Been into airgun since 2010 and when I put a scope of a new rifle. I just eyeball it to make sure its level. Then I try to hold the rifle as level as possible and look through the scope at a 90 degree wall and line the crosshair with the side of a wall or door. That is how I've been doing it. But just recently I saw a video of shooters using a wheeler scope level. They place one level of the barrel and one level on the top of the scope and make sure they are both level. I check and these wheeler levels cost $50+. My question is having a scope level necessary? Because what I think is, it doesnt matter as long as the scope is close to being level. When you are shooting and looking through the scope, you are already making sure the crosshair is 90 degrees. So imo it doesn't matter is the scope is perfectly level or not....or does it? Hmmmm...
Scope levels. Is it necessary?
- Thread starter 2fast2furious
- Start date
It's best if the scope is as level as possible as it can make a difference at longer ranges. You don't need an expensive scope level though just a small level to level your gun and a string or wire to hang from somewhere like a plumb bob. Level the gun and align the reticle with the line on the plumb bob you made. Tighten things up and you are golden.
Upvote 0
I do use levels. I never been on very many farms and even my back yard where the ground is level . Using the reticle where I live would not be good for me, so yes for a level. If you don’t shoot very far you may not need one. Just my opinion
Upvote 0
G
Guest
Guest
At short distances a small cant ( less than 5 degrees) doesn’t make that much difference. At 100 yards, the same cant can put you off by several inches. The exact amount you’ll be off depends on degree of cant, how high your scope is mounted above the bore axis, and distance to the target. If you’re trying to achieve MOA groups at a variety of distances out past 100 yards, it’s important to have your scope mounted with the cross hairs level and consistently hold your rifle level. Using a bubble level ( or a device like the Send iT XSL) can make it easier.
Upvote 0
I think a level is worthwhile if you shoot at longer ranges, especially in the field. I don't use one because I seldom shoot beyond 50 yards. I level my target paper, and then use it to level my scope from the bench. My field shooting is mostly pesting from shorter distances, shooting from different positions, and a level isn't practical in that scenario. I suppose it's like almost any element of rifle set up and tuning, its value increases with distance. If I were shooting air rifle for score at 100 yards, I would definitely use one.
Upvote 0
The good news is you do not need a fancy, expensive fixture. And especially not one that is fundamentally flawed like the Wheeler jig
The requirements to eliminate cant error are:
1. Align the scope's reticle with the rifle's barrel.
2. Hold the reticle level when shooting.
Item 1 deals with scope cant…i.e. mounting the scope incorrectly.
Item 2 deals with gun cant…i.e. holding the gun incorrectly.
To correctly align the scope to the barrel, set up a mirror at a distance of, say, 5 yards and set your AO to 10 yards. Look through the scope at your reflection in the mirror. Twist the scope in the mounts until the vertical bar of the reticle simultaneously bisects both the muzzle and objective bell. Then lock it down. At this point you have eliminated scope cant (item 1). If it's hard to see your muzzle, add a little dot of White Out or take a dot from a hole punch and tape it to the muzzle with clear tape.
Now to eliminate rifle cant, install and use a level. View a known good plumb line (e.g. hanging string) through the scope and orient the rifle so it precisely aligns to it. Now affix your level so it indicates level. From now on when you're shooting, hold the rifle so it shows level and you can be sure you've eliminated both potential sources of cant error. (Note that a level which attaches to the rail will almost never be correct unless it has a separate fine adjustment, whereas a level that attaches to the scope tube can simply be rotated to the proper position and locked down.)
The requirements to eliminate cant error are:
1. Align the scope's reticle with the rifle's barrel.
2. Hold the reticle level when shooting.
Item 1 deals with scope cant…i.e. mounting the scope incorrectly.
Item 2 deals with gun cant…i.e. holding the gun incorrectly.
To correctly align the scope to the barrel, set up a mirror at a distance of, say, 5 yards and set your AO to 10 yards. Look through the scope at your reflection in the mirror. Twist the scope in the mounts until the vertical bar of the reticle simultaneously bisects both the muzzle and objective bell. Then lock it down. At this point you have eliminated scope cant (item 1). If it's hard to see your muzzle, add a little dot of White Out or take a dot from a hole punch and tape it to the muzzle with clear tape.
Now to eliminate rifle cant, install and use a level. View a known good plumb line (e.g. hanging string) through the scope and orient the rifle so it precisely aligns to it. Now affix your level so it indicates level. From now on when you're shooting, hold the rifle so it shows level and you can be sure you've eliminated both potential sources of cant error. (Note that a level which attaches to the rail will almost never be correct unless it has a separate fine adjustment, whereas a level that attaches to the scope tube can simply be rotated to the proper position and locked down.)
Upvote 0
I got my level off Amazon for under 10$ cut off the plastic housing because it was trash and use a single layer of double sided tape on scope and rail to secure them works fine
Upvote 0
Hello You can not go wrong by having the scope perfectly level. The scope will track better when dialing(box drill), and one less variable to worry about. I have used the Wheeler kit that clamps onto barrel on both work and personal guns with great results. Eric
Upvote 0
I always level my scope,that said I do not use a scope level attached to my rifle..After I level my scope I have a crosshair target I know is level and match the scope hairs to the target to make sure my "hold" is level.....I see no harm it attaching a small scope level to your scope though,may help you get in the habit of holding your rifle level.
Upvote 0
Well, no, levels are not necessary, but. . . . .
If I mount my scope at a 45 degree angle to the gun, and shoot exactly the same time every time, who cares? The gun and scope will work together in harmony as long as I do my part. However, doing my part and ensuring the gun and scope are in exactly the same relationship every time (make sure the cant of the gun is the same) is a lot harder without a consistent reference point.
My reference point is the vertical cross hairs that are only vertical when the gun is vertical. If I haven't aligned the two, scope and gun correctly, then when I raise the cross hairs to vertical, the gun might be a tad out of vertical, and shoot somewhere else.
It's all in how comfortable you are with your ability to align the two. I eyeballed the gun and used a vertical building corner or fence post for years and it worked. I found for precision shooting I needed a level to remove cant from the equation.
It's all about how close you want to be.
If I mount my scope at a 45 degree angle to the gun, and shoot exactly the same time every time, who cares? The gun and scope will work together in harmony as long as I do my part. However, doing my part and ensuring the gun and scope are in exactly the same relationship every time (make sure the cant of the gun is the same) is a lot harder without a consistent reference point.
My reference point is the vertical cross hairs that are only vertical when the gun is vertical. If I haven't aligned the two, scope and gun correctly, then when I raise the cross hairs to vertical, the gun might be a tad out of vertical, and shoot somewhere else.
It's all in how comfortable you are with your ability to align the two. I eyeballed the gun and used a vertical building corner or fence post for years and it worked. I found for precision shooting I needed a level to remove cant from the equation.
It's all about how close you want to be.
Upvote 0
Got one of these at home depot:
I set it on my pic rail under the scope (high rings) and level the gun.
I then look through the scope on a wall and align it with a vertical laser level line (same as a string plumb line).
cheap, accessible and effective.
I never considered using a mirror, that sounds easier.
I set it on my pic rail under the scope (high rings) and level the gun.
I then look through the scope on a wall and align it with a vertical laser level line (same as a string plumb line).
cheap, accessible and effective.
I never considered using a mirror, that sounds easier.
Upvote 0
lol no .. its not ...not at airgun ranges .. its real easy to get them close to perfect anyway by just securing the gun by eye as vertical as possible on the bench, a bipod helps, and aligning with a wall corner or other vertical edge like a window is helpful.. then backing off behind the scope to about the end of the but .. unless your crosseyed you will be presented with a ghost image of the reticle you can easily align with the receiver and gun ..in fact its likely 'more' accurate doing that than jckin off with a level of some sort ..
Upvote 0
A lot of my shots are out hunting at distances of over 75 yards. The "slant" of land I'm on can be very deceiving. Many times I thought I was holding my gun level until I checked my scope level. Guess I'm not a good "eyeballer". Makes a huge difference when going for 100+ yard shots. I highly recommend using one!
Upvote 0
+1 to what Nervoustrig said. Set your scope as he described. Align reticle to bore first then reticle to plumb line.
Upvote 0
I always use a level but I'll still never get that scope lined up perfect. An important thing to remember is once you do get that scope lined up (and with proper eye relief) remember to be careful tightening the screws down in the scope rings because the scope will shift around as you tighten those screws.
I go back and forth between those screws tightening each one a little at a time.
I go back and forth between those screws tightening each one a little at a time.
Upvote 0
I am in agreement with most that a level scope is a happy scope. The Wheeler you mentioned is a great tool, but there are cheaper versions. There are some good You Tube videos out there as well that describe the advantages.
Upvote 0
Incorrect. "Airgun ranges" can vary tremendously, especially these days. And canting can cause a miss, even at such "airgun ranges". Is it likely to be less of a factor for airgunners than for long range firearms shooters? Probably so. Because it seems that many air gun shooters may only shoot to a maximum range that is maybe 5 to 6 times their zero distance on a regular basis. For example, a 30 yard zero out to maybe 150 or 180 yards. Or a 25 yard zero out to 125 or 150 yards. Yes, some may shoot air guns a bit farther, but long range firearms shooters MAY shoot at 10, 15, or even a bit higher multiple beyond a given zero distance. For example, a 100 yard zero out to maybe 1000 or 1500 yards. And yes, maybe even a bit further these days. Say a 200 yard zero out to 2000 yards. All relative, so saying "no..its not...not at airgun ranges" is not accurate.
Upvote 0
Coming from a long range firearm shooting background, there is another factor I'd mention. Some articles have noted (correctly in my experience because I've seen it in a few scopes) that a RETICLE may not be perfectly level with the TRACKING MECHANISM of a scope. It may seem like that would never happen, and it shouldn't happen (with either a good scope or a "great scope"), but it does happen. If you have a scope that has such an error, then VISIBLY leveling reticle to bore is fine. For the zero distance. Once you start using the click to zero method for shooting at longer distances (cranking elevation into the turret) , if the above error in scope construction is present, you would also be moving OFF VERTICAL as you click in elevation, and increasingly so with longer distances. This can be extremely frustrating when it happens because until it is recognized it is easily confused with windage error and can make consistent shooting at longer ranges more difficult. For my past long range firearm shooting using high quality scopes (assumed to have reliable scope tracking), I always tested this by shooting at zero distance with elevation cranked both way up, back to zero, and then way down and watching for the shots to move ONLY up and down with no lateral movement. Obviously this is best done on a calm day but staying at zero distance means a low value wind wouldn't effect the test in such a major way. Still, dead calm is better and indoors is the best. If you do this and see the line of shots angled in either direction from the vertical as you click up and down then you KNOW tracking direction doesn't match reticle angle. The only way to correct this in my undertanding is to replace the scope. Problem is, the next one might have some degree of the same error. Or might not. That can get expensive. I've seen this problem with Leupold. I've seen it with Nightforce. I have not used any Steiner or Swarovski or even Kahles scopes so I can't say that it does or does not happen with those brands. But I bet it does, unless each scope is hand made and individually tested for this before leaving the production site.
Upvote 0