[Dance&Sting]

Does A/O really matter when you're trying to take down a buck from lets say 300+ yards? Would you guys prefer it for deer/big game hunting or just for plinking and competition shooting? It'd be something nice to have but to pay the extra $$$ for something that is unnecessary based on your rifle's setup, IS IT WORTH IT? What do you think?

[LHB1]

Only one of my scopes has AO objective. When hunting, I set it for 100 yds (short visibility woods hunting) or 200 yds (long range open hunting) and forget it. Set it to exact distance only for target shooting. Any minor aiming error due to AO variation is greatly overshadowed by the typical variation in shooting under field conditions. YMMV

Good shooting and be safe.
LB

[MrDig]

I may be off my nut here (most folks think I'm a little out of Kilter) But isn't the purpose of an A/O to help accout for parallax error?

[Father Knows Best]

I may be off my nut here (most folks think I'm a little out of Kilter) But isn't the purpose of an A/O to help accout for parallax error?

Correct. You can eliminate parallax error by adjusting the objective. Without an A/O, the scope is set to be free of parallax at a predetermined range. As parallax error decreases with distance, it is typically only a significant issue when you are shooting at ranges that are shorter than the scope was designed for. Thus, .22 scopes are typically set to be parallax free at 50 yards, and centerfire scopes at around 150 yards.

[LHB1]

F Y I

Quote from The Leupold Answer Guide:

What is parallax? Parallax is essentially an optical illusion. It is the apparent movement of the target relative to the reticle when you move your eye away from the center point of the eyepiece. It occurs when the target does not fall on the same optical plane as the reticle. Maximum parallax occurs when your eye is at the very edge of the exit pupil. (Even in this unlikely event, our 4x hunting scope focused for 150 yards has a maximum error of only 8/10ths of an inch at 500 yards.) At short distances, the parallax effect does not affect accuracy. (Using the same 4x scope at 100 yards, the maximum error is less than 2/10ths of an inch.) It is also good to remember that, as long you are sighting straight through the middle of the scope, or close to it, parallax will have virtually no effect on accuracy in a hunting situation. For more information, please consult our list of "frequently asked questions" at www.leupold.com/tifaq.

Good shooting and be safe.
LB

[Twycross]

I wouldn't spend any extra money just for an AO. I have had two, and on both I just set it at the maximum range I would ever use the gun and promptly forgot about it. I believe I have used it as a primative rangefinder once or twice, but that is all.

[Dance&Sting]

Hmmmm... Im confused. All this time I thought A/O was just some type of focus adjuster. Guess I was wrong. So if I'm just trying to hunt some buck from 200+ yards would it be necessary for me to have it or would I be better off with the same model w/o A/O that's a few $$$ cheaper?? Can someone please try to sum this up in words that are "easier understood". thanks.:banghead:

CORRECT ME IF IM WRONG:

Say if I saw a buck at 400 yards and my A/O was adjusted to 400 yards for the perfect shot and I was using Boone & Crockett's reticle (Leu) would I need to use the Boone & Crockett's theory of their 200, 300, 400, & 500 yard "mini reticles?" (forgot what they were called) or am I fine the way the scope's A/O is set up for this 400 yard shot?

[LHB1]

FORGET A/O. IMO (based on 40+ years of shooting and hunting) you DON'T need A/O for hunting. It is strictly a target refinement and even then is significant only for sub MOA groups. Buy a scope without A/O and go have fun. If you miss a deer or target, it will NOT be because your scope lacked A/O. I believe Shakespeare said "much ado about nothing".

Good shooting and be safe.
LB

[Henry455]

The AO/adj. parallax/adj. focus capability is usually found on the higher magnification optics. Most scopes less than 12X do not have or need AO but as you move up in maganification, say 16X and above, and want to shoot from 50 yards out to 600 yards, AO becomes desirable/necessary. I have a 20X fixed power on my AR-15 Varmit, used strictly for target shooting, and AO is an absolute necessity not so much for parallax, but for focusing on the target bullseye. I agree, AO is not necessary on a "hunting scope" unless you are trying to shoot prairie dogs at 400 yards.

[Dance&Sting]

Thanks for the knowledge

[Cueball]

I would have to respectfully disagree with most of the posts so far on this topic. My personal preference is to have the AO capability for shooting at various ranges. If you are only going to shoot at one range, then that's ok, but for shooting at multiple ranges, I find AO very useful. I have replaced all of my scopes except for one with AO scopes and I will never buy another non AO scope again.

[Gohon]

I would have to respectfully disagree with most of the posts so far on this topic. My personal preference is to have the AO capability for shooting at various ranges. If you are only going to shoot at one range, then that's ok, but for shooting at multiple ranges, I find AO very useful. I have replaced all of my scopes except for one with AO scopes and I will never buy another non AO scope again.

Ditto here.............. Especially on all my varmint and 22 rimfires. I think most people simply just don't understand what or how to use the AO. The smaller the target or the farther away the target the higher the value of a AO scope.

[Dance&Sting]

Ditto here.............. Especially on all my varmint and 22 rimfires. I think most people simply just don't understand what or how to use the AO. The smaller the target or the farther away the target the higher the value of a AO scope.

That's exactly what me and my step father were debating yesterday. Is the $$$ more worth it for A/O if we're doing open field hunts?? He's grabbing a Browning A-bolt the same time I'm going to grab my Tikka T3 which is in the next week or two. He's doing 7mm rem. mag. while I'm goin' .300 short mag., but we are both looking at Leupold's A/O scopes. 4-12 is the preferred power and we'll both probably end up grabbing the same scope, but different reticles.

BTW would you prefer a fine or wide reticle when hunting big game? If I was doing varmints all day I think I'd be better off with a fine reticle, but I'm not sure about big game. I'm leaning towards the wide reticle and maybe the Leupold dot but what do you guys think? Thanks for your opinion.

[Fumbler]

That's exactly what me and my step father were debating yesterday. Is the $$$ more worth it for A/O if we're doing open field hunts?? He's grabbing a Browning A-bolt the same time I'm going to grab my Tikka T3 which is in the next week or two. He's doing 7mm rem. mag. while I'm goin' .300 short mag., but we are both looking at Leupold's A/O scopes. 4-12 is the preferred power and we'll both probably end up grabbing the same scope, but different reticles.

BTW would you prefer a fine or wide reticle when hunting big game? If I was doing varmints all day I think I'd be better off with a fine reticle, but I'm not sure about big game. I'm leaning towards the wide reticle and maybe the Leupold dot but what do you guys think? Thanks for your opinion.
Quit thinking about it too hard, go buy a non AO scope, and spend the money you saved on ammo so you can actually hit something at 400 yards when you get the chance.

Keep your eye in line with the scope and you wont have parallax error.
Military snipers are taught to "keep the black ring the same size" when looking through the scope to reduce parallax error.

if you buy an A/O scope, it's likely you'll find yourself messing with it when you see the game and miss your shot opportunity. if you can set it at something and forget about it then sure, go ahead and get one.

Personally I don't care if my hunting guns have an A/O or not. If it does then I set it to the farthest distance (or a little farther) I'll shoot at and leave it.
Keep in mind your depth of field gets shallower as your A/O is adjusted closer. Many small game hunters find this out the hard way (I did). They'll adjust their objectives to 25 yards and get a chance at a 40 yard squirrel only to find out the image is way too blurry to see the squirrel.

[Cueball]

That's exactly what me and my step father were debating yesterday. Is the $$$ more worth it for A/O if we're doing open field hunts?? He's grabbing a Browning A-bolt the same time I'm going to grab my Tikka T3 which is in the next week or two. He's doing 7mm rem. mag. while I'm goin' .300 short mag., but we are both looking at Leupold's A/O scopes. 4-12 is the preferred power and we'll both probably end up grabbing the same scope, but different reticles.

BTW would you prefer a fine or wide reticle when hunting big game? If I was doing varmints all day I think I'd be better off with a fine reticle, but I'm not sure about big game. I'm leaning towards the wide reticle and maybe the Leupold dot but what do you guys think? Thanks for your opinion.

I'm using 4-12X40 AO scopes on almost all of my rifles now. That's a good all purpose scope that can work well at a lot of ranges and can be used for both hunting as well as punching paper. Go for a 4-12X40 AO and you won't regret it. I bought non AO scopes first, regretted it and replaced them all. Save yourself the hassle and the money and go with it from the start.

As far as recticles, mine have a wide recticle until you get close to the center and it has a fine one at the very center. That works out well for me.

[JMusic]

I use both scope types. To see what Parallax is, set your rifle up stationary and slight move your head some. You will observe the point of impact(occording to your scope) change. If you can live with that slight change forget AO. I use AO on my varmit rifle, my PCP " I like shooting bugs" my long range hunting rifle and on my squirrel guns. If you anticipate awkward shots where you cannot be certain of you head position AO will help. With that said I usually keep the PCP set at 30 yds, 22's at 50 and the 7mm at 100. MY favorite deer rifle has a regular scope and so does my muzzle loader.
Jim