Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Scope Cant
I am surprised how many shooters don't know about or don't understand the affects of scope cant. It is very important to keep the rifle vertically centered over the bore of the rifle when shooting, especially if you are shooting at longer distances. The affects of scope cant become more pronounced as the range increases but the overall affect is to cause the point of impact to shift in the direction of the cant and down. At shorter ranges the average shooter may not even notice the affects of cant but with smaller targets at longer ranges, introducing just a little bit of cant when aiming at a small critter or target can amount to a missed shot. For a more in-depth desription, please read these references: 1, 2.
The only really good way to prevent scope cant is to have some type of level on your rifle. It is very easy to cant the rifle without really know it. In the woods or on the range, the backgroud around the target can give you a false sense of the horizon and miscues as to what is really vertical. This will cause you to cant the rifle to attain what looks like a vertical reticle but in reality the scope is canted, perhaps only slightly but it is still canted. I have seen this during Field Target matches where I am focused on the target and things look great and then I check my level and find that the bubble is pegged to one side or the other.
There are a lot of scope levels on the market these days for all types of rifles. B-Square has a level that mounts right on the scope rails while BKL Technologies has one that screws into the side of their mounts. There is a company called ScopeLevel that has a level that mounts to the scope and raises up above the scope about two inches so that is can be seen by the eye looking through the scope. If you want to go first class you can buy an electronic level from called Microlevel from Long-Shot Products which will electronically show you when your scope is level. I use a simple scope mounted level that points out to the side. It is just a scope mount with the base removed and a hole bored into the base where a bubble level is glued in. It works great and just about anyone can make one if they want to do it themselves.
If you shoot at a fixed distance and hold the rifle the same on every shot, cant won't affect you. The scope or sights can be dialed in to that range and the pellets will hit the same spot every time. But if you shoot at varying distances or use target turrets and change the reticle during your shooting, you will want to get a level.
The only really good way to prevent scope cant is to have some type of level on your rifle. It is very easy to cant the rifle without really know it. In the woods or on the range, the backgroud around the target can give you a false sense of the horizon and miscues as to what is really vertical. This will cause you to cant the rifle to attain what looks like a vertical reticle but in reality the scope is canted, perhaps only slightly but it is still canted. I have seen this during Field Target matches where I am focused on the target and things look great and then I check my level and find that the bubble is pegged to one side or the other.
There are a lot of scope levels on the market these days for all types of rifles. B-Square has a level that mounts right on the scope rails while BKL Technologies has one that screws into the side of their mounts. There is a company called ScopeLevel that has a level that mounts to the scope and raises up above the scope about two inches so that is can be seen by the eye looking through the scope. If you want to go first class you can buy an electronic level from called Microlevel from Long-Shot Products which will electronically show you when your scope is level. I use a simple scope mounted level that points out to the side. It is just a scope mount with the base removed and a hole bored into the base where a bubble level is glued in. It works great and just about anyone can make one if they want to do it themselves.
If you shoot at a fixed distance and hold the rifle the same on every shot, cant won't affect you. The scope or sights can be dialed in to that range and the pellets will hit the same spot every time. But if you shoot at varying distances or use target turrets and change the reticle during your shooting, you will want to get a level.
