scope mounting questions

[glock17_1986]

Hey guys i mounted my burris mtac 1-4 last night on my ar15. My problem is the reticle seems canted no matter what i do. I did level the rifle and the scope but may have used the wrong equipsment as i use Caldwell shooting bags and bullseye levels.

The problem is when i sholder the rifle it seems my cheek weld is shifting ever so slightly and throwing me off. Is this normal or am i doing something wrong?

Thanks guys

[postal]

One of the best ways to mount a scope is to use a set of 'feeler gauges'.

Flip out enough of the gauges to place between the rail and a flat spot under the turrents of the scope to be sure the bottom of the scope is level to the rail.

Otherwise, eyeballing the rifle is sitting vertically, and the crosshairs are set vertically is the best you can do.

[JMP]

I doubt the scope is sitting at a cant if you are using a one-piece AR mount that is correctly fastened to a picatinny rail. I am not really sure what is meant by "canted reticle". It sounds like your eye position is changing, which would cause an issue. Or, the horizontal and vertical adjustments are just way off. You should remove the upper receiver with the BCG removed. Set it on a stable surface where you can see a reasonable distance and bore-sight the optic to make sure it is close. Pictures would be of help.

[FMJBT]

Canted reticles are often subjective depending on who is looking through the scope, and which eye you are looking through the scope with. I notice that pretty much every scope I mount seems to look canted regardless of how anal I am about getting it perfectly level. 9 times out of 10 though, if I shoulder the rifle on the opposite shoulder and look through it, the reticle looks canted in the opposite direction. As long as it looks like the reticle is canted by equal amounts in opposing directions, I figure it's probably good and my eyeballs are most likely shaped like footballs.....

[glock17_1986]

How do i do the feeler gauge method? Yeah i figured it was eye position and such. I will shoulder it on my left to see. I cant really get a picture i tried to no avail. Basically what i mean is my cross hairs look a little off. And i know the actual reticle isnt canted its just mounting it. I figured this is normal to a degree cause we are looking through it with our head tilted.

[postal]

Feeler gauges are easily found at an auto parts store. They're different thicknesses of steel plates. They fold out like in a fan....

You loosen the rings so the scope can turn, flip out enough of the stack of gauges to fit tightly between the rail and the bottom flat of the scope itself.

Insert the gauges from each side to make sure you have the right number/thickness of gauges, and the scope is level- from both sides.

Then tighten the rings.

If after that, you shoulder the rifle, and you see the reticle is crooked... there is a *chance* your reticle is actually crooked, but more likely, you arent holding the rifle perfectly vertically.

[kcheung2]

If you don't have a feeler gauge & don't want to buy one for just this purpose, a cheap & dirty alternative is to use a deck of playing cards. Same procedure as above, use the stack of cards to ensure that both sides of the scope are at the same height.

[GunHo]

Find a level and sturdy table. With the rifle on the table, level it horizontally and vertically. Then place the scope on top and same level procedure. Done.

[ExtremeX]

+1 on Feeler gauges, or anything else that can shim it straight.

Solid mechanical way of getting the scope level to the rifle assuming you have two flat surfaces to shim against.

[usmcspud]

Securely mount the weapon or upper in some manner that you can hold it perfectly level. Check this with a bubble level across your picatinny rails. Run a plumb line a few feet away in line with your bore. Mount your scope. Line up your vertical crosshair w plumbline. Tighten rings. Check and recheck as you tighten.
Now you are finished.
If the reticle is canted when shouldering the weapon, it is YOU. Adjust your weapon in your shoulder.

[usmcspud]

Also don't assume that the elevation adj. dial and/or cover is aligned perfectly with your reticle. I have seen the older MK IV Loopys brand new exhibit this. Yes, the factory listened and fixed the problem. Other brands as well.