Budget Scope Advice

Question to all. First, I've noticed that when looking at some scopes with max power of x12 or x14 that some have fixed parallax and some have adjustable whether it be on the occular or side. So my question is say I've got a x14 power scope without that adjustment. How much will parallax effect my shotting at say 700 yards? It's implied that the scope also has to have decent clarity at max power which some do not in the price range I'm looking at.

Thanks in advance.
 
ntg, you got me on that one. I do have a Bushnell Elite 3200 with a fixed 10X and mill dot mill/mill reticule. It is EXTREMELY clear. unfortunately I, being all thumbs, jammed the windage reticule, so now I will be sending it to Bushnell for repair.
 
ntg said:
...So my question is say I've got a x14 power scope without that adjustment. How much will parallax effect my shotting at say 700 yards? It's implied that the scope also has to have decent clarity at max power which some do not in the price range I'm looking at.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

The exact answer is difficult to calculate. It depends on how far away your eye is from the center of the exit pupil. If the objective is large and you're looking at objects in bright sunlight, the eye can be off center quite a bit.

For a 40 mm objective, however, the exit pupil at 14X is 2.9 mm wide. In bright daylight your eye pupil will be about 2 mm, so you can't move your eye more than about +/- 0.5 mm without noticing a change on the sight picture. That means you will have a natural tendency to center your eye, which minimizes parallax error. I calculate that for a 14X magnification, a 100 yd scope focus, and a 0.5 mm eye offset, the parallax error is 1.7 inches at 700 yds.

In general, if you train yourself to always center your eye so that the sight picture is centered, you will not have problems with parallax error on a 40 mm objective scope.
 
Last edited:
Bruce Ventura,
thanks much for the concise explanation. I do appreciate it. Any thing regarding the use of numbers, has always been difficult. I always think I'm intelligent, until the use of numbers is needed.
 
I returned a Minnox scope which was hardly cheap (over $500) because it had serious parallax issues. The inability to adjust parallax is a serious hindrance in my view. I couldn't shoot better than a 2" group at 100 yards, with a rifle that has always shot 1/2 MOA and the average was probably closer to 3". It gave me a headache too... I spent a little more and got the Vortex scope and have never looked back. (previously I was using a $350 Nikon with side focus and it shot 1/2 MOA).

All I can say to the OP is that you will regret buying a new cheap scope and you will also regret not being able to correct for parallax.
 
westcliffe, I am nothing but happy with the Vortex I purchased. I know it is the lower end of their product, but so far I can find no complaints with it, and being the fussy old man that I am, I look hard. I will be buying the next step up from Vortex, the Viper, but that will take some time.
 
A Nikon with a SF should be findable within his budget. Used ones too. I have several. In their price class they have some of the best turrets you can find. I think the Monarchs are assembled in Indonesia.
 
westcliffe, Not in China? Im going to faint.
Your right about the Nikons. I have an older Pro Staff 3-9 with bdc reticule, have it on a Browning A-bolt, also an older one, in 243win ss mag. Very good combination.
 
westcliffe01 said:
I returned a Minnox scope which was hardly cheap (over $500) because it had serious parallax issues. The inability to adjust parallax is a serious hindrance in my view. I couldn't shoot better than a 2" group at 100 yards, with a rifle that has always shot 1/2 MOA and the average was probably closer to 3". It gave me a headache too...
Click to expand...

It's a good thing you returned that scope because something was definitely out of wack. Most scopes are set to a 100 yd focus at the factory. Even without focus adjustment, they should have no parallax error at that range.

2+" groups - ouch. My head hurts just thinking about it!
 
Thanks, all. I'll keep my eyes open for a Nikon SF (probably a buckmaster) or I'm still very interested in the Burris as well.
 
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