Hating my new Vortex... Not sure why...

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scaleguy

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Hi everyone, Im an eyeglasses wearer, and im not sure if that changes things at all when it comes to rifle scopes or not. My buddy keeps telling me that im just not getting my parallax adjusted correctly...

I have a weatherby vanguard 270 with a VX2 that is just so pleasant to use. The optics on that are the best ive ever owned and used... every time i lift it, its crystal clear, no matter what, snow, rain, heat and humidity causing fog...

But i recently outfitted a 17hmr savage with a Vortex. Its a very similar scope to the vx2 and i paid nearly the same for it... but i really have to mess around with my face position on the gun. Bringing it nearer or whatever it is that i need to do. In hot weather its almost useless... i dont know why, but it seems to make the situation worse. The rear adjustment on the eye relief is just focusing the cross hairs, right? Thats not a parallax adjustment is it?

The same guy at the same gun shop helped me set up both gun & scope combos.

Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions before i give up on this thing and it hits the equipment exchange!

Erik
 
I'm not really faithful to any scope maker, but I do find the first to me Leupold VXI 3-9x40
jumps to my eye. Multi X reticle which I don't like, but this one is smaller in size.
Nice and sweet to shoot with.
The few 4200's I have do the same with the 50 mil objective lenses.
Buy what works for your eyes.
 
Leupolds are amoung the most forgiving scopes for eye placement, with a large range where although it may not be perfect in it is certainly useable. They even have a term for it; eye-box.

The term is seldom used by other makers; its like they are avoiding the subject. With some its easy to see why they would want to.
 
Focussing is done on a interior white wall. You raise the scope, look inside forr a maximum of 3 sec. If the reticle is not clear adjust focus (Rear ring). Then look again. Make sure to look only 3 second at a time, this way your eye will not compensate for the out of focus state.

When the reticle is in perfect focus you will never touch that rear focus adjustment ever again.

Then if your scope has a parallax you will play with it in the field to bring everything in focus at different range. There is a bit more to parrallax and I will not get into that.

Cheers
 
That makes a lot of sense!

Do i need that extra eye relief because of my eyeglasses (prescription) or is it the gun/scope/stock setup that has me requiring it (most likely) ?
 
Your set up should allow for some scope movement, usually.

I do all my set up at the range usually, I get behind the gun with the scope rings loose, close my eye and get comfortable. If the eye relief is no good I push or pull the scope accordingly. Repeat previous step (Close you eye etc...) until perfect eye relief is good. Then you can use a red sharpie to put a small line on the scope/Rings interface for the correct distance. Only you will know that line is there. Unless you scope is stainless color...LOL.

GST
 
Ok, this has basically answered my question. Youll see a couple week old like new vortex in the exchange forums soon... Just need to save up for another vx first. Sigh. Its always something!
 
I dont think its your scope I think you should listen to this guy.

gaetoune said:
Focussing is done on a interior white wall. You raise the scope, look inside forr a maximum of 3 sec. If the reticle is not clear adjust focus (Rear ring). Then look again. Make sure to look only 3 second at a time, this way your eye will not compensate for the out of focus state.

When the reticle is in perfect focus you will never touch that rear focus adjustment ever again.

Then if your scope has a parallax you will play with it in the field to bring everything in focus at different range. There is a bit more to parrallax and I will not get into that.

Cheers
Click to expand...
 
Oh yea, its focused great! And the scope is as far back in the rings as is possible. I hate how much i have to lean into it to get a clear picture... its like the stars have to align for me to get a good look through it. Whereas with my other scope i just shoulder the gun, and its always aces!
 
gaetoune said:
Your set up should allow for some scope movement, usually.

I do all my set up at the range usually, I get behind the gun with the scope rings loose, close my eye and get comfortable. If the eye relief is no good I push or pull the scope accordingly. Repeat previous step (Close you eye etc...) until perfect eye relief is good. Then you can use a red sharpie to put a small line on the scope/Rings interface for the correct distance. Only you will know that line is there. Unless you scope is stainless color...LOL.

GST
Click to expand...

I do it similarly but I do it off hand. Close your eyes and shoulder the rifle naturally. Open your eyes and see how the eye relief looks. Then adjust the scope without moving your head and lower the rifle (hold it level or the scope will slide in the rings). Repeat the process of shouldering the rifle with your eyes closed and opening them to see how the eye relief is. Once the eye relief is good s othat when you raise the rifle with yoru eyes closed and, on opening your eyes the image is perfect with no black ring inside the scope and the full image visible, then tighten the rings enough to hold the scope and set it up on a solid rest and level the rifle. Once the rifle is level, hang a plumb line or draw a perfectly plumb line on something (my kids have a whiteboard that is perfect for this) and rotate your scope until the vertical crosswire is perfectly plumb.

Some people will tell you that having a reticle out of plumb is OK. They're wrong. It's that simple. Taking the time to do things properly the first time is always worthwhile.
 
BigUglyMan said:
Some people will tell you that having a reticle out of plumb is OK. They're wrong. It's that simple. Taking the time to do things properly the first time is always worthwhile.
Click to expand...

I Agree. I also use the your technique for the eye relief adjustment depending on the setup.
 
scaleguy said:
Oh yea, its focused great! And the scope is as far back in the rings as is possible. I hate how much i have to lean into it to get a clear picture... its like the stars have to align for me to get a good look through it. Whereas with my other scope i just shoulder the gun, and its always aces!
Click to expand...

I don't think you're having a focussing or parallax problem, you're having an eye-relief problem. I don't know if they're available for the rifle you're using but you might try getting some extension rings to move the scope farther to the rear.
 
Nothing wrong with the scope, your eye relief is wrong. You need to set the scope the apropraite distance before hard mounting it. When you are comfertable with your head in position, the redical should be clear and there should be no black ghost ring present. If the scope is ghosting move it backwards or forwards untill that black ring or halfmoon disapears.

scaleguy said:
Hi everyone, Im an eyeglasses wearer, and im not sure if that changes things at all when it comes to rifle scopes or not. My buddy keeps telling me that im just not getting my parallax adjusted correctly...

I have a weatherby vanguard 270 with a VX2 that is just so pleasant to use. The optics on that are the best ive ever owned and used... every time i lift it, its crystal clear, no matter what, snow, rain, heat and humidity causing fog...

But i recently outfitted a 17hmr savage with a Vortex. Its a very similar scope to the vx2 and i paid nearly the same for it... but i really have to mess around with my face position on the gun. Bringing it nearer or whatever it is that i need to do. In hot weather its almost useless... i dont know why, but it seems to make the situation worse. The rear adjustment on the eye relief is just focusing the cross hairs, right? Thats not a parallax adjustment is it?

The same guy at the same gun shop helped me set up both gun & scope combos.

Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions before i give up on this thing and it hits the equipment exchange!

Erik
Click to expand...
 
Dogleg said:
Leupolds are amoung the most forgiving scopes for eye placement, with a large range where although it may not be perfect in it is certainly useable. They even have a term for it; eye-box.

The term is seldom used by other makers; its like they are avoiding the subject. With some its easy to see why they would want to.
Click to expand...

I second this theory. I have never looked through a Vortex, but comparing the scopes I have (two each of Leupold, Bushnell, and Nikon, and one each of Redfield and Minox,) my vote goes to Leupold. Minox has the best eye relief (constant 4" according to the literature,) but the eye placement (in-line with the optical centre) has to be just right. Leupold VX-III is the most forgiving for eye placement, the others are somewhere in between.
 
It doesn't have that much to do with your eye glasses, it has to do with the way you naturally mount/shoot the rifle. Face/cheek structure, pec/shoulder mass, stance and arm length.

You would do well sticking with Leupold, even the cheapest Rifleman you would be happy with. If not Leupold go Redfield Revolution.

Look for an advertised eye relief of over 3.75in, most are advertised 3.5in maximum and I doubt they even meet that.

I myself prefer a good 4in or even better 4.25in, plus a receiver and ring setup to bring the scope way back. I shoot with my face way back on the stock, pretty much on the rear end of most cheekpieces....therefore I also prefer no cheekpiece.
 
Dogleg said:
Leupolds are amoung the most forgiving scopes for eye placement, with a large range where although it may not be perfect in it is certainly useable. They even have a term for it; eye-box.

The term is seldom used by other makers; its like they are avoiding the subject. With some its easy to see why they would want to.
Click to expand...

Non-critical eye relief is what Leupold calls it. Some scopes are very specific where your eye needs to be in relation to the scope and others do have more generous or non-critical eye relief. I suspect Leupold is this way because the eye relief on their scopes does not remain constant through the zoom range so with a more generous non-critical eye relief range it helps compensate for that. For those that don't change eye relief through the zoom range you can get away with less non critical eye relief. Two means of achieving the same result I guess. Perhaps some others don't talk about it because they don't need to but I'd agree, that a certain amount of non-critical eye relief on a hunting scope is, well, critical. But, if eye relief remains constant through the zoom range it's not as critical.
 
Mount Sweetness said:
eye relief, leupold is more generous by about an inch
Click to expand...

Its not just the maximum eye relief. The eye relief on a Leupold seems to be very forgiving compared to many other scopes. In other words its not so critical that your eye is exactly a certain distance from the eyepiece.
 
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