reticle cant axis

[magtech]

If i put my scope on a table what do I level it to when checking reticle cant. Do i take off the turrets and level the erector underneath? Do i level it to the flat on the bottom of the scope?

I'm just looking for a good axis that the reticle should be aligned with for checking scope deficiencies.

 

[308pirate]

Is this even a thing on a quality scope?

 

[Olen_4504]

I've never worried about checking this. as long as the reticle is not obviously canted in the scope I just level the gun, then level the reticle using a plumb line.

 

[Fig]

I put my rifle in a cradle and level the rifle to the center of the earth with spirit levels (I use as many as there are flat surfaces on the rifle). The Wheeler one that bolts on the barrel is nice because you can move the rifle around once it's affixed.
Fix a plumb-bob to the wall (a string with a weight on the end) so you have a completely vertical reference point.
Mount the scope onto the rifle loose enough so you can move it, but it won't move on it's own. Dial the scope to maximum power and shine a light through the front, so the reticle casts a shadow on the plumb-bob string. Line them up, and then tighten the mounts to spec. Done and perfectly level.

Is this what you mean?

 

[Olen_4504]

I put my rifle in a cradle and level the rifle to the center of the earth with spirit levels (I use as many as there are flat surfaces on the rifle). The Wheeler one that bolts on the barrel is nice because you can move the rifle around once it's affixed.
Fix a plumb-bob to the wall (a string with a weight on the end) so you have a completely vertical reference point.
Mount the scope onto the rifle loose enough so you can move it, but it won't move on it's own. Dial the scope to maximum power and shine a light through the front, so the reticle casts a shadow on the plumb-bob string. Line them up, and then tighten the mounts to spec. Done and perfectly level.

Is this what you mean?

I THINK he means he's trying to check to see if the reticle itself is perfectly straight relative to the scope body.

 

[Fig]

Wow. Is it a Counter Sniper with the Double Impact reticle? You didn't buy the military contract overrun...did you?
If the reticle itself in the scope is off it will certainly fail a tracking test. I would start there, but when setting up the scope itself you could throw a level on a turret cap and it should also match up...

 

[magtech]

I am working on my pst. The turret itself is not completely inline with the reticle. It a little noticeable when you level it. Im just trying to see if theres a better way of doing it or if im better of selling it and upgrading.

 

[ShtrRdy]

Try going off of the bottom of the turret housing

 

[Sheldon N]

I am working on my pst. The turret itself is not completely inline with the reticle. It a little noticeable when you level it. Im just trying to see if theres a better way of doing it or if im better of selling it and upgrading.

The exterior of the turret means nothing, I wouldn't worry about it nor would I rely on it. There are only 2 things that matter, and they matter for different scenarios.

Level reticle - this matters when you shoot with hold overs. The reticle needs to be level to gravity when you are shooting, a bubble level on the scope tube matched up to the recitcle aligned to a plumb line is the easiest way to achieve this.

Level erector travel - this matters when you shoot with dialed elevation. The up/down travel of the crosshairs needs to be on a vertical path relative to gravity when you shoot. This one is harder to check - you either need to have a scope jig to watch the crosshairs while you spin the turrets or you need to shoot a tall target test.

My advice is to level the reticle to a plumb line and put a bubble level on the scope to match up. Then you can check the erector travel to see if it matches the reticle by shooting a tall target test. Put up a big piece of cardboard and use a carpenters level to draw a plumb line on it, then a level horizontal line at the base of the target. Shoot a group at the bottom of the target holding your reticle vertical with the line on the target. Then dial up a bunch of elevation and shoot another group, again holding the crosshairs at the bottom and keeping the reticle in line with the horizontal/vertical line. If the upper group is on the line, you are good to go. If the group is left/right then your reticle is crooked relative to your errector travel. The other plus about this test is that you can also check your scopes return to zero.

 

[Lowlight]

Companies match the reticle to the flat on the bottom of the scope. The turrets have no bearing on Level.

So yes, if I understand what you are asking, if you want to check your scope you use the flat at the bottom vs the vertical of the reticle. So use a plumb line because all the reticle cares about is the fall of gravity.

Now some scope designs can cause a "curve at the top end of the reticle travel, this is a multi-part issue because it depends on the windage used and the travel inside the scope. Since the erector is round, the tube is round and there is only a single spring in most scopes, the more you adjust the more chance you have of seeing a slight curve in the movement.

But companies also have about a 2-3% variation in their tolerances so you have to see a big enough problem for them to actually address it vs they calling it in Spec

 

[magtech]

Sweet. Thanks for the wisdom!