Parallax

[skamaniac]

When a scope's parallax is set to 100 yds, is it parallax free past 100 yds or up to 100 yds?

[quickdtoo]

The 100yd parallax setting is the zero parallax or free of parallax range.

Tim

http://www.6mmbr.com/parallax.html

[charles p]

Without an adjustable objective front end, every scope, variable or fixed, is parallax free at only one point.  It is not a problem when hunting big game.  The "out of focus" ranges are negligable.  Long range target and varmint hunting can benefit from an AO.

[skamaniac]

I'm actually looking more at close range.  They put AOs on rimfire scopes, and set the parallax at closer ranges for muzzleloaders, shotguns, rimfires and crossbows.  I'm looking into using a fixed power rifle scope on my crossbow.  It currently has a red dot mounted that came with the bow and is touted at being parallax free.  Well i can tell you that from looking through it at a target at 20 yds it seems to be parallax free or adjusted when you move your head side to side, but when you move your head up and down it is all over the place.  Obviously cheek weld is most critical with this sight.  So, my question is then, how much parallax error will there be at 15 to 30 yds with a rifle scope with a parallax set at 100 yds.  I want a fixed power because weight is also an issue with crossbows already being somewhat heavy  I'm not interested in any of the scopes from the crossbow manufacturers.  Too many aiming points on most and i don't need it illuminated.  And they don't publish the specs on any of them i.e. eye relief, etc.  I'm trying not to have to go to the Leupold custom shop but it looks like that is what i'm going to have to do unless i can find something else.

[Catfish]

Parallax has nothing to do with foucus. To chex the parallax in your scope put your gun into a rest that it cannot move in and then look through the scope. Move your head back and forth and see how much the cross hairs move on the target. There will be 1 range that they will not move, and that is what your parallax is set for. If you look through the scope exactaly the same way every shot you won`t have to worry about parallax, it is just when you are alittle of that it gets you. With field shooting paralax really isn`t all that important if you just try to look through the scope the same way every time.

[White Foxx]

Parallax does effect focus but it is only noticeable on scopes of higher power.  Get a 36 power scope and just try to shoot at an object at 25 yards, with the focus set at 100. 

That said, sometimes focus does not have anything to do with "parallax"  In that I have seen a couple of low end scopes that's focus does not run with it parallax!

In this case, when you focus the scope at say 50 yards you still have parallax error, but if you dial out this error the scope is now out of focus! 

In other words, focus and parallax should go hand in hand, but they are different things!

Other than that bit of confusion it is as Catfish said.

White Foxx

[Graybeard]

Boy this is a subject which still seems to cause massive confusion on the part of many.

To properly set the focus of a rifle or handgun scope you should hold it in hand and look at the sky or some distant object of uniform color. What you are doing is making sure that "for your eyes" the cross hair is in sharp clear focus. That is what you are focusing really.

Parallax is defined as the apparent movement between cross hair and target when you move your head with rifle/handgun/scope fixed and immoveable.

The movement is caused by the simple fact that a non adjustable (for parallax) scope can be parallax free ONLY at one distance. Scope makers set their scopes to be free of parallax at varying distances depending on what their idea of the correct distance is based on the anticipated use of that scope. Your use might vary.

Parallax isn't readily apparent at magnifications of 9X and lower in rifle scopes and in about 6X or 7X in handgun scopes. Over that magnification level it becomes very apparent.