Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Parallax adjustment necessary at 14X??

A number of scope makers, including high end one's such as Swarovski and Leica, offer a variable with no parallax adjustment at 14X which is the highest power. Do you all think that no parallax adjustment at 14X is crazy? I like the higher power for working up loads, but if the lack of parallax adjustmet is going to make the groups suspect, I will drop back to one with a high of 10X.
Also, the exit pupil at 14X is 3. Seems like it would only be useful in good light.
Thanks for your opinions.

Hi Alan,

That's why I don't own a scope over 10X (1) and most are 7X or 9X.

Leupold's new VX-6 is a 2-12X and has no adjustment either, which I thought was odd, since their VX-7 line did in higher powers.

If I was going go higher than 12X, I would want an adjustment for precise work and one would probably come in handy on scopes 10X and above.

Best,

JM

Thanks, Jim. I lean your way.
Alan

I would not own a scope of over 10 power made by ANYBODY that did not have a parallax adjustment, be it AO or side focus.

I own a mess of scopes over 10 power and they ALL have either the front AO adjustment or a side focus.

Scopes over 10 power are not usable for my old tired 62 year old eyes without the needed adjustments, PERIOD.

Like to hear what JB and a few others would say about this.

It's a good question.

I cancelled an order for a 3-12X Victory when I discovered it didn't have A.O. or side focus. There is no way I would have a scope without it.

Been shooting that 3-12 for years and have never had an issue hitting my target where I intended to hit it due to parallax error.
Shooting for score or on itty-bitty targets at distance, I would like an AO above 10x. For big game, I have not had a need.

I have a Swarovski z3 4-12x50 that I shoot 4" 400 yard groups with at 12 power on a regular basis.

I guess it has to do with shooting skills rather than knob twisting.
Please feel free to flame away folks.

Shoot it on 15x and see what happens, for me over 10x I want Side Focus!

Sorry, typo, its a 4x12.
Fixed it.

Not absolutley necessary in a hunting scope but it sure is noticable...I much prefer parallex adj in scopes over 10X.

I have two 4.5X14 leupies one with and one w/o. I shot my elk last year on the one w/o and it worked well at 360+ yards never noticed the difference. But at the range or on small targets it is not as sharp as the the one with adjustment.

Lefty C

One of the fascinating things I've noticed here is Pat's, Scenarshooter's, scope on his custom "lightweight" .308 is a 10X S&B w/o any parallax adjustment. It apparently works quite well for him.
Why is that ? I suspect it's because his is set for 300 meters, not the usual 100-150 yds. that the usual hunting scope is. Where and how he hunts, this works fine. He, I think, doesn't need it to be parallax free at 100 yds. He isn't going to miss a coyote at 100 yds. with and inch or so of parallax. But an MOA of parallax at 700 yds. can be significant. With a 300 meter parallax setting, it should be parallax free at 700 plus yards as well.
So, where, at what distance do you need your scope to be parallax free. Are you shooting for the best groups at 50 and 500 yds. ? Or will will a slightly larger group at 100 yds be OK as long as the 500 yd. group is as small as possible ? E

I've been pondering such thoughts as well.

I think a variable to 10x is fine w/o ao - don't want it actually, it's simpler, and one step further, like fixed 4x and 6x non - ao for much of my hunting.

That said, on a fixed 12x or even M8 10x, I want an AO, and any normal variable over 10x like a 4-12/14/16 I want an AO and would not want to run one w/o it, unless it was a 'value priced' Redfield Revolution or something that you simply are not going to get that feature for that price....and I am willing to forego it.

That said, I'd ONLY trust getting great load test results using an AO on anything over 10x, though at 10x and under, if say setting for OEM is 150 yds, I am very comfortable.

The one exception is, I have faith that if I ran a Zeiss, Swaro, or S&B at 12x and had no-ao, I would have confidence.

WHY? B/C I feel if it did not meet very high standards, they'd never sell them or put their name on them, given they are the 'top tier' and priced accordingly scope brands.

I simply don't recall hearing any 'issues/complaints' on those 3 in the say 3-12 or 4-12 range.

I agree, in that if I chose to run a 4-14 for elk, being such a large animal, I can see no value in using an ao, even though there is a difference. I will also ad, I have not and have no plans to buy a scope that has a top end of 14 or higher, w/o an ao. Just me.

But that's coming from a guy who runs a 6x on many deer rigs and have for years, if not 4x.

The last group I shot w/my former 7BR rifle, was a .3" group, 3 shots/100 yds - 4x fixed Nikon Pro-Staff.

Likewise, my last custom 260 was tested w/a 3-10 VX3, non -ao and groups from .3-.6 were the norm, load dependent.

My best groups in any rifle were both 6BRs, 2 diff rifles, one with a 4-14x LRT and another 4-16x 4200. Both did fine, but no doubt, if doing alot of load testing, more power usually means less eye fatigue over time.

In the end, many shooters probably get too anal (me inc.) on just how accurate a load you want (vs. actually need to take a deer or elk to say 400 yds).

Groups are great, but odds are most quality rifles using quality loads and optics have more 'accuracy potential' than we may well can utilize. Though I never have been hurt having a rifle that was 'too accurate.'

Once you get a good grouping load, get in some field positions and also learn your dope (drop n drift). 1st shot cold bbl accuracy is usually going to make or break that opportunity when it comes. POI for that one shot is far more important IMHO that squeezing a little tighter 'grouping' as I have yet to put a 'group' on any animal.

Just my .02.

65BR,



Can we call two shots a group? If so, I did fire a group on an animal. I shot at a trotting deer and fired. A second shot followed as quickly as I could work the bolt. The scope was still on the deer.

When we were skinning out the deer, I told John, my son-in-law that I fired two shots and was surprised that I missed one. He told me to take a closer look. There was an exit hole behind the shoulder and in front of the shoulder. When we inspected the entrance hole we could see that two bullets had opened it up so that it was oval shaped.

Just call me Andy Oakley.

I have AO on the FX 12 loopies atop my two dedicated PD rifles , but the 4.5X14 loopie on my 244 AI which I also use as a walk-around deer rifle has no AO.

I just crank it to 10 X and leave it alone.The 14X is nice for seeing bullet holes in targets , though.

Ringman, LOL. Good shooting.

My thoughts on shooting groups on an animal, if you put the 2nd bullet too close to the 1st, it won't give much incremental damage... just going thru the same wound channel, assuming the same angle...no matter, usually that animal is dead and has not realized it yet

45/70 - can relate, 14 and higher is nice for paper, but for hunting, the lack of FOV and steadiness in some field positions is not always 'better' and a 3-10 is what I run on my dual purpose varmint/deer rifle in 243 as it's fast and simple. Bad enough to second guess what power a variable is on, but to worry about ao...and then perhaps twisting knobs...well...the animal might be gone around these parts...often dense brush.

No doubt the guys who shoot LR in open country can take advantage of more power and features conditions permitting.

AlanW: I long ago (30+ years ago) quit purchasing scopes of ANY power for my use, unless it has an adjustable objective!
A shooter will shoot more ACCURATELY when using his adjustable objective scope properly as compared to a scope without an A/O.
Now - speaking of 14 powers - I have used my Leupold 4.5x14's (with A/O's) for all manner of Big Game and Varmint Hunting and find them to be simply wonderful tools - lacking in NO regard!
Your inclination towards preference of the adjustable objective scopes is righteous.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

There are some drawbacks to AO and side focus/parallax scopes. The biggest is that they have reduced depth of focus, especially the side focus/parallax models. They are also a bit more dim thanks to the extra lense, or lenses as the case may be. E