Riflescope Reticle Alignment
CTK Precision All Purpose Gun Level and P3 Ultimate Gun Vise
A few days ago we gave a first look at the Nikon P-223 4-12×40 AR Riflescope and Nikon P-Series Mount. The scope is now mounted on our Kavod Custom KVD-15 rifle. Mounting scopes on the AR platform is a simple process, so I won’t bore you with those details. But, I thought you might enjoy a look at the tools we use for riflescope reticle alignment.
So, what is reticle alignment? The most straight-forward answer is that reticle alignment is the process of ensuring that the crosshairs of your riflescope are straight, in relationship to your rifle bore. If done properly, the vertical reticle axis should pass through the center of the rifle bore. Even a slight cant of the riflescope can cause significant aiming errors!
The tools we used for ensuring proper reticle alignment of the Nikon P-223 scope include a couple products from CTK Precision. The P3 Ultimate Gun Vise was used to secure the rifle, while the All Purpose Gun Level ensured that the rifle was level.
CTK Precision All Purpose Gun Level Instructions:
- Using the P3 Ultimate Gun Vise, secure the firearm for leveling.
- Install the All Purpose Gun Level on a flat part of your firearm.
- Using the leveling legs on the P3 Ultimate Gun Vise, level the firearm. Use the All Purpose Gun Level to determine when the firearm is level.
- Look through your scope at a vertical reference line to see if your crosshairs are straight. If they are not, loosen the scope mount screws and align them with the vertical reference line.
The vertical reference line can be any straight vertical edge. Example: A door jam, a hanging weighted string, a vertical pole, a leveled target. Make sure your vertical reference line is vertical by checking with a carpenter’s level first. For my vertical reference line, I tied a 5.56 round to the end of a string and hung it from the ceiling.
If you have followed the ArmsVault site for a while, you know that we are big fans of the P3 Ultimate Gun Vise from CTK Precision. Using it for reticle alignment is just another gun maintenance task in which this gun vise has proven itself extremely useful.
If installing a riflescope is in your future, we can also highly recommend the All Purpose Gun Level. This inexpensive tool is a great way to ensure you are achieving the utmost accuracy from your firearm.