As said above, I've got a LaRue LT104 mount teamed up with a Leupiold Mark AR MOD1 4-12x40mm. Looking for a little bit of newbie help on properly leveling/plumbing the reticle. I'm also curious how easy it is to torque spec the screws on the rings. I'm headed to the store tomorrow to pick myself up a torque driver (surprised I don't have one among everything else) but yeah!

Thanks!

It's easy...video from LaRue's site here

Let me start off by saying that I have never done it, but I'm going to do it soon and I've been looking into it. I think the best method is to get your rifle level in a vice and use a plumb line to do it visually.  You can simply look through the scope to line it up or set it up with the plumb line on a wall behind the gun and shine a flashlight through the objective lens, which will project your reticle onto the wall.  I plan doing the latter. It seems most people just use levels and have no issues but I think this is less precise and actually introduces more variables. We are probably splitting hairs here.

I use the arisaka engineering   scope leveler, best 30 bucks I spent in a long time,the confirm with a weighted string.as far as scope screws just do what  the manufacturer  says and use a good bit and torque wrench,or torque screwdriver.

Sweet, thank you guys! First scope and mount, so new territory here!

I also fly model helicopters so I found a cross functional tool. If you want your scope perfect (or as close as your OCD will allow) this is the best thing to use. The electronic box comes off the blade mount, it's held on by magnets. Mount rifle in something secure. Put on your top rail and press the "Zero" button and it zeros in relative mode. Place on the scope turret and adjust/tighten keeping scope level. Occasionally move back to rail to verify. All my scopes are mounted .1 deg or less of perfect as that's the highest resolution it shows (bounces back and forth between .1 and .0). Best $20 you'll spend for scope mounting. The newer version of the pitch gauge is thinner and doesn't sit on the rail well, so it doesn't work for this. The model you want is 40001RC.

ETA: Can also be used for brake timing, to get the brake perfectly level with the rail. Assuming you have a flat surface on the brake, to place the digital pitch gauge.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/121951021480

ETA: ebay link broke, so here's a Google Search

That's cool as long as the receiver is perfectly square with the bore and the turret body is perfectly square with the reticle.  

The best way, as previously stated, is to hold the gun in a vice, shine a light back through the scope to a plumb line, and then verify bore to scope alignment from the opposite side.  

What I do is just to level the scope to the rail.  I put a US Optics rail mounted level on the receiver and then roll the scope level with a 1,000 foot tower in the distance.   It's not a perfect way, but it's good enough and the level stays on the gun so it's repeatable when shooting.  If it's off, I'll start to see it at longer distances, bu haven't had a problem yet.

I just have a set of the Wheeler levels, one for the receiver and one for the scope. It works for me, but then I'm not a precision long range shooter.

Upper receiver is usually square, as is the turret cap.  Put the upper in a vice and level the upper receiver with a bubble level.  Attach the scope loosely in the rings, move the top turret cap until the bubble level says it is level.  In the LT-104, you must tighten the bottom ring screws first, then alternate the top screws making sure you are still level when done.

Like @mayorbilk said -
You should look into the Arisaka defense scope leveling tool. It's a small 2 piece wedge that slides between the flats of the scope and the base and levels the scope to the mount. It's so incredibly simple, that you'll cuss yourself for not trying it sooner.

THIS.

Awesome tool, as long as your mount and your optic have nice flat spots and enough space in between.

When using it, verify that your receiver rail and mount are level if you're using something like a Larue where the space between rings covers the receiver's rail.  I really love that tool.

BTW OP, depending where you are in IL (NW burbs here), I'd be happy to help if needed.

Northwest suburbs for me too, haha. Elgin area. Know if any decent outdoor ranges...whether it be long distance or run/gun stuff??

For public ranges, there is Buffalo Rock Range in Ottawa with 100yard, 50yard, and a tac ops range (kind of like run and gun). The real reason to go there is the plinking pit.

McMiller in Eagle, WI has a range that goes out to 300 yards, plus shorter ranges.

Link no work.

Fixed the link in my post. Same as here, a Google search of the product.

Update, in conjunction with a Wheeler torque driver and the Arisaka scope level kit....great success. That kit is amazing, by the way. Took me all but 10min to install the scope into the mount, then onto the rifle rail. No joke, best $35. Takes the rudimentary levels out of play. And not to bash that, as that is a very viable option, but it's not as precise or easy.

In a way, I wedged the Arisaka kit with one hand while I torqued the screws down with the other. With little torpedo levels, you'd have to work off the rifle rail or be very very gentle lol.

Another happy customer of the Arisaka tool.  So simple a caveman could do it.

Yup, it was too easy. I lent it to my coworker for him to use, I'm sure he will also agree.