Put a new 3-15x42 SS MOA on my Cooper 92 280AI a couple weeks ago and was just struggling to get groups at 3 range sessions this week. Yesterday I sighted it in for .3” low at 50 with the parallax set at 50, looks to be spot on for parallax removal. Shot a tiny little group. Moved to 100 and first shot was an MOA left of where I expected it, then realizing I had left the parallax at 50, moved it to 100, shot two shots that touched each other...about 1.5 MOA right and 0.75 MOA low.

Hmmm lights running low, maybe I can’t shoot for [bleep] (I mean I know I can’t but keep reading). Moved to 200, fired two shots that are nearly touching each other but 1.5 MOA right and 0.75 MOA low, ah forgot to adjust parallax to 200, change it and fire another that hits about 3.5 MOA low and 2.5 MOA right.

No more light left to shoot, just frustration.

This morning it hits me to put my collimator on the rifle and weld my cheek to the rifle as I run the parallax up and down...the reticle has a severe upward and left movement as I adjust from 6 to infinity. 8-10” both ways in a near 45* direction up and left per the collimator.

So, this one needs to go back right? Am I missing anything?

Better question - is it time to learn MILs and go with a 3-9x42 HD? I also shot a fixed 6 SS yesterday for the first time on my 300BO and was very pleased with how simple it was to shoot even put to 200 in very low light.

Always nice to use $50 of ammo figuring these things out too.

Ouch.

That's a new one for me.

Forget shooting groups at 50. That accomplishes nothing. Zero at 100, then shoot a few groups at 200 and 300 and see if you get repeatability.

Fixed an error in my post, it’s moving up and to the left as I adjust parallax from 6 to infinity.

I just put it in a vice and pointed it at graph paper about 15 feet away on the graph paper in that tiny distance the reticle moves up about 1” and left 2”, roughly. Just wanted to make sure the collimator wasn’t doing something funny.

Don’t believe that’s my issue here...

I was only shooting at 50 because I couldn’t get a group to save my life at 100 btw.

Did a third test, mounted it in a vise and pointed it at a wall about 150 yards away. Gross movement...up and to the left looks to be a foot or more at 150 yards in each direction. Repeated all 3 tests with a fixed 6x SS on my 300BO, a Bushnell AR optics 3-12 on a 223, and a Bushnell AR optics 2-7 on a .22LR, and none of them had any apparent movement (those are the only scopes I have with adjustable parallax).

Sorta relieved actually after being frustrated with the rifle all week. I’m also converting to mils so that’s a silver lining ha.

Mils is just an adjustment and I’d give the 3x9 a shot.

Use that 3-15 as a trade.

I hate wasting time and ammo trying to get a bad piece of kit zeroed.

I just bought the 3-15 new from SWFA during the Labor Day Sale, hoping they’ll take it back and refund me and give me Labor Day pricing on a 3-9? Or at least the 11% off they have going this weekend? Anyone with previous experience with SWFA think that won’t be possible? Crappy situation.

Buy a Leupold.

^^^This^^^

Big picture....completely missed.....x2.....

Per a previous incident reported here, I don't think they will give you new things. They'll make good on what you purchased. Mils are good. Listen to what folks say about shooting at 50, meaningless.

I only shot at 50 yesterday because I couldn’t get a group for crap at 100 the previous two sessions, on a rifle that has been great with other scopes. When I shot at 50 I put the parallax at 50 and then adjusted the scope from there. I didn’t mess with parallax until I was back to shooting at 100, which has me fine tuning parallax.

I leave for an elk hunt in 17 days. I guess I’ll go ahead and order a 3-9 and request a refund after explaining it. If they don’t do that I’ll have to sell the new/repaired 3-15 but that will leave a bad taste in my mouth for sure.

Hell I’ll shoot at 25 if I’m trying to sight in and I didn’t get the scope bore sighted (because I rarely do). No problem shooting at 50 because you have a problem.

As for the POI change after adjusting the parallax, sounds like a broken scope to me. But then again I had a Leupold that adjusted POI when I changed magnification and they told me nothing was wrong. I’ll bet SWFA takes care of it.

From what I’ve read about their CS I’m not that worried about it, and actually a bit excited to get the 3-9 for a hunting scope and save 5 oz over the 3-15. I can definitely echo what others have said in that the 12+x of the 3-15 is dang near useless because the eye box gets so small. And it definitely tracks as long as I don’t touch the parallax knob. I will say I couldn’t get a group first time out with it, so something’s screwy.

But, with the elk hunt coming so soon (I should’ve know bette then to mess with what I had but the Labor Day Sale suckered me in) I went ahead and orders a 3-9 and throw lever. That sucks a little bit, I love the little unobtrusive throw “peg” that comes with the 3-15.

The 3-9 is a dandy scope. Maybe they will swap you out at sale prices? Hope you get it going for your hunt. Trying to think of the name of the guy to ask for.....

Just send that thing back. They will take care of you. I have sent a couple back. One, I think may have been the rifle, but one was bad. They replaced both nqa. It sucks to waste ammo, trying to figure out problems. I have done that on several occasions. I went through 80 rounds on a .243, one time, and I should have trusted the rifle. It was on as usual, but the Burris scope had to go back.

They will stand behind their stuff well. Just send it in but call first and tell them your problem. They will take care or you. When you ship it box it well and insure it.

I believe you are correct in your diagnosis, the parallax adjustment threads are not perfectly aligned with the scope tube. More common than we think, it is very difficult to perfectly jig a short workpiece like an objective lens carrier perfectly true for threading. Hence, your observation of crosshair movement on the target or collimator screen. But, in my experience collimators are poorly made and seldom if ever repeatable. So, using your method with the vise, you have removed one variable from your test. The next thing to consider, which may have skewed your results, is eye position behind the ocular lens. I think you need to move your eye to the rear, well past the optimum eye relief of your scope, until the image narrows and is surrounded by a hazy blackish "donut". Hold your eye as closely as you can in that position, having an assistant turn the parallax adj for you while you try to detect the crosshair drift as the adjustment is rotated. Same for the power adj ring. The further the object is from you, the more validity your test will have. A very distant object, much farther than 150 yds, will be best. I use a white rock, approximately 1 1/2 miles distant.
Addendum: Clamp the barrel in the vise firmly, not the stock.

1. Trade yours for the 3-9
2. Read the SWFA post by Formidolosus
3. read it again
4. Zero your rifle and confirm your DOPE, this is really fun.
5. Shoot from every conceivable position that you can achieve and determine at what distance you can always hit an 8" target 5 times in a row.

6. Go kill stuff w/ confidence, have fun!!


mike r

can't find the post by Formidolosus...

Seems Cameraland unstuck it
Here

Thanks!

Sitrep, SWFA had no issue with me returning the 3-15 for a refund and my 3-9 is on the way to me. They did say that wasn't the first time they'd heard of that though. I'm ready to get back in the stone age days of no parallax adjustment or fancy high magnifications with the 3-9x42 haha

3-9 is a solid scope

Great to hear! Don't worry about the damned parallax, it's a non-issue. Enjoy the 3-9, they're excellent hunting scopes.

Thanks for letting us know and sounds like they took good care of you. Enjoy your hunt.

I hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine


mike r

That’s excellent. Tough to beat that sorta service and the others are spot on. The 3x9 is a wicked optic.

I am glad they took care of you. POA changing with parallax is not an uncommon issue with many Side Focus scopes, but usually it is fairly subtle, so it is not obvious and people spend a lot of time chasing their zero.

The first person I know who really paid attention to that was Jeff Huber in his Nightforce days when he was getting early NXS scopes dialed in.

ILya