Help-Canted Crosshairs Illusion?

[Ludo]

I’ve mounted my scope twice now, the same way I always have. Level the stock/action, then match that with a barrel level. Mount the scope with a level on top of the turret. Once it was all mounted, I even used the flashlight technique through the front of the scope onto a whiteboard behind and traced the crosshairs. Everything points to the crosshairs being perfectly level, but when I put my eye up to the scope, straighten out with my bubble level, the crosshairs look like they’re canted to the left! Every time. It’s driving me crazy. Is that normal? Is this an illusion?

ZCO 420 Scope with flatline Ops bubble level

 

[Keith Stone]

Level your rifle and check your crosshairs on a plumb line to be sure but if it’s obviously not right just send it back.

 

[Duh]

I had the same issues as you. What I found to work for me was adjusting my head position. For me, I found a more upright head position fixed that issue. Either higher rings or adjusting my cheek rest fixed the problem.

I use the same leveling techniques as you mentioned and then some. Seemed like I was chasing my tail until I adjusted head positioning.

 

[Lawnboi]

Check that it’s plumb.
Open both your eyes.

 

[rayporter]

hand a rock on a rope under your target when shooting to get used to a plumb crosshair.

 

[ChrisAU]

Same happens to me with all scopes. To the point that I induce cant to the right to counter the illusion bad enough that it affects POI. Noticed it when I started shooting my 22LR at 300+ yards, would shoot nice groups but 6" plus to the right of center. Meticulously leveled my scopes, and now both my centerfire and rimfire competition rifles have Send-It Levels with Brand Built Ocular indicators because of it.

Must've gotten hit in the head too many times when I was young is all I can come up with.

 

[Ludo]

Same happens to me with all scopes. To the point that I induce cant to the right to counter the illusion bad enough that it affects POI. Noticed it when I started shooting my 22LR at 300+ yards, would shoot nice groups but 6" plus to the right of center. Meticulously leveled my scopes, and now both my centerfire and rimfire competition rifles have Send-It Levels with Brand Built Ocular indicators because of it.

Must've gotten hit in the head too many times when I was young is all I can come up with.

Yeah, this is the first time I’ve ever noticed it, but this is also the first time I’ve used a bubble level on my scope. I’m sure I just hold my other rifles in a position that “looks” level in the scope.. I’ve never really shot long range before so it hasn’t been an issue.

 

[Hoodie]

I actually intentionally cant my rifle when I set up scopes to combat this effect (rifle canted w/ scope crosshairs level to a plumb bob). As long as the vertical crosshair is parallel to gravity when the bubble level is right, the rifle being canted (w/in reason) doesn't really matter.

I think it has to do with facial structure for me. I've played with head position and every spot where I can get a solid, repeatable cheek weld the crosshairs end up looking canted when they are actually level.