Sighting in a var scope

[silvertip-co]

I was wondering the correct way to sight in a variable scope, be it AO or no. My way (as my wife always says) is to adjust the ocular til its clear for me at 200yrds then adj the AO as needed for the correct range( knowing most factory marks are off), then center the power ring (ex. 4-12 set on 8, or 4-16 set on 10 etc) the sight in. Is that a proper procedure or is my way all wet (my wife says)???
Your thoughts please...

 

[eshell]

[ QUOTE ]
I was wondering the correct way to sight in a variable scope, be it AO or no. My way (as my wife always says) is to adjust the ocular til its clear for me at 200yrds then adj the AO as needed for the correct range( knowing most factory marks are off), then center the power ring (ex. 4-12 set on 8, or 4-16 set on 10 etc) the sight in. Is that a proper procedure or is my way all wet (my wife says)???
Your thoughts please...

[/ QUOTE ]
1) A good quality variable scope may be zeroed at any magnification setting and shot at that setting or any other. Most people tend to use maximum magnification, to aid in bullet placement precision.

2) The ocular adjustment (rear focus) is intended to focus the reticle to your eye. Period. NOT the target.

Follow the scope instructions to make this adjustment, but one will normally adjust this for the darkest and most crisp reticle appearance. One must make this adjustment based on a series of quick glances, since prolonged viewing permits the eye to compensate for an unfocused reticle, making it tough to identify when it really IS focused.

This is a "one time" setting, that will be set once and not change unless your eyes do.

3) The objective adjustment is intended to remove parallax, and it normally happens to be at it's best focus at the same time parallax is at a minimum.

You are correct to state that the range indcators are of limited value.

To properly set parallax for any given range, one would get close by focusing on target and then checking/fine tuning parallax by slightly moving the eye behind the scope. Any movement of the reticle on target indiactes teh parallax needs further adjustment.

Parallax will have to be checked and reset with any change in range or temperature.

 

[silvertip-co]

Thanks for your well explained reply. I guess my real question should have been... should I sight in at max power or min power or in the middle as has been my current practice??? Once I was led to believe that if I sighted in at max pwoer when on min power my groups might or could move.

 

[Stormrider]

If I was curious about that, I'd try it and see.
Shoot a group at max power then at mid power and finally at min power and see if they move.

 

[jwp475]

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for your well explained reply. I guess my real question should have been... should I sight in at max power or min power or in the middle as has been my current practice??? Once I was led to believe that if I sighted in at max pwoer when on min power my groups might or could move.

[/ QUOTE ]

I sight in on max power magnification. How many long precise shots are you ever going to take on minimum or mid power settings?
Accualy the POI should not change when ueing different power settings...........

 

[eshell]

Agreed with the posters above. . . you can easily check that your groups center does not shift with magnification changes by simply testing on target. Just don't mistake potentially larger groups at lower power for a POI change. Test groups need to contain enough shots to prove the center and regardless of groups size, the center should not wander.