Am I the only one....

[Ontario Hunter]

I first adjust eye relief. Then mark the ring placement against tube with a colored pencil. Then detach scope/rings. Then clamp rifle stock in vice with padding and readjust as needed until the top of bases/rail is level. I use the level on small carpenter square removed from the ruler. When the rifle is level and tight in the vice, reattach the scope and tighten clamps to base(s). Set the level on the elevation turret, loosen ring screws, readjust scope as needed to get the level bubble centered, check marks on tubes to ensure eye relief has not been changed, tighten the ring clamps, and scope is level with bases. Hopefully the bases are exactly on top of receiver.

 

[glblanchard]

The Real Avid scope mounting & bore sighting kit works great! If you are mounting a lot of scopes, it's worth the money.

 

[Rumrunner]

Have you had someone else look through the scope and agree the reticle is not level? Occasionally I’ve looked at a picture on the wall and thought it was canted a very small amount. A level proved me wrong.

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

Yes, but the last to get tightened generally carries the crosshairs a tad to that side.

I’ve found you have to allow for that when setting up your scope to be mounted. About 5 degrees of cant and finish on the opposite side works well for me. Seems to pull everything square in the end. I clamp the rifle in my vice with soft jaws install my bases and bottom rings then lay my scope in. I then put my top rings on and just snug the screws so that the scope can still be adjusted in the rings. I then lay my level acrossed the top turret cap and cant the scope so that the bubble is touching the right side line and start my torquing sequence to finish on the left side screws.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

My problem is getting crosshairs aligned vertically. I do every rifle the same, and they are all wrong in EXACTLY the same manner, no matter how hard I try. When I am setting the crosshairs, tweaking them and tightening sequentially, etc. I think at the time, "I've got it just right"....but later when I shoulder the gun, it is always a hair over to the left! However, if I keep looking through it, it gets straighter, likely because I am making some kind of an adjustment to hold.
I have tried setting the square bottom of the magazine onto a table top and peering through the scope from behind the buttstock. But later, when I set it back down onto the table, it is to the left, per usual. I have tried to relate to the action, to no avail.
Maybe it is like Leupold says to set the eyepiece on their old scopes: look up at the sky, but NOT TOO LONG when getting the crosshairs as distinct as possible. I have even fooled myself into making it just a hair to the right, I thought, but when I checked it later....same as the others. I have tried using the vertical line of a door frame to adjust to vertical, but I am still the one holding the rifle.
It probably wouldn't bother me, except I read that canting of the scope shows up in groups at long range.

Anybody have the solution?

@steve white
Might be the head out of alignment not the scope.
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha
Seriously I have the same problem
Nowadays when I mount a scope I have the rifle in a vice( lightly tightened) mounted in a level surface lick a counter top.
I then mount the scope in the perfectly vertical rifle then check the turrets are vertical with the rifle.
This may require assistance as you need a bigger vertical level and a smaller one. Once the big level is tried then use the smaller level to check both horizontal and vertical turrets are level.

A bit of playing around but works for me.
Some say a bubble level on the scope like some target shooters use but then how do you know if that's level when you attach it.

Nowadays I don't overthink things.
Mount scope slightly loose
Shoulder rifle
Get mate to move the scope so it looks level to MY EYES and the way I hold the rifle.
Tighten scope.
Done.
Everyone holds their rifle differently so what may be straight to you may have a slight camber to someone else and vice versa.
A slight can't does affect long range accuracy but the ranges we shoot at( less than 300 more likely 75-150 yds) it will have zero affect.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

@steve white is this showing in your groups?
As others have said if not then don’t worry. It could also be your eyes. They can play tricks on you. The crosshairs may throw your eyes off when looking at another straight line through the scope. I’d recommend buying Nathan Fosters book. News got a lot of good advice that’s helpful as well how to set up a scope. Have done a few his way he explains it a lot better than I do.
Cheers
View attachment 712804

@Sideshow
My eyes have been playing tricks on me for years.
When I look in the mirror all I see is an ugly old fart. I know it's not me because I'm still young and good looking..
Same as when i used to drink a bit,all the women I ended up with we all absolutely beautiful.
Problems arose when I woke up the next morning and I had misplaced my beer googles. Some of them were ugly as sin but my eyes told me the night before they were stunners.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I first adjust eye relief. Then mark the ring placement against tube with a colored pencil. Then detach scope/rings. Then clamp rifle stock in vice with padding and readjust as needed until the top of bases/rail is level. I use the level on small carpenter square removed from the ruler. When the rifle is level and tight in the vice, reattach the scope and tighten clamps to base(s). Set the level on the elevation turret, loosen ring screws, readjust scope as needed to get the level bubble centered, check marks on tubes to ensure eye relief has not been changed, tighten the ring clamps, and scope is level with bases. Hopefully the bases are exactly on top of receiver.

@Ontario Hunter
Similar method to what I used for years.
Now mount scope, shoulder rifle and get a mate to adjust till it looks level to the way I hold the rifle
Simples
Works for me
Bob

 

[Sideshow]

@Sideshow
My eyes have been playing tricks on me for years.
When I look in the mirror all I see is an ugly old fart. I know it's not me because I'm still young and good looking..
Same as when i used to drink a bit,all the women I ended up with we all absolutely beautiful.
Problems arose when I woke up the next morning and I had misplaced my beer googles. Some of them were ugly as sin but my eyes told me the night before they were stunners.
Bob

Bloody contagious this disease you have Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Bloody contagious this disease you have Bob

@Sideshow
Don't know mate.
I thought I was the only one that suffered.
Bob

 

[RedTag]

I find the type of rings being used can make a difference in how easy it is for me to mount the scope. The vertically split rings drive me nuts personally. I may be the odd man out these days but I really like the old school weaver rings. I tried a dnz game reaper recently and I like it, except that it’s not in any way a qd system. Burris signatures rings are a little tricky to align but give great results, but again not in any way a qd option there.
I think a lot of folks overthink scope installation. I have never used any sort of auxiliary mechanical aids like lasers or bubbles levels or other expensive surveying or engineering tools to mount a scope. The human brain and eyes are very good at discerning things like symmetry, whether something appears level or square, and indeed whether things appear visually pleasing at all (think of the golden ratio or the Fibonacci sequence for example) and remember the pyramids were built without lasers or bubble levels and haven’t fallen over yet.
I have seen numerous scopes mounted crooked that someone swore can’t be so because they used a bubble level and a laser device to get there. I’ve mounted and sighted in scopes with the rifle resting across a cardboard box with notches cut in either side. This has worked for me every time and cost nothing.

 

[JG26Irish_2]

My problem is getting crosshairs aligned vertically. I do every rifle the same, and they are all wrong in EXACTLY the same manner, no matter how hard I try. When I am setting the crosshairs, tweaking them and tightening sequentially, etc. I think at the time, "I've got it just right"....but later when I shoulder the gun, it is always a hair over to the left! However, if I keep looking through it, it gets straighter, likely because I am making some kind of an adjustment to hold.
I have tried setting the square bottom of the magazine onto a table top and peering through the scope from behind the buttstock. But later, when I set it back down onto the table, it is to the left, per usual. I have tried to relate to the action, to no avail.

It probably wouldn't bother me, except I read that canting of the scope shows up in groups at long range.

Anybody have the solution?

I have a solution. For many years I have been a competitive bench rest shooter. Most all scopes were leveled with the rifle sitting perfectly vertical in the rest. But, when I leveled my hunting scopes on rifles which would be shouldered and fired from standing, sitting positions I found that almost always the crosshairs appeared slightly canted when I shouldered the rifles. Each stock is different and thus each will shoulder in its own unique way. Therefore, when I mount a hunting rifle scope, I adjust the eye relief and then with the scope held loosely in the rings, I shoulder the rifle and sight thru the optic. If the reticle appears canted, I rotate the scope in the rings until it looks right to me. This is the most effective solution, that I have found.

If I get it right for me when standing, it often does not look perfect for shooting from sand bags on a bench or prone. So, mount the scope to look right for the method you plan to use for shooting the rifle. This will often not look right to other people as we each shoulder a weapon in our own unique way. It may be slight but is an issue. My son shoots left handed so, when he shoots my rifles, it can be an issue.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I have a solution. For many years I have been a competitive bench rest shooter. Most all scopes were leveled with the rifle sitting perfectly vertical in the rest. But, when I leveled my hunting scopes on rifles which would be shouldered and fired from standing, sitting positions I found that almost always the crosshairs appeared slightly canted when I shouldered the rifles. Each stock is different and thus each will shoulder in its own unique way. Therefore, when I mount a hunting rifle scope, I adjust the eye relief and then with the scope held loosely in the rings, I shoulder the rifle and sight thru the optic. If the reticle appears canted, I rotate the scope in the rings until it looks right to me. This is the most effective solution, that I have found.

If I get it right for me when standing, it often does not look perfect for shooting from sand bags on a bench or prone. So, mount the scope to look right for the method you plan to use for shooting the rifle. This will often not look right to other people as we each shoulder a weapon in our own unique way. It may be slight but is an issue. My son shoots left handed so, when he shoots my rifles, it can be an issue.

Right. Rifles can be purposed for hunting or bench rest target competition but rarely for both. Do what works for the work you do.

My scopes are leveled in a vice with a level (see above) and yes the crosshairs may be canted ever so slightly to the left when rifle is mounted to shoulder (I'm right-handed). But I'm sure the difference in bullet impact, if any, from zeroing at vertical on the bench is negligible, even out to three hundred yards which is usually my outer limit for hunting.

I don't have any problem with crosshairs tilting when tightening Warne QD rings with the clamp on top. It was an annoyance when tightening Weaver standard rings with clamp on the side.

 

[Nhoro]

I have a magnetic spirit level which I put on the square bridge of the action to set the rifle level. I have also used the express sight base as well.Then I hung a bolt or nut on a string from a tree in my yard and use that to align the reticle. I haven't had a problem with the scope moving while tightening.

 

[Letzhunt]

It may have already been covered as i did not read 100% of the responses but, Typically getting the reticle set straight (using a quality scope!) is easily done. However; how we hold the rifle changes the pivot point of rifle and scope..ie...CANT. this is usually only the affect of an off hand unsupported shot. The good news is we don't often shoot very far from this position and it has very little affect at close ranges. the key is to make certain the rifle and scope are aligned and level when shooting from any suported position at distance. Again this is easily done from positions. If you shoot at 500 plus it will be critical and in these cases, especially if shooting of a side hill or in uneven terrain your eye WILL NOT be enough to inform you that your reticle is level. This is why a gun/scope mounted level is a valuable tool for longer ranges. Try it yourself from a side of a hill...set the rifle up and align it where you THINK the reticle is level...then look at the level. My guess is it will be way off. So then a quick adjustment to actual level.....followed by Bang....Flop!

 

[Firebird]

I apologize if this has already been mentioned but-make the rifle crosshairs appear how you want them for hunting purposes. Then install a level on the scope iteself. Several companies make options for this purpose. Then make sure you have that level perfect
When you sight in. Make sure the level is perfect for subsequent shooting.
It’s a similar concept to using level sights in archery-