The title speaks for itself. Are electronic levels worth it over bubble levels? Why? Considering getting a Sg Pulse of Send it but not sure if it will make a difference.
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Are Electronic Levels Worth it?
- Thread starter Himrightthere
- Start date
I use traditional bubble levels. I’m a firm believer that I can see cant before the level does. I’m not saying they’re useless and run them on my badger mounts but I can’t see how splitting attention on one with lights is that helpful.
maybe barricade shooting is different since that’s not my expertise but I’d think you’d want even more concentration on reticle there
maybe barricade shooting is different since that’s not my expertise but I’d think you’d want even more concentration on reticle there
Based on your experience what makes the SG Pulse better other than cost and charging?
You can zero it to whatever you want, you can use it to level a scope, battery life is better than Send-It, you can upgrade the firmware, etc.
I have no ax to grind about the SG Pulse...never saw one. But:
1. The Send-it also allows user zeroing and can later be reset to factory settings and calibration
2. Battery life....not sure I'd need more than 100 hours. How many battery hours on the SG Pulse...do you know?
3. Use to level scope - I don't see why this is a distinction between the two? There is no reason you can use the Send-it to level...well, anything. Its a level, eh?
What I see as the main distinction between the two (aside from light display) is the SG app that shows/records (I believe you can record it) movement. I have no need for that either but Keith Glasscock uses it in his Winning in the Wind vid and its seems helpful to him for post competition evaluation.
Cheers
For reference, I beta tested the original Send-It before it was bought out by MDT.I have no ax to grind about the SG Pulse...never saw one. But:
1. The Send-it also allows user zeroing and can later be reset to factory settings and calibration
View attachment 8577575
2. Battery life....not sure I'd need more than 100 hours. How many battery hours on the SG Pulse...do you know?
View attachment 8577578
3. Use to level scope - I don't see why this is a distinction between the two? There is no reason you can use the Send-it to level...well, anything. Its a level, eh?
What I see as the main distinction between the two (aside from light display) is the SG app that shows/records (I believe you can record it) movement. I have no need for that either but Keith Glasscock uses it in his Winning in the Wind vid and its seems helpful to him for post competition evaluation.
Cheers
The zeroing process for the SG Pulse is way, way easier than the send it. It's a simple push of the button on the unit OR pressing the calibrate on the app.
As far as using it as a level, its purpose built as a box to level anything. What's even nicer is you can level an object, it will remember it, AND then tell you how far off the distance between the two measurements is BOTH on the X and Y axis as well as Z axis. This is helpful if you're doing a field level after tearing apart your rifle. Minimal use, yes, but helpful when you need it.
Battery life is 80 hours and doesn't require a battery. Simple charging. The cable is semi-proprietary, but you can buy replacements on Amazon easily. From my experience, the send it dies at the end of every 2 day match (I've owned 3 of them).
Sure, if you want to go off Keith says, then get whatever you want. From a PRS standpoint, he tends to overanalyze everything (but that's part of his job). I shoot with Keith at 2 day matches...
I use my eyes and ears. It’s free and there’s no batteries or firmware involved.
While I don't disagree the best level is your braing and you should train it, part of the way you train it is by having good level references and keeping your brain sharp.
Levels are also sanity check on mistakes in conditions you know could be misleading.
Dunning-Kruger effect
When people respond with what is said, it tells me something: they don't shoot enough, they shoot at the same range all the time, and/or they don't know what they're talking about.
I don’t disagree necessarily but almost all the chassis and serious scope mount already have built in levels.
Do you really need another battery powered one for that sanity check ?
Been using my mdt send it level the past couple weeks and love it. I have it mounted on a area 419 scope mount in the vertical position and it's very easy to see with me left eye. I have the sensitive level at 4. I also have area 419 bubble level just in case. I don't see why not specifically since I shoot elr.
Depending on what you want, both levels get you to your destination.
Here is a demonstration of the SG Pulse training app (called Drills) on my first outing.
Here is a demonstration of the SG Pulse training app (called Drills) on my first outing.
Some of the comments in xring’s review are not confidence-inspiring.
For example, YT user named tzshoots says this:
This review isn’t great either
www.snipershide.com
Maybe the company has corrected these issues?
Even though Frank poo-poos using a level on the gun (he’s prob right), since I already had a couple I slap them on.
I like my Accuracy 1st level the most, which reacts quicker than a bubble level (uses a ball, not a bubble) and can be more intuitive when correcting the cant. Also have the little bubble level that comes with the Mbrace mounts.
For example, I think we’ve all been there with bubble levels at one point in our lives. “Which way do I move the < insert object > to level it?” I’ve often thought. In my case, I then move the gun the wrong way lol. (If you use levels a lot, this mistake can go away)
I’ve gotten better with bubble levels, but there’s always something a little counterintuitive going on with them. Probably because the cylinder models we use are so short. And I suppose many people don’t tend to work with “floating dynamics” that much in their day-to-day lives.
See my below rough sketch. I find the Accuracy 1st (top) “interface” much more intuitive vs the bubble level (bottom). With the latter, there always seems to be an intermediary mental step that happens in my brain when I go to level.
Of course, a bubble-type level does you no good if you cannot focus on it. I’m struggling with that now.
For example, YT user named tzshoots says this:
This review isn’t great either
Shooters Global Pulse -> electronic level -shoot diagnostics tool
SG Pulse electronic level presented at IWA seems that it will be eating the MDT/Send it level for breakfast and doing it for 150$. Given SG has great timers as well i suspect some time down the line we might see a unit linked to their existing timer with some audible countdown function.
www.snipershide.com
Maybe the company has corrected these issues?
Even though Frank poo-poos using a level on the gun (he’s prob right), since I already had a couple I slap them on.
I like my Accuracy 1st level the most, which reacts quicker than a bubble level (uses a ball, not a bubble) and can be more intuitive when correcting the cant. Also have the little bubble level that comes with the Mbrace mounts.
For example, I think we’ve all been there with bubble levels at one point in our lives. “Which way do I move the < insert object > to level it?” I’ve often thought. In my case, I then move the gun the wrong way lol. (If you use levels a lot, this mistake can go away)
I’ve gotten better with bubble levels, but there’s always something a little counterintuitive going on with them. Probably because the cylinder models we use are so short. And I suppose many people don’t tend to work with “floating dynamics” that much in their day-to-day lives.
See my below rough sketch. I find the Accuracy 1st (top) “interface” much more intuitive vs the bubble level (bottom). With the latter, there always seems to be an intermediary mental step that happens in my brain when I go to level.
Of course, a bubble-type level does you no good if you cannot focus on it. I’m struggling with that now.
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Dude, seriously, fuck that thing. It does not tell you witch way to go or how close you are. The send it is 5 bulbs. If 2 on one side are of your way off, if one on one side is on your getting closer, Green means go how fucking simple can it get? You don't have to spent time fuckin with your phone. Just take it out of the box, wing nut it on and shoot the fuckin match.
So, in other words, you have no idea how it works.
1. It literally follows the same light pattern R-L as Send-It
2. You don't need a phone
3. It works out of the box
I was skeptical about moving to an electronic level after using a bubble-level for more than a few years, and initially I didn’t like it as when I first started using it I found it sort of “dazzling” since I always shoot with both eyes open.
Now that I’m used to it I can’t imagine going back, it’s soooo much faster. As has been said: green means go, simple as that. I have mine mounted on the side of my scope mount and IDK if I even think about it anymore, I just don’t pull the trigger when it isn’t green lol.
FWIW, I went with the older Send-It after considering the SG Pulse, probably for the same reason I run a Manners TCS… I’m a fan of things that are straightforward and uncomplicated versus things that give one every option under the sun, I see lack of complexity as the best feature ever.
Now that I’m used to it I can’t imagine going back, it’s soooo much faster. As has been said: green means go, simple as that. I have mine mounted on the side of my scope mount and IDK if I even think about it anymore, I just don’t pull the trigger when it isn’t green lol.
FWIW, I went with the older Send-It after considering the SG Pulse, probably for the same reason I run a Manners TCS… I’m a fan of things that are straightforward and uncomplicated versus things that give one every option under the sun, I see lack of complexity as the best feature ever.
I played around with a lot more types of levels as well as mounting positions than I had previously used for the article on level use in precision rifle. This included buying an MDT Send-It. I have used it a good bit now on a wide variety of rifles. I think it does require less attention to utilize as the colored lights mean you never have to directly focus your eye on it. I believe this is probably a particularly strong advantage when you are on the clock in a competition and the shot is from and uncomfortable and unusual position. In the time after doing the article I haven't found myself using the Send-It very often though. This is despite how easy it is to pull out of the bag and zero to the rifle. All of my rifles have bubble levels on them calibrated to the rifle so setting up the Send-It takes less than a minute to attach it to the rail and set it's zero to the already calibrated bubble level. Despite that, I don't use it much because I don't shoot timed competitions and the advantage over the bubble level each of my rifles already have when shooting off familiar positions without time constraints is not that significant. This is true even for the rifles with less ideal bubble level configurations such as the tiny, poorly illuminated one built into the Zeiss rings.
My take is that the Send-It is an excellent tool for competition use but not a big advantage for other applications. I specifically would not want one sticking out banging into everything on a hunting rig as it is rather big. I like the mode of use where the Send-It is stored off of a rifle with a permanent bubble level and attached and zeroed to that level for specific use cases as this is very quick and easy to do. There is a section of level use article I linked above where I talk about what I think of a variety of level products and mounting configurations.
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