Thread: Scope level what do you all think?

So I bought a couple of cheap scope levels a while ago one is perfect very sensitive and the other is like it's full of KY.
So I am now wondering should I take another stab at a cheap one or are the fancy (Expensive ones) "named but look the same" brands really that much better?
What is everyone's experience?

I get an A4 piece of paper, draw a line down the middle with a sharpie. Then I put the paper on the floor, sit the butt on top of the line and align the butt with the line (so the line dissects the butt top to bottom. Then look back down the scope (top down), and use the black line with the vertical on the scope. The hardest part is trying not to move the butt.

Originally Posted by vulcannz

I get an A4 piece of paper, draw a line down the middle with a sharpie. Then I put the paper on the floor, sit the butt on top of the line and align the butt with the line (so the line dissects the butt top to bottom. Then look back down the scope (top down), and use the black line with the vertical on the scope. The hardest part is trying not to move the butt.

I like that that's a cool way to do it I hang a plumb bob out in the yard and align the vertical cross hair to it and then set the scope level to level

You may need to clarify as to whether you are wanting a level to help get the rotational orientation of the scope aligned with the rifle when setting it up, or if this is to identify cant when shooting?

Originally Posted by Puffin

You may need to clarify as to whether you are wanting a level to help get the rotational orientation of the scope aligned with the rifle when setting it up, or if this is to identify cant when shooting?

Aagh yes I am a little Vague aren't I Im meaning levels for eliminating cant for long range

Originally Posted by JD300

So I bought a couple of cheap scope levels a while ago one is perfect very sensitive and the other is like it's full of KY.
So I am now wondering should I take another stab at a cheap one or are the fancy (Expensive ones) "named but look the same" brands really that much better?
What is everyone's experience?

I bought one years ago for my smallbore rifle. It was an Anschutz level that fitted into the foresight tunnel. First outing with it it drove me nuts. Raced from full one side full the other. Gave up trying to use it that night. Ended up removing the bubble (after very carefully removing the gunge gluing it in), without breaking it. What I found was the bubble tube has a very small bend in it, and instead of being fitted with the bend upwards it was fitted bend downwards. Everytime
I positioned the rifle with bubble near centre it would race off to the opposite side. Same again when I tried to bring it back to centre, it fled to the other side.

I refitted the level tube bend up and all good.

The point of the story is, and I'm not saying your sensitive level is the same as mine was, but if they're too sensitive they can drive you nuts. The fluid in them needs to provide some dampening for the bubble.

I use Vortex ones on my scopes. They are good quality but in reality probably come out of the same factory in China as the no brand ones.

Having said that avoid the Vortex single screw lightweight model. They are frustrating to plumb on your scope due to the single screw slightly rotating the level as you tighten it.

Scope bubble levels & auto one like on my VX6 are are complete waste of time in the real world, like lots of things they sound great in theory but you'll never really use it ( unless range shooting at long range ) in the field they're a poxy pain in the arse

My advice don't worry about em, best thing to do is learn & practice good shooting technique, if you can't tell if the scope is level then you have bigger problems & shouldn't be shooting that far especially on animals.

I use the corner 4x4 veranda post 10m from my shed/office
I usually do not tighten down on 1st days try and go back next and have another look
Sometimes - why B if know - I have a lean on :-)
But lining up on a vertical plumb white pole/post etc works fine
I got those bubble thingi's from Alixpress etc and be buggered if I can see how they work
As you have to have them set level 1st and how do you do that on a round object like scope tube
But then I am rather dumb at these scientific things*

There was recent information on the issues resulting from canting a rifle here:
https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....e-level-61019/

If you (ideally) shoot with both eyes open then a good option is to position the bubble level where you can see it with your non-dominant eye, that is the one that isn't looking through the scope, and so provide a view of the bubble level superimposed and just to the side of the target. This allows for the rifle orientation to be maintained right up to the moment of trigger release.

The bubble level should be aligned with the scope turrets.

It depends on what shooting your doing.

I'm a target shooter and have a level on all my scopes.

Most replace the top bracket of the scope rail mount.
Once leveled the level stays on/with the scope when the scope is removed from the rifle.

If you're a hunter, only ever firing one or two shots at your target then a level may be unnecessary.
If you're firing multiple shots at a target then a level is necessary, in my humble opinion.

Originally Posted by Sarvo

I use the corner 4x4 veranda post 10m from my shed/office
I usually do not tighten down on 1st days try and go back next and have another look
Sometimes - why B if know - I have a lean on :-)
But lining up on a vertical plumb white pole/post etc works fine
I got those bubble thingi's from Alixpress etc and be buggered if I can see how they work
As you have to have them set level 1st and how do you do that on a round object like scope tube
But then I am rather dumb at these scientific things*

Setting up the level believe it or not is the easy part, because you want it perfectly level with the horizontal line of the reticle just set up a Plumb bob (AKA Any heavy weight on a string) against a light background,
Place it as far away as practical to make the string the same thickness as your vertical on the reticle line these up perfectly then set level level and tighten to the tube.
This sometimes takes a little fiddling as the screw when tightened can move the bubble around the scope.

Originally Posted by Mauser308

Yeah, certain times it can be a help to just check. Had one area where all the trees (some sort of fairly straight trunked eucalypt type deal) grew on a lean away from the prevailing wind the optical illusion was a mongrel. Couldn't tell what was straight up in the field of view of the scope basically like one of those weird mirror worlds, quite off putting.

Now, those up/down angle degree compensator thingees, they are not necessary.

Haha yes those degree things always look gimmicky if there are quality ones out there I could see there place for alpine shooting big angles up or down, not all rangefinders are up to the task and ballistic apps will have you roughly point your phone at the target to get the angle for the shot.

Scope levellers are a gimmick....I grip the rifle so the muzzle is on a window sill next to the frame, align the butt so it's vertical, and use the window frame upright as a reference mark to align the horizontal element of the reticle. Simple and quick.

@JD300, see if you can find a level where ± 1° can be clearly identified as a minimum. 1° of unwanted cant will give 175mm of unintended windage offset for 10 metres of elevation correction, which is a typical enough figure for shooting at 1km, and where that size of offset corresponds to 0.6moa.