Wheeler Engineering's mantra is that accurate rifles require level crosshairs. The Level-Level-Level is a simple device intended to help anyone mounting a scope on a rifle get the crosswires level. There are two parts to the device and both are bubble levels, one for the rifle and one for the scope.

The instructions that accompany the Wheeler Level are straightforward and easy to understand. Here is how it is used:

1. Starting with the gun secured in a gun vise or cradle of some sort, mount the scope in its rings without fully tightening the rings. (Leave them loose enough so that you can turn the scope in the rings.)


2. Open the bolt, place the magnetic base of the Wheeler Action Level across the receiver rails and twist the rifle until the bubble is centered. The rifle is now level.


3. Remove the scope's elevation adjustment cap. Place the Wheeler Scope Level across the scope's elevation adjustment screw and rotate the scope until the bubble is centered. The scope is now level on the rifle.


4. Tighten the scope rings, insuring that the rifle and scope bubbles both remain centered, and the job is finished.

I found the Wheeler crosshair leveling kit simple to use. It is appropriate for many centerfire bolt action rifles and the majority of scopes. Used with conventional, large port, bolt action rifles (Mauser 98, Remington 700, Winchester 70, etc.) and a scope with flat adjustment knobs, the Crosshair Leveling Kit works as intended.

Unfortunately, the design of some actions precludes the use of the Action Level and some scopes do not have flat elevation adjustment caps or knobs. I found that, among the rifles in my battery, the Action Level was incompatible with all rimfire models, all single shot (break-open and falling block) actions and Browning, Henry, Marlin and Winchester lever action rifles. Nor did it work with the Weatherby Mark V or Vanguard bolt actions, whose inner receiver rails were too thin for the Action Level to rest on. I didn't have a Remington pump or any autoloader on hand to try, but I doubt that it would work with them, either.

The Wheeler Action Level and Scope Level are molded of black plastic. A thin, somewhat flexible, magnetic pad (apparently the same material used to magnetize photos to refrigerators) is glued to the bottom of the Action Level. This is very weak magnetic material, so don't expect miracles of attraction. The magnetic impregnated pad itself has a little give and the bottom of the magnetic pad stuck to the test Action Level is not perfectly flat. This, combined with the molded plastic construction of the Action Level to which it is glued, means that the Wheeler Action Level cannot be regarded as a precision device.

Nor is the molded plastic bottom of the Scope Level perfectly flat. You can both see and feel contours in the bottom of the Scope Level, although its edges are flat. Like the Action Level, the Scope Level is not a precision bubble level. However, when used as directed with compatible actions and scopes, the Wheeler Crosshair Leveling Kit is sufficiently accurate. It will quickly get your scope closer to perfectly level than you are likely to achieve by trial and error.

The Wheeler Level-Level-Level is a Battenfeld product and carries a 2013 MSRP of $24.99. For product information or to order online, the URL of the Battenfeld/Wheeler web site is: www.battenfeldtechnologies.com/wheeler-engineering/