Degreeing the cam in on #1 and checking it on it's opposing cylinder is still the best way to set up a cam. Just hanging the gears on the shafts is trusting too many different machinists on too many different parts. It's not uncommon for a cam to be off 4 or 5 degrees from what the manufacturer's card states the centerline is. Offset keys, sprockets, and or busihings will correct the errors and make the cam perform as advertised.