A Major Scope Defect You Need To Look For - The Problem You Didn't Know You Had!

[@paramounttactical]

There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding, questions, disagreements, and debate on this topic. The comments section isn't the optimal place to discuss this complex issue. I'll be holding a livestream Friday, Jan 10 at 7pm ET to discuss this along with any other optics questions... and really any long range related questions./debates topics etc. A free workshop if you will. So join us tonight at 7pm ET.

[@RedactIT]

Dec 10?

[@usca3981]

This also causes erector shift. I have a professional optics collimator when testing optics this is the first thing I look for. Is canted retical. Next erector shift. Next recoil erector spring by letting the scope sit for 1 hour. Looking for over travel if these 3 check out I mover forward of tracking diopter Parallax checking glass Coating and so on good video

[@paramounttactical]

Typo, it was Jan 10.

[@Timberwolf1Silenthunter]

I rescoped 6 guns in one week went from MOA to MRAD, Some were on the lower end and some on the Extreme High end all went well till Scope # 7. Which was what everyone would consider $$$$ Highend. Used the methods that you do in your Scope mounting video. All levels said gun was level, gun vise level , table level Scope level. Look thru the scope Canted , redid several times, then put laser levels in wall vertical and horizontal. did the old shine a flashlight thru scope reticles not level. Drove myself crazy. Took the rifle to 2 different gunsmiths and They both said the same think reticle is off cant. I could not believe it never heard of it, apparently it is common. Returned scope no issues. Thanks again for another great video.

[@McgSpook]

it does in fact happen. Ive had a burris xtr and a vortex with the issue. both returned with no problems from the dealer.

[@thelonggunner762]

Leupold has had this problem for years. I had to send back an original MK4 back in the day for the same thing. They tend to get a little mad at people when they bring it up on social media 😂 sometimes the truth hurts. Great video!

[@chrisross1657]

NICE ! Not only did I learn something new but now I get to remount every single scope I have to check for this issue. LOL !

[@762x51sniper]

Please do a follow up video on luepold's outcome/solution.

[@lanix17]

Super helpful! I never thought to check for the reticle to be aligned to the chassis correctly. Thanks.

[@hbarwickjr]

Agree. I follow your instructions on scope mounting to the tee. One premilinary step I've done after that is seeing how it looks lined up to a hanging plumbed string before going to the range. If that is off, I know ahead there is a issue.

[@paramounttactical]

@@hbarwickjr 100% it’s a good, easy check to do before wasting the time and ammo at the range.

[@paulsimmons5726]

Good video! Yeah, every scope can be zeroed at 100 or 200yds, if that’s your only shooting point. The problem is when you move out to 300, 500, or further because errors increase exponentially as you increase your linear distance. Now throw in ammo, weather, and other factors and a rifle that’s perfect at a certain zero can wind up totally missing the target at longer distances. I really appreciated your explanation of your method of getting the scope leveled up, makes sense. Thanks for sharing!

[@peetsnort]

Exponentially....I don't think..look up Exponentially growth. It's double then double that and double that and so on. 1 grain on a chess board and by the time you get to square 64 you will have train 7 miles long full of rice.

[@peetsnort]

Probably linear growth

[@The-Handy-Dad]

I purchased the mk4hd and sent it back twice for the same issue. The third time they sent me a new optic and it has the same issue. It turned me off from Leupold products. I hope they get it fixed in the future.

[@marinioaweischo6614]

I had this problem with a Zeiss hunting scope with rail, wouldn't care much in case of a hunting scope, if it's just slightly off and no ballistic turret is used. I would just level the reticle. But it was way off, and you cant level a scope with this rail system, theres just one way to mount it. Very informative Video, I knew about it, but didnt thought much about conclusions and how to make it right.

[@billbbobby2889]

Thank You Sir, for your great work. Most shooters would considered that the design and production matrix on an average scope are as precise as a laser beam. You sure proved them wrong.

[@gunsnwater2668]

Good explanation. I figured if the retical was canted the adjustment would be in the same degree. I never actually investigated the mechanics. Thanks.

[@bww1970]

ive added this service for my customers. You have definitely given me a few more tools to guarantee the best service possible.

[@sf2189]

I use this method as well. I use a mounting wedge to line up the bottom and make sure the top turret is parallel then use a free floating green laser to confirm the reticle and make micro adjustments. I verify everything stays the same as I screw the bolts down. The SG pulse app aids dramatically as well. I have two zcos and a razr and luckily they have all come pretty plumb. The back level on my three mpa chassis also line up, or I make sure they do. Obviously always do a tall target test. Scopes not set up correctly is a mistake I see way too often and at 1000yds people wonder why they are missing smaller targets.

[@paramounttactical]

@@sf2189 100%

[@ericlaplante7326]

Great information, thank you.

[@arts2241]

Man I’ve always used a plum line. Never considered the reticle being off inside the scope. Regardless of the other comments not understanding what your saying or misunderstanding how your getting the housing level, it makes perfect sense. Thanks for the info. Might have to recheck some of my scopes and see if it’s a problem in any of mine. I’ll be using this method from now on. Just need to get a level block to make the bottom and top parallel.

[@paramounttactical]

I show how to do get the saddle/Turret housing bottom and turret top level in detail in my Scope Mounting Guide Video linked here. I think it's around the 12 min mark. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXibdJaeh76fetk

[@hijack5805]

I bought a Mark4 too, couple of month ago in Germany. It has the exact same Problem with the Radical. We send it back to Leupold. Hope I don't have to wait years!

[@Ron-ni8uu]

Thank you gary for teaching us this . God i hate bad scopes you can burn so much good ammo on em.

[@martinscrapp7166]

Well, I gonna go and re-mount my scope! Thanks for the information!

[@jerry3675]

Good to hear that... I'm not the only one that received a bad scope from Leopold. Had to argue with Leopold's customer service for return authorization. I bought the Mark 5 when they first came out with the Horus reticle. When I got it back from Leopold I got a cert telling me that it was worked on and fixed. I called and asked what was wrong with it they told me they couldn't tell me that.

[@kwiturbitchin5277]

I returned a Vari-X 2 s ope in 1998 that was not holding zero. After a month it was sent back saying it was worked over but no explanation of what was done. I sighted it in and it held zero for the next 22 years. I never needed to readjust zero.

[@iRegister-uniqua]

This is exactly the problem I tried to have fixed by Leupold; Korth Group sent it back better but still defective. I got tired of banging my head on the wall talking with those idiots and ending up swearing off all Leupold products because of it. Its one thing to identify a defect but quite anotherdealing with warranty.

[@m1a1abrams93]

Primary Arms not much better with their high end scopes.

[@LilYeshua]

I use the Arisaka scope leveling wedges. It makes sure that the scope bottom flat is aligned with the piccatinny rail. Hopefully the rail is level. Also, see how canted your head is relative to it. Plus see if the reticle is aligned with the scope bottom?

[@DronesUnder2A]

I use a machinist 1x2x3 block for checking reticles. Everyone says I have a problem with getting crappy scopes. I tell them, "no, you just hang onto yours." 😅

[@paramounttactical]

Exactly. If they don't check, they don't know. Ignorance is bliss.... 😂

[@Knightly_Gaming]

I did this for my last scope and I thought I would never get it lined up! It took so long but it was worth it!

[@mickeyomi]

How do you use a 1x2x3 block to check your reticle?

[@paramounttactical]

It provides a machined flat surface to rest your scope bottom on to see if the turret top is parallel with it. A demo of the process is in this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXibdJaeh76fetk

[@DronesUnder2A]

​@@mickeyomi 2:12 Where he uses the bar stock (flat piece of metal) I use a 1x2x3 block because it's the most precisely flat item in my house.

[@Cyborg-911]

Thanks for the video Gary,guess I need to check some of my guns now! Glad we have someone that is looking for perfection and fault's. Hard to find a place that is honest and truthful these days but that's why we chose Paramount Tactical have never been dissapointed Never!

[@paramounttactical]

Thanks brother! 👊🇺🇸

[@jayperreira2778]

Thorough, straightforward content. 👍

[@dalephillips675]

Wow i did not know this thanks for the info

[@xxshiftlockxx]

If you're mounting the scope so the reticle is perfectly vertical but the body isn't, can you explain why that matters? Are you trying to say that even if the reticle is perfectly vertical, somehow when dialing up/down the won't move perfectly vertical? If you attach a scope body level to the scope and set it so it's level and matched up with the reticle on a plum bob, then why would it matter if the body is off? You're holding the gun level to the reticle every time then it should still be tracking perfectly straight up and down no?

[@JamesS.254]

Been there with a customer when I was installing a scope for him that he brought in to have mounted to a rife he just bought, the scope body was level with the rifle but the reticle was not, so he decided to have me adjust his reticle to be aligned with the rifle and when he was satisfied with it being aligned he then proceeded to complain to me that the scope body didn't look level with the rifle. (Face Palm) Customer was not happy I could not adjust both to be level at the same time as if it was my fault. I even had to get a manager involved who looked at it and said the same thing I did, that there was a defect with his scope that he brought in to us.

[@xforce708]

Thanks for the education. I’ve always subscribed to the plumb string technique. Hopefully thus far I just have good scopes. I really only have three that I’ve taken to distance. The rest are on hunting rifles zeroed for three hundred and in.

[@leverman7517]

We always said "Eliminate my Excuses"

[@judodavid1]

Thank you for the knowledge

[@darrellB.]

Great information.

[@biggs8729]

All my friends bring me their new scopes to mount on their rifles. I’ve always known that the turret can be slightly off in relation to the flat bottom. I never thought to turn the turret to bring it to parallel to the bottom. Thanks.

[@davidhartley6232]

Thank you 👍

[@jorgefigueroa7573]

Gary thank you, excellent video. And just to make sure what your saying is if the reticle is off 2-3 Deg's. The mechanics of the scope, meaning the elevation and widage mechanics will still operate in a correct plum level. Even if one only true plums the reticle, but then the scope has the 2-3 deg. Cant. That just won't work.

[@paramounttactical]

I explain that more in depth here. Skip to the 11:50 mark. kzbin.infoiVKmwplGoik?si=bCNWACgXz0FuSbji

[@Sam-mu5xh]

Great info man, always learning from you.

[@stevensrspcplusmc]

It really makes sense, thanks for the knowledge, it’s appreciated

[@tyb3938]

Nightforce. Never looked back since switching

[@TheMannyduckslayer]

Great info, I use lasers at work for construction .FYI, your laser was flashing, which means a few different things, depending on the type of laser this could affect the plumbline, your aperture could be locked, which means the line is not plumb, or your laser is not on a flat surface, so the self leveler is going past its range, or it’s a low battery indicator. If you checked the redical with flashing line that could explain why it’s off.

[@paramounttactical]

It was the battery. It was about to die. I just had it there for demo purposes.

[@Ron-ni8uu]

Makes me want a Japanese tract toric 5/30 34 mm badass scope for. The money🤟

[@jasonsponsler21]

This is why I’m sending my scope to Gary. Knows his stuff

[@Nonedw]

I’m curious as to what Leopold says. Perhaps coming from you They won’t argue. but I know several times I told them that my scope wasn’t tracking right and they would not replace it. They always said it is within tolerance.

[@paramounttactical]

We already received a replacement for it. I have no doubt that having a YT channel and a significant reach prejudices our experience. We’ve also gone scorched earth (when it’s well deserved) on companies that aren’t providing quality customer service. We also have ended retailer relationships with companies that do right regarding product quality or customer service. These are all reasons we don’t do affiliate link nonsense like a lot of KZbin channels. All of that is another good reason to buy from us. If you get a bad product from us 99% of the time, we take care of the problem, give you the replacement and we deal with the manufacturer.

[@Greyzonecompliant]

How do you adjust for the customers eye relief, without the client present.

[@224valk4]

Ive had 5 Athlon scopes, ALL HAVE GONE SOUTH! I currently have an Ares UHD 4.5×30 IT IS A REPLACEMENT SCOPE FOR THE LAST ONE THAT BROKE!! IM GOING TO TRADE FOR SOMETHING ELSE!! Ive had Vortex go bad also! The Athlon's were on a 6.5 creedmoor, not a hesvy kicking cartridge!!

[@paramounttactical]

@@224valk4 interesting. That’s good information for us as a dealer. So far we haven’t had anyone need to warranty an optic.

[@224valk4]

@paramounttactical IT went from sub MOA to 5 MOA. One week I had 8 consecutive hits on 2 moa target at 1k to thinking I'm blind!! The etched lens on internal erector moved. You could see it was about 4° off on the horizontal. I asked for my money back, as 5 scopes, l felt I gave them every opportunity to put a serviceable scope in my hands! I do shoot a bunch, but 1,100 rounds on a creed! It didn't last a year!

[@paramounttactical]

@ I agree. Unacceptable

[@foxmountainfarm5680]

did the scope mfg take care of the issue?

[@petesmith8362]

Send it back to Leupold! All Leupold scopes have a life time warrenty!!

[@Tenforward1]

I had a leupold that the reticle was off. I sent it back to leupold. Didn't pay shipping either way. Got it fixed for free. Thats what the warranty is for. It was not a new scope. I don't blame Leupold. But they fixed it without any questions. Thats one of many reasons to buy Leupold.

[@paulwatterson5992]

II had a Mark IV and would not hold a zero. Got rid of it.

[@zachherold8812]

Hey Greg thanks for all the informative content! It's funny this video came out today. I just followed your mounting video, put my night force on, and it looked like the reticle was crooked. I took it back off , bought a wheeler level just to double check before I contact night force. Curious, if my rail is level, and the two ultra light 6 screw mounts from night force were wet mounted is it normal for the bottom half of the mount to not be level while the rail it's mounted on is level?

[@mwp597]

I just might have this issue with an optic on mounted on my X-Bolt. I went the range to sight in and was not impressed with the results. I was using the same ammo i used with i different optic and was shooting 3 round nickle size groups at 100 yards. With this new optic i couldn't get nickle size groups at 50 yards. I wasn't really shooting for tight groups but they should have tighter. When i look through the optic it just doesn't look right, the reticle is not level with the bubble on the back picatinny rail . I need to remove the optic and check for correct aliment of the scope tube.

[@xrayeddy1]

Does any scope manufacturer guarantee flatness or perpendicularity between the top of the turret cap and the flat surface on the bottom of the scope ?

[@paramounttactical]

@@xrayeddy1 absolutely not. But using the method I’ve outlined I’ve been able to turn the turret to find a spot that is parallel with saddle bottom surface. All optics are different. Some I have had to remove turret cap, a few I had to get creative. Some I had to just loosen the set screws so the turret cap would rest on the turret. The principle here though is to level using the saddle bottom as a reference. If I came across a turret I couldn’t get parallel with the saddle, you can use feeler gauges or other methods to achieve the same principle.

[@DonTharp]

Question: So what about the tri-stand your rifle is mounted on? If the base is off the entire setup is off?

[@TrollinCrazyRussian]

Witnessed Weatherby deluxe 7mm rem mag recoiling vortex Viper hs lr reticle canted badly after mounted w base of scope level to rail and reticle aligned to plumb body remained level to rail but reticle departed from plumb.

[@elmerrsv4]

If the reticle is plum, is there still a problem? I mean, you use the base of the scope to get the optic plum to get the reticle plum.. so the whole point is to get the reticle plum.. so if the optic is canted but the reticle is plum, there’s no error, right?

[@rosskruse2643]

Presumably the center of the reticle is the center. Or is it? My vx6 has the firedot that blinks when the scope not level. Being electronic and I assume some type of mems device then that should be correct?

[@InfoNotWars]

How do you set up a rifle for eye relief if the customer isn' there?

[@paramounttactical]

It depends on the rifle and setup. Is it a chassis rifle? Are we using rings or a one piece mount? I cover that in the video linked below. In essence you get it as close as possible then build in some adjustment. Typically a chassis rifle will allow the user to adjust the rifle to get correct eye relief. You also can typically move the mounts or rings forward or back a slot or two to get correct eye relief. Several factors are involved. How To Mount A Scope The Right Way - Precision Scope Mounting - Part 1 of 2 kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXibdJaeh76fetk

[@shootingwithsheps]

Outstanding information

[@jamespilbeam209]

I think any long term shooter already knows about potential problems caused by off - cant reticles. And compensates

[@ccdme891]

If you have your reticle perfectly vertical but body canted this 1 degree and you never dialed wind would you still have issues dialing for drop? I don’t see how. I’m not arguing or disagreeing but legitimately asking

[@kennethaquickjr]

Gary you are right I have scopes that the radicals are canted, and it drives me crazy. should send them back

[@trikeyeah]

Reticle*

[@m1a1abrams93]

Yeap, them radicals would drive me crazy too. lol

[@OFFICIALUND]

Also, this is why you stick to Nightforce, Kahles, Tangent and S&B.

[@JH-4058]

lol and why not Leupold.

[@offthehook243]

@@JH-4058because Leupold scopes are average… a class below the named brands

[@danielnagy6713]

*while holding my ZCO tightly and talking to it* No no no he didn’t forget you

[@TrollinCrazyRussian]

​@@JH-4058go to sniper hides, lot ppl has QC and durability issue w leupy. I prefer not having to send in scope for warranty at all or worse constantly sending it in.

[@McgSpook]

unfortunately they get it sometimes also. always check. although to be fair, its much less then leupold.. The ark series isnt what it used to be. More marketing hype then quality nowadays.

[@hopewilliams6705]

Paramount i have a question ❓ if I have a canted reticle and I do not dial i just use holdovers does it make sense to level the reticle in that scenario?

[@hopewilliams6705]

Admittedly I only have more affordable optics.

[@paramounttactical]

Yes sir, that is correct. But even most budget brands offer decent warranties these days.

[@hopewilliams6705]

@@paramounttactical yes sir. I will have to try them out. Thank you for all the good information!

[@ironair67]

​@@hopewilliams6705you bring up a good point. If shooters, say prs competitors for example, are using both the dial and the holdover method together, they would want to make doubly sure that their reticle is aligned with the tracking movement of the turret.

[@UltimateFT]

FANTASTIC!!!!

[@shooter8811]

Gary can you do a video on your rifle case setup service you provide? Thanks

[@paramounttactical]

I’ve covered it in several videos. Here’s one. The Ultimate Long Range Rifle? - MPA Custom Rifle kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3Kxpnd5iq2Vnas

[@OFFICIALUND]

A tall target test is a tracking and plumb test.

[@usca3981]

I have explained this so much my brain hurts.

[@UserFormelyKnownAs_hjkh]

Best mounting aid ive found is a cheap machined pair of wedges, matched with a flat surface containing a matched angle. Set the flat surface against your scope base and push the wedge forward against it until the height matches the bottom of your scope which gives a surface which is now parallel to the scope base in which you can rotate your scope to match. Cheap, easy and accurate. Now, im not shooting 500-600 yards, so i will say that. But most of yall prpbably arent either. This method, brought to a machinist, could easily be machined to be extremely accurate for those shooting longer ranges.

[@Coldbore375-lp6gj]

Good info Gary. Lots to unpack there. Another reason to have some type of leveling device on the platform itself. People with an MFE "Magic Fucking Eyeball " will try to correct a canted reticule to level bringing the gun out of level. You can get by with a holdover type reticule providing you dont spin your dials "ever" by aligning the reticule to vertical and by the same token if you bolt the scope on square and the reticule canted holdovers dont work for shit.

[@Texanfirst727]

I would not be happy with a bad scope. Good job!

[@lloydcastleton]

I was in the middle of typing about the tracking test when you started talking about it lol Really if you're doing it yourself it seems like it would be a good idea to add tracking tests.

[@blakecrawford9303]

In your other video that demonstrates how cant effects your impacts down range. Are those effects more drastic with a 20moa base vs 0moa base?

[@paramounttactical]

No. That rifle on that video had a 20MOA base on it.

[@skookapalooza2016]

Is this a problem commonly encountered with a high quality optic? What about Swarovski?

[@caseyboden7218]

What levels do you use, and where do you get them? Very good information.👍🏻

[@chrisross1657]

OK, School me bro. My grasp may indeed be off. If I perfectly align my reticle to 0 degrees and my elevation turret is off by 1 degree in relation to my reticle, you are saying the reticle will still be off exponentially at distance if I use my turret for adjusting ? Edit: OK, just watched your video. I always say, "Knowledge is sexy" You sir are a sexy Mother F'er ! Your explanation was spot-on.

[@paramounttactical]

@chrisross1657 go to 11:00 in the livestream linked below where I explained this more in depth. LIVE Optics/Long Range Workshop/Discussion/Debate kzbin.infoiVKmwplGoik?feature=share Ultimately the answer is you do a tall target and tracking test if you really want to know what your optic/rifle is doing. If your reticle is canted in relation to scope body, if you level the scope body then it will still track correctly when you dial but holdovers using the reticle will not be accurate . If your reticle is canted inside the optic and you level off the reticle then holdovers will be accurate but dialing won’t. I show some visuals in the livestream that will help as well.

[@chrisross1657]

@paramounttactical OK, just watched your video. I always say, "Knowledge is sexy" You sir are a sexy Mother F'er ! Your explanation was spot-on. Thank you for the knowledge ! ✌️

[@ericb.4358]

Yep, non-vertical reticles are a HUGE problem if left undetected. When you shoot BEYOND the sight-in (zero) distance with a non-vertical (non-plumb) reticle your shots will be left or right of point of aim depending on your reticle's problem. THE GREATER THE DISTANCE BEYOND ZERO DISTANCE THE GREATER THE ERROR.

[@hunt3r827]

i calibrate my laser level with a plumb bob, i calibrate my level on a surface plate, i check parallel with a micrometer, talk about stacking error .. When on the range i set the plumb bob at 50 yards then track the scope. If it doesn't track send it back.

[@paramounttactical]

@hunt3r827 I was just texting a customer about this very thing. Yes, I validate every laser level with a plumb bob.

[@randysmith8604]

Shoot I ran into this same Very thing with a a vx6 I was installing for a friend. The gun is level the scope body is level but the reticle is off. Have tested the tracking. Should I just send it back to leupold

[@paramounttactical]

Absolutely

[@pappaflammyboi5799]

Perhaps we should ask the optics manufacturer how they calibrate their scopes. Where is the reference point, and how does one remove the errors?

[@terryh8421]

Good content.

[@tonydevich7937]

What do you think of kales scopes

[@paramounttactical]

Amazing optics. Right there with Zero Compromise.

[@tonydevich7937]

@paramounttactical thanks for the reply

[@DLT704]

Most reticles are canted. Half of us say lever the scope, the other half levels off the reticle

[@paramounttactical]

Real world testing and optical engineers say that leveling based on the turret housing bottom is correct. The other half are wrong. Facts aren’t democratic.

[@DLT704]

@@paramounttactical I used to level off the scope body. Then went to leveling off the reticle Guess I’ll go back because I thought I was right all along. I usually dial elevation and hold windage

[@paramounttactical]

@@DLT704 at the end of the day, as long as you do a tracking or tall target test it doesn’t matter what method you use. As someone who does this professionally and mounts a LOT of optics I can tell you for certain that leveling the optic using the turret housing bottom as a reference is not only the best way, it’s the fastest, reduces error, and allows you to diagnose issues before you waste the time and ammo doing a tall target test. The reticle will be plumb in most quality optics so I’m not dating people need to remount their optic but they should test it to ensure it’s good if they leveled it using the reticle. Thanks for watching! -Gary

[@forrestebert5276]

Have you had any experience mounting Arken scopes? If so were you satisfied with the product?

[@Lucysdad66]

I mounted a arken yesterday and one today and I'm going to mount one tomorrow I had no problems I check level in 3 spots when all 3 are level I'm good I fired one shot my target had one inch lines I came up 8 and over 4 my second shot was bull eye tracking was perfect.

[@forrestebert5276]

@ I mounted one yesterday myself but the first set of rings just weren’t correct. They were the old steel Warne tactical ones they didn’t allow the windage to adjust properly. Put a set of Burris rings on it and it adjusted perfectly fine. I’m using Leopold one piece 20 moa base.

[@Lucysdad66]

@forrestebert5276 I used arken one peace for some reason they sent me a extra 30mm 20moa mount I sent email telling them and got no response

[@McgSpook]

good for the money. thats about the best i can say about them. Ive had 3 and 2 of them got sent back for parallax issues and one had a turret lock up. None of them have great low light colors. All of them will white out if the sun is in any way in your face. All of them are amazingly finicky about parallax after 500 yards or so. That being said. If its a range gun only and you are looking for cheap glass, its probably the best option. Or even if its a short range rig for decent light. Contrary to popular belief it is not the equiv of a NF or ZCO for 1/4th the price. Unless what you shoot falls into the gendre above. ymmv

[@forrestebert5276]

@@Lucysdad66 You want to get rid of it?

[@Zigit994]

Good stuff

[@joshracer5134]

It's kinda a bummer how many issues these new Mark 4hds have. I think this is the third issue I've hear of. Mine, the laser etching on the elevation turret is off. Leupold is really good with their customer service though. Also to everyone worried about the scope caps, you can take them off and level directly to the adjuster as well.

[@cabochris100]

I have never owed a scope with a perfectly plumb reticle. So what are you saying.... return the scopes? Buy 5 of the same scopes and hope 1 is plumb? Do scope manufactures guarantee a plumb reticle????😮

[@paramounttactical]

@@cabochris100 I’m not sure what optics you’re buying. I’ve never had a NF, ZCO, or Zeiss that wasn’t plumb. Customers send different and cheaper brands all the time. It’s a very small percentage that aren’t plumb.

[@PracticallySquared1]

Good video.

[@DN-kz7xl]

I find it difficult to line the reticle with a plumb line. It also as if a 1° cant is also difficult to detect that way.

[@Samos-2]

I have my crosshairs set with a plumb line, they are 100% level if I do a tall target test it tracks perfectly. No issues whatsoever with it set this way. But if I level it off the scope body like you say to do it does not track straight? Group will be almost a half inch off of the line to the right. So you are saying my scope is broken?

[@paramounttactical]

Then you’re doing something wrong when you level off the body, it’s as simple as that. 🤷‍♂️

[@Samos-2]

So there is nothing wrong with my scope and something wrong with my process? Please explain this to me.

[@Samos-2]

This what your whole video is based off of but you can’t explain it to all of us? Why it works is because the erector is tracking true… like you said it’s that simple!

[@jkgtss30]

I was under the impression that the reticle is attached to the erector mechanism. If it is then you should level/ plumb your reticle to a plumb line. What am I missing? I feel like he said the opposite of what I have heard. Just clarifying.

[@paramounttactical]

I did say the opposite. Reticlea can be mounted incorrectly inside the erector. Using the reticle to determine plumb ensures you’ll hide that defect.

[@paulhodge855]

So I am not crazy. The reticle can be off. Thank you.

[@tomhumphreys6517]

I was scoping a rifle and discovered the scope cap wasnt level. Took off the cap and leveled off the top of the turret.

[@WearilyCorrect]

Most interesting

[@w.w.9047]

So much goes into mounting optics correctly….ACOG for the win!

[@christopherrobin9472]

Great video!

[@dougwilkinson-uq3xr]

I just bought my first ever Mark 4 HD scope and then i see this video- not a big confidence booster. I will now do a tall target test.

[@johnpaolonejr1299]

I had this exact issue with 2 Leupold Mark4 HD scopes. The first one the gun store exchanged for me and Leupold presently has the 2nd one. I'm going to send this video to my customer service guy.

[@blackhawk2302]

I've had a canted reticle before. My problem is the gas plug in the reticle bottom gets in my way.

[@m1a1abrams93]

So use a straight edge in front or back of the gas plug. Your straight edge just needs to be straight. Assuming your mounted to the rifle w/ a straight/level scope rail.

[@blackhawk2302]

@m1a1abrams93 That won't work. It's a 20 moa rail. Amd the plug is in the center

[@johngalt3568]

It’s easy to talk about “mechanical accuracy”, it’s demanding to actually achieve it.

[@paramounttactical]

Sure but it’s also easy to check for. Ignorance is not bliss in LR shooting. It’s expensive in time, money, and ammo so knowing what, if any mechanical error we have gives us the info we need to make decisions on setup, replace, repair, or to compensate for it ballistically.

[@Cruiser777]

My neighbor got a sig 3bDX scope it works Wi-Fi and all you need is one or two shots what do you all think about that scope😅

[@paramounttactical]

@@Cruiser777 I’m not convinced the technology is there yet regarding reliability. I’m sure it will be in 5yrs or so but it’s not something I would buy for now.

[@Cruiser777]

@paramounttactical it works great but I definitely don't trust it because it's Wi-Fi and it works with the phone

[@TheLanden11]

This is not a problem uncommon to Leupold, I have experienced the same issues with a Leupold scope before. Great company great optics just sometimes their QC could be a little better.

[@Jessersadler]

1.2° could just be the bubble level.

[@paramounttactical]

It’s not. I have multiple precision levels and test them before using every time.