Canted Reticle - Slightly

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Canted Reticle - Slightly

Post by Lokvo » 05 Jan 2017, 8:20 am

Hey guys,

Just mounted my first scope ever. I believe I did all the correct/necessary steps in installing but something might've gone amiss.

I used the segway reticle leveler that is set level on the receiver (it has a spirit level/bubble) and I aligned my reticle that way. I also used a wheeler torque wrench and made sure that the rings were all torqued equally etc.

however after completing and feeling satisfied I put my rifle back on my bipod, looked through the scope aaand the reticle is ever so slightly canted anti-clockwise. However when I re-checked it again using the segway leveler it did indeed line up. Note that when using the reticle leveler I don't actually put my cheek on the stock in a shooting position, rather I look at it from the rear of the butt stock dead straight since during the install I had it in a gun vice.

Is the slant/cant there due to my own slight head tilt when in a shooting position? even though I know the reticle/scope etc is level to the receiver/rifle bore? or should I re-situate the reticle so that it looks level when I'm in a shooting position?

Newbie ever so lost haha. :lol: :crazy:
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Re: Canted Reticle - Slightly

Post by Supaduke » 05 Jan 2017, 8:38 am

Set up a plain white/light coloured background. Get a piece of string/cord etc, put something with a bit of weight on the end. Hang your bit of weighted string against the white. That is now a perfectly vertical plumb bob. Set your self up about 10-15 meters directly in front.
Line up your vertical crosshair with the string. Done
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Re: Canted Reticle - Slightly

Post by Lokvo » 05 Jan 2017, 8:43 am

Cheers! I'll give this a go. I do the alignment while in a shooting position I assume (cheek weld etc.)? In my case off my bipod?
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Re: Canted Reticle - Slightly

Post by Supaduke » 05 Jan 2017, 8:46 am

Yes, but hold the rifle very gently, don't induce any cant or twist. Also when doing up the scope rings , do them up evenly, go diagonally and tighten each one a little bit at a time. Don't just fully tighten one then move on, Do a few turns on each one till all are tight.

Edit: And make sure your rifle is on a level surface.
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Re: Canted Reticle - Slightly

Post by Lokvo » 05 Jan 2017, 8:52 am

Thanks heaps! I'll try this out later. Yep I do the cross pattern when tightening ring scopes down, little bit a time until final torque setting.
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Re: Canted Reticle - Slightly

Post by Gwion » 05 Jan 2017, 10:48 am

This probably isn't all that helpful but it is cant on the firearm that will effect you accuracy, not cant on the scope. Problem with cant on the scope is that if the scope looks level then the rifle is canted.

Setting up the rifle dead plum so that you can then set the scope with a level can be tricky. Even with the magnetic level on the action you need to be entirely sure the surface that the magnet is on is true level. It can also be tricky to torque down your screws evenly with out upsetting the level of the scope. All issues I have also had from time to time. Some firearms work well with this system, others not so much.

Check this vid out for another way to do it. Better than me trying to explain.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=COoXVpGfXQE
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Re: Canted Reticle - Slightly

Post by Lokvo » 05 Jan 2017, 1:02 pm

Cheers Gwion, all info at this point helps!
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Re: Canted Reticle - Slightly

Post by bigfellascott » 05 Jan 2017, 1:14 pm

I just eye ball it 99.9% of the time, seems to be good enough going by the results in the paddock. :D
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Re: Canted Reticle - Slightly

Post by Oldbloke » 05 Jan 2017, 3:47 pm

Supaduke wrote:Set up a plain white/light coloured background. Get a piece of string/cord etc, put something with a bit of weight on the end. Hang your bit of weighted string against the white. That is now a perfectly vertical plumb bob. Set your self up about 10-15 meters directly in front.
Line up your vertical crosshair with the string. Done


How simple is that.
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Re: Canted Reticle - Slightly

Post by happyhunter » 06 Jan 2017, 8:32 am

.
Last edited by happyhunter on 24 Feb 2017, 8:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Canted Reticle - Slightly

Post by jackles » 31 Jan 2017, 10:09 am

Supaduke wrote:Set up a plain white/light coloured background. Get a piece of string/cord etc, put something with a bit of weight on the end. Hang your bit of weighted string against the white. That is now a perfectly vertical plumb bob. Set your self up about 10-15 meters directly in front.
Line up your vertical crosshair with the string. Done


Awesome tip mate, cheers :drinks:
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Re: Canted Reticle - Slightly

Post by WhelanLad » 31 Jan 2017, 1:36 pm

i still hit a bit with a slight cant of the scope LOL

CBF levels were an are still pretty high
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Re: Canted Reticle - Slightly

Post by wildcard6 » 28 Feb 2017, 12:49 pm

I suspect that the cause of your slight cant has nothing to do with your scope mounting, but simply with the bipod. Bipods don't always level the rifle perfectly due to either a slight twist in the sling swivel stud or the pads on the underside of the bipod [the buffers between the bipod and stock] are not perfectly symmetrical. I've got an old Harris bipod that does the same thing and a close examination of those pads revealed they were out of alignment. I just set one leg slightly longer than the other and the problem is solved.
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Re: Canted Reticle - Slightly

Post by Brute » 28 Feb 2017, 2:49 pm

If your bipod is attached to your sling swivel I reckon you end up on a different angle every time you pull the trigger :lol:
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Re: Canted Reticle - Slightly

Post by Lokvo » 01 Mar 2017, 8:53 am

Hmm didn't even consider the bipod to be the issue actually, might have to take a closer look at it. Yes it is attached via the sling swivel lol. But to be honest, I've shot with it enough now that it doesn't really affect my shots, least not that I can see. It's only a 2-7x32 scope on a 22LR so I'm only shooting at 50m mostly so I guess the cant doesn't really come into play?
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Re: Canted Reticle - Slightly

Post by Supaduke » 01 Mar 2017, 9:30 am

Cant only comes into play when you adjust for windage or elevation. If the scope is zeroed at a certain distance cant makes no difference.

If the scope is at an angle and you adjust for elevation for example , your reticle will go up/down and slightly to the side.
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Re: Canted Reticle - Slightly

Post by Carter » 01 Mar 2017, 12:24 pm

Supaduke wrote:Cant only comes into play when you adjust for windage or elevation.


And if you're using hold over points.
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Re: Canted Reticle - Slightly

Post by Gwion » 02 Mar 2017, 6:09 am

Supaduke wrote:Cant only comes into play when you adjust for windage or elevation. If the scope is zeroed at a certain distance cant makes no difference.

If the scope is at an angle and you adjust for elevation for example , your reticle will go up/down and slightly to the side.


EDIT: referring below to rifle cant. If you are talking cant of scope in the rings then I agree with the above.

I beg to differ: if you are shooting longer or shorter than your specific zero distance, cant will have an effect on POI.

Also, you have a properly set up scope but add cant via your technique, it will effect your POI.

Lleyton trajectory also effects cant influence. The more pronounced the trajectory, the more pronounced the effect of cant on POI. As such a subsonic 22lr round will show a greater change in POI at 50yd than a hyper velocity round will with the same cant at the same range.
Last edited by Gwion on 02 Mar 2017, 8:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Canted Reticle - Slightly

Post by Lokvo » 02 Mar 2017, 7:35 am

Cheers guys. Some things to consider but I'm more or less satisfied with where my POI's at this point. I've shot at variable distances; 25 - 50m and rarely at 100m for giggles only. In those ranges even with the slight anti-clock cant, I don't find my shots are veering to the left or not where I'm aiming (dead on at 50m).
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Re: Canted Reticle - Slightly

Post by Gwion » 02 Mar 2017, 8:13 am

I reckon the scope is slightly canted. It is rifle can't that will effect POI.
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