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December 1st, 2020

Use Your Smartphone as a Level in the Shop and at the Range

iphone level app application bubble

iphone level app application bubbleMany shooters are familiar with ballistics tables, weather programs, and even wind meters for smart devices, but few may know about a very handy Leveling Tool that comes factory-installed on Apple iPhones. The leveling function is a little-known option in Apple’s Compass App. It works well for a multitude of tasks.

There are a numerous reasons that a leveling tool should be in every rifleman’s range bag. From leveling optics during mounting to figuring out how much extra compensation is going to be required for a tricky angled shot, knowing just how far off things are from plumb can go a long way towards realizing success in the field.

This writer has used the leveling app on his iPhone to level a rifle on a rest while at the range. It definitely worked for “field expedient” leveling duties. That’s especially important for long-range applications. Just one degree of cant (tilt) can move your point of impact 7 inches at 1000 yards.

Of course, the iPhone level doesn’t use an actual bubble to find angles. Rather, it relies on the device’s sophisticated accelerometer to do so, and with a great degree of accuracy. Navigating to the level is done by first selecting the Compass App (Utilities folder), at which point the device will need to be calibrated by rotating it a full 360 degrees. Once the compass is fully calibrated, simply make swipe LEFT gesture to bring up the level — it will start operating immediately. Swipe right to return to compass. NOTE: On some newer iPhones the Level feature is part of the Measure App, so to access it you go to Utilities > Measure, and it’s listed at the bottom.

iphone level app application bubble

From there, use is intuitive and easy, like most iPhone Apps. Switching from horizontal plane to vertical is done by simply changing the physical axis of the phone. How do you know when you’ve got things just right — well the entire lower half of the screen turns green when everything is perfectly level. You’ll also see a zero° read-out, like this:

iphone level app application bubble

Bottom Line: If you already own an iPhone, you should definitely give this App a try. The price is right (free), and for a wide variety of tasks the iPhone Level App is actually pretty handy.

For Android Phone Users — FREE Leveling Apps

Don’t have an iPhone? No worries — there are a multitude of Bubble Level Apps available for Android OS phones. We found over 40 leveling Apps. Most are free, others cost a few dollars. Most of these Apps work in multiple orientations. Choose the App that offers the display views you find most convenient or pleasing to the eye. You may want to try two or three before you settle on a favorite.


CLICK HERE for FREE Android Bubble Level Apps »

Android OS Google bubble level apps

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June 15th, 2010

Bushnell and Leupold Settle Patent Infringement Lawsuits

Bushnell Inc. and Leupold & Stevens have settled their respective lawsuits relating to the Leupold True Ballistic Range® (TBR) technology, and the Bushnell Angle Range Compensation (ARC) technology. So ends the legal battle of competing angle-compensation indication systems. In February, Leupold & Stevens sued Burris, Bushnell, and Zeiss for patent infringement in federal court for the District of Oregon. Then, in a separate action in the District of Kansas, Bushnell sued Leupold & Stevens for patent infringement. This week, after months of negotiations, the two companies dismissed their claims against each other, the two sides having reached an amicable settlement. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but neither company will be required to discontinue selling any of its products.

Patent Lawsuit Leupold Bushnell

“We are pleased with the settlement, because it allows our customers to go on using and enjoying Bushnell laser rangefinders with our patented ARC technology, and we can focus our resources and energy on further developing and marketing new and innovative products,” said Phil Gyori, Executive Vice President of Marketing at Bushnell.

Previously, in March, Leupold removed Carl Zeiss Optical from Leupold’s patent suit. Though originally named as a defendant, Zeiss was dismissed from the suit because its products do NOT incorporate an inclinometer to compensate for angled shots. The inclinometer is a key element of Leupold’s patent.

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