I had a three target stage in a PRS match at 475 yards shooting off corrugated plastic piping. I was running an AR-10, my magazine got stuck between two corrugations and I was slightly canted. I didn't think it was going to matter so I sent it and ended up dropping around on the stage. I was furious. A 5° cant does matter!
Fortunately, i learned to shoot with both eyes open. When i started putting a bubble on my scope, i realized my canting the rifle a whole bunch. With the bubble, i am able to check it with my off eye, and i was able to tighten my groups. Thank you for your post.
Great Explanation. I've been trying to explain this to new F Class shooters for years. I'll just show them this youtube clip from now on. Cheer's from Australia.
I use a string with a rock hanging from it out in the field to get the target, that has a straight line on it already, lined up. GREAT VIDEO! CARRY ON!
Thanks! Love the detailed info this channel provides. Started ordering what I need that you sell from your store. Just ordered an AR. Dale B from Texas
I stumbled onto this channel and I like the content. Although it’s designed for ranges I don’t shoot at however the data is excellent and I definitely appreciate it thank you for making the content
Absolutely matters , without a base line accurate start point you can't adjust the proper direction , the farther out the more it matters. First get your rifle sitting vertical then get your reticle vertical on the rifle. Great video ❤
Excellent material Gary. I was totally unaware that rifle cant makes a difference. You've shown me that this is very important, especially when you are sighting in the rifle. Some of my erratic group sizes may be due to simply not paying attention to the gun's level. Thanks for the video.
I shoot small bore (.22lr) ISSF/Olympic style shooting. I think about it like this: your line of sight looking through sights or an optic with the rifle with zero degrees cant the bore axis is directly below the line of sight. Canting the rifle rotates the rifle around that line of sight, making you miss your shot.
Great video! Thank you for taking the time to do the work. Stoked you mentioned the built in error that comes from canting the gun during the zero process. Have not seen anyone else talk about that.
Great video and analysis. First is making the scope correctly aligned to the bore. Some of my rifles the center of bore to center of scope is close to 3 inches. That amplifies the cant if you are not true verticle with the reticle to bore. If I am paper shooting my targets are true level with elevation and windage lines. That helps train me to be level against terrain without any assistance. I am pretty good at staying level although I do have bubbles on some of my rifles. Thanks for the video..
@@MattDonkin430 I agree my discipline is HP service rifle and our long range is 600. This video explained why my shots would literally swing way left/right. It was my rifle cant even though I believed my position was rock solid and I was focused on my breathing and trigger squeeze. My issue was my rifle cant kept changing during my slow fire reloads. Something I never even considered because was something never taught or even discussed.
Well presented video. That laser level for the tall turret test is something I will copy, thanks. The tall turret test is my main test to see how a scope performs in adverse conditions. Scopes that have no problems in the middle of summer all of a sudden don't allow the tubes inside to move as freely with the contraction from the cold (-30) and very often give issues. Its actually one of the main reasons I use a "Christmas tree" style reticle and avoid dialing completely in these mid range hunting situations.
Good video. I've had similar discussions with several people who thought a level was unnecessary. However, I do think it's better to call it scope/reticle cant. If the scope is mounted in such a way that it is level while the rifle is slightly canted, you'll see very little effect. However, if the rifle is true while the scope is canted, you'll see a large effect. Obviously a properly mounted scope makes this a distinction without a difference but proper terminology helps people visualize the problem.
Saved this, very good info. I work the sight in days at our range and we fight people all the time with this. I purchased the Real Avid master scope mount kit with the reticle leveling and it's a huge improvement. Nice to see this reality with the distances. It's worse than I thought it was.
Can you do a video about calculating bullet drop when you are on level ground versus when you are elevated shooting down at a target? If you have the facility, maybe down low and shooting up at a target too?
Fantastic video! I can't count how many times people have argued that even the 45 degree side mounted sites make no difference in impact. Maybe that's true inside CQB ranges of 5-20 yards but when the range increases so does the distance of the shot from center of the target
The math check out that 45° canted sights can still be adjusted up with 1 click on each knob, however the adjustment will be more than a normal click, so if you do 1 MOA worth of clicks on each knob, you will actually adjust aproximately 1.414 MOA
If you cant the gun so that the sight axis is directly above the bore, there is no difference. If, in this position, the offset sight is level, the windage and elevation still work correctly.
I've asked this question several times, but everyone I talk to says not to worry about it. I'm not sure they're right. Static cant matters to downrange bullet impact, as you describe in this video. But if you look at slow motion video of a gun muzzle at the moment of bullet departure, you'll always see a rotational (dynamic cant change), as well as a rearward, displacement of the rifle. The rotation is induced by the counterforce imparted by the rotational inertia of the bullet acting against the rifling of the barrel. Just as the barrel rifling makes the bullet accelerate rotationally, the bullet's resistance to that rifling's forces makes the barrel (and rifle) rotate in the opposite direction. For a right hand (clockwise) barrel twist, the bullet exits spinning clockwise around its axis of rotation; the barrel, however, also rotates - around a "compound" axis of rotation, in a counterclockwise direction. I say compound axis because - unlike the bullet, which is symmetrical around its axis of rotation - the gun is an absolute train wreck of differing masses distributed all around the line extending through the bore's axis. The forend's weight is below, the pistol grip is further below and farther back, the buttstock is WAY below and WAY back, the scope is above, the mass of the shooting hand is below, the mass and resistance of the support hand is below and further forward, the contact patch of the recoil pad is farthest back and dynamically affected by friction as it moves rotationally, etc., etc. Try spinning a rifle smoothly along the line of the bore axis - it can't be done. The mass distribution as you move from muzzle rearward changes, and so the center of rotation wants to change as well, throwing the rotating mass off-axis in a frenzied wobble. But the real issue is that the gun - regardless of how level it was at the pull of the trigger - will begin its rotational mambo as soon as the bullet begins to be accelerated down the barrel and rotated, canting the gun. The rate of increase of rotation is not linear, either - it's faster at the highest pressure time/position in the barrel, and slows approaching the muzzle. So the force applied to the gun forcing it to counter rotate, and its rotational acceleration, varies as well. At the highest chamber/bore pressure, the rotational torque and acceleration is greatest - but the highest speed of rotation is as the bullet is leaving the muzzle, because the counter-rotational force has been applied to the mass of the gun for the longest time. If that counter-rotational force were applied to a rigidly-fixed barrel, it wouldn't matter. If it were applied to a gun with a perfectly symmetrical mass distribution around the barrel axis, it wouldn't matter, either - the barrel would spin concentrically with the bullet, but in the opposite direction. But applied to a gun with its effective center of mass that is off-center vertically from the barrel axis, as well as off-center from the horizontal (looking down at the gun from above) center of the gun, the barrel is going to be displaced sideways in some direction determined by that mass distribution - both laterally and vertically - off at some angle from the barrel axis alignment as it was at the moment the firing pin hit the primer. Since the bullet is in the barrel while this reaction is taking place, the bullet is being displaced in exactly the same way that the gun is, and - at the moment of exit - at the same velocity as the barrel's muzzle. That is, it's being thrown off-POA (off the original barrel axis line). Not just pointed off-axis; moving, sideways, as well. The weight of the gun relative to the bullet's weight and its velocity, as well as the barrel's twist rate, will affect the net displacement and velocity of that motion off the line to the target. For lighter-barreled guns, fired unsupported offhand, with a heavy bullet (and therefore a faster twist, which is required to stabilize a longer, heavier bullet) the greater will be the effect of this rotational force. Note also that the rotational and lateral displacement forces are additive to the recoil force, which is rearward along the barrel axis, but resulting in motion that is not exactly coaxial with the bore axis, either. That is obvious from the fact that the muzzle rises, instead of the gun moving straight backward; the "center of pressure" is above the gun's center of mass as viewed from the front, producing an upward rotation-inducing lifting moment. Splitting hairs? Not if you look closely at the high-speed camera footage. As that bullet leaves the muzzle, that rifle is moving sideways and up, and rotating off level - all determined by Newton's Laws of Motion. The gun is flailing away in space, with only its mass and the shooter's grip to resist the forces that are changing the direction that the bullet is now traveling from the one expected when the trigger was pulled. If cant matters, then this dynamic change in the cant, as well as the variable movement side to side with each shot (if the bullet's velocity changes, the distance the muzzle moves changes during the bullet's barrel transit time) has to matter as well. Look at any of a number of high-speed camera videos to see this displacement in action. Slow down the video and notice that the gun is rotating and moving before the bullet exits the muzzle. I also noticed that at the moment of firing, your cant sensor went up to 20 or 30 on the screen; 30 degrees? Clockwise? Left-hand twist? And a different amount for each shot? This HAS to contribute both to accuracy and shot-shot variation. And it has to matter - why else would we have "bench rest" shooting and heavy guns? I think it would be interesting to compare the actual displacement of the center of the POI for a freely-moving rifle against that same rifle securely clamped to, say, a heavy bench, to quantify exactly how much of a difference this melee of interacting forces makes - in POI, and in repeatability. Thanks for the video; internal, external, and terminal ballistics are all fertile areas for scrutiny of the physics of motion in the quest for accuracy. I hope the above OCD exercise contributes, rather than detracts from that quest.
I invited a friend who had shot only 100-200 yards with his CM6.5 to our 600yd range. He assured me he had zeroed at 100yd and verified drop at 200yd, so was sure 15moa adjustment was correct at 600yd. I double-checked his figures and agreed, then asked him if he ever used a level on his scope. "Oh that cant nonsense. It's negligible." So I invited him to cant the rifle 90degrees and see where his round landed. The gears started turning in his head.
My! This was an extremely helpful video! I knew cant is an issue but couldn’t give it a value. I shoot centerfire but have really gotten into PCP air rifles. This video has explained the grimlins that sometimes plagues shooting. The thing about air rifles is my dope for 200 yards from a 50 yard zero is 11.1 mils. That’s shooting a 12.5 grain .173 slug (.070 bc) at 970 fps. NSA 12.5 .178 slugs resized to .173 (NOE bushing sizing kit). The rifle I’m using groups at about 5” at 200 yards. Anyway, sometimes the rifle does things I couldn’t easily explain. Pretty sure I just figured out a major piece of the puzzle. Excellent video!! I will add the these pcp riles will teach you a lot about being on a rifle when shooting at 200 yards. A lot of fun! A great video!
I never even heard of bubble levels until a couple years ago on your videos. Of course I never really shot past 200 yds until covid and watching your videos. The cant issue makes sense. Good video and explanation. You got me started with a bubble, then a MDT level.
Same here. Even though I'm from the Delta, i have always hunted in the woods. I always considered myself a decent marksman. Recently, I became friends with some farmers that hunt over huge fields. They all use calibers that I have always found unnecessary. Guess what? At those distances, they really are handy. I have rarely shot past 100 yards most of my life. 250 was probably my longest shot until recently.
Never forget he basic measuring instruments that are idiot proof. A simple plumb bob hanging in front of the target will allow you to make a perfectly vertical line
Read an article about this in a gun mag in the '70's. When I'd sell a scope or rifle combo I'd stress "mechanical" mounting crosshairs level and not to your eye or hold. Had a few come back with obnoxious cant and complaints of unreliable groups. Remounted scope level and proved that you just can't have cant for consistent accuracy.
Thanks for clearing up one of those mysteries shooters discuss, argue about, for decades. I don’t go beyond 3, 4 hundred for groundhogs or crows but I, maybe all of us, have had those sight in sessions that drive us crazy. Precision rifle shooting is hard enough with variables we don’t understand or even know to exist. You did us all a service here.
I use a plumb-bob to confirm that my vertical line is plumb. It’s cheaper than a laser level, and it stores in my bag. Leveling the optics, when installing them on a rifle is most important.
I think the Internet can read our thoughts! So yesterday my buddies son shot a deer we didn’t find so we got to talking about arrow flight (he shots a xbow) and I was explaining to him the arc of the arrow vs a rifle round and about shooting at a downward angle. Then this morning I was day dreaming about how much it would make a difference with a rifle not being level like a bow, then this video pops up. CREEPY! Great video 🙏
Great demo. thanks. I completely agree with your prior video's scope mounting technique, however, there's plenty of content out there about scope mounting and leveling while off the rifle, usually done on a separate picatinny rail on a bench or tripod. Then the position is accepted and put on the rifle and not checked to be level with the action/rifle. It would be an interesting demo if you could demonstrate on target what's wrong with that. For benchrest and F-Open shooters, the flat fore-end likely also needs to be level with the top of the action/rail so it doesn't induce cant when seated in a level rest. comments?
Good explainer video. Kinda simple thing - which gets usually hard to just verbally explain. -Does cant matter? Absolutely that is a "Yes.". I do so dislike cant ,either the rifle, or the scope due poor adjustments or poor scope mount set.
Great way of explaining it Gary. Hard to quantify in exact numbers but think how far that puts you right or left at max ordinate. If you are that far off on a tall target at 100 yards its only going to amplify down range at max ordinate and depending on trajectory could translate into many feet.
The thing is, that distance of being "off" to the right with 5° of cant, would be magnified at actual range. I assume you are at 100 yards, and I think you said the 10mils was a setting for about 500 yards. The 6" off at 100 yards would be ~30" off at 500 yards.
Of course it matters. A scope works Horizontally & Vertically. if it's Canted, when you elevate your site, it wont just raise your site, it'll push it either left or right depending on which way it leans - the same applies if you lower your sight. Everything needs to be as 'Square' as possible - it's simple.
While that will make it more challenging to dial in your scope, it is still possible to zero your scope with canted crosshairs you will just be adjusting diagonally instead of vertically/horizontally
@@Sausketo My comment was based on well over 30 years of long range shooting (out to 1200 yards+) with full bore weapons. Never, ever have I heard anyone saying a 'canted' scope was acceptable. You simply cannot make accurate windage or elevation adjustments if the scope is 'off'
@@paramounttactical Waiting on the SG Pulse to be available. SG said they weren't sure when they would have new stock shipping... hoping it's soon! I plan on doing a similar video to yours, but on 22LR's.
We have a ton on order and they’re coming told us we have priority due to our videos and the numbers we’ve already sold. They said to expect by early December. The best thing to do is go to our website, create an account (we don’t spam or sell your info) and hit “Back in stock notification” on the SG Pulse listing. You’ll get an email as soon as we get them in. Thanks, Gary
Great demonstration of a key concept that, until the SG Pulse, has been hard to replicate precisely. Happy Thanksgiving to the PTS team. Can’t wait for XP next year.
There's plenty of AR style rifles that have a scope mounted on top and a set of sights down the side. You cant the rifle to use the open sights... Both sighting systems impact the same spot.
@BBD-350L but you need to hold each sight level while you shoot them for the best possible accuracy. My 300 ham'r for pig hunting, has a 6-24x scope but I have an offset red dot. It's for anything within 30 yds or so. At that range cant that is not level will have minimal effect. I can't sight in far enough for it to matter with a red dot. Your sight being level is what matters. I've seen people set their scope slightly off axis because it felt better to them. Not my choice, but with a bubble level it worked for them.
“Impact the same spot” out to a very short distance. Those sight lines would very quickly diverge. If your can’t red dot is sight to 35 yards it is literally only point of aim/poi at that distance.
@@paramounttactical right, mine is set up just for sneaky pigs. I know my offset and account for it. Minute of pig up close, lol. For hd , it's an 8" 300blk/510c. I loved your response video yesterday. Keep up the factual info, I appreciate it man.
@@onebadjack1313 I know. I was replying to @BBD-350L but even though I hit the icon to reply directly, 50% of the time RUclips treats my direct reply as a separate comment and sends it to the bottom of the thread.
HOB effects are negligible. You can test that with a ballistic app. Change HOB on a known gun and it has minimal effect. One of the biggest mistakes shooters make is trying to get their optic too low which makes their neck and shoulders uncomfortable, they can never get relaxed behind the gun and they miss a lot more due to this.
I got educated on the subject when we set up targets on a farm out to 600 yards. The farther the target, the farther the impact was to the right. I go to great lengths to line up my cross hairs precisely and test out to distant targets for verification.
Wimd is tough enough to read at times.....canting makes the matter much worse depending on range....great video for those who dont know the effects of canting.
I have the send it level, I think I’m getting the SG Pulse, it has so much more for 100 bucks cheaper, and it’s rechargeable, no need to replace batteries, the batteries last forever but it’s still another expense, but it works awesome but the SG Pulse to me is the way to go
Indeed. It’s a real issue that causes a lot of head scratching down the road. When your ballistic app says one thing and your buddy next to you shooting similar gun/ammo is getting different results and you can’t figure out why… usually this.
No there's a single factor which is distance. Several is just nitpicking every grain of sand when there's a fat culprit cart of sand sitting in front of you
I didn't think it was so significant. Chasing zero has been a hassle at times. Cross winds can lift or drop your elevation....thus giving you a false elevation reading. Throw I some cant...and now wonder Thanks.
I can't believe any living person can't understand Cant ! Even if using iron sights, close to the bore, it is terrible. Using a high mount scope, Oh Lordy !! Actually, I do think this would be useful to a new to hunting teenager. The video is well done.
I was looking at the MDT device. The fact that this is $100 cheaper and gives you feedback on other characteristics if you’re shooting is way better. Any reason to not go with this over the MDT level system?
@@thomaskingsbury6560 it is but as their top dealer in the US who sees and/or sets up hundreds of their rifles every year for clients, it’s not always correct. I’d never take a level on a chassis as gospel. You can adjust them a little but I’ve seen many I couldn’t get right and then I’ve seen them come out of alignment over time. Chassis can shift slightly independently of the action. My level is either attached to my rail/scope base or the mount. Levels attached in ring mounts around the tube are the worst. They shift very easily. Thanks for watching! -Gary
Theoretically, as long as you understand the point of aim and point of impact for where you cited it in, and you can predict the bullet drop, you could theoretically make shots with a rifle candid at a 45 or a 90° angle with some mental math If you absolutely have to. At that rate, you might even be better off tilting your hole head to match the sight picture to make that math easier. Outside of a particularly tight and confined area, or closing where it won't matter, I'm not sure why you would ever do this, but it should be possible.
I think the SG pulse comes set up at 0.5 of allowable cant. That seemed to tight for me so i opened it up to 1.0° of cant (. 5 left and .5 right of zero before no green ). Maybe i should move it back.
It comes by default at .04 which is +/- .02 in either direction. So right now you’re at .05 left or right. I’d probably bump that down to .06 = .03 L/R. It just depends on what you’re doing. For closer targets under time you can reduce sensitivity. That’s the good thing about the Pulse, for zeroing, accuracy testing, tall target test, or anything requiring max precision you can increase sensitivity on the fly and dial it down when you don’t need it. Thanks for watching! -Gary
@paramounttactical thank you. I live where shooting past 300 is a luxury. I will bump it to .6 and stop being a baby and work on my skills. Thank you for the content and you mentorship. Great stuff.
Great explanation, especially when dialing wind! Saw you at Poke The Bear last month. This cant would've had us missing the mile+ by more than two targets! Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks Phil! It was great meeting you and PTB was a lot of fun. It was really cool to get exposure to a completely new shooting discipline. I learned a lot and appreciated the hospitality from everyone. Everyone was awesome! I plan on getting an ELR rig set up and be there again in the spring! -Gary
its nice to see a live demonstration. Im also curious to see how an inconsistent cant, say 0° to 5° effects bullet impact location at 100 yards. this is more to understand the effects during load development. not everyone is using wide bipods or wide forends like a benchrest gun. there is all those people out there with narrow forends on different types of front rest that do not ensure repeatability. if someone is trying to dial in a load, this could be counter productive i would think.
I wonder if slower cartridges are more affected by cant. On my howa 7.62x39 I bought a budget 3-12 that dials combined with a level my hit probability past 250 yards increased substantially. Where as without a level my 6.5 creed and 30-06 pretty effortlessly hit at 330 yards. Granted they drift almost half in wind.
Absolutely they will be. The longer they are in flight, the more angular deflection they’ll experience due to cant. The deflection will be directly correlated to TOF. Distance is just another way to measure that.
Don't know what Summer is feeding you Gary but,tell her to keep it up! Fantastic video & easy to understand Great job Gary!! Summer keep feeding him what ever your feeding him! hahaha!
@@IONLYBOWTOGOD that’s true. It’s angular. So the further you go out, the more angular offset or differential between POA and POI you’ll experience. In the short distance is the problem you encounter if you zero with cant. That will negatively affect you at all distances. It could be enough to miss depending on the degree of cant and distance or it could be just enough to add .25,.50 or more MOA to your group size.
Hi from the UK. I shoot an Accuracy International AXSR in.338 Lapua magnum. I handload weighed and prepped Hornady A-tip I was stuck at 4inch groups at 1500 yrds for ages. Im currently shooting 3.5 inch groups at 1650 yards. What did I change? The muzzle break
Originally thought that rifle cant was not that significant. Saw the video. Turns out that it is that significant. Bought an anti-cant bubble since the SG Pulse was sold out.
it would seem to me that how the scope is mounted would have an effect and how you cant the rifle when you site it in if you always cant the gun including at site in (will it be off at longer range)
Simple kinematics. If you introduce a lateral velocity to the bullet, it's going off center. You always zero your gun with the barrel pointing slightly above horizontal. If you now shoot your gun canted perfectly sideways, where is the bullet going?
I was shooting prone at a deer at 730yds. It was legal shooting time, still dark enough, I couldn't see the level. Fired first shot and round whizzed right in front of the chest Friend says, hey I think you're canting the rifle. Got light enough to see the level, checked it and fired. Heart shot. Yeah it matters
So at short distance it's inconsequential. It's been an eye opener, I've always wondered about this. I'd love to have a rifle but don't know that I ever will.
@@Robb-n1t it depends obviously. Even my SBRs that are set up for CQB, I don’t have a dedicated level on them but when I zero, I put one on it. That way if I do need to shoot 200, 300yds I have confidence in the zero.
As an engineer I appreciate the level of detail in this summary. Quantifying effects is almost as important as realizing there is an effect.
Thank you sir! I appreciate you watching!
-Gary
I had a three target stage in a PRS match at 475 yards shooting off corrugated plastic piping. I was running an AR-10, my magazine got stuck between two corrugations and I was slightly canted. I didn't think it was going to matter so I sent it and ended up dropping around on the stage. I was furious. A 5° cant does matter!
Fortunately, i learned to shoot with both eyes open. When i started putting a bubble on my scope, i realized my canting the rifle a whole bunch. With the bubble, i am able to check it with my off eye, and i was able to tighten my groups. Thank you for your post.
I forget where I heard it, but the acronym PEW-C (Parallax, Elevation, Windage, Cant) runs through my mind every time I take a shot.
@@crossan008 yep, it’s a good one.
So you puke every time you shoot. 🤔😁
@jerrodvaughn3878 lol. Pronounced PEW - See
@@paramounttacticalnot anymore! It’s PUKE!
Great Explanation. I've been trying to explain this to new F Class shooters for years. I'll just show them this youtube clip from now on. Cheer's from Australia.
I use a string with a rock hanging from it out in the field to get the target, that has a straight line on it already, lined up. GREAT VIDEO! CARRY ON!
Thanks! Love the detailed info this channel provides. Started ordering what I need that you sell from your store. Just ordered an AR. Dale B from Texas
@@Texas8400 hey brother, THANK YOU!
I’m from Beaumont so I especially appreciate my Texas fam support! 👊🇺🇸
Sincerely, Gary
I stumbled onto this channel and I like the content. Although it’s designed for ranges I don’t shoot at however the data is excellent and I definitely appreciate it thank you for making the content
Absolutely matters , without a base line accurate start point you can't adjust the proper direction , the farther out the more it matters. First get your rifle sitting vertical then get your reticle vertical on the rifle. Great video ❤
Excellent material Gary. I was totally unaware that rifle cant makes a difference. You've shown me that this is very important, especially when you are sighting in the rifle. Some of my erratic group sizes may be due to simply not paying attention to the gun's level. Thanks for the video.
Yeah same here. I'm glad RUclips recommended this video. Not sure I would have ever figured this one out LOL
I shoot small bore (.22lr) ISSF/Olympic style shooting. I think about it like this: your line of sight looking through sights or an optic with the rifle with zero degrees cant the bore axis is directly below the line of sight. Canting the rifle rotates the rifle around that line of sight, making you miss your shot.
Great video! Thank you for taking the time to do the work. Stoked you mentioned the built in error that comes from canting the gun during the zero process. Have not seen anyone else talk about that.
This example really drives the point home. Thanks for posting!
Great video and analysis. First is making the scope correctly aligned to the bore. Some of my rifles the center of bore to center of scope is close to 3 inches. That amplifies the cant if you are not true verticle with the reticle to bore.
If I am paper shooting my targets are true level with elevation and windage lines. That helps train me to be level against terrain without any assistance. I am pretty good at staying level although I do have bubbles on some of my rifles.
Thanks for the video..
Really liked this demonstration.. That 5 degree can't is HUGE at 1k....
@@MattDonkin430 I agree my discipline is HP service rifle and our long range is 600. This video explained why my shots would literally swing way left/right. It was my rifle cant even though I believed my position was rock solid and I was focused on my breathing and trigger squeeze. My issue was my rifle cant kept changing during my slow fire reloads. Something I never even considered because was something never taught or even discussed.
Well presented video. That laser level for the tall turret test is something I will copy, thanks.
The tall turret test is my main test to see how a scope performs in adverse conditions. Scopes that have no problems in the middle of summer all of a sudden don't allow the tubes inside to move as freely with the contraction from the cold (-30) and very often give issues. Its actually one of the main reasons I use a "Christmas tree" style reticle and avoid dialing completely in these mid range hunting situations.
Good video. I've had similar discussions with several people who thought a level was unnecessary. However, I do think it's better to call it scope/reticle cant. If the scope is mounted in such a way that it is level while the rifle is slightly canted, you'll see very little effect. However, if the rifle is true while the scope is canted, you'll see a large effect.
Obviously a properly mounted scope makes this a distinction without a difference but proper terminology helps people visualize the problem.
That laser level trick is a game changer. Good stuff Gary!
Saved this, very good info. I work the sight in days at our range and we fight people all the time with this. I purchased the Real Avid master scope mount kit with the reticle leveling and it's a huge improvement. Nice to see this reality with the distances. It's worse than I thought it was.
@@MrTacklebury thanks!
Can you do a video about calculating bullet drop when you are on level ground versus when you are elevated shooting down at a target? If you have the facility, maybe down low and shooting up at a target too?
Any range finder does ballistic distance
Fantastic video! I can't count how many times people have argued that even the 45 degree side mounted sites make no difference in impact. Maybe that's true inside CQB ranges of 5-20 yards but when the range increases so does the distance of the shot from center of the target
The math check out that 45° canted sights can still be adjusted up with 1 click on each knob, however the adjustment will be more than a normal click, so if you do 1 MOA worth of clicks on each knob, you will actually adjust aproximately 1.414 MOA
So if you have fine enough adjustments on your scope it doesnt matter (its just more difficult to zero with anything other than 45° or 90°)
If you cant the gun so that the sight axis is directly above the bore, there is no difference. If, in this position, the offset sight is level, the windage and elevation still work correctly.
I've asked this question several times, but everyone I talk to says not to worry about it. I'm not sure they're right. Static cant matters to downrange bullet impact, as you describe in this video. But if you look at slow motion video of a gun muzzle at the moment of bullet departure, you'll always see a rotational (dynamic cant change), as well as a rearward, displacement of the rifle.
The rotation is induced by the counterforce imparted by the rotational inertia of the bullet acting against the rifling of the barrel. Just as the barrel rifling makes the bullet accelerate rotationally, the bullet's resistance to that rifling's forces makes the barrel (and rifle) rotate in the opposite direction. For a right hand (clockwise) barrel twist, the bullet exits spinning clockwise around its axis of rotation; the barrel, however, also rotates - around a "compound" axis of rotation, in a counterclockwise direction.
I say compound axis because - unlike the bullet, which is symmetrical around its axis of rotation - the gun is an absolute train wreck of differing masses distributed all around the line extending through the bore's axis. The forend's weight is below, the pistol grip is further below and farther back, the buttstock is WAY below and WAY back, the scope is above, the mass of the shooting hand is below, the mass and resistance of the support hand is below and further forward, the contact patch of the recoil pad is farthest back and dynamically affected by friction as it moves rotationally, etc., etc. Try spinning a rifle smoothly along the line of the bore axis - it can't be done. The mass distribution as you move from muzzle rearward changes, and so the center of rotation wants to change as well, throwing the rotating mass off-axis in a frenzied wobble.
But the real issue is that the gun - regardless of how level it was at the pull of the trigger - will begin its rotational mambo as soon as the bullet begins to be accelerated down the barrel and rotated, canting the gun. The rate of increase of rotation is not linear, either - it's faster at the highest pressure time/position in the barrel, and slows approaching the muzzle. So the force applied to the gun forcing it to counter rotate, and its rotational acceleration, varies as well. At the highest chamber/bore pressure, the rotational torque and acceleration is greatest - but the highest speed of rotation is as the bullet is leaving the muzzle, because the counter-rotational force has been applied to the mass of the gun for the longest time.
If that counter-rotational force were applied to a rigidly-fixed barrel, it wouldn't matter. If it were applied to a gun with a perfectly symmetrical mass distribution around the barrel axis, it wouldn't matter, either - the barrel would spin concentrically with the bullet, but in the opposite direction. But applied to a gun with its effective center of mass that is off-center vertically from the barrel axis, as well as off-center from the horizontal (looking down at the gun from above) center of the gun, the barrel is going to be displaced sideways in some direction determined by that mass distribution - both laterally and vertically - off at some angle from the barrel axis alignment as it was at the moment the firing pin hit the primer.
Since the bullet is in the barrel while this reaction is taking place, the bullet is being displaced in exactly the same way that the gun is, and - at the moment of exit - at the same velocity as the barrel's muzzle. That is, it's being thrown off-POA (off the original barrel axis line). Not just pointed off-axis; moving, sideways, as well. The weight of the gun relative to the bullet's weight and its velocity, as well as the barrel's twist rate, will affect the net displacement and velocity of that motion off the line to the target. For lighter-barreled guns, fired unsupported offhand, with a heavy bullet (and therefore a faster twist, which is required to stabilize a longer, heavier bullet) the greater will be the effect of this rotational force.
Note also that the rotational and lateral displacement forces are additive to the recoil force, which is rearward along the barrel axis, but resulting in motion that is not exactly coaxial with the bore axis, either. That is obvious from the fact that the muzzle rises, instead of the gun moving straight backward; the "center of pressure" is above the gun's center of mass as viewed from the front, producing an upward rotation-inducing lifting moment.
Splitting hairs? Not if you look closely at the high-speed camera footage. As that bullet leaves the muzzle, that rifle is moving sideways and up, and rotating off level - all determined by Newton's Laws of Motion. The gun is flailing away in space, with only its mass and the shooter's grip to resist the forces that are changing the direction that the bullet is now traveling from the one expected when the trigger was pulled. If cant matters, then this dynamic change in the cant, as well as the variable movement side to side with each shot (if the bullet's velocity changes, the distance the muzzle moves changes during the bullet's barrel transit time) has to matter as well.
Look at any of a number of high-speed camera videos to see this displacement in action. Slow down the video and notice that the gun is rotating and moving before the bullet exits the muzzle. I also noticed that at the moment of firing, your cant sensor went up to 20 or 30 on the screen; 30 degrees? Clockwise? Left-hand twist? And a different amount for each shot? This HAS to contribute both to accuracy and shot-shot variation.
And it has to matter - why else would we have "bench rest" shooting and heavy guns? I think it would be interesting to compare the actual displacement of the center of the POI for a freely-moving rifle against that same rifle securely clamped to, say, a heavy bench, to quantify exactly how much of a difference this melee of interacting forces makes - in POI, and in repeatability.
Thanks for the video; internal, external, and terminal ballistics are all fertile areas for scrutiny of the physics of motion in the quest for accuracy. I hope the above OCD exercise contributes, rather than detracts from that quest.
I invited a friend who had shot only 100-200 yards with his CM6.5 to our 600yd range. He assured me he had zeroed at 100yd and verified drop at 200yd, so was sure 15moa adjustment was correct at 600yd. I double-checked his figures and agreed, then asked him if he ever used a level on his scope. "Oh that cant nonsense. It's negligible." So I invited him to cant the rifle 90degrees and see where his round landed. The gears started turning in his head.
That was crazy! I really did not think it would be that far off! WOW
Well thought out test with conclusive results. Thanks for the video 👍🏼
My! This was an extremely helpful video! I knew cant is an issue but couldn’t give it a value. I shoot centerfire but have really gotten into PCP air rifles. This video has explained the grimlins that sometimes plagues shooting. The thing about air rifles is my dope for 200 yards from a 50 yard zero is 11.1 mils. That’s shooting a 12.5 grain .173 slug (.070 bc) at 970 fps. NSA 12.5 .178 slugs resized to .173 (NOE bushing sizing kit). The rifle I’m using groups at about 5” at 200 yards. Anyway, sometimes the rifle does things I couldn’t easily explain. Pretty sure I just figured out a major piece of the puzzle. Excellent video!! I will add the these pcp riles will teach you a lot about being on a rifle when shooting at 200 yards. A lot of fun! A great video!
I never even heard of bubble levels until a couple years ago on your videos. Of course I never really shot past 200 yds until covid and watching your videos. The cant issue makes sense. Good video and explanation. You got me started with a bubble, then a MDT level.
Cant is definitely one of those things that can be a real game changer.
Same here. Even though I'm from the Delta, i have always hunted in the woods. I always considered myself a decent marksman. Recently, I became friends with some farmers that hunt over huge fields. They all use calibers that I have always found unnecessary. Guess what? At those distances, they really are handy.
I have rarely shot past 100 yards most of my life. 250 was probably my longest shot until recently.
Never forget he basic measuring instruments that are idiot proof. A simple plumb bob hanging in front of the target will allow you to make a perfectly vertical line
Great demonstration and very helpful info.
That's a great video. We don't realize how big it is to keep your rifle level. Very specific Gary and very informative
Read an article about this in a gun mag in the '70's. When I'd sell a scope or rifle combo I'd stress "mechanical" mounting crosshairs level and not to your eye or hold. Had a few come back with obnoxious cant and complaints of unreliable groups. Remounted scope level and proved that you just can't have cant for consistent accuracy.
wow!! I would've never thought so little would be so far out!! Thanks man. God Bless
Thanks for clearing up one of those mysteries shooters discuss, argue about, for decades. I don’t go beyond 3, 4 hundred for groundhogs or crows but I, maybe all of us, have had those sight in sessions that drive us crazy. Precision rifle shooting is hard enough with variables we don’t understand or even know to exist. You did us all a service here.
Thank you sir! I’m glad you got value out of it. And here I thought all the views were due to the sexy pose…
-Gary
@@paramounttacticalThey are 😉
I always wondered how much that really affected POA POI canted. Thanks for this.
Wow, this is really eye opening. Had no idea cant was that critical. Good stuff, thanks so much
Thanks! Glad you got something out of it and thanks for watching!
-Gary
I use a plumb-bob to confirm that my vertical line is plumb. It’s cheaper than a laser level, and it stores in my bag. Leveling the optics, when installing them on a rifle is most important.
Outstanding video
Thank you! I appreciate you watching!
I think the Internet can read our thoughts! So yesterday my buddies son shot a deer we didn’t find so we got to talking about arrow flight (he shots a xbow) and I was explaining to him the arc of the arrow vs a rifle round and about shooting at a downward angle. Then this morning I was day dreaming about how much it would make a difference with a rifle not being level like a bow, then this video pops up. CREEPY! Great video 🙏
@@Texaslivinoutdoors the internet cannot read your thoughts Conspiracy Theorist!
But I can. 👁️
😂
@ 😂😂😂
Great demo. thanks. I completely agree with your prior video's scope mounting technique, however, there's plenty of content out there about scope mounting and leveling while off the rifle, usually done on a separate picatinny rail on a bench or tripod. Then the position is accepted and put on the rifle and not checked to be level with the action/rifle. It would be an interesting demo if you could demonstrate on target what's wrong with that. For benchrest and F-Open shooters, the flat fore-end likely also needs to be level with the top of the action/rail so it doesn't induce cant when seated in a level rest. comments?
Good explainer video.
Kinda simple thing - which gets usually hard to just verbally explain.
-Does cant matter?
Absolutely that is a "Yes.".
I do so dislike cant ,either the rifle, or the scope due poor adjustments or poor scope mount set.
I can't afford the electronic level but I definitely use a bubble level. It's critical for longer, accurate shots.
Great way of explaining it Gary. Hard to quantify in exact numbers but think how far that puts you right or left at max ordinate. If you are that far off on a tall target at 100 yards its only going to amplify down range at max ordinate and depending on trajectory could translate into many feet.
Brilliant video, learnt something.
The thing is, that distance of being "off" to the right with 5° of cant, would be magnified at actual range. I assume you are at 100 yards, and I think you said the 10mils was a setting for about 500 yards. The 6" off at 100 yards would be ~30" off at 500 yards.
I give the exact “at distance” numbers at the end.
Of course it matters. A scope works Horizontally & Vertically. if it's Canted, when you elevate your site, it wont just raise your site, it'll push it either left or right depending on which way it leans - the same applies if you lower your sight.
Everything needs to be as 'Square' as possible - it's simple.
While that will make it more challenging to dial in your scope, it is still possible to zero your scope with canted crosshairs you will just be adjusting diagonally instead of vertically/horizontally
@@Sausketo My comment was based on well over 30 years of long range shooting (out to 1200 yards+) with full bore weapons. Never, ever have I heard anyone saying a 'canted' scope was acceptable. You simply cannot make accurate windage or elevation adjustments if the scope is 'off'
Happy Thanksgiving, and thanks for the awesome info rich video on cant.
@@Grumpyseabee22 Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours and thanks for watching!
-Gary
@@paramounttactical Waiting on the SG Pulse to be available. SG said they weren't sure when they would have new stock shipping... hoping it's soon! I plan on doing a similar video to yours, but on 22LR's.
We have a ton on order and they’re coming told us we have priority due to our videos and the numbers we’ve already sold. They said to expect by early December.
The best thing to do is go to our website, create an account (we don’t spam or sell your info) and hit “Back in stock notification” on the SG Pulse listing. You’ll get an email as soon as we get them in.
Thanks,
Gary
Thanks Gary-- point made
Great demonstration of a key concept that, until the SG Pulse, has been hard to replicate precisely. Happy Thanksgiving to the PTS team. Can’t wait for XP next year.
It’s has some features that make things like this possible, accurate, and repeatable.
Great demo!
This is a game changer for me,great video!
Thanks.
It's yuuuuuuuge, I tested after I first got a bubble level. I Haven't watched yet but I'm looking forward to it. I like these informative videos.
There's plenty of AR style rifles that have a scope mounted on top and a set of sights down the side.
You cant the rifle to use the open sights...
Both sighting systems impact the same spot.
@BBD-350L but you need to hold each sight level while you shoot them for the best possible accuracy. My 300 ham'r for pig hunting, has a 6-24x scope but I have an offset red dot. It's for anything within 30 yds or so. At that range cant that is not level will have minimal effect. I can't sight in far enough for it to matter with a red dot. Your sight being level is what matters. I've seen people set their scope slightly off axis because it felt better to them. Not my choice, but with a bubble level it worked for them.
“Impact the same spot” out to a very short distance. Those sight lines would very quickly diverge. If your can’t red dot is sight to 35 yards it is literally only point of aim/poi at that distance.
@@paramounttactical right, mine is set up just for sneaky pigs. I know my offset and account for it. Minute of pig up close, lol. For hd , it's an 8" 300blk/510c.
I loved your response video yesterday. Keep up the factual info, I appreciate it man.
@@onebadjack1313 I know. I was replying to @BBD-350L but even though I hit the icon to reply directly, 50% of the time RUclips treats my direct reply as a separate comment and sends it to the bottom of the thread.
Love the detail here. I would be interested in seeing how differences in height over bore play into the effects of rifle cant.
HOB effects are negligible. You can test that with a ballistic app. Change HOB on a known gun and it has minimal effect.
One of the biggest mistakes shooters make is trying to get their optic too low which makes their neck and shoulders uncomfortable, they can never get relaxed behind the gun and they miss a lot more due to this.
Great information. Still a little new to the long range shooting. Would not of thought it was that much.
I got educated on the subject when we set up targets on a farm out to 600 yards. The farther the target, the farther the impact was to the right. I go to great lengths to line up my cross hairs precisely and test out to distant targets for verification.
Wimd is tough enough to read at times.....canting makes the matter much worse depending on range....great video for those who dont know the effects of canting.
It's a real game-changer, especially at longer distances.
7:22 Thats me! He shouted me out you guys!!!
@@El-Diablo-Blanco 🤷♂️ ol’ El Canted Brain… 😂
Loved this video....!!
I have the send it level, I think I’m getting the SG Pulse, it has so much more for 100 bucks cheaper, and it’s rechargeable, no need to replace batteries, the batteries last forever but it’s still another expense, but it works awesome but the SG Pulse to me is the way to go
The more I use it, the more I think it’s worth getting even if you have an LRA.
Great video. Thanks
At long range it is extremely important.
I've noticed people sighting rifles in and not paying attention to cant. The 0 was very shifty.
Indeed. It’s a real issue that causes a lot of head scratching down the road. When your ballistic app says one thing and your buddy next to you shooting similar gun/ammo is getting different results and you can’t figure out why… usually this.
Good video.
Where hunters can really be fooled is when they are on hillsides shooting.
Short answer does it matter? yes, and how much ? Depends on several factors
No there's a single factor which is distance.
Several is just nitpicking every grain of sand when there's a fat culprit cart of sand sitting in front of you
Sig Tango6. .5º sensitive built in level. Indicators on the reticle. Happy with that.
I didn't think it was so significant.
Chasing zero has been a hassle at times.
Cross winds can lift or drop your elevation....thus giving you a false elevation reading.
Throw I some cant...and now wonder
Thanks.
Great video and very valuable information. Thanks
Very informational! I’ll be buying one when they’re in stock.
I can't believe any living person can't understand Cant ! Even if using iron sights, close to the bore, it is terrible.
Using a high mount scope, Oh Lordy !! Actually, I do think this would be useful to a new to hunting teenager.
The video is well done.
I was looking at the MDT device. The fact that this is $100 cheaper and gives you feedback on other characteristics if you’re shooting is way better. Any reason to not go with this over the MDT level system?
This video goes into my playlist of shooter education essentials.
MPA is cool as they have the built in inclinometer. And it helps tremendously.
@@thomaskingsbury6560 it is but as their top dealer in the US who sees and/or sets up hundreds of their rifles every year for clients, it’s not always correct.
I’d never take a level on a chassis as gospel. You can adjust them a little but I’ve seen many I couldn’t get right and then I’ve seen them come out of alignment over time. Chassis can shift slightly independently of the action.
My level is either attached to my rail/scope base or the mount. Levels attached in ring mounts around the tube are the worst. They shift very easily.
Thanks for watching!
-Gary
Theoretically, as long as you understand the point of aim and point of impact for where you cited it in, and you can predict the bullet drop, you could theoretically make shots with a rifle candid at a 45 or a 90° angle with some mental math If you absolutely have to. At that rate, you might even be better off tilting your hole head to match the sight picture to make that math easier. Outside of a particularly tight and confined area, or closing where it won't matter, I'm not sure why you would ever do this, but it should be possible.
Thank you for great & practical content. ❤
I think the SG pulse comes set up at 0.5 of allowable cant. That seemed to tight for me so i opened it up to 1.0° of cant (. 5 left and .5 right of zero before no green ). Maybe i should move it back.
It comes by default at .04 which is +/- .02 in either direction. So right now you’re at .05 left or right.
I’d probably bump that down to .06 = .03 L/R.
It just depends on what you’re doing. For closer targets under time you can reduce sensitivity. That’s the good thing about the Pulse, for zeroing, accuracy testing, tall target test, or anything requiring max precision you can increase sensitivity on the fly and dial it down when you don’t need it.
Thanks for watching!
-Gary
@paramounttactical thank you. I live where shooting past 300 is a luxury. I will bump it to .6 and stop being a baby and work on my skills. Thank you for the content and you mentorship. Great stuff.
Great explanation, especially when dialing wind! Saw you at Poke The Bear last month. This cant would've had us missing the mile+ by more than two targets! Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks Phil! It was great meeting you and PTB was a lot of fun. It was really cool to get exposure to a completely new shooting discipline. I learned a lot and appreciated the hospitality from everyone.
Everyone was awesome! I plan on getting an ELR rig set up and be there again in the spring!
-Gary
Thanks Happy Thanksgiving to Y’all
You're welcome! Happy Thanksgiving to you as well!
Excellent video. Nuff said.
Cool info. Thank you
its nice to see a live demonstration.
Im also curious to see how an inconsistent cant, say 0° to 5° effects bullet impact location at 100 yards. this is more to understand the effects during load development. not everyone is using wide bipods or wide forends like a benchrest gun.
there is all those people out there with narrow forends on different types of front rest that do not ensure repeatability. if someone is trying to dial in a load, this could be counter productive i would think.
I wonder if slower cartridges are more affected by cant. On my howa 7.62x39 I bought a budget 3-12 that dials combined with a level my hit probability past 250 yards increased substantially. Where as without a level my 6.5 creed and 30-06 pretty effortlessly hit at 330 yards. Granted they drift almost half in wind.
Absolutely they will be. The longer they are in flight, the more angular deflection they’ll experience due to cant. The deflection will be directly correlated to TOF. Distance is just another way to measure that.
@ Appreciate the response, thanks i have learned a lot from your videos and have a lot more to learn.
great video!
Thanks Mike!
Don't know what Summer is feeding you Gary but,tell her to keep it up! Fantastic video & easy to understand Great job Gary!! Summer keep feeding him what ever your feeding him! hahaha!
I have to watch her. She likes more cushion for the… 😂
I would think the further the distance you shoot is when it all starts to play a role and matter.
@@IONLYBOWTOGOD that’s true. It’s angular. So the further you go out, the more angular offset or differential between POA and POI you’ll experience.
In the short distance is the problem you encounter if you zero with cant. That will negatively affect you at all distances.
It could be enough to miss depending on the degree of cant and distance or it could be just enough to add .25,.50 or more MOA to your group size.
Hi from the UK.
I shoot an Accuracy International AXSR in.338 Lapua magnum.
I handload weighed and prepped Hornady A-tip
I was stuck at 4inch groups at 1500 yrds for ages.
Im currently shooting 3.5 inch groups at 1650 yards.
What did I change?
The muzzle break
Well said. Thank you
Excellent video, and if you combine rifle cant with a scope that is not plumb and you can be all over the place.
Good data. People of precision, take notice.
Originally thought that rifle cant was not that significant. Saw the video. Turns out that it is that significant. Bought an anti-cant bubble since the SG Pulse was sold out.
Even in three position small bore I canted my Anschutz butt plate, into the shoulder, so the rifle stayed level while shooting off hand.
it would seem to me that how the scope is mounted would have an effect and how you cant the rifle when you site it in if you always cant the gun including at site in (will it be off at longer range)
We shoot F class at 1,000 yards. Learned this the hard way years ago!
Absolutely it matters, further the distance the more it matters.
Dry educational sir, thank you for that, does can’t matter up to 400yards though?
I don’t understand your question. Clarify for me.
Simple kinematics. If you introduce a lateral velocity to the bullet, it's going off center. You always zero your gun with the barrel pointing slightly above horizontal. If you now shoot your gun canted perfectly sideways, where is the bullet going?
Happy Thanksgiving Brother 🎉🥳👍❤️🇺🇸💥‼️‼️‼️
Thanks brother, same to you! 🇺🇸
This was awesome! But now i'm curious how much difference it makes if you use your reticle to calculate drop, not the turrets.
I was wondering why I was missing my 2,000 yard shots, dayum, what a genius, thanks dude 🎉
How do you like sg on pulse recoil management it provides on the app. I was looking into the sg cause I like app feedback.
@@TacticalTarzan-sm7ds I like it. I haven’t used it yet but I have done videos planned utilizing that exact feature.
Damn good work!
I was shooting prone at a deer at 730yds. It was legal shooting time, still dark enough, I couldn't see the level. Fired first shot and round whizzed right in front of the chest
Friend says, hey I think you're canting the rifle. Got light enough to see the level, checked it and fired. Heart shot. Yeah it matters
☝️💯
Comment prior to watching video never really thought of this question. Have some theory’s. Love educating my self so let’s see lol.
So at short distance it's inconsequential. It's been an eye opener, I've always wondered about this. I'd love to have a rifle but don't know that I ever will.
@@Robb-n1t it depends obviously. Even my SBRs that are set up for CQB, I don’t have a dedicated level on them but when I zero, I put one on it. That way if I do need to shoot 200, 300yds I have confidence in the zero.