Hi All.....I have noticed that scopes with parallax control seem to be priced mush high the those without....ok..so be it....does one really need the parallax control..??? when would one use it...?? I understand what parallax is...but if one is hunting hopefully one's target would stand still long enough to adjust parallax...????? Thanks to all.. Pete
When hunting I set the parallax about 150 and forget it. If something shows up far enough away to adjust the parallax I have time to adjust it. I wouldn't have a scope without either adjustable objective or side focus.
I use variable scopes also. When hunting I set them on their lowest setting and forget it. If something shows up far enough away to adjust the magnification I have time to adjust it. I wouldn't have a scope that is not a variable.
The effect of parallax increases with magnification. For hunting, if you use scopes of up to about 9x, the effect is not usually going to be enough to matter, which is why your typical hunting scopes up to about 9x don't usually have parallax adjustment.
If you are target shooting, or shooting at very close range, or shooting a scope with magnification of 10x or more, that is where you might want to be able to adjust the objective to correct for parallax.
You didn't go far enough into the article. What you've shown is max parallax error. Parallax for "eye offset" less than the max possible does depend on magnification.
From the article:
Quote
Substituting Equation 5 into above equation gives us the PE equation that is dependent on magnification and offset distance X:
Equation 6 PE @ offset X = (X) (MAG) ABS(t-p)/(p); for X < EP/2
EXAMPLE 3: We have a 3-9X40mm scope, where objective diameter, D = 40mm, parallax range of scope (p) = 100 yards, and target range (t) is 25 yards. What is the parallax error at 3X and 9X if eyeball is 1 millimeter off optical axis at the eye relief of the scope? Again, p and t units must be the same, and X units can be anything you desire, although most people will probably use millimeters. The first thing to do is verify that the offset is less than or equal to EP/2. If it is great than EP/2, then your eyeball offset is outside the EXIT PUPIL and you can’t see any image. Using Equation 5, the EXIT PUPIL at 3X is equal to 40/3 = 13.3mm and the EXIT PUPIL at 9X is 40/9 = 4.4mm, so X is indeed less than EP/2 in both cases. Using Equation 6, we calculate the PARALLAX ERROR as:
PE @ 25 yards with a 1mm offset from optical axis @ 3X = (1.0) (3) ABS(25-100)/100 = 2.25mm PE @ 25 yards with a 1mm offset from optical axis @ 9X = (1.0) (9) ABS(25-100)/100 = 6.75 mm
For the hunting that most of us do, I'd say we don't need "parallax control" built into our rifle scopes. I, for one, don't want it. A scope with an Adjustable Objective has a shorter depth of focus than one w/o. A scope with the Side Focus/Parallax adjustment feature has even less. It's been my experience than when the buck of my dreams shows up, I'd better spend what time I have, which is often alot less than I'd like to have, getting a bullet into him as opposed to fiddling with my rifle scope. It is said that the long range guys need such a feature. Really ? The guy I consider to be one of the best of our long range hunters, Scenarshooter, often uses a 10X S&B, which doesn't have such a feature. That scope is set to be parallax free at 300 meters. One can also special order scopes from Leupold with their parallax set for 400 yds., rather than the standard 150 yds. which most of their hunting scope are set for. E
A scope with an Adjustable Objective has a shorter depth of focus than one w/o. A scope with the Side Focus/Parallax adjustment feature has even less.
You've posted this often. New shooters should not be influenced by your fettish against AO and SF. And as often as you do and I see it I post the same thing in opposition. I have both AO and SF scopes. I set them for about 150 yards and have never had to fiddle with them. If I find something with the binoculars so far away I need to adjust them I have lots of time to do so. The animals are not aware or at least not wary of me.
Yes. If one wants to drive nails at a variety of distances with high power scopes, then parallax is something to be concerned about. To date, I've only used AO units and even have them on my 22LR ground squirrel rifles. Makes a real difference especially when one is using a variety of positions in the field. Half and inch of error at 100 yds is enough to affect a miss.
Ringman, I suspect his is a difference in hunting styles and maybe eye sight. I don't use the powerful scopes you use. Mine are either 4X or 6X scopes. Even the variables are in the range of 1.25/1.5-4X. My concern for this is based on experiences with animals like big bucks behind a screen of brush. These critters can appear anywhere from 50-300 yds. If I need to take the shot ASAP, I can't afford to waste time fiddling with the adjustments of my rifle scope. I need to know immediately if there is a hole in the cover to shoot through. I suspect you don't deal with such conditions. E
Mine start at 4X or 4 1/2X or 5X and are set on the lowest setting so there is no difference in magnification for us. The place I hunt I encounter deer from feet to hundreds of yards. So even this is similar to what you are talking about.
From your past posts I am convinced you vision is like one of my buddy's. He could use 4X or 6X and see antlers on a buck two miles away without exaggeration.
As long as your position and hold are consistent, parallax is of no consequence. GD
True but sometimes it's hard to maintain that same hold when you're in the field, on uneven ground, on the side of a mountain, getting behind the rifle to take the shot that's offered. In other words, when it counts the most.
It depends on the scope, your shooting position, and what you consider a big deal. I've looked through some scopes at 500 and moved my head back and forth to see how much the crosshairs move on the target. That can be eye-opening.
It depends on the scope. I once used a 5-15x variable, made by a major European company, on a prairie dog shoot. The scope and rifle weren't mine, but were provided by a rifle company. The scope had no provision for parallax correction, and out at 400 yards it was almost impossible to hit a prairie dog, because the scope had at least a foot of parallax. (The company doesn't make that scope anymore.)
Now, I could have eliminated the parallax by keeping my eye far enough behind the scope to eliminate most of the field of view, by keeping the exit pupil centered in the visible field around the crosshairs. But that seems kind of silly, when it's easy enough to provide some sort of parallax correction on higher-powered scopes.
Have also encountered considerable parallax at 300-400 yards with 3-9x scopes turned all the way up, and even a few fixed powers. You never know until you test 'em.
Yep, on a bench, you can move way back holding the rifle butt stock with both hands to just about eliminate parallax. But, in the field, that won't work, obviously.
JG and I really like our VX-6's. The 2-12 doesn't have a parallax knob, the 3-18 does. Hunting BG at the usual distances, I prefer the somewhat lighter 2-12. If I was shooting LR at smaller stuff, I'd go 3-18 with A/O.
We're in a different league than the tactical guys with NF, etc.
