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getting crosshairs straight |
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hammer
Optics GrassHopper Joined: April/26/2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 15 |
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Posted: August/16/2006 at 13:33 |
What is the easiest and cheapest way to get the crosshairs level when mounting a scope?
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mwyates
Optics Master Joined: June/15/2004 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 1196 |
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There's all sorts of levels, etc. that you can buy; most are inexpensive. I quit using anything but my eye. I put the rifle on a rest and then align the crosshairs. Then I shoulder the rifle as naturally as possible several times to make sure it looks OK.
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bill47
Optics GrassHopper Joined: December/16/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 49 |
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Hang a string with a weight. Aim at the string. Allign the vertical crosshair with the string. Tighten scope. |
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mwyates
Optics Master Joined: June/15/2004 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 1196 |
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That ought to be cheap enough Just make sure your rifle is plumb.
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Anthony
Optics Apprentice Joined: June/01/2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 223 |
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The only way to properly align the reticle is to do it with a level rifle. Just about every level out there is in a word, crap. In my opinion the only one that really works better than eyeballing it like you guys is the EXD engineering reticle instrument, available at brownells for 46 bucks. it is well worth it for its adaptability, because it will work with virtually any gun. It may not be worth it for some of you guys, because you can have the hole dang thing done for you professionally cheaper. I am not saying there is anything wrong with eyeballing it, I am just pointing out that this is as they say the right tool for the job,
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bill47
Optics GrassHopper Joined: December/16/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 49 |
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I find the level to be a red herring. It is the vertical crosshair that is of prmary concern. I want the POI to be along the vertical. If I align the vertical with gravity, it is a great start point. If I don't align the vertical, then it is only good for one distance. Less than the distance shoots to one side, more distance and the POI is on the other side.
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Anthony
Optics Apprentice Joined: June/01/2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 223 |
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This reticle instrument aligns the verticle crosshair with a plumb bob. along with the rifle being level.
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mwyates
Optics Master Joined: June/15/2004 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 1196 |
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Maybe I'm wrong here but won't the horizontal crosshair be right if the vertical is????? I guess that's something all the non-Leupold users have to deal with
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Anthony
Optics Apprentice Joined: June/01/2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 223 |
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Ok I will try to make this as clear as possible... you put the reticle instrument on the scope/rifle, then you set up a plumb bob and and look through the scope, (surprisingly you can still see through the scope with the big block of aluminum in front of it) with the rifle in a cradle, rotate the the scope until the verticle crosshairs are parrallel to the the string, at the same time checking to see that it is parallel while the rifle is level. after you do this the scope rings are tightened down carefully, followed by a final check to see that it is still level and parallel after you tightened the rings.
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CB900F
Optics GrassHopper Joined: June/24/2006 Status: Offline Points: 18 |
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Fella's;
Bill almost got it right. Myself, I use two plumb bob strings, one to ensure the rifle is not leaning & the other for the verticle crosshair.
The rifle's string runs down the buttpad & it's easy to align the pad to it. It really helps if you can place the target far enough out to make sure it's within the scope's ability to focus correctly on it. I'm lucky in that I have a tree in the back yard that's out there at a good distance. I just use a 1" dot on a paper plate & hang the plumb down the plate. It's actually easier to align if the verticle stadia is offset about a half inch from the plumb string. Black string, white plate, no problem.
900F |
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Our media makes sure the truth doesn't get free.
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bill47
Optics GrassHopper Joined: December/16/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 49 |
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He said 'easy and cheap'!!! Why double your cost by using 2 plumb bob strings? I don't know about you but I doubt I hold the rifle perfectly vertical when I shoot. So I hold the rifle the way I normally do and just use the string for the scope. The scope may not be perfectly in line with the rifle, but it cancels out most of the error in the way I hold the rifle. |
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Chris Farris
TEAM SWFA - Admin swfa.com Joined: October/01/2003 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 8024 |
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Anthony
Optics Apprentice Joined: June/01/2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 223 |
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I knew this was going to turn into a knife fight when I read the topic
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muhgi
Optics GrassHopper Joined: June/04/2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 27 |
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Bill47-
The purpose of leveling the scope isn't so that the crosshairs are vertical when you hold the rifle. The purpose is so that the crosshairs are vertical over the bore, so that when you adjust the crosshairs up and down (or aim above/below the horizonal crosshair) you are not inducing a change in windage at the same time. -Tod |
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bill47
Optics GrassHopper Joined: December/16/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 49 |
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Ok, technically you are correct about wanting the crosshair over the bore. There could be a change in windage if it's not. But it would be so insignificant that I believe you won't notice it. Try it both ways and see if your groups differ.
However, if the crosshair is is over the bore but the vertical crosshair is not plumb, the change in windage is much more significant. Again, try it if you don't believe.
ps. not into knives. prefer to use a 9-iron |
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CB900F
Optics GrassHopper Joined: June/24/2006 Status: Offline Points: 18 |
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Bill;
Muhgi isn't technically correct. He's correct, period. I had it proven to me with groups, that's why I went to the second plumb line. Which, by the way, is no major expense. An empty .45 brass, a bit of cord knotted & drawn up to the flashhole & a drop of cement, seat the bullet & 'Oily-Voily' like they say in some frog-eatin' country, you've got another plumb line.
Quite spendin' money on nine irons & other golf equipment & you wouldn't have to regard a plumb line as a major expense.
900F
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Our media makes sure the truth doesn't get free.
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muhgi
Optics GrassHopper Joined: June/04/2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 27 |
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It looks like the tool Anthony suggested works best because it truly checks the scope alignment against the barrel. (It assumes of course that the hole in the barrel matches the exterior walls--I had one Lilja barrel sent back since the hole did not match.) As many scopes as I've mounted, $46 looks pretty cheap.
The method I learned (leveling the rifle receiver), assumes the barrel and receiver are true and really requires a vice. 900F's method assumes the barrel and stock are true. I know the method I learned, and I assume 900F's from his comments, works "good enough" from 0 to 300 yards. If you shoot past that, I'd definately suggest the tool Anthony posted. BTW, don't just assume that since a "professional" mounted your rifle that it was done correctly. Ask how they do it and see if they talk about aligning the vertical crosshair with some part of the rifle. -Tod |
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hammer
Optics GrassHopper Joined: April/26/2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 15 |
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What about this?
While the rifle is in something secured place a target on a wall about 25 feet or so.Make sure it is level.This works on bolt actions only - take the bolt out and place a round in the chamber.The primer or center of shell should be the center of the bore.From a slight distance from the butt end of the gun, turn scope until the horizontal matches the target's horizontal and the vertical of the scope centers the primer or center of shell. |
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muhgi
Optics GrassHopper Joined: June/04/2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 27 |
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hammer-
Your suggestion would only work if you also level the target. So you are really just replacing the plumb line with a paper target. The bit with the primer is unnecessary at that point. (The lines are 90 degrees apart so if one is level with a line horizontal to line with the bore, the other is level with a line vertical to the bore.) Lining up a plumb line through the scope is also a lot easier that matching with the primer--we're wanting more accuracy than most people can get from such an eyeball estimate. And since you have to level the target anyway.... -Tod |
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bill47
Optics GrassHopper Joined: December/16/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 49 |
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With your rifle secured and the bolt out:
1. hang a plumb on the wall instead of a target 2. site through bore to get it on the plumb 3. line up vertical on the plumb
Vertical should be lined up and over the bore. If the horizontal is perpendicular to the vertical, it should be level. |
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