Are you under the impression that your experience is consitant with all other hunters and guides?

Thank you?

Good on him - albeit expected to find bucks like that in the "vicinity of dandihood".

Welcome.

Lol. I left that out!

Parallax is an annoyance at the range...I tend to shoot an appropriate sized orange dot against a black background target because it helps me "hold small".But it is easy to see that dot float around as you move your head around the stock;and with some scopes, I can see the difference in group size from one scope to the other.Not a "huge" difference, but its' there.

The definition of "long range" varies with capability and equipment,but at say 300-500 yards,if I have "doubts" the simple solution for me is to get rid of the dots,cut out a full sized elk (or deer)target,with a slightly shaded vital area.This requires additional focus on that "imaginary"spot on the animal against a larger, monolithic background.

Shoot it for groups at distance the way you would in the field,if it makes you happy, but I prefer to watch POI from first shot,cold barrel.Not having that central aiming point(dot)will make parallax more difficult to detect.You should get central kill zone hits at 300-500 yards,even with a scope that does not adjust for parallax.

This is a bit different from trying to kill tiny varmints at distance, or shoot groups...but BG animals are not killed with groups.Generally they are(or should be) killed with a single shot from a cold barrel at whatever distance is afforded.I have killed deer and elk sized animals(coyotes too)to 400-500 yards with mostly fixed power scopes of modest power,and no adjustments for parallax.

Teaser:

Dandy.

All dinks.

Bet u could have killed everyone with a non AO scope.

Top row, 2nd in from left was killed W/1x Sightron on a muzzle loader. All the rest were 4-12 or 4.5-14x40 Leupolds with fine-duplex and AO.

Bottom right died in his bed, the rest of the bottom row died on the run from 75-300yds as did top right and next one in.

GASP!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've taken running shots and used an AO. Probably going to hell twice.

Nutter runner/AO kill:



Would you believe a fast walk and an AO?

I just got back from a weekend guiding aoudad hunters (2 this time). As usual I got to inspect their equipment, and test out my VX6 and my buddy's VX3 4.5-14 non AO (7 STW). To make a long story short, at lunchtime we ranged and shot 2 ft sized rocks. I could consistently hit @ 600 (4 for 4), 740 (3 for 4), and 908 (2 for 3) with my VX6, 7mag, shooting HSM trophy gold 168gr VLD hunting bullets. Not 'cause I'm a great shot, but because the MOA dial on the VX6 tracks perfectly, up and down and back to the 100 yd zero it started with. We had about the same consistency with my buddy's 7STW, and another hunters Nightforce 5-22x50. It obviously has the SF adjustment. The glass in my VX6 was noticeably better to my 51 yr old eyes than the NF. My conclusion was that I personally have no need for AO or SF. I could hit those targets on 6x-12x rather easily. No wind of course.

JG,

Only dink shooting dandy's need an AO.

Like ol horse head. Lol.

Nice animals pard and that is some good shooting JG.