Is there a relationship between scope caps and reticles being exactly vertical or 90° from each other. Just trying to understand the real problem
Absolutely! On a 2nd focal plane scope (which this is), the reticle is mounted in a tube within a tube. Looking through the scope, the elevation turret is at 12 o'clock, windage at 3 o'clock. They push against the inner tube and there is a leaf spring at 7:30 which opposes the force of the two turrets. A scope can get away with a canted reticle if it is static, i.e. there is not a provision for "dialing" elevation or windage. If you level the canted reticle, any adjustment on elevation/windage produces movement on the other. If you level the elevation turret, it will track properly but you have to live the canted reticle, which is only valid for the center of the crosshairs. Any vertical or horizontal hashes will be off, albeit minimal at reasonable distances. None of this is acceptable on a scope which costs this much money.
