Serious long range shooters will be the first to tell you that the set up for the shot is the most important part of making the hit. One of the oft overlooked issues setting up for that long shot is rifle cant. Without the rifle being perfectly level, no amount of dialing of turrets or holding off in the reticle will help you. College Station, TX based iota was showing off their illuminated, bubble leveled, semi custom fit rings at the 2017 Media Day for SHOT Show. 
According to their CEO, what sets the Triad ZL apart from the competition is the included Picatinny Key System that allows you to press fit your rings to your Picatinny base of choice, eliminating forward and backward movement. On its own, this is a very solid mount, and one I would be excited about. 
More interesting than their unobtrusive bubble level is the integrated low power LED that casts a glow on the level as well as the elevation and windage turret, allowing you to see your scope setting in near/total darkness. Given the amount night vision pig hunting opportunities available in our part of Texas, this seems to be a solution for a problem, namely confirming your zero and elevation settings in the dark.
For those who are already happy with their scope rings, iota sells the bubble level and illumination piece as a standalone item called the ZeroLight. Similarly, you can buy just the mount system with accessory keys. MSRP on the Triad ZL is $199, right in line with what a high quality set of rings will set you back. Check here in the next few months for a review as we’ll have a set for testing shortly.
Looks like a well-executed, attractive and well-machined concept. I’d be inclined to buy these, although the cost – like always for machine-intensive parts – is fairly steep. I do like how streamlined the rings look with the mounting screws “upside down,” but it does make initial installation a little more fiddly. I hope they include a couple of extra screws, since I’m fairly sure folks will drop at least one.
I guess that’s kinda cool… to me it seems unnecessary. Lot’s of people have put a lot of rounds on target at long ranges without one and have been doing so for a long time.
Strikes me as another gearcentric item.
People have been using spirit levels for shooting for a long, long time. Not a new trick.
I never said it was a new trick. I merely said it’s been done without a level for a long time.
And its been done with a level, too.
For a long time.
People have been using spirit levels for shooting for a long, long time. Not a new trick.
Or you can buy the level itself from Vortex for like $20. Don’t quote me on price, but it’s Vortex.
I don’t need it, but integrated lighted bubble is cool fo sho.
I prefer putting the level inside the scope, so you don’t have to try to look at something on top of the ring while shooting. Anthony Storey was incorporating levels into reticles 20 years ago for air rifle field target shooting. Not sure if they worked with heavy recoiling centerfires.
These look pretty cool. I stumbled across Iota rings on Long Range Hunting a few weeks ago, had no idea they were from Texas. I am thinking very strongly about putting their 1 piece mounts (similar to what Talley makes) on my next hunting rifle.
The idea of the upside down screw heads is pretty neat, will be interesting to see how easy it is to snug them down with the torque wrench when the rifle is clamped into the vise though.
I get this opportunity to spend a fair amount of money for something to teach you a basic tenet of marksmanship – “If you cant, you can’t”.
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