Parallax

[mmatt]

How much of a concern is this... really?

I shoot a .22 used mainly for hunting rabbits and squirrels. Most shots I take are between 20 and 50 yards. However I do enjoy shooting paper and hunting smaller varmints. (crow, groundhog etc.) I generally shoot paper out to 100 yards and have taken a few crows at slightly over 100 yards. I have been using a 3-9 AO scope that allows me to dial in the distance to make sure I am parallax free when I shoot and this gives me great results. I'm thinking of changing to a different scope and the one I am looking at does not offer an AO. It is set at either 35 or 100 yards (depending on which model I get). Obviously if all I did was hunt, the 35 yard would be fine. But how much deviation can I expect out to 100 yards? I don't have the greatest rifle for holding a consistent cheek weld so while practice will obviously help it won't completely eliminate the possibility of errors.

Thanks.

Matthew

 

[P of PDent]

This is a hard number to come up with but I would think no more than an inch deviation would occur for the distances you are describing. What scope are you looking at that has 2 specific settings (25 or 100)?. Remember the distances indicated on your scope are just general references and the proper way to set parallax is to turn the adjustment to achieve the sharpest focus. Phil.

 

[AP]

It is not a concern at all if you can achieve a consistent, centered sight picture through the scope...

As long as you can repeatedly position your eye in the center of the exit pupil formed by the scope (and presuming your reticle is reasonably centered in the scope) you will not need to worry about parallax. In this regard .. a scope without parallax adjusted for a particular range is not much different than using iron sights eg you wouldn't expect to fire an iron sighted rifle accurately if the foresight were slightly right or left of the rear sight?

IF you can achieve a consistent hold (which includes proper cheek placement) then you will be better able to ensure that your aim is consistent.The problem is the limitation you have identified with your rifle eg

I don't have the greatest rifle for holding a consistent cheek weld

... this is rather important.


As you know the basic keys to accuracy are:
1) Holding
2) Aiming
3) Firing

No. 1 above... in order to achieve accurate results the "holding" of a rifle must be consistent shot to shot. That facilitates the second key element yadayadayada..etc

You might find it worthwhile to try to adjust your stock to a better fit...this is one area that the successful long range shooters invest a lot of effort and time

 

[P of PDent]

What AP said X2. Parallax is only an issue if you are not consistent in mounting the rifle to your shoulder and aquiring your image in the scope. Phil.

 

[jjohnwm]

And before some professional cynic comes on and says that it must be really nice to achieve and maintain an absolutely perfect eye/scope alignment...

Keep in mind that the maximum parallax error, which as stated above is probably no more than an inch or so, only occurs when your eye is as far off centre as you can get and still see the image. In other words, to get that one inch error to show up, you would have to be looking at the image from so far off centre that it would be starting to black out. While a perfect alignment is difficult, anyone should be able to maintain their eye somewhere near the centre of the exit pupil, thus eliminating most of that gigantic one inch inaccuracy.

John