Keeping Your World On The Level With MDT [MDT SEND IT Gen2 Review]

As the trend of demand for higher precision and accuracy continues across firearm types, rifles have become the centerpiece for maximizing that capability. From mile rifles to recce builds, the desire to have consistent first-round impacts continues. 

A growing sector of this pursuit of precision is methods to keep a rifle level. But why is holding a rifle in the proper position related to the Earth during the shot process important, you might ask? Here are the answers, and one of the best tools to keep it on the level.

One of the most significant challenges in LRP, or long-range precision, or ELR, which is extreme long-range shooting, is gravity. This constant factor is both friend and foe, exerting its influence on everything we do, including bullets. As is now a well-known fact, bullets don’t travel in a straight line. Instead, they travel in a relatively predictable arc. 

Combine this with what’s known as Ballistic Coefficient or BC, which is the effect air has as drag slowing a bullet’s velocity. Add in muzzle velocity and bullet spin rate, also known as twist rate, and you can now start to build a consistent mathematical solution to predict the flight path. There’s one more wrinkle in this endeavour: environmental conditions.

So now you have the solution to nail a first-round impact, but that’s on paper. Once you find yourself in your shooting position, it’s time to take into account new problems to be solved, such as firing angle, temperature, air density, and wind. 

These environmental factors can take years to master, especially wind. There are tools such as a Kestrel to help you mitigate the influence of those factors, but as you’re in the process of breaking your shot, there’s one factor that we’ve known about for years; you can now, thanks to technological breakthroughs, see better than ever. 

Bubble levels, also known as spirit levels, have been a helpful tool for years. You can purchase them for a few dollars at a local hardware store, and they’ve stood the test of time. Based on the principle that a bubble suspended in a consistent liquid will always seek the highest point, most bubble levels utilize ethanol both for its low viscosity and resistance to temperature swings. 

Where this all comes into play for shooting is that 2-3 degrees of cant can produce inches or even feet of left and right dispersion, depending on the distance to your target. Bubble levels have been a valuable tool on rifles for years and remain so to this day. Still, trends in other industries, such as construction and woodworking, have created digital levels to provide further precision even beyond the classic bubble level.

MDT saw an opportunity to capitalize on this technology and has created the leading option in digital levels for rifles with the MDT SEND IT GEN2. With a 16-year pedigree of providing some of the best and most innovative shooting accessories focused on the sweet science of long-range marksmanship, MDT is uniquely poised to push the envelope when it comes to the ability to achieve first-round impacts at remarkable distances. 

The SEND IT GEN2 pushes that envelop with four different mounting options to ensure that you’ll be able to set up your rifle in the way that suits your needs and be able to see the three lights indicating your cant position easily. Sporting the ability to change sensitivity settings quickly, it also gives the level of feedback you want without overcomplicating the process. 

The SEND IT GEN2 uses a CR2032 battery, which has become ubiquitous across the optics space, and has an auto-shutoff feature after 10 minutes of inactivity. It will restart when moved, and can be turned off manually as well to conserve battery life further.

In practice, SEND IT GEN2 is remarkably durable, representing itself well in proofing stages for an upcoming sniper competition at the BRVO Tactical Sierra 1 site in Heber, Arizona. Over hundreds of rounds in ninety-degree-plus Fahrenheit temperatures, with winds gusting from 5-30 miles per hour, and field shooting positions such as tree branches, rocks, and prone off a bipod in moon dust, the three lights were there whenever needed. 

A couple of notes for users that can make your life easier. First, the sun in Arizona is brutally bright. The SEND IT GEN2 instructions are clear and should be read thoroughly. One point they make is that there are rigid light pipes that can be installed to make the red, green, and blue indicators more visible. 

It’s highly recommended you install them unless you’re anticipating having to work in a low-light environment. If you would like to remove them in the future, it requires simple disassembly of the unit as if you were going to change the battery, and pushing them out with something like a ballpoint pen. Next, if you choose to use the included fiber optic line, ensure the lines are securely placed in the SEND IT GEN2, and use the included shrink wrap to prevent snag hazards on the lines. 

By its nature, fiber optic lines are pretty fragile, so be careful to set them up in the safest manner possible. From experience, I recommend the direct center Picatinny mount setup if you’re planning on using these fiber optic lines.

The performance of the MDT SEND IT GEN2 sets it apart from the rest, but the mounting options put it over the top. It’s durable, reliable, compact, versatile, and when set up correctly, an ideal solution to your shooting needs. A tool like this isn’t for every rifle or shooter, but if you’re someone who wants the best chance of a first round and subsequent impacts on target, stepping up your game with the SEND IT GEN2 will help with that process.