Smyth Busters: Is It Important To Level Your Scope?
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- Опубликовано: 8 фев 2025
- @CalebSavant recently discovered a spate of videos on the Interwebs that claim it doesn't matter if your scope is crooked when you mount it on your rifle. Do people actually believe this? After losing a few nights' sleep over this trend, Caleb has enlisted his fellow Smyth Buster Steve to tackle the matter head on. Normally, a scope is mounted with its center axis aligned with the rifle's the bore and the crosshairs level relative to the gun itself. Advocates of the "Crooked is OK" school of thought say you should shoulder your rifle and then adjust the crosshairs to make them level based on how you hold the gun.
When you aim, you will have to tilt the rifle to get the crosshairs level with the horizon. As a result, the rifle will be canted, and due to "mechanical offset," the scope will not be aligned directly over the bore. The point-of-aim and the bore centerline are not parallel. They actually cross each other at some point and then diverge. The scope will be accurate at that point where those invisible lines intersect. But at other ranges, it is not. You can use the scope's windage and elevation adjustments to compensate for some of this, but no scope has adjustment knobs for DIAGONAL adjustment!
Example: Your rifle has a properly aligned scope zeroed at 100 yards. If you want to hit a target 300 yards away, you just have to aim higher. With the Crooked Method, you have to aim higher AND off to the left or the right, depending on which way you're canting the gun, to compensate for an imaginary "windage."
The effects of the Crooked Method get worse the farther away the target is. The longer the range, the more the bore and line-of-sight diverge, and your target groups will open way up. If you're shooting an AR-15, it's even worse. The higher mechanical offset of the typical AR-15 scope mount means a crooked scope will be even more dramatically inaccurate at long range! If you're shooting rapid fire at close targets, a canted scope probably won't make a noticeable difference in your rifle's accuracy.
So this myth is thoroughly BUSTED. Don't let the way you hold your rifle determine how you mount your optic. Mount the optic correctly, and teach yourself how to hold the rifle correctly! There's a reason why folks who shoot at small targets at long-ranges have their scopes perfectly leveled out, often with the aid of a bubble level.
On a side note, when shooting with an offset red dot or offset irons, its important to keep the bore of the rifle as close to vertically under the optic as possible when tilting or you will notice that your accuracy will suffer for the same reason.
Offset sights are just stupid anyway
@@joshuabennett7334 It's nice to have offset Iron sights when you have a scope on. Some scopes and iron sights sit too high or too low and won't line up when you look through the iron sights when the scope is in the way. Depends on the person and what they are used to and comfortable with. I guess you don't like offset sights and that's fine. That's your preference but it's not stupid, it's just a preference you prefer is all. I like offset Iron sights but that's a backup in case my scope goes down, breaks, fogs up, rain on the scope lenses kinda thing. That's why I keep offset Iron sights as a backup instead of a red dot. To me, red dot being offset sits too far out away from the firearm and iron sights, depending on the one you get. You can get iron sights that are offset and they fold down and away when not in use. Making it less of a chance to snag it anything or just be in the way when not needed.
@@JacobWinkle the philosophy of your optic going down needing backup sights offsets in my opinion is not valid. If your optic goes down get it off and flip up regular back ups. Backups in normal civilian situations is pointless. We went to the desert without iron backup sights worked our rifles through about the worst condition and never even thought man I wish I could run irons. If you have a quality optic that works for your situation then if it goes down you have done something devastating to your gun and rolling to a side arm to get you out of the situation is probably your best bet. I have backup irons the flip up style on my AR with a dot because I don’t trust that my battery won’t be dead but if I was to run them on a LPVO set up gun I would just run a QD and flip up sights underneath
@@joshuabennett7334 Not everyone sets up there firearm like you. If they did, manufacturers would sell one firearm, with one set of red dot, with one set of iron sights etc. If offset sights were the worst thing ever, manufacturers wouldn't be selling them and people wouldn't be buying them. I learned that when people hate something, they either don't know how to use them right or they aren't set up for that kinda shooting. If someone can shoot great with offset sights (45 degree angle sights and you can't. Of course you're going to hate them.
@@joshuabennett7334 it seems to me that the acceptable inaccuracy induced by offsetting optics would render them unnecessary anyway...
I think of it this way, if your scope is canted, your elevation adjustments will contain a little windage and your windage adjustments will contain a little elevation.
Is the Arisaka wedge better than a plumb bob? I think so Tim
EXCELLENT way of putting it! Well Played Sir, Well PLAYED!
Only if you’re running a canted scope mount. If the scope is mounted with zero extra elevation, as the vast majority are, then it doesn’t matter.
"No turret caps for diagonal adjustment" 🤣🤣🤣
Some person out there is now 3d printing a cog and cam system to make a device that when you screw right the cross hair moves up and to the right and if you turn it left its down and to the left
I just turn both at the same time like an etch-a-sketch
I've got diagonal astigmatism, so I cant the scope 45deg and it all re-zero's perfectly....🤣
that is why you mount so your scope is level (vertical reticle plumb) even if you don't hold the gun perfectly up/down....gravity does not know how you held your gun and as long as the up/down adjustment is in line with gravity you are good
I almost spit water everywhere when he said that
Thank you very much, guys. As someone who is an avid lifetime math and geometry student, my eyes roll when is see crooked scopes and hear people say "it's OK'.
I've always mounted my scopes perfectly horizontally to rifles clamped perfectly horizontally because my dad and uncle taught me to do it 45 years ago. But now I know exactly why. Thanks to you guys!
I'm a part-time gunsmith, and when I do scope jobs, even for friends, they will sometimes be displeased because they think I or my boss did it wrong. 10 out of 10 times, they're not holding the rifle level. They don't like hearing that, but it's true, and they probably just don't know because they've never looked down a level scope before.
Almost no one holds a rifle level.
@Flying Falcon almost noone is actually good at firing rifles long range
"Almost no one holds a rifle level"
Yep
And most people shoot like shit
Thats precisely why I recommend a scope mounted level(anti cant device). I do a mock up of the scope in the rings on the rifle, find the best location to accommodate the level and be seen while behind the rifle, make light pencil marks of my ring location and level location, remove from the rifle, set the scope up in a fixture and align the vertical stadia to a plumb bob at 75 yards on the lowest power I can see the 1/8" string clearly, lock down the scope in the fixture, and adjust the level to show dead nuts while the reticle is perfectly plumb with gravity. Take the scope out of the fixture, level the rifle with an ACCURATE level in a barrel vise(I level the bolt raceways, not the scope bases), align and lap rings(if needed) and mount as normal using the newly mounted scope level as reference. This method will take out the guesswork and provides solid proof that most people don't hold rifles level but hold them to what they perceive as level....while tilting there head.
Now the video on leveling your gun and your scope to the level gun!! Great video 👏
Now you guys need to do a video on properly leveling it!
put gun on rest. level gun. then put scope on rings. level scope to gun. then tighten scope rings checking if still level after the fact
@@DOWNFORLIFE954 If the scope is leveled perfectly to the mount (i.e. Scalarworks) doesn't that suffice as well?
Now the discussion needs to be about, "Is my $10 Home Depot level good enough to level my scope"?
🤪 ya open the hole
What about my plastic harbor freight level🤣
maybe, maybe not, but wheeler makes a set that is pretty cheap and is designed just for this purpose.
@@shawncarter569 I have the Wheeler kit & being a carpenter, I'd never trust plastic
Most people think just because the bubble is between the lines “it’s good” there is a reason a Stabila level costs a lot more than an Empire level
I learn things when I watch Smyth busters. Nice presentation, guys.
Biggest pet peeve. Ever.
So tired of picking up a rifle and the scope is canted. Like.....obviously canted. Buy a level and learn. Hell, even a plumb line hanging from a tree outside will get you there with most ARs. Just the topic alone gives me chills.
I have been hunting and reloading and collecting for about 60 years and each day I always see somebody who’s elevator doesn’t go to the top floor when it comes to guns and scopes as well as reloading! Always looking for a good laugh!
I think I may have watched the same video Caleb was referring to. I remember thinking that seemed 'off'. I'd always been told to level the scope to the gun, not to the shooter. Thanks for setting the record straight, guys! 💯
I have a shooting buddy I shoot long range with and he still believes his crooked scope is still over the bore. I have drawn pictures even to explain why he is wrong, yet he is quite stubborn about it. The humerus part is he has never beaten me in any long range shooting match and keeps changing rifles, calibers, etc. I just have to shake my head and laugh..
😂
And what’s the radius part?
@@VincitOmniaVeritas7 Don't forget the ulna.
Help him out, would you...
It's expensive to be stupid
I didn't even know this was an issue. I thought the need to level the scope to the rifle was so obvious that there wasn't any controversy about it. I guess I give people too much credit.
Thank goodness I only have quality stuff like this pulling in my algorithm. Thanks for taking one for the team Caleb.
I like your videos and they reflect well on Brownell's as a company. This "level or screwed up" debate should be filed under "Duh". Those who don't understand the mechanics of how a scope works with falling/arcing projectiles won't understand any explanation.
Lol you two are great, no script needed. Thanks for bringing this topic up gentlemen
Steve and Caleb.. you guys are Great! Really appreciate these videos. Thank You Gentlemen
this was an incredibly important video! thank you so much
Oh man! This was worth gold to watch!
Been so annoyed on some videos about setting up and sighting in scopes.. and now finally a sweet Smythbusters episode to go thru it. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thank You! I had the exact suspicion that your crosshair _should_ be in line with your bore, for the very specific reason mentioned here, I even asked a supposedly very knowledgeable guy here on youtube, and got the explanation that "you can just adjust your way out of that", and that might work for him, but as far as I could tell that would only work on _one_ distance. I didn't bother explaining that, and just gave it a rest, but I'm glad it turned out that I was correct all along, and that there's a good reason why it _is_ a good idea to get your scope centered over the barrel. So much for being a world champion, looks like the rest of us aren't totally stupid, and I'll continue to center my scopes!
Being new at gunsmithing...professionally that is, I find these videos very informative and think about things that have really never crossed my mind or workbench for that matter. Thank you.
I've nearly gone crazy trying to get everything lined up perfectly. When it all works together it's a beautiful result.
I also started searching about leveling a few weeks ago and the number of people who said just level your scope to the earth is astounding. They are soo confident in what they are saying in videos and in the comments.
I have heard the 'level the scope to how you hold the rifle' approach before. I once saw someone at the club with his scope off set 45 degrees. He said he likes the way it looks when he's looking at a target. Some people just amaze me.
I saw someone at the range a few weeks ago sighting in a scope set up like that, and just.... why do you hate yourself man?
I guess it works to an extent: If you get that scope zeroed at 100 yards in zero wind your "X" crosshair will be correct for 100 yards zero wind forever, but at that point IMHO you just have expensive magnified fixed iron sights.
@@michaelgraziano8038 I'm glad I'm not the only one who has seen someone like that. At least with iron sights you can walk up with them like Elmer Keith did or you can use it like a buckhorn.
Love all the topics and discussions. Thanks guys and
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Steve should just leave that empty cup on the table. ( We're onto him ) 🤣🤣
I'm extremely paranoid when it comes to leveling/zeroing.
This is my routine:
-I place the rifle on supports and I level X, Y.
-I then proceed to level a RETICLE I place on a wall 10 yards away.
-I reset windage/elevation on the scope if it was used/zeroed on another platform.
-I then place the optics on the rifle loosely tightened and I focus on the wall so that the crosshair matches the reticle.
-I then proceed to level X,Y on the optics/scope, slowly tightening it on the rail.
-I recheck if the crosshair is perfectly aligned with the reticle on the wall while/after tightening.
-I then weigh ammo with a balance scale, to remove outliers.
-I then proceed to zero at the target distance.
So far, so good. Bullseyes all the time, I just can't miss. Perfect groupings all the time.
Yet, I thought this was "the standard" and it's hard to believe otherwise.
I only just recently discovered that, for the vast majority out there, all that matters is spitting lead out of a tube that goes bang...Where that lead is going to land, is none of their business...
Scary times.
Suggestions are welcome if you have anything that can improve my routine.
You guys have the best job, you don’t have to look for subject matter, it comes to you.
Now I gotta dig up my plumb Bob.
Real Avid makes a great scope leveling kit that uses a projection of your reticle instead of just bubble levels (the turrets might not be perfectly leveled).
I also have a SiteLite bore sighter with the option of a collimated laser that can be used in tandem with a special target to level the scope indirectly. It works well, but I find the Real Avid solution easier to set up, specially indoors.
Just make sure you have a stable gun vise. I use the Tipton Ultimate Gun Vise as it firmly holds the rifle in at least two points.
I like real avid stuff... The barrel holder for AR-15 is awesome
R M: Tipton does not currently make an "Ultimate" gun vise. Did you mean their "Ultra" gun vise?
I used to mount scopes @Bass Slow Shops, I had a customer who wanted me to mount and boresight his rifle, perfectly for 100 yards but with the crosshairs like 45 degrees off, like an X, he did not want to see the vertical line, I had to ask, How are you going to adjust your scope? He told me that was my job. I laughed, he got mad. You guys should do a video on bore sighting. I can get anyone on paper and really close, Its up to the shooter get on target.
Once again, I thank you for the good information.
The times i've shot mates rifles at the range (as you do) and found the ret is "on the wonk" amazes me. When i comment on that, i get "Oh it's okay how i hold the rifle". Why on earth don't they just level the optic correctly and get an adjustable butt pad?
My way of fitting a scope to a rifle works for me. Mount rifle in a stable platform, level it with a bubble on the pic rail, then i have one of those level clamps that sits at the muzzle and get both bubbles level so i can see if i knock the rifle during scope fitting.
Put a bubble on the elevation turret and match it up with the muzzle bubble and "Robert is your mothers brother". Job done.
I've recently enjoyed long(er) range shooting. I spent a LOT of time leveling the scope to the rifle and have put a bubble level on the scope itself to ensure when I set up a shot, the rifle is now level to the horizon. My first range trip took a 6 foot construction level and set a level line at the 100yd target as an additional reference when sighting in. NONE of this makes me a better shooter but mis-aligning the scope can certainly make me a worse shooter for the reasons you described! (and if I were serious about tighter groups, I'd have to kick my coffee habit)
Reloading 6.5 PRC for long range shooting is a relaxing hobby compared to my .223, 45 ACP and 9mm "plinking."
It's insane to me that people think a crooked scope is okay.
I used to just level the scope by eye.
Close enough I said.
Then I started shooting 200 yard competition. Very poorly I might add.
Now we make very sure things are level.
I shoot consistently better than when I started.
Still no champion, but I’m on my way.
Excellent explanation on this subject,Thank’s guy’s 👍
Caleb, ABSOLUTELY! On all points, absolutely… & if you know, you KNOW!
I watched a video recently with the "align it how you hold it" and even as a newcomer to shooting I had a crooked head like a confused dog... thinking "this can't be right".
Thanks gents!
I leveled & aligned my AR scope as per instructions with all the bubbles on my leveling tools as perfectly centered as possible. But due to the way I hold the rifle it appears ever so slightly canted. I wondered if I should adjust it to the horizon and my eyes but thought, due to reasons Caleb stated, that it wouldn’t be a great idea. I’m glad I didn’t because the rifle performs flawlessly.
I'm glad that I do it correctly. Leveling the gun with a level and leveling the scope with a level and sometimes using a plumb line just as an extra step. Once I get it set I don't have to fool with it for a long time as long as I use loctite on the screws and torque them to correct inch pounds.
If your scope is aligned with the rifle, as in plumb and level to the rifle and the human eye's tendency to level with the horizon is in effect, as Caleb stated, then your rifle hold should also be plumb and level to the horizon. To those folks who don't have an innate ability to see level/plumb, get some tools cuz you ain't gonna hit that long range varmint consistently or at all, (then you can do a YT video explaining why it's the gun's fault) 😅
I just hold the scope to my eye like a monocle and hip fire my rifle.
A refined gentleman.
Next level hand eye coordination. A dying skill.
What is important is that your vertical reticle line intersects the center of your bore. A level on a surface of a rifle may or may not facilitate that.
As the video title suggests, it is absolutely important to level your scope. If you intend to mount your scope with a cant, using a bubble level is critical. Many world renown competitive riflemen set their rifle up to the most natural position, which usually yields a slight angle. But they ALWAYS rock a bubble level. As an experiment, myself and 14 other shooters purposely did this while shooting with an 11 time NRA High Power Champion. After adjusting the Z, we engaged targets from 200 to 2,000+ yards throughout 7 solid days of shooting. As a result, many of the guys still set their work guns up in that configuration. However, I will absolutely say that for the average shooter, keeping it simple and leveling everything is ideal. Myth not really busted.
My personal pet peeves are examples of illiteracy used as firearms nomenclature like: the calling the monoblocks on AK stamped receivers "trunnions". Trunnions are fixed hinge pins, not assembly blocks. Calling a 45 Colt a "Long Colt" when there's no such thing. Or defining a stadia mill as a miliradian when in reality it's a tangent ratio of one thousandth, radians are just an approximate equivalent used for angels less than 6°. And so on.
It's humorous that you misspell 'nomenclature' in the same sentence as talking about illiteracy. Just poking fun though, I do agree with your point otherwise.
@@alexisdetocqueville9964 Lol, yeah, not as young as I used to be with my eye sight and missed the e. Classic Murphy's law. It's fixed now 👍
@@Oldhogleg Kind of a funny story - the first time I heard the word was in my high school chemistry class. The teacher apparently thought it was funny to spell it as "gnomenclature" and drew a picture of a gnome as a way to remember it (I forget the exact phrase/joke though), which resulted in me misremembering that as the ACTUAL spelling. As I never saw the word written anywhere else, it wasn't until college when I used it in a typed paper that Microsoft Word highlighted it as misspelled. Imagine my embarrassment when I realized I had been spelling it in my handwriting that way for years!
@@alexisdetocqueville9964 Lol, no doubt.
If you're using a bdc or going to dial ever hell yes. Especially at distance. If your using a simple duplex I can see why you wouldn't care. But I'd still do it because it'll make dialing easier at the very least. That's not to mention the offset of the bore. Which can get supper annoying past every a hundred yards.
Personally I level most of my scopes with a normal wood working level and a metal ruler. I put the ruler on the rail and level on the scope cap. Making sure they are parallel and at 90° angles to the barrel. It's a bit rough but it works well for my ARs and stuff.
However when I bought my precision rifle I had it done by a gun smith at Euro Optic when I bought the gun. I still double checked it later at home but I figure they'd be fare more precise about it because it is important.
rifle level is one thing
scope level is another thing
Scope level means literally level to the rifle.
@@brownells so let's make a point if you want to read it; If you have a canted rail, then level the scope to the rail; if you have a canted mount and straight rail, level the scope to the mount. If you have straight rail and straight mount you can mount the scope completly sideways but you have to have the reticle perpendicular everytime
Level and plumb is how I was taught. Even when my head is at an angle. Scope bubbles will help you realize how much you tilt your head.
Similar experience with pistols, give me adjustable sights I adjusted it to how I hold it. Then I got a trench sight on my carry & that taught me to adjust myself to the sights. Iron sights on the 22 kinda cement it. Basically I’m better off without the options I guess
I use my Triton Gun Vise and Empire level to line up my scope, loktite on the threads and a laser bore sight to line everything up. Loose Tighten and check then a final hard tightening to snug everything down.
This is a very timely video, as I suspect more than few shooters will be getting a nice scope for Christmas. It makes more sense, IMO, to set up your gun correctly and adapt to it, than to try to set up your gun for incorrect stance and hold. Seems to me that it would just compound the problem. I wonder how many 'inaccurate rifles' are created this way? Subject suggestion: What's better/strengths and weakness of scope rings VS. unitized mounts...?
If you are only concerned with center of your cross hairs accuracy then no, it does not matter. However and without due diligence with my research (I didn't look it up at all) it seems that if you have a caliber specific scope that is calibrated so that when you site the scope in a given recommended distance, you are supposed to be able to change your aiming point, per distance by using the graduated markings on the scope, for example if you calibrate at 100 meters and move to a target at 200 meters then you would simply move the aiming point down on your scope by two graduations to have your bullet still strike your 100 meter calibration point. If you had your scope angle wrong then you are going to have angle error. But....since I don't like being shackled to only one type of ammunition I completely ignore the graduations on my scope because it is only calibrated to be used with just one bullet of a specific caliber, grain and some other specification I can't remember off the top of my Cro Magnon head. Like the guys said though, if you are trying to hit center at a significant distance, then basically everything matters, hell no moon on a Thursday might make the round float a bit at 800 yards. (I totally made that up)
I have always used two levels to align my optic. My dumb moment is when I put the scope on sideways and don't catch it until I'm at the range. I always want to put the elevation knob off to the left side of the rifle.
it actually makes sense, both knobs would be windvation instead of a separate windage and elevation.
Now it all makes sense why I can't hit anything past 100 yds. Time to do it right! Thanks for the video.
Your son looks exactly like you. Great video!
I level the rifle then use the arisaka level tool if scope style allows and or a level on the scope. I then check alignment at a distance using a plumb bob and string against the vertical reticle.
I would love to see you do a video on how to correctly mount a scope and zero on a AR platform rifle
Here's another reason why it matters: a canted scope is extremely annoying. Asked the guy behind the counter at the gun store if he could mount my primary arms slx and he slapped it on no leveling or anything and I could tell as soon as I got to the range it was canted. Unmounted it, mounted it again myself (no vice no levelling kit) and it was still not level. It was so annoying I took the scope off completely and put on a reddot until I can get a gunsmith with the right equipment to mount it. Get it done right the first time!
Great selling point for a Level Level Level .
I use the plumb bob method to set the vertical part of the reticle perpendicular to the receiver. Hopefully, the barrel is square to that.
A couple of questions…
Is the effect only “serious” at longer ranges vs “up close and personal”? And, if so, what would you consider to be the distance where it really starts to be noticeable? I presume that if you zero at 100 yards, the effect would start, if only slightly, once you’re beyond that range.
Does this only apply to optics with a reticle or does it also apply to other types of optics? A lot of the offset secondary optics are red dots or other “non-scope” types that don’t have a typical reticle on them.
It technically has an effect at all ranges. This effect won't matter much until your zero distance and will get gradually worse beyond your zero. Instead of your bore offset being purely vertical you will be introducing horizontal offset as well, rather than the bullet just rising/falling to line up with your scope it will also be approaching from the left or right. The reason this won't matter much until your zero distance is it can't start any worse than the initial mechanical offset, which in the worst case would be you mounting your scope sideways so the barrel is ~1.5 inches to the side rather than below the scope (so your impact is 1.5 inches off to the side at very close range). The effect that is created is similar to the scope mount on an M1 Garand Sniper with its offset scope. When done on purpose like on an M1 Garand, what you would do to prevent the divergence issue is zero to scope to be horizontally parallel such that your point of impact is offset from your crosshair by the same amount as the scope is offset from the bore, so you would always hit about an inch or so to the right instead of it varying with distance.
In fairness, if you have your optic canted, your windage and your elevation then become diagonal adjustments.
Facts...If uve ever been to the special Forcials Sniper Course u would know that u have to level the scope to a leveled gun....1 degree offset at 1000m means about 10m off target. Plus wind and humidity and elevation.
Kaleb, could you include some graphics explaining optics & scope alignment? I’m not sure what you are teaching us? Thanks, love your videos!
I think I've seen that video. I have taken to referring to aligning the vertical stadia with the axis bore as "plumbing" rather than "leveling".
Yea, we are looking at you Center Axis Relockers!
I tend to tilt my lever actions to the left when fast firing. But i switched to a red dot and inside 50 yards I'm golden now.
The topic is interesting and important. I think it is near impossible for the average person to be absolutely precise in 'leveling ' the scope to the rifle. There is certainly no downside to it. What is important is that relative to the earth's gravitational field that level of the scope always be the same. In the era for WWI&II many scopes were offset and not perpendicular to the bore and that includes sniper rifle scopes placed on the M1 garand. In theory the rifle should be zeroed so the bullets group about and inch to the left relative to point of aim for such a rifle, but i am sure in practice that was not how it was done. But these sniper rifles were not the equivalent of what we have today.
Level, level, level. It's if the cross hairs are lined up with the bore. Not level. A trick, I don't know if I can describe. No level needed. Usually a flat area on bottom of scope, and a corresponding flat surface on gun, directly under flat surface on scope. Take a flat thing like a metal ruler, place one edge on gun, twist, until flat on scope, tighten up scope. Done.
Me - Lapped and leveled and torqued. The local store with their free mounting service - how does that look, good enough? Syncro sip - 7.5 out of 10.
It's like an etch'n'sketch. Turn both knobs at the same time for diagonal adjustment
I level scope body with wedges or anyway possible, which intern levels the scopes internal adjustments.... That should also level the reticle if its not canted... If scope is level and reticle still canted .. it needs sent back for repair or replacement.
While I do not run my optics out of level, it wouldn't effect anything if you understand the offset and allow for it. If you cant a rifle say 5 degrees. The optic would probably be less than 1/4 inch offset from the bore. As long as you sight it in 1/4 inch to the same offset, your line of bore and line of sight will remain perpendicular at any range as long as you maintain a level hold on the reticle. Your point of impact would be 1/4 inch left or right from muzzle out to infinity. Even ballistic calculators have the ability to allow for an offset optic like you would see on an old Springfield 1903, or an AK type offset optic. You allow for the offset when sighting in. Tons of old artillery and heavy machine guns use a huge offset sight. You just have to understand that the projectile will impact the same distance from your line of sight as the sight offset. WWII aircraft.... you sit in the center with wing mounted guns 10 feet on either side of you. The guns aren't canted in to intersect with your line of sight at one specific range. The line of fire stays 10 feet from your line of sight indefinitely.
Just for $hitz N giggles... I ran that 1/4 inch offset in a ballistic app. If your rifle is canted causing a 1/4 inch offset and you zeroed the impact at 100 yards. Your bullet would only impact 1.3 inches left/right at 600 yards. 2.3 at 1,000 yards. BTW, if you look at JBM online trajectory calculator. When you are entering your data, it allows you to input sight offset and zero offset. So technically you could John Wick it on a 45° angle, keep the optic level, and still come up with a perfectly accurate firing solution at any range.
I shoot long range off a caldwel tri pod that I modified to fit the flat of my gun stock, everything is level and it works. 300, 600, 900, 1200 yards my only adjustment is vertical.
Your vertical crosshair should be aligned with a plumbob, aka gravity. It is the only way your reticle subtensions and turrets will track correctly. Once that is set, match a bubble level attatched to your scope that verifies level when you shoot.
That's how I do it also
Love these guys.
I don't know how many times, back in the day, that I had to adjust for this because the crosshairs were not level to the bore. Would drive me nuts until it was right while have shooting buddies tell me it didn't matter. At that time, many moons ago, I didn't have the proper tools to do it right the first time.
I bought a scope from "that place" that told me to hold the rifle while he aligned the cross hairs to match a vertical pole. That being said, when I got home, I did it the right way using a level. The greater the sight to bore distance, the more wonky things will be.
Caleb went to a dark place in this video. Well done
My buddy had a cheap red dot acog looking thing that could not be leveled. He took it off, threw it down range, grabbed my gun and dumped a mag into it! Grabbed his gun and said im done!
Ahh. Gotta love the Tactical Amazon shoppers.
@@DronesUnder2A he always buys cheap crap. All his best guns i built for him. Finally talked him into something other than a kel tec for carry. But its a g3. Some people, you just cant reach!
@@DronesUnder2A have you seen the $40 folding stock adapter they have? I tried to get my cheap friend to buy it just so I could see how cheap it is
@@robertdinicola9225 a g3? What's wrong with that? I've looked at a lot of high round count reviews and it seems to do quite well in all of them. Is there something I'm missing?
I didn’t even think of that, obviously i shoot short range. I have always just tightened and let it sit wherever it wants. Sometimes it has even come lose and i just re tighten and see where it hits. Maybe i should align everything correctly
I’m a new shooter and I put just put a scope on my new 223 wylde AR rifle, and I realized it was crooked. My other rifles I had a friend do it for me. I went to the range and at 125 yards was hitting a six inch steel plate every shot. These deer hunters with nice bolt actions were there zeroing for hunting season. They were amazed and they were having a hard time hitting it at all. I also had some nice match ammo so maybe that had something to do with it. It seems to me you never know with transporting your optic if it’s changed, so you’re gonna need to see where it’s going with a practice shot or two. But I’m new and really do t know what I’m talking about.😂
@@LKaramazov idk man i do not have a prob hitting my target but im used to adjusting to the riffle. But what they are saying makes sense. At least in theory/mathematically.
As a gunsmith, I’ve had this conversation many times. I’ll mount a scope with professional equipment and they pick it up, look through and tell me it’s not level. I tell them it’s perfectly level, you holding it wrong. I’ve even gone so far as to put the levels back on the rifle and show one guy, he said ok, can you turn the scope just a little bit this way? I explained that if I do that your elevation and windage wouldn’t adjust correctly if you move it. It’s maddening sometimes. I won’t move it out of level because of a request to do it.
I'm in my 50's. Been shooting since my teens. Recently started taking firearms training from a pro. WOW do I have some bad shooting habits ! If you can accept criticism, you'll be better for it.
Keep doing your thing !! Best to You and Yours.
Shoot level based on how you hold the gun? Do people not realize the barrel is where the bullet comes out? It’s basic science. You need to have leveled crosshairs.
Great points.
I thank there reasoning is if it's canted a bit. Level the horizontal post and fire, I'd rather have the scope level, it doubles to let me know my form is off if the post isn't true.
Brings a whole new meaning to the "Dope" Card. I Imaging a dope using a canted scope would be exponentially larger and require a 3 inch binder... and a laptop. And a degree in calculus. Let me know how that works out for ya!
Thanks. Very helpful
2:48 Yes, this is all true, BUT it's a linear relationship, so if you have a 100y zero and a 1/16" offset, then at 200 you have a 1/16" offset, 2/16@300, 3@4, 4@5, 5@6 9/16@1000yards. This is not the way I'd set up a prone gun, but it is the way I'd set up my Steel Challenge gun.
There are horses for courses!
The only way a crooked scope will work is:
1. It was sighted in crooked.
2. Every single shot has to be fired exactly as it was sighted.
Just mount the scope with the gun level and the scope level.
Best way would be having a level receiver then put a plumb Bob out at 100 yards and square your reticle to the Plumb Bob. But in our world leveling your receiver and scopes reticle with scope leveling levels is the way to achieve success.
When I set up a scope, I use a “Leveling” table that I made. Prior to setting the scope (mounted in the desired rings), the table is leveled in both the X and Y axis. Once leveled and mounted, the assembly (scope and rings) is then transferred to the firearm, where it is adjusted for a second zero using a bore-laser to match center to center of the bore and sight. Then, the scope is adjusted for final zero using live ammunition at my zero distance.
I watched a similar video the other day stating this same thing and all I could do was shake my head, it drives me crazy to look through a scope that’s canted
Not sure if you guys have done a video on this, but proper torque would be a sweet follow-up to this if you haven’t done that yet! If someone else has seen Steven and Caleb do a video about it, let me know.
I'd expect to see this topic on April 1st 😉
Your scope can adjust diagonally if you turn both adjustment screws in the proper direction 👌
I use an extremely accurate CAD system (Creo) for work. It would be interesting to actually develop curves in 3D space to show the trajectory. In thinking about it offhand, I think that because of the distance between the bore of the barrel, and more of the scope, and the very small acute angle between those axiis so that the bullet impacts the crosshairs at the zeroed distance, I think that if the rifle is canted clockwise (from the shooters perspective - the bore slightly to the left of the scope) that not only will the bullet have an arc in the purely vertical direction, but it will also cross over from left to right. Meaning that if you shoot at a target FARTHER than your zeroed distance, the impact will be to the RIGHT of the crosshairs, and if you shoot at a target CLOSER than your zeroed distance, the impact will be to the LEFT of the crosshairs, with that azimuth (windage) error being WORSE to the right the farther the target is, and LESS when shooting closer than the zeroed distance. Interesting, I could calculate this using the intersection of 2 curves...
This is not correct. Bullets follow the path of gravity regardless of whether the gun is canted or not. As long as your reticle is level with gravity, when you take the shot, your crosshair will be parallel with the bullets flight path even if the gun alone is canted . The only measurement that will be off is that the bullet will be slightly right or left of your point of aim BUT THEY WILL STILL BE PARALLEL regardless of range. Additionally, this right or left margin of error is automatically corrected through the process of zeroing the rifle and the scope. Therefore it does not in fact matter if your rifle is canted when you mount your scope as long as you have a good zero and when you pull the trigger, you know that the reticle is level.
SCREAM IT BOII