Seeking Opinion Concerning Scope

[DZelenka]

I am getting ready to replace my Leupold 3.5-10x40 CDS on my .280 sporter with a Leupold 4.5-14x40 CDS. My intention is to use the rifle for deer hunting out to 500 or so yards. (I killed one at 419 yards this year.) Both the old and new scopes are 1" tubes and had or will have CDS windage knobs and plex reticles.

Now for the question: What would be better? A.O. on non-A.O.? Why or why not?

Thanks

Dan

 

[sp6x6]

The AO , It is to adjust the paralax to a minimum, which is what you want. For 500 yrd I would call it a none issue on game. I have scopes with out it and make good hits twice that far, but they are not my go to rigs.

 

[DZelenka]

The AO , It is to adjust the paralax to a minimum, which is what you want. For 500 yrd I would call it a none issue on game. I have scopes with out it and make good hits twice that far, but they are not my go to rigs.

I know the purpose of the A.O. Your 2nd sentence is the gist of my question. This is my general deer hunting rifle which has accounted for a goodly number of animals out to over 400 yards. The 3.5-10x has served me well (I have been shooting this rifle with similar powered scopes since the late 1980s.) I am jumping up a bit in power because I am hunting more from fixed stands and at longer distances and would like to have more power to judge animals. I decided to limit myself to around 500 yards with this rifle. If need be, I have a 7 SAUM set up for heavybullets with a 6.5-20x50 LRT on it for long range hunting. I am just trying to figure out whether the A.O. would be a worthwhile addition as a practical matter to a medium range hunting rig.

The additional money is irrelevant.

Dan

 

[Greyfox]

I had a VXIII 4.5x14 40mm with a 1" tube that did not have an AO. It was a Boone and Crockett. I'm not sure where the factory set the parallax range on this scope but my tests for parallax (circular head movement) revealed no parallax with this scope between 100 and 600 yards. No problem shooting very tight groups out at 500 yards with this scope. I bought a VXIII LR with 30mm tube, 40mm, same power, B/C, with a side parallax adjustment for one of my other rifles. With this scope I had to constantly adjust parallax at all ranges. Way too cumbersome, and time consuming to constantly adjust for parallax which was very necessary with this scope, even for relatively small changes in distance. For my medium range hunting I like the speed and simplicity of the non AO model. I also pay a lot of attention anyway to having my eye centered in the scope which insures minimum parallax under any circumstances. At higher powers and longer ranges, an AO is a necessity for accurate shooting.

 

[sp6x6]

Myself and a few friends have the basic B&C reticule, and have taken game past what you are planning with no problem. We use a cds dial, and dial of last hash. Basically use that as a zero, my son uses this set up a I have center line mass hit elk sized rocks at 1200 yrds.