusted the anti can’t level. 

So, based on my description of how I followed your method, please tell me if I did something wrong, cause like I said, I didn’t have o do anything to the scope, as it came out like you explained.

lastly, I also have that green boresight laser from Wheeler. As far as using it as a tool to check if it falls on the vertical line of the scope, what happens if that magnetized tool is put on high and to the left at the end of your barrel? It has no guide to slip into the muzzle. It’s made to stick on and the way I stick it may differ on how another person sticks it(the Wheeler laser, that is, lol).

oh, with all the aluminum moderators in place on our pcp’s, the Wheeler laser bore sight tool is no good, btw.



Thanks, Scotchmo 

 

[Scotchmo]

Scotchmo, on one of my own treads awhile back I posted about anti can’t bubble levels, and you came on and described this mirror method. So, I have been setting up my scopes with the Wheeler set up that Tominco has shown. All my scopes. Powder burners and my air rifles. After hearing of your mirror method, I had to try it, but I thought I would check where mine was at before loosening anything up(if I don’t need to re sight, I won’t, lol).

So, I set the gun up on my Wheeler Best gun vise, locked it in, and as far as level goes I made sure brim butt to muzzle the gun was level, and side to side, with a level on top of the elevation turret on the scope. Pulled one of our bathroom mirrors out, set up a few yards from gun, and looked thru. I looked to see if the vertical line on the scope intersected the direct middle of the barrel. It was already there. At first, maybe I thought I did something wrong, or did not understand your method well. In fact,I really had trouble looking thru the scope and trying to see that the vertical line fell on the barrel center without touching the rifle. So, I left it alone. I did, however, find that my anti can’t bubble level which is scope tube mounted was off a bit. I ended up taping blue painters tape bothe vertically and horizontally(intersecting them like a cross hair) that were both 100% level and plumb. When the scope cross hairs were in line with both those, then I adjusted the anti can’t level. 

So, based on my description of how I followed your method, please tell me if I did something wrong, cause like I said, I didn’t have o do anything to the scope, as it came out like you explained.

lastly, I also have that green boresight laser from Wheeler. As far as using it as a tool to check if it falls on the vertical line of the scope, what happens if that magnetized tool is put on high and to the left at the end of your barrel? It has no guide to slip into the muzzle. It’s made to stick on and the way I stick it may differ on how another person sticks it(the Wheeler laser, that is, lol).

oh, with all the aluminum moderators in place on our pcp’s, the Wheeler laser bore sight tool is no good, btw.



Thanks, Scotchmo

....I looked to see if the vertical line on the scope intersected the direct middle of the barrel. It was already there. ... "

Then your scope rotation is good.

"...oh, with all the aluminum moderators in place on our pcp’s, the Wheeler laser bore sight tool is no good, btw...."

If there is no way to center the bore sighter on the bore, then it is of little use for that gun.

Even if I used a bore sighter or collimator, I always do a final verification by shooting at 10 yrds and at 25 yds. If both distances lie on the vertical reticle with no turret adjustments, then I'm good.

 

[mtnGhost]

@Tominco I took your advice and got these.. I guess I'll see how far off my eyeballs were later today!

 

[Tominco]

Cool man! I hope you like them!