I've got some neat scopes, but I've noticed that the reticles seem canted. I figured it was just me. I mount bubble levels to my scopes and place a small carpenter level on the scope cap or turret, then another level on the rifle frame to ensure all things are level. Then when I look through my scopes, the crosshairs seem canted.
Here's where it gets interesting. Thinking "all my reticles can't be canted" I wanted to place a level at a distance, so I set a jar of water out in the yard. When I level the horizontal crosshair to the water line, my levels are all off. Some are way off, others just a hair.
"Maybe it's some sort of refraction or the object I'm focusing on is too close?" I started ranging "known" level surfaces behind my house at greater distances, i.e. home siding lines and roof pitches. I level my crosshair with the water surface, than swing out to a roof line 1-200 yards directly behind the house and it's level. Look at the bubble level on my turrets and scope tube = canted.
All of my scopes are Leupold... save for one Nightforce. So I get out the rifle with the Nightforce on it and run the same test. NF = dead-nuts level. So now I get on the Googles and start finding articles confirming that Leupold's acceptable level of reticle cant is 3 degrees. Shit.
I don't know guys, I really like my Leupolds but admittedly haven't spent much time behind any of them because I'm relatively new to the optics game. Kind of at a loss on this one. FYI, just picked up a new VX-6 and it seems noticeably canted. That's what started this experiment. Say it ain't so!
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One added note: roof lines sag, as does siding. It's also possible that light refraction is affecting how I see the waterline. I'm going to have to try this with a leveled line on a target at 100 to confirm it. Just wondering if others have had the same experience...
Here's where it gets interesting. Thinking "all my reticles can't be canted" I wanted to place a level at a distance, so I set a jar of water out in the yard. When I level the horizontal crosshair to the water line, my levels are all off. Some are way off, others just a hair.
"Maybe it's some sort of refraction or the object I'm focusing on is too close?" I started ranging "known" level surfaces behind my house at greater distances, i.e. home siding lines and roof pitches. I level my crosshair with the water surface, than swing out to a roof line 1-200 yards directly behind the house and it's level. Look at the bubble level on my turrets and scope tube = canted.
All of my scopes are Leupold... save for one Nightforce. So I get out the rifle with the Nightforce on it and run the same test. NF = dead-nuts level. So now I get on the Googles and start finding articles confirming that Leupold's acceptable level of reticle cant is 3 degrees. Shit.
I don't know guys, I really like my Leupolds but admittedly haven't spent much time behind any of them because I'm relatively new to the optics game. Kind of at a loss on this one. FYI, just picked up a new VX-6 and it seems noticeably canted. That's what started this experiment. Say it ain't so!
- - - Updated - - -
One added note: roof lines sag, as does siding. It's also possible that light refraction is affecting how I see the waterline. I'm going to have to try this with a leveled line on a target at 100 to confirm it. Just wondering if others have had the same experience...
