Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Scope leveling tools?

I have fugged up six scopes now and decided that replacement is the best option until I can send them back to their respective factories. In the past I was pretty casual about scope leveling and just used a plumb line, a bullet level and a bullseye level. Now that I have several to do I would like something more efficient. The wheeler looks good and I can make a DIY version for about $5 bucks. But I trust the visual ones more as MD has pointed out the small bubble levels are not that accurate and the tolerances for the flats on a rifle and scope are highly variable. The Sedgeway looks good and if I combined that with the home made wheeler type it should be good. A forum member has a good one but I forgot the name, dang old timers disease. Any input welcome, I would prefer to keep it under $50 bucks as mounting this many at once is a rare occurrence.

What type of mounting systems are you using?

reticle tru.....


https://parabola-llc.com/

Not much of a system, I set a plumb line as far away as the situation allows then level the rifle with a bullet level in a cradle and check both the rings and the scope turret with a bullet or bullseye level. What gets me is no matter how I tighten down the scope ring screws the scope wants to shift. I also have the dilemma of do I go for true plumb or do I adjust for the way I mount the rifle? None of this matters much inside of 250 yards but my rifles have double or triple this capacity even if I don't.

Not sure if you are asking about the rings and bases but these: Talley both LW and fixed, S&K, Conetrol, Warne, and the Dakota version of the Redfield.

In that case I’d go Reticle Tru

Do I need the bar too? I usually don't lap the rings unless something seems off. I do put a glob of form-a-gaskit on most especially the heavy recoilers.

Has anyone ever tried the Arisaka leveler? That one looks pretty simple and quick, at least in theory.

https://www.amazon.com/Arisaka-Defense-Leveler-Silver-OL-Combo/dp/B00W8AXZ98

auk1124,
Yes, I have one and found it to be pretty useless. It requires a flat base, like a pic rail, to work as well as a flat turret base. Most of my scopes don't have the clearance between the scope and the rail for it to be used.

Snake oil

I've fooled myself into believing that my scopes were level many times in many ways.

Am I missing something here?

1. Staple target to board using bubble level to establish level target lines.
2. Affix scope bubble level to scope tube or scope rings depending on desired application.
3. Line up crosshairs with leveled target lines.
4. Adjust scope level and scope cant until target lines, crosshairs, and scope level are all aligned.
5. Tighten screws gradually to not shift alignments too bad.
6. When buck of a lifetime approaches, take a moment to savor it because your nerves are about to send that bullet over his back and wide left.

Hope this helps. You’re welcome.

How does that get the vertical crosshair lined up with the center of the bore?

Excellent! Addenda to #5: If you have Weaver rings, just say t'ell wid it and give up.

Tejano, you don’t need the bar. [bleep] a buncha bubba levells and plumbbobs, stringlines. Get the reticle tru and chitcan all those othermethods. Thank me later

Perp to the action. On a bolt gun I'll remove the bolt then place a machine parallel down on the flat lug rails inside the action. I have a soft plastic wedge that holds it flat down on the rail with just enough of the parallel protruding out past the eye piece to where I can lay a small Starett precision Machinist level on it. I level the rifle in my gun cradle then rotate the reticle parallel against the eve of the house across my culdesac. I checked this eve with a 6 foot Carpenters level. Then I start to torque the rings in a pattern working my way up to the correct inch Lbs setting checking the level on the rifle, and checking the reticle against the eve on the house across the street often as I torque. On an AR same process only I place the level somewhere on the pic rail on the upper. Grizz

You're implicitly assuming the bolt rails are square and true. They're probably close, but it's still an assumption.

Suppose the action has an odd number of bolt lugs?

Suppose it's a "fat bolt" action like a Weatherby Mk V?

Make sure to get the aluminum one so you can really feel like you have something.... You don't need to point your rifles at the neighbors though - so it's less fun....

You have a better method lets hear it. Not familiar with Weatherbys I run older Sakos. The .125 thick Machinist parallels usually come in a set with different widths in .125 increments starting at .500 wide and on up so go try and bust someone else's balls you sniveling prick...

Balls......It's go bust someone else's balls.
We like to be precise here.

Thank you...