Adjustable Objective question

[mistahmojoryan]

I have a simple question (I hope) about A/O's. Are there any real disadvantages to having an A/O on a hunting rifle? Seems like it could be useful for doing long range shooting off the bench but I don't want to be stuck adjusting it when I'm hunting. Is that realistic or should I stick with a simple variable scope?

I'm looking at the Elite 3200's, BTW. Thanks!

 

[Westicle]

I have a simple question (I hope) about A/O's. Are there any real disadvantages to having an A/O on a hunting rifle? Seems like it could be useful for doing long range shooting off the bench but I don't want to be stuck adjusting it when I'm hunting. Is that realistic or should I stick with a simple variable scope?

I'm looking at the Elite 3200's, BTW. Thanks!

yes there are disadvantages.... your image may be blurry if you leave it set at a certain AO.... I do believe the Infinity setting though is the same as a normal scope would be ie: focused at 150 yds.

 

[stubblejumper]

yes there are disadvantages.... your image may be blurry if you leave it set at a certain AO.... I do believe the Infinity setting though is the same as a normal scope would be ie: focused at 150 yds.

If you want the scope parallax free at 150 yards for hunting,you would set the adjustment to 150 yards,not to infinity.

 

[martinbns]

Generally only higher powered scopes have A/O unless they are specifric power target scopes. I wouldn't have A/O on a big game rifle, mostly because I see no real need for over 9 power. I can bang our gong at 50 metres at 9X and I cant see myself shooting at a live animal at that distance.

 

[mistahmojoryan]

I just thought it would be easier to do precise shooting at the range with higher magnification. I certainly don't need more than 9x for hunting but I figured going up to 12x would be a better setup for long range shooting from the bench and lots of those scopes have A/O's. But if I have to fiddle with the A/O in the field then I won't bother.

 

[i6s1]

There's no big advantage for hunting but no big disadvantage either. Most general purpose hunting scopes come from the factory set at 100 yards/meters. If you don't want to fiddle with the AO, then set it for 100 and leave it, it will be just like a 3200 without AO. In the field, if you are faced with a long shot and lots of time, then you can adjust the AO if you want to eliminate the small parallax error.

The disadvantages are:
- Price
- another knob/ring, which is a place for moisture to enter
- more moving parts means greater chance of failure
- looking at the 3200s, only the 4-12x40s have AO, and they are 2oz heavier then the 3-9x40

3x-9x is probably a more usefull power range then 4x-12x. 9x is enough power for any ethical big game hunting range, and 3x is better for quick close shots then 4x is.

Adjustable Objective has nothing to do with the power of scope, 9x, 12x, whatever. It only causes blurryness in extremly short ranges, 25 yards or less. (This is why AO is an important feature for rimfire.)

Parallax is the difference between what your gun is pointing at, and what you think your gun is pointed at, because your eye is not perfectly in line with the axis of the scope. You can see this effect by putting your rifle in a vice. Look down the scope, and move your head from left to right. You will see the crosshairs move slightly, even though the rifle is pointed in the same place. Scopes can be adjusted so that there is no parallax at a specific distance. Most scopes without AO are parallex free at 100 yards, or 150 for the higher magnification scopes. Rimfire and shotgun scopes are usually set to 50 yards.

AO scopes allow the user to select the distance that the scope will be parallex free - of course, they should be set to the distance of the next shot. So a scope with AO can squeze out a little more accuracy, but only if the user actually take the time to set the AO to the correct range. Leaving it at 100 yards means that the AO is an unused feature, and the hunter would have been better off saving his money.

Target shooters know the range they are shooting at, and they have the time to set the AO, and they are more concerned with accuracy, and they shoot at longer ranges. A big game hunter will prioritize reliabiltiy, weight, and light transmission. That's why the target shooters like AO, and hunter's don't really need it.

 

[mistahmojoryan]

That sums it up for me really well. All my rifles are hunting rifles and only used in bench rest shooting for testing hunting loads anyway. I'll choose a scope to match their primary purpose. Thanks!