Newbie scope question

[akolleth]

Okay, I was shooting at my range in a 30 yard small bore, reduced size target compitition. I was using my Tula TOZ 78-01 and a cheapie Bushnell 3-9x40 scope.

And yes, I know using cheap scopes is not always the best plan, but I figured its only a 22, there is not a lot of ways I can really kill it with recoil.

On to the question at hand, I had the scope adjusted to 9x and I was having difficulties focusing on both the scope and the crosshairs at the same time. If my eye focused on one, the other became blurry. But when I adjusted the scope down to 3x or 4x I was able to see both pretty clearly.

Is this because of the cheap scope, is this what is called parralax (Still not really sure what that is) or is this just what to expect?

 

[rcmodel]

You need to adjust the eye-piece until the crosshairs become clear. Not every time you shoot at different ranges, just once.

Point the scope up into the sky, and keep glancing briefly into it as you adjust the eyepiece. Once the crosshairs become clear, lock it down and don't mess with it again.

As for the target being slightly blurry at 30 yards on 9x, that's just the nature of the beast.

If you have a center-fire scope, which I imagine it is, parallax is set for probably 100 yards or more. Since the depth-of-field of the scope gets narrower as power goes up, you are bound to get a little blurry at very close range & high power.
At low power, the depth-of-field becomes much longer, and the target becomes clearer.

Don't worry too much about it, as there is nothing you can do about it unless you spring for a scope with adjustable parallax.

Above all, don't mess with the eye-piece focus once you dial it in to your eye the first time, as if it moves again, you will have to re-zero again.

BTW: Here is a good read.
http://www.6mmbr.com/parallax.html


rcmodel

 

[jpwilly]

RC's right on. Focus the eyepiece etc.