- Sun Tzu, at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, 1776
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FORTUNATE IS HE WHOSE BUBBLE LEVELS ARE IN HARMONY WITH EACH OTHER
- Thread starter Edsel
- Start date
- Sun Tzu, at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, 1776
Well, they seem to give the appearance of being level with each other.
Big caveat - not verified against a fancy electronic level, but the plumb line suggests they’re okay.
A plumb line, a small torpedo level, and what used to simply be called the Brownells Vertical Reticle Instrument 289-100-000, now referred to as the EXD ENGINEERING Vertical Reticle Instrument.
All doable within the small confines of an apartment.
Big caveat - not verified against a fancy electronic level, but the plumb line suggests they’re okay.
A plumb line, a small torpedo level, and what used to simply be called the Brownells Vertical Reticle Instrument 289-100-000, now referred to as the EXD ENGINEERING Vertical Reticle Instrument.
All doable within the small confines of an apartment.
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Really taking over thinking a simple thing to a new level
A plumb line and a pair of bubble levels too overwhelming for you?
No wonder the Chinese are eating our lunch
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Caveat stated above.
One must think of whether the level is level prior to leveling; gotta be level - headed, otherwise a levelution may ensue.
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I have always liked the plumb bob method. Did you sight down your bore to see if the plumb line is centered there, too?
I have these wedges from Arisaka that are pretty slick but even the small ones are too big sometimes. The flashlight and plumb bob work on everything and I always verify that way.
I have these wedges from Arisaka that are pretty slick but even the small ones are too big sometimes. The flashlight and plumb bob work on everything and I always verify that way.
Yes - visible and centered through the bore; though the Brownells tool takes care of that, for the most part.
I could never get those Arisakas to fit - or sit - properly enough.
The Spuhr wedges, however - they’ve always worked perfectly; never really had to fiddle with the scopes (they date back to a time when I merely “eyeballed” scope alignments). However - the Spuhrs only went on expensive, heavy rifles where everything was already perfectly machined out of the box.
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I don't have my new shop going yet. In my old shop, I hung a bob up near one wall where I could use the pattern makers vise to hold the rifles. I made marks high and low then strung a tight line and spray painted the line, leaving the shadow of the line. It was permanent and I didn't have to restring the bob every time.
Now how are you leveling the rifle? And also in the field while shooting?A plumb line and a pair of bubble levels too overwhelming for you?
No wonder the Chinese are eating our lunch
There's a corollary to this among watch aficionados - It's said that a man with one watch always knows what time it is but the man with two watches is never quite sure. Wise words if you think about it.
"Foolish is he whose timepieces pay no heed to NIST Time Servers or GPS Satellites."
- Benjamin Franklin, at the Leyte Island landing, 1944
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The EXD tool he has basically accomplishes that goal. I think (not an engineer).
I own one, and in short, it tells you when two circles are stacked plumb to each other (outer circumference of both the barrel and scope objective bell). Theoretically, if those two circles are plumb then your rifle is too.
Next, you can level the reticle against a plumb line, tighten the rings and go on with your life.
Edited for clarity: Used to use a plumb line. Now, by looking out the window, I just level the reticle to gravity by aligning the reticle’s vertical stadia to the edge of a neighbors house. I assume the house is built plumb, but that’s not a sure thing!
I don’t use a flashlight.
Caveats apply:
- Its bubble level is to be believed, of course
- Assumption is the bore is in the dead center of barrel (not a for sure thing, apparently)
- Assumption is that scope points exactly along the line of the barrel (hopefully close enough)
- Another assumption is that the barrel and bell are round (enough)
- Also we assume the action is level in the stock/chassis, otherwise the butt won’t be perpendicular
- Can’t really use it on an AR-type handguard. Needs a bare barrel to index off of.
- Probably more…
A bigger issue for the fixture is ease of use in a house. The fixture potentially needs a little more setup, like a base on a very stable tripod or something. Or you have to go to the range with it.
One can simply use the EXD with a rifle in a tripod.
Anyway, the EXD seems to work well, but as an engineer will most likely point out, I’m probably wrong.
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The EXD tool is intended to be used in conjunction with a plumb line to verify the vertical reticle line is plumb as well.
I think that graphic is strange.
Not sure how one could accomplish what the two right-most diagrams show? At least with modern pic rails and rifles.
Rather, here is my short version:
Lowlight’s long version:
Gunsmithing - Scope level to a rifle
Reading over this resurrected thread got me thinking. And that's not always the best place for me. It's obvious that the only thing that matters is that the reticle is level when the shot is taken. The rifle could be canted a few degrees and as long as it was zeroed in that position with a level...
www.snipershide.com
Yeah, I know. I’ve done it that way, but I’m lazy.
I usually just use the (hopefully) plumb edge of a house instead. Edited my initial post for clarity.
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That’s still not the exactly correct take of that diagram as far as how the EXD tool works. It’s condensing two steps into one (left side), and added two meaningless diagrams (right two diagrams).
This is a fine point, I’m nitpicking, not taking you to task but to just trying to help those less experienced. I know you’ve used the tool and know these steps.
But for others, all the EXD tool does is this:
I.e. getting the center of two circles stacked plumb to gravity.
Aligning the reticle plumb to gravity happens by turning the scope by hand after you accomplish the above, using a plumb line (or edge of something plumb). Then at the end, one has a rifle stock and reticle plumb to gravity. In theory.
In other words,
I think that graphic you posted is from something else entirely. Almost like it’s describing how to align a reticle on a scope on an old rifle, like this.
Heck if I know lol.
Edit: and then if you have a cantable buttplate you cant the butt to your shoulder pocket.
Or some people know their cant and purposely do this (lefty):
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The more I use capital letters the more challenged I am to mount and level my rifle scopes.
In fact, when I order a scope, I stop using capital letters all together, preferring the writing style of E.E. Cummings, to ensure I am at the top of my game when the scope arrives.
It worries me to think that others may have my same disorder.
-Stan
In fact, when I order a scope, I stop using capital letters all together, preferring the writing style of E.E. Cummings, to ensure I am at the top of my game when the scope arrives.
It worries me to think that others may have my same disorder.
-Stan
In no way am I an engineer
Or, as e.e. cummings might write:
in no way am I an engineer
he said while the ants
devoured his shoelaces
"Foolish is he whose timepieces pay no heed to NIST Time Servers or GPS Satellites."
- Benjamin Franklin, at the Leyte Island landing, 1944
At last count, I had 3 NIST synched watches and 1 thermocompensated watch. Plus the NIST site on my cellphone face. Yeah, I'm good.
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