5 Ways to Level a Riflescope

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As a rifle shooter, there are few more satisfying experiences than nailing the center of a thousand-yard target repeatedly. It doesn’t happen by accident. The farther you shoot, the more details matter. Besides making accurate wind calls and match-grade ammo, the riflescope must be level. Leveling the scope, or to be specific, leveling the reticle, ensures that the bullet will land close to your point of aim. There are many ways to level a scope; here are five that I’ve used and their pros and cons.

Why Does My Riflescope Need to be Level?

Before diving into the tools, let’s go over why it’s important to level the reticle. No matter where you are, gravity affects a bullet in one direction, towards Earth’s center. Once the bullet leaves the muzzle, the bullet begins to drop. A level reticle aligns the vertical stadia with the vertical path of the bullet. The horizontal stadia is used to compensate for wind deflection and moving targets.

A canted reticle will veer away from the bullet’s drop path. Shooting at close distances, the difference will be small, but the farther you shoot, the greater the gap between the vertical stadia and the bullet’s drop path. When using a canted reticle for holdovers, that difference can cause large misses, and you’ll wind up questioning the ballistic solver and your wind call.

Another reason to level the reticle is that the turret axis is squared to the reticle’s horizontal and vertical stadia. Or, at least, it should be. Imagine the reticle aligned to a vertical string. While turning the elevation turret, a leveled reticle will follow the string straight up and down. If the reticle is canted, the turret is canted too. In this case, dialing the elevation turret up will move the reticle at an angle and away from the string.

Preparing to Level the Scope

Although this isn’t a tutorial about scope mounting, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out a few things about this. Use quality scope rings. At a minimum, spend more than $70 on scope rings. Cheap rings will not hold your scope solidly. Vortex, Warne, and Seekins Precision makes very good affordable rings. If you have a bigger budget, spend more.

Choose scope ring height that will give you at least a .25 inch clearance between the objective bell and barrel, or rail, if you are mounting a scope to an AR. A larger gap is good too. Many rifles have cheekpieces to compensate for higher scope rings.

You must factor in eye relief; that’s the distance from your eye to the ocular lens where you get a full view of the image through the scope. An ocular lens is the right distance from your eye when you can see a slight to no scope shadow. With a properly fitted gunstock, you shouldn’t lean in aggressively to get a proper scope view. Leaning in will cause undue pressure on the stock and screw up your accuracy. Mount a bubble level on your scope. It helps keep the reticle level when shooting.

Scope Leveling Tips and Tools

Most of the tools below require the scope to be mounted on a rifle. Set up the rifle in a cleaning stand, vice, or using a front and rear support. You don’t want the rifle dancing around while leveling the scope. Once the scope rings are on the rifle, torque the base screws to spec before installing the scope and scope ring caps. If your scope uses locking caps, push them down before leveling. Keep your eyes on the level while tightening the scope ring screws, the scope may turn in the rings. Always double-check that the reticle is level after you have torqued the ring screws.

Plumb Line

One of the simplest, cheapest, and most precise ways to level a scope is by using a plumb line and small bubble level. A plumb line is a string with a plumb bob or other weight on the end. Because gravity is at play, the string will be perpendicular to the ground making it a perfect line for leveling. How far away you set the plumb line is dependent on the shortest parallax distance your scope can attain. You must see the string to level the reticle to it.

Once you have the rifle set up in a sturdy support, level the rifle by placing a bubble level on the scope mounting base or other flat surface on the rifle’s receiver. Lay the scope in the rings and align the vertical stadia with the plumb line. Torque the scope cap ring screws. $10 for string and bubble level | Available at any hardware store

• Pros: Cheap and precise.
• Cons: Requires a large space.

Wheeler Engineering’s Professional Reticle Leveling System (PRLS)

Wheeler Engineering’s Professional Reticle Leveling System (PRLS) uses two bubble levels for leveling a reticle. The kit includes a bubble level with a barrel clamp and a small reference bubble level. Both are enclosed in a machined aluminum housing and made to last a lifetime.

First, level the rifle using the small bubble level on the top of the receiver. Then, attach the bubble level with the clamp to the barrel. You don’t need to be perfectly level when installing the clamp. Close enough is good enough. Make fine adjustments to the clamp via the adjustment screw on the bubble level housing until it is level. Ensure that the reference bubble level is still level. Remove the reference bubble level and install the scope. Place the reference bubble level on top of the elevation turret cap and level the scope. I’ve found that even budget scopes have caps that are level with the reticle. $73 | wheelertools.com

• Pros: Compact and needs little space. You can even level a scope on your kitchen table.
• Cons: Costly if you only mount a scope or two a year.

Real Avid Level-Right Pro

Real Avid’s Level-Right Pro also uses two bubble levels but in a unique way. The kit contains a grid with a tabletop tripod, a light mount and a small flashlight. Both the grid and light mount have integrated bubble levels. Place the grid behind the stock and press the light mount into the objective bell. Level both and then turn on the flashlight. The light will shine through the scope and show an inverted reticle on the grid. The flashlight is not very bright so you may have to turn down the lights in the room to see the reticle. Also, you may have to adjust the diopter and magnification ring to get a sharp and large reticle. Align the reticle with the grid and torque the screws. $80 | realavid.com

• Pros: Precise as a plum line. Takes little space.
• Cons: Costly and requires a dim room to see projected reticle.

Fix It Sticks Scope Jack

The Fix It Sticks Scope Jack mounts onto a Picatinny rail and uses the bottom of the turret housing to level the scope. The Scope Jack includes a small Picatinny clamp and a hinged crossbar. Once clamped, attach a driver to raise the crossbar against turret bottom. While maintaining pressure, tighten the scope ring screws.

There are limitations to the Scope Jack, it requires a .30-inch clearance below the turret and rail to work. Also, a Picatinny rail is a must. When your system meets those requirements, the Scope Jack is the fastest and easiest way to level a scope. When it doesn’t, it becomes a $52 paperweight. I’ve come across too many scopes where the Scope Jack didn’t fit below the scope. $52 | store.fixitsticks.com

• Pros: Fits in a shirt pocket, it’s quick and precise.
• Cons: Worked with too few of my rifle scopes to consider it handy.

Short Action Customs Final Scope Level

The Final Scope Level levels the reticle without mounting the scope to a rifle. The unit consists of two components, a top Picatinny rail platform and a base. The top is CNC cut in single operation to M1913 specification, making its surfaces highly square and parallel. The bottom’s base is machined with an ARCA style rail allowing the user to mount it in a vice or a surface with an ARCA-compatible clamp. Connecting the two platforms are threaded legs with pivoting joints and circular, knurled plastic nuts. The legs allow the Picatinny rail to be leveled front to back and side to side independently of the base.

To level the reticle, place a bubble level on the top’s flat section and adjust the legs until the Picatinny rail is level on both axes. From here, level the reticle using a plum line or a bubble level on top of the turret cap. The unit is pricey but worth the money if you mount a lot of scopes.

Since you’re not mounting the scope on a rifle, there are several measurements you should have figured out before using this tool. The spacing distance between the scope rings, proper eye relief, ring height. Since I mount a lot of scopes, I have those details written out. $245 | shortactioncustoms.com

• Pros: Works with any scope ring and single piece mounts. Great if you mount a lot of scopes.
• Cons: Pricey. Need to know certain measurements to ensure a proper shooter rifle fit.

Summary

My reticle leveling method uses a mix of tools. For daily use, my go-to system is the Final Scope Level, a bubble level, and Real Avid’s Pro grid. It gives me the precision of a plumb line but takes so little room that I can do it on my workbench. I handhold a SureFire flashlight instead of using the light mount and light. It’s more powerful and I don’t have to dim the room lights to see the reticle on the grid. When mounting a scope to a new rifle with a short or two-piece rail base, I use Wheeler Engineering’s Professional Reticle Leveling System. It saves me time from measuring ring distance and eye relief. With either method, I’ll confirm that the reticle is level with a plumb line. In a few cases, the reticle has not been square with the turrets.

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Top Selling Rifles Sold in February 2026

Source: gungenius.com/top-selling/

To learn more or shop for any of the guns listed, visit Gun Genius at www.gungenius.com/top-selling.

Editor's note: In the report, guns are rated from one to five within each category, with the number one gun being the most popular that month. The numbers are color-coded to show any changes in the ranks from the previous report.

Black = Steady
Green = Up
Red = Down

Source: gungenius.com/top-selling/

To learn more or shop for any of the guns listed, visit Gun Genius at www.gungenius.com/top-selling.

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