How To Set The Focus On A Rifle Scope

It’s very common that shooters do not have their scopes properly focused for their eyesight and often times, the owner of the scope is not aware of that the reticle could be a lot better. In this article I want to explain how to set the focus correctly on your scope, hopefully it will make it a lot easier for you to get the better rifle scope settings.

It’s sensible to imagine that anytime you move the rifle scope towards your eye and look through the lens, your brain is feeding you information and letting you know that you are looking through a magnifying lens and out to a target/prey in distance. However, this is not really the fact.

The eyepiece part of the scope really works just like a magnifying glass that you can hold in your hand. In the same way as you would move the magnifying glass towards, let’s say the text that you are trying to read and precisely stop when the text is crystal clear and sharp, you modify or adjust the eye-piece until you have the perfect picture. But, what exactly should you do to get a quick focus in your eyepiece as the eyepiece cannot be moved as fast as a magnifying glass that you hold in your hand.

In Beginning

To begin with, you must know if the scope happens to be locked with a compact locking ring on a fine thread or if the scope has what is called today a European-Type focus feature. The European-Type system doesn’t contain a locking ring, however, the exterior section of the eyepiece can possibly be twisted in&out on a quick focus cam.

The process is simple: What you have to do is to undo the locking ring for the first type by holding it in one hand and by turning the eyepiece anti clockwise with the other hand.

For the European-Type you need to turn the outer section of the movable eyepiece anti clockwise. Then you need to get a screwdriver and unscrew very carefully the eyepiece until you feel a resistance and then you need to stop. Find neutral background like the sky or a interior wall.

The Purpose

The purpose is that when you hold out the scope to glimpse inside, the only thing you will see is the reticle out of focus and the background (distance that can’t be determined). This is very important as a result of exactly how the scope optics and your eye work. Any time you wear spectacles while you’re shooting then put them on for this kind of procedure.

After you have determined in which direction you’re going to aim the scope to, look into it, keep the scope out of your face for several moments to allow your eyes to relax. Do not stare or attempt to pay attention to the wall or sky. When you find yourself relaxed, tilt the scope towards your shooting eye, and right away when you notice the reticle, remove it straightaway once again.

At this point it needs to be a blurry reticle versus an infinity back ground of blue (clear sky) or perhaps the wall color if inside your home. The thing you should not attempt is to try to focus right into the scope, even though you do it for just a second, but simply flip the scope up-and right back down once again when your brain identifies the blurry reticle.

Next, move the eyepiece and do the quick glance technique again. Pause every time so that your eyes are absolutely relaxed and comfortable right before the next peek. Repetition is important and do it as often as it is necessary, up until your view confirms a superbly crisp, black reticle. That’s where the eyepiece should be for your eye.

Ring Type Scope

If you’ve got a locking ring type scope, set the locking ring up to meet up with the eyepiece and lock both firmly together. In the event you have European-Type set up , I advise you to remember, mark or tape the eyepiece to prevent it from moving away from this setting.

Additionally, I emphasize the necessity to not look at the reticle. This is because that whenever the reticle is out-of-focus, then your eye will certainly immediately make an attempt to make up for this in the event that you give it just a slight chance.

We do not really want your eye to make any correction whatsoever, therefore the demand for the fastest available glimpse only. The brain will most likely automatically know whether the reticle is crisp or not.

Frequently I have discovered that rifle scopes are available together with the eyepiece screwed too much in for commonly sighted people. This is often a sure indication of staring too-long at the reticle whenever attempting to set the focus.

As soon as the eyepiece is set precisely, it needs to be left in that setting until eventually your actual eyesight changes. Do not use it to try to make a close target clearer. It’s not at all designed to do that for you.

On a rifle scope with fixed focus, there isn’t any other different focus adjustment that needs to be made. For those who have both an adjustable objective model and one that includes Side-Focus, there’s yet another thing to deal with, however, set the eyepiece focus first.

If your scope comes with any of the following descriptions: Adjustable-Objective, Side-Focus or Range-Adjustable, then your scope will be parallax error-free when time allows before each shot. Parallax-Error is an error in the scope, inside the aerial or apparent image of the target and the plane of the reticle.

In order to have no parallax, the projected target image has to land precisely upon the reticle. When parallax occurs, that particular image is both projected in front of or behind the reticle. What this means is that at any time you move your head through the stock, you will find yourself looking at the two images from another angle.

This causes you to have to look around one particular side or the other of the reticle at the target or the other way around, therefor inducing an aiming error which lures you to maneuver the muzzle left or right (in most cases) in order to correct for the aiming misalignment. This, as a matter of fact triggers the misalignment of the true aim.

Having a side-focus rifle scope, you’re able to get it right if you’ve got time. The alternative use when using this feature on any kind of Side-Focus type riflescope requires you to configure it to get an approximately ideal distance for your upcoming expected quick shot.

For anyone who is hunting while in the bush, you can set the adjustment for about something like 20 to 30 meters. In semi-open area, go ahead and look around you and try to picture how far away out of the blue appearing animal may be and adjust the scope at approximately that particular distance.

Adjust the magnification on a variable-power scope at exactly the same time on to a power appropriate for the awaited following shot distance; lowest power while in the bush as well as perhaps about six magnification in the more open land. You’re going to have a great deal of time to modify both the parallax and magnification for the long shots if the animal does not realize you’ll be there. That may be the best time to configure it accurately.

Exactly what you do not wish for would be to have the parallax ready at infinity, power set on something like 20 and then your target jumps up and run away through the bush from 10 meters away from you. The view is going to be a complete blur when you swing the scope towards your eye with that mix off settings and situation.

To get rid of parallax using the adjustable type rifle scope, first of all you’ll need a perfect rest for the rifle such as for instance a bipod or other supporting equipment. Look at the target and while you hold the rifle completely still, shift your head sideways through the stock and search for the reticle appearing to move throughout the target.

When you notice this error make modifications on the Side-Focus or A-O and try yet again. In case the error got even worse then you have adjusted in the wrong direction. Try again in the opposite way and the error will decrease until eventually it will disappear. You’ve then focused the objective perfectly for that distance and therefore, you are now all set to take the shot.

With a non-AO/SF scope you cannot completely remove parallax other than at the only distance set at the factory when the rifle scope was made. The perfect solution for this sort of non-adjustable rifle scope is to make sure that your head, and thus your shooting eye, is within the exact same position for the stock behind the eyepiece every shot you make.