New rifle and Scope setup, dont know how to use optic, help appreciated

[AR27]

I just recently bought a Savage 93R17BTVS .17hmr. The optic is a simmons 3-12x40 and is calibrated for the .17hmr. Here is its description:
ProTarget Riflescopes
So you can hit the bull’s-eye. Pick your corner of the “X” with the precision of our new ProTarget riflescope. Extremely bright, sharp images, along with our TruPlex reticle make it easier than ever to pinpoint the smallest targets with your rimfire rifle. Fingertip-adjustable turrets get you zeroed quickly and most models feature side focus. Calibrated for either .22LR or .17HMR and available in 3-9x 40, 3-12x 40 and 6-18x 40 configurations.

3-9x 40 & 6-18x 40 will have ballistically calibrated turrets for .22 LR
3-12x 40 will have a ballistically calibrated turret for .17HMR
Multi-coated
Finger-tip adjustable turrets
3-12 & 6-18 will have side focus
1” tube design

PICS:










My problem here is that I do not know how to use the "ballistic calibrated turret"? The instructions are terrible and dont explain anything.

Here is a pic of the instructions and what it reads:

1. Sight in your rifle at the range.
- Sight in your rifle, firing 3 shot groups and adjust accordingly. Turn the elevation and windage the neccesary clicks to adjust the scope.

-Once the rifle is zeroed in, install and calibrate the adjustment dial set of your preference as follows:

2. Select your preffered dial set
Each scope comes with two sets of adjustment dials (one ea. windage and elevation dial per set) with one set marked in moa increments and a second dial marked in yards

3.Install the dial
Once you have selected the proper dial, installit as shown in Fig A in by removing the allen bolt (part 1) being careful to allign the 100yd mark with the index mark below the window on the elevation control (fig b). Tighten the screw making sure you have not rotated the knob and that it is still on 100yds.

4. Using the BDC riflesope
The bdc dial automatically adjusts elevation to take into account bullet holdover for distances beyond the sight in distance. Once you know the distance to the target adjust the BDC dial to that distance. You have now corrected for bullet drop.

Ok so the windage knob is 1/4 moa adjustments and also is marked 0-14
The elevation adjustment is also marked 25-275 in blue. I believe this to be the adjustment for BDC in yards.
But there is also a third knob on the left side marked 10 - the infiniti sign. I think this is the side focus and is only used to make the image clear? But then why is there an adjustment on the eyepiece which i thought was for optical clarity as well?

So what I gather from this is that I should zero the rifle scope as normal at 100 yards. Then when I am done losen the elevation knob and move the 100 yard mark back to the hash mark with out adjusting my zero. Then once it is back on the 100 yd mark all i have to do is move the dial to the distance I am shooting at for a correct BDC, does this sound correct?

So what does this mean the left side "third knob" is for?

Thanks

 

[taliv]

yep that sounds right

the 3rd knob is your parallax/focus. do a search here for parallax and you will get lots of explanations

 

[greyling22]

if you're shooting at 100 yds the paralax/focus knob should be set at 100. it should at that point give you the clearest image of the target. move to a 50 or 300 yd target and you should be out of focus. turn the knob to the appropriate setting and you should be back in focus. cute thing about it is, it can almost be used as a crude rangefinder.

about the turrets though, it looks like they have a normal one and some sort of calibrated to the caliber for bullet drop. instead of counting clicks and guessing you turn it to the correct range. cute idea, I don't know if it wold work in practice though. At least thats the way it look sin the pictures.

 

[AR27]

Thanks Taliv and greyling22. I have no concept of what I am doing with scoped rifles (outside of fixed power .22) I want to get into the game and figured .17hmr would be a low cost way to get some experience first. I want to be target shooting out to 300meters and some varmints.

I understand the parallax concept now and sure hope the BDC works. As far as adjusting for clicks up and down like you hear military long range shooters doing, I have no concept of what that is.

Thanks

 

[taliv]

zak smith has several good articles about how to use optics. look for them and others in the reading library sticky at the top of this forum.

 

[greyling22]

300m is a log shot for such a lightweight bullet. watch out for wind. the guys here say the practical limit for game seems to be around 250 yds. http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=261391

That scope looks like it has a lot of "features" if you can figure them out, I bet it does some neat tricks. if you can't, I bet it still will work well for you.
either way, I bet the gun shoots great, and you take some wonderful pictures.

 

[Bill_Rights]

AR27,

Sounds like you got good advice and are well on your way. On my Marlin 917 I have the Bushnell "Banner" equivalent .17 HMR scope, named as:
Bushnell Banner 3.5-10x36 .17 Super AO Riflescope Matte Multi-X 713510
This one has an adjustable objective (AO) for the same purpose as a already described for your side focus/parallax third knob. The AO works great.

I think I like the layout of your Simmons better (though, interestingly, the Simmons instructions you photographed mentioned a Bushnell web site!). However, the Bushnell instructions I got sound much better.

To your question about the eyepiece focus, here is what the Bushnell Banner instructions say:

Look at a distant object for seveal seconds without using your scope. Then, shift your vision quickly, looking through the scope at a plain background. Turn the fast-focus eyepiece clockwise or counterclockwise to adjust to your eyes. The reticle pattern should be sharp and clear before your eye can refocus. After you have made your adjustment, with a quick glance re-check the image.

I think that the gist of it is, your eye should be relaxed at far focus to use the scope. If you're like me and you need mild corrective spectacles for distance, this eyepiece focus can provide that for you. It can also correct for near-sightedness to a degree. In any case, whether you wear glasses or not, your eye's lens should be relaxed for long-distance looking. NOT squinting or working hard to focus close up. In far-focus mode of your eye, the cross-hairs (reticle) should appear crisp.

 

[sansone]

love threads with pics like those