How do you use a scope?

[JBD]

I have been shooting for the last 15 years service rifle with iron sights. I broke down and bought my first scope ever and my groups are much worse. I am wondering if you focus on the crosshair with the target a blur as you do with the front post or do you focus on the target and leave the crosshair slightly blurred.

Serious newbie question

 

[Big JD-From the hills]

With a good scope(whats scope did you buy?) Neither should be blurry.

 

[cycbb486]

When you focus

both images should be crystal clear. The crosshair and the target should look crisp. If your scope has a adjustable objective even though you may be shooting at 100 yards, the scale on the objective is close but not perfect when set to 100 on the scale. To fine tune it you should ever so slightly move your head in a circular motion looking down at the target thru the scope. You will notice as you adjust the objective that the target will move less and less or get worse in relation to the crosshairs. You want there to be next to no movement at all. This is known as adjusting the parallex. When this has been achieved you should be all set. Whatever you do shoot at least 3 shoot groups b4 adjusting the scope. It happens all to often that people move there scope after each and every shot. How do you know that the cause of the shot that went astray was not because of you? If your group is reasonable tight then move the hairs the appropriate direction then fire another group until your point of impact is where you want.

I hope it makes sense.


JMO

Calvin

 

[HKMark23]

Hi

I'm a newbie like you. From what I've been reading lately, it would appear you've got a parallax problem going on. This can be serious or not, depending upon the scope itself.

http://www.usoptics.com/sub_pages/parallax.php

Hopefully in your case, the cure will be a simple adjustment.

 

[Big JD-From the hills]

or it could simply be that the cross hairs(rear focus) is out of adjustment.

 

[Why not?]

or it could simply be that the cross hairs(rear focus) is out of adjustment.

No doubt that is exactly what the problem is.

jasonburnsdundee,

Just look through the scope at a blank wall so that all your eye has to focus on is the crosshair.

Now adjust the ocular lens, that's the one you look through that is closest to your eye. You will have to loosen the lock ring on the scope, unless you have a quick-focus model scope. The lock ring is a knurled ring that is just ahead of the lens housing.

After releasing the locking ring, turn the lens housing in either direction a couple of turns and look through the scope. You want to see if the crosshair gets sharper or fuzzier. If it gets sharper turn it in the same direction another turn.

If it does not get sharper, then do the same thing, but in the other direction.

Once you determine which direction makes the crosshair sharper, keep turning the ocular lens housing in that direction until the crossshair begins to turn fuzzy again.

Now turn back the other direction about half a turn, and look again. You will be very close to having the crosshair focused, and will need to make very minor adjustment to get it sharpest.

Do all the final adjusting, turning perhaps a quarter of a turn at a time with your eye away from the scope, then look through the lens. You want the image of the crosshair to be sharp the moment you look through the lens, rather than your eye adjusting to acomodate the scope.

Once there, tighten up the lock ring again. You should now see a clear image of the crosshair when it is imposed on a target.

Clear as mud, right? Once you give it a try, it will become readily apparent what to do.

Let us know how you make out.
Ted

 

[todbartell]

agreed, neither should be blurry when properly adjusted.
​

 

[JBD]

Range Report

Thanks for all the advice
I adjusted the rear focus and I could not tell any real difference in the clarity of the crosshair. I adjusted the front focus and discovered that on my scope with my eyes that the scope was most clear at 50 yard setting when shooting at 100 yards. With the crisper setting the rifle was grouping much better with and I even had a three shot cluster with all rounds touching. That is at my limits and that of my fifle so I was quite satisfied.

However, I noticed that when dry firing the crosshairs jump slightly. I don't think that I am flinching. To isolate that it could be me I completely supported the rifle with sandbangs the only contact is my trigger finger. Is this normal? I am using an el cheapo third generation scopemount with el cheapo rings and a tasco target scope mounted on M-305.

Jason

 

[joe-nwt]

Could it be the slight flinch was always there and now with the scope it is noticable?