In the past on important scopes I have paid to have them put in the mount (ADM single piece in my case)  The dude uses a torque wrench, a high end level, and a plum bob string.   I would like to do my own and be precise like that.   What torque wrench?  Also what level?

I use the Borka torque wrench.

Same here. It doesn't get to exact manufacturer's torque specs, but well within range.

Some people mention the torque driver from Wheeler Engineering.

The Wheeler FAT has never failed me and has held up for over 6 years now. 

I use a product from Wheeler - The Fat Wrench.

It is quite portable, so it goes to the range with me every time......

ETA: The Borka looks really nice.

The Fat Wrench here.

FAT and two small bubble levels.  One on scope and one on lower. 

And for a level I honestly just use a really good torpedo level or pocket level. The gunsmith marketed levels are usually garbage.  The best in my opinion is the Stabila Pro

Im just a diy guy.  I use this wrench:  

Attached File


0-75 in-lb dial wrench.  1/4" drive.  

I level by setting rifle in a rest and rotating scope to align with a vertical feature in the distance, corner of a house, fence post, power pole, etc.

Seekonk.  Made in the USA.

Wheeler Fat Wrench for me as well.

To level/install the scope I put the rifle in a rest. Then put a bubble level on the reciever (Picatinny style attachment). Next, I take the elevation turret cap off and set a generic level directly on the exposed turret. I'll tighten the rings down just enough that they're snug, but still allow for me to rotate the scope. By this time, hopefully my plumb line has stopped swinging

From there I just line up the reticle with the plumb line, making small adjustments to the scope as I go. If it all looks good, I'll tourque the rings to whatever they need to be set at. Then one last time checking the levels on the reciever and turret, while the reticle is lined up with the plumb line.

I won't claim it's the only way to get it done, but that process has served me well.

Wheeler Fat Wrench (digital). I use my iPhone compass app to get scope level with top rail. Less than 1 degree = GTG.

100% this!!!

That's what I use too.

+1 for the Wheeler FAT torque wrench.

For "rough" leveling you can use your eyeball or any cheap level on your top turret.  For serious leveling of the reticle (the only thing that really needs to be level), I use a plumb line I constructed using a golf ball, a small screw eye, and an 8' piece of white nylon cord.   There is a small nail (about 9 feet off the ground) in a branch of a tree across the street where I can hang the plumb line...  

Thanks guys.  I am going to get the FAT and one of the better levels as posted by Dace.  Going to shop a bit and hopefully buy from a small business though.

I use the Wheeler Fat Torque Wrench and the Wheeler Pro Reticle leveling kit. Make it very easy to get it all leveled up.

https://www.amazon.com/Wheeler-Professional-Reticle-Leveling-System/dp/B004TAB7ZO/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1510066911&sr=8-9&keywords=wheeler+gunsmith+tools

I use the vortex torque driver made by Capri tools I believe (looks identical) a great deal for around $60.  I use the stabila level as well.

Yes.

The wheeler fat is what I use

+1 for the Fat Wrench.

The only scope leveling tool you'll ever need or want to use again. Turns a half hour job with bubble levels into a 5 minute job.

Fat wrench. Got fix it sticks too to try for a steal.

I also use this.

Half hour?  It takes less then 5 minutes to level and torque.

Wheeler Fat wrench and the Arisaka level tool.

I can have a scope mounted in under 5 minutes.

The top of a scope turret isn't designed to be perfectly level with the reticle, the bottom of the turret housing is though and if it is making the bottom level with your rail will almost always be more accurate than the bubble. Which is why Nightforce and others recommend mounting from the bottom with shims or feeler gauges also why Spuhr mounts use a similar triangle method to level the scope.

I've been using a Wheeler Fat Wrench for awhile and its been perfect.  No issues mounting a half dozen scopes so far.

How do you use this style. Just turn while watching guage and when it gets to inch pound mark you want , your there ? Thanks. WD

This is a great kit that has made scope leveling very easy. For the fasteners I use the Fat wrench.

Another vote for the FAT wrench. It is plenty for me, and works fine. It's a huge upgrade from just cranking on it, which is what I had been doing for years.

ETA: I've been leveling with my iPhone compass. The method makes some assumptions about turret/reticle levelness, and I wouldn't use it for competition or serious use. For general shooting it's worked fine for me so far.

+1 for the wheeler fat wrench.  it has never failed me.

+1 for a the Borka.

It seems less than intuitive to use at first.  But one you get the hang of it, you will never again want to break out a torque and fumble around with that.

And it comes in a little case with all the components/accessories neatly secured.  That alone was enough for me.  It conveniently stores in the range bag and nothing gets left behind or forgotten about when i need it.  Love it.

I use a small level and an Allen wrench. Level up the gun then level to scope to the gun. Hold the wrench by the short end and tighten evenly. No need for a torque wrench and I've mounted hundreds of scopes and mounts that haven't come loose or dented the scope tube.

From looking at used scopes for sale and removing scopes mounted by others I think most people could benefit from a torque wrench since most scopes show over tightening by dented scope tubes.

Yes, some people do need them.

Im one of the folks thats needs/prefers them. I use the Wheeler for most all of my firearms. If not the FAT wrench, then Im using a ratchet type.

A properly and currently calibrated one.

I have a fat wrench that lives in one of the range bags. As long as you release all the tension on the spring after you use it, so that there is no tension on it in storage, it will hold it's calibration for as long as you own it.

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A few thoughts on levels, and scope leveling.

There are two schools of thought:

1. The rifle should be level to the horizon and the scope level to the rifle (and horizon), with the vertical crosshair vertical (as indicated by be parallel to a plumb line.  That leaves the center of the optical axis and line of sight directly over the center of the bore, and eliminates any slight windage errors due to the sight being slightly offset from the bore.

2. The rifle should be at whatever angle the shooter holds it naturally, as that will be more consistent.  The scope is then "leveled" by ensuring that the vertical cross hair is parallel to a plumb line.  This group feels that any slight windage error is more than compensated for by easier and more consistent hold of the rifle.

Both schools have their merits, and while I'm in school of thought number one, I recognize that the less than natural hold makes a level much more important to avoid a canting error.

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The small gunsmith levels are badly overpriced for that they are.

I prefer to use a small level, but they generally won't fit across a flat on the receiver with the scope mounted.  However I've found that if you use flat piece of bar stock (brass, steel, whatever) across the flat on the receiver you can set the level on it off to one side to allow you to level the rifle and verify it is level while you rotate the scope so the vertical dross hair is vertical (parallel to a plumb line, or a wall that is known to be plumb.

You  do not normally want to "level" the cross hairs by placing a level across the scope's adjustment turret. They are not always level with the cross hair.  If you do use this method you should confirm that the vertical cross hair is in fact vertical with  plumb line.

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Once the scope is 'level", I'll again verify it with a plumb line, while I adjust the scope level installed on the scope. Once I've installed a scope level it tends to stay on the scope for as long as I own it.  If the scope gets moved to another rifle, it's still going to be properly oriented to the cross hair.

Wow, lot's of posts on this subject. No matter what torque wrench you choose, don't count on it to be accurate unless you have it regularly calibrated. That said, the inaccuracies will be fairly consistent and in the case of scopes it's often more important to have equal pressure without applying so much pressure that you damage the scope. One of the keys to reaching that goal is to lap your scope rings. The concept with lapping is that when the screws are torqued the ring is applying equal pressure on the scope tube through it's entirety. Is it critical? If you paid a lot for your scope then I personally think it is.

Yup.  I work up in increments to keep the rings from bottoming on one side or the other.

True. I used scope rings as an example as to why you would use a torque wrench and why the accuracy of the wrench, while important, is not hyper critical. I have a Fat Wrench and I have a calibrator. The fat wrench is not very accurate but it will get the job done.

They are in my gun bag too.

I bought one of the Anschutz torque wrenches a few years ago.  It came with several hex key bits.  In order to make it a more useful tool, I bought an adapter that fits in the torque wrench and accepts conventional 1/4" square drive sockets.

I use a fat wrench for everything that uses inch pounds.

It's been great. Just make sure not to store it with it torqued up.