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John Barsness's (Mule Deer) latest Campfire-exclusive column, "HUNTING SCOPE MAGNIFICATION," is on its way to your Inbox via email. Please use this thread to ask John questions about the article.

If you haven't received this or previous columns by John, simply provide me your actual email address via PM (to RickBin), and you'll be on board for future monthly columns.

Don't forget to check out John's (and Eileen's ) other great stuff at http://www.riflesandrecipes.com.

Many thanks, as usual, John!

John,

This column was really timely for me since I was wondering about my Leupold 3.5-10x40 on my 264 WM. Last week I tried some shooting at 250 to check zero on my gun and 350 yards to check bullet drop in the past it has shot well at even 400+ yards but my groups with the one load were awful. For some reason I decided to check my scope for paralax just as you described and at 350 the crosshairs moved all over the target probably 6 or 7 inches of movement in total. My scope must be in need of repair, I will likely put my Leupold 8x40 AO on it I'm sure it will group better at longer range,I may even leave on their permanently. What do you think of all this?

Thanks.

Jerry, was wondering how that 8x40 was serving you.

If you get the chance I would love to see a pic of it on your rifle.

I'm seriously thinking of ordering one and putting it on my Ti 6.5-284.


Worth noting again...

I do have a question regarding parallax. I was recently looking over one of the new Leupold VXR scopes and noted that moving my eye left and right relative to the scope caused the red dot to move appaently left and right of the black reticle. The dot and reticle appear to be in slightly different focal planes. Now for the question: would carefully aligning the dot with the reticle prior to the shot help reduce parallax aiming error?

gerrygoat,

My guess is that 8x will work fine on your .264. One of my own long-range rifles is a 6.5-06, and it has a fixed 10 Leupold Mark 4. Just as my wife has never had any problems "finding" deer even at woods ranges with 8-10x, I've never had any problem with 10x at typical open-country distances.

oklahunter,

Yeah, I would expect that lining up the two aiming points would eliminate parallax.

The same thing happens when we hold our head far enough back from a scope that we don't see the entire field of view. Instead we're seeing the exit pupil--and if we center the exit pupil in the rear lens parallax is eliminated.

Thanks for answering my question John, I really appreciate it.I don't remember my 3.5-10x40 scope ever being like that, no sense having a 264 WM that becomes inaccurate at 250+ yards I will switch scopes tonight if I get the chance.

Great article, MD!

I must be too old fashioned but here in the Patagonian foothills of the Andes, I feel I never need anything but a GOOD 4x scope. I have 2 good German 1,5-6x42 scopes in 2 of my rifles but in the end they are all the time in 4x....

Thank you!

PH

Can someone post a link, please? For some reason I never get the emails.

Hi MD!
If you have two fixed scopes one 8x56 and one 6x42 for example Zeiss Diatal, you can of course see more details when its dark in the 8x56 scope. In my opinion that is because the target comes 2x closer with the biggest one and not because more light comes into my eye.Is it correct to say they are equally bright?

I don't get them either.
Have sent a PM with email address twice to Rick.
Last one was about a week ago.

Steve

Here's a link:

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/newsletters/September_2011.html

Guys, the emails go out, but they can get caught in spamtraps or blacklists. You might check for the old ones there.

Once again, many thanks Rick.

I've resigned myself to have to get JB's article through a link.

Steve

John,

Wouldn't those non AO scopes like Burris Fullfield 3-9x40mm scopes that have the ballistic plex also have some parallx problems as well? Enough to effect their accuracy at those distances of the plexes?

Usually not--though any scope of that general size should be tested at max magnification for parallax. I've seen some that were practically without parallax and some that had quite a bit.

I wonder what magnification he used? http://www.dagbladet.no/2011/10/08/nyheter/jakt/innenriks/hjort/skudd/18508210/

For the first shot, probably just poking the rifle at the hjort!

Great article by John and good practical advise per usual.

Would add,on the target subject. I carry those flourescent orange stick-on circles that come in various sizes from 1/2" to 6",and vary them according to scope power, reticle and distance. For example, I use the 1" size against a black background with a 4X scope at 100 yards; a 3" size with a 4X at 200-300 yards,etc.

The reticle contrasts nicely against the bright orange, yet forces you to "hold small" with the 4X,which results in some pretty tight groups.

I have found the 6" dot does well with a 6X scope clear to 600 yards for me.So I use it at 400-500-and 600 yards.

It is wise not to have the dot too big for the power and reticle because you will then start floating around the dot,your aiming point not being as precise,which will affect group size.

These dots also help you see parallax very easily when it exists at a distance as the movement of that orange dot becomes very apparent,forcing you to move your eyeball to the center of the scope for a consistent sight picture.

If you can't find the diamond targets, these dots are a good substitute.

I am not surprised at the smallish groups with the 4X scope.

BobinNH,
I tried some of the small dots after reading your forum comment. It really forced me to shoot carefully and "small".
Thanks for the tip. Most all my scopes are now fixed power.

You mention most higher power variable scopes having some means of correcting parallax. More and more I'm seeing new scopes with higher magnification have "side-focus" vs. the old "adjustable objective" How do these two corrective aids function in a scope, and are they the same thing, but with the adjustment placed in a different spot on the scope? I had my BIL out this weekend to do load development with a new-to-him .243 Win. M70 XTR. He brought along a brand-new Nikon Monarch 4-16x42SF and it was the darkest scope I've looked through in years. I made sure the side-focus was "set" at 100 yds, but my older Nikon Monarch UCC 6.5-20x44AO is a MUCH brighter scope. Does side-focus influence that in any way, or was this just an example of current production Nikons? I have a current production Nikon Monarch 2.5-10x42 that is one of the brightest scopes I've looked through...but no parallax adjustment. Is there a relationship?