Re-Parallax a Scope

[mick miller]

Hello all, I'd like to ask some advice please before I commence.

 

I own a Simmons Whitetail Classic in 3.5-10x40 flavour and clearly this scopes fixed parallax is set to 100 yards or so. When I use it for my shooting I find that I can never use the highest mag setting as everything just goes blurry. So I use it around the 4-7 mark and never any higher.

 

Obviously it needs the objective lens adjusting, the re-parallax I have read about, I know (in principle) how to do this as I've practiced on an old scope of mine and the WTC has the same locking ring mechanics. The old scope had already been adjusted by the previous owner by the look of things, however I still have some questions I'm sure a few of you will have come across before, here goes:

 

1. What would be the optimum distance to re-parallax to? 35 yards, 50 yards?

 

2. Any tips for what target type to use in the process?

 

3. Any tips on moving the rings without marking the metal? Is there a handy household object that won't mark the metal (I've been thinking about using wood or hard thin plastic in case I slip - don't want to scratch the lens now do I?)

 

4. I'm pretty sure I need to wind the lens OUTWARD toward the front of the gun, please let me know if this isn't the case.

 

5. Is it better to remove the outer ring entirely before adjusting the lens or just crack it off (no pun intended).

 

Many, many thanks in advance for your help.

 

Mick.

Edited August 23, 2009 by mick miller

[Colster]

Hello all, I'd like to ask some advice please before I commence.

 

I own a Simmons Whitetail Classic in 3.5-12x40 flavour and clearly this scopes fixed parallax is set to 100 yards or so. When I use it for my shooting I find that I can never use the highest mag setting as everything just goes blurry. So I use it around the 4-5 mark and never any higher.

 

Obviously it needs the objective lens adjusting, the re-parallax I have read about, I know (in principle) how to do this as I've practiced on an old scope of mine and the WTC has the same locking ring mechanics. The old scope had already been adjusted by the previous owner by the look of things, however I still have some questions I'm sure a few of you will have come across before, here goes:

 

1. What would be the optimum distance to re-parallax to? 35 yards, 50 yards?

 

2. Any tips for what target type to use in the process?

 

3. Any tips on moving the rings without marking the metal? Is there a handy household object that won't mark the metal (I've been thinking about using wood or hard thin plastic in case I slip - don't want to scratch the lens now do I?)

 

4. I'm pretty sure I need to wind the lens OUTWARD toward the front of the gun, please let me know if this isn't the case.

 

5. Is it better to remove the outer ring entirely before adjusting the lens or just crack it off (no pun intended).

 

Many, many thanks in advance for your help.

 

Mick.

 

I'm not familiar with this scope but generally it would be the focus ring that needs adjusting if it's fixed parallax. It makes sense that if the previous owner had set it up, it would need re-adjusting to suit your eyesight. I'd try that first before taking spanners to the objective lens

Edited August 23, 2009 by Colster

[mick miller]

The focus ring is at the eyepiece is that right? In which case I've always been told to glance through the scope at a blank wall or sky and adjust until the reticle is sharp, then leave it.

 

My problem is this; at the ranges I shoot at I cannot use maximum magnification on my scope (10) as either the reticle or the target are blurry, if I focus on one the other slips out of focus and vice versa.

 

Currently I get the target in my sights, zoom in till the target is sharp and the reticle blurry and then slowly zoom out until both are focused. This is also how I zero up ( 30 - 35 yards).

 

Invariably when I look at the magnification it's between 3.5 - 7, never more than that.

 

Now I'd like to be able to use the full zoom and have both reticle and target in focus. I had read that this is fixed by re-parallaxing the scope to a range suitable for airguns (not 100 yards). This is achieved by winding the objective lens OUTWARD until both are sharply focused.

 

Am I right?

Edited August 23, 2009 by mick miller

[mick miller]

Wow, 60 views, 1 reply.

 

No-one has any experience with this then?

[Colster]

The focus ring is at the eyepiece is that right? In which case I've always been told to glance through the scope at a blank wall or sky and adjust until the reticle is sharp, then leave it.

 

My problem is this; at the ranges I shoot at I cannot use maximum magnification on my scope (10) as either the reticle or the target are blurry, if I focus on one the other slips out of focus and vice versa.

 

Currently I get the target in my sights, zoom in till the target is sharp and the reticle blurry and then slowly zoom out until both are focused. This is also how I zero up ( 30 - 35 yards).

 

Invariably when I look at the magnification it's between 3.5 - 7, never more than that.

 

Now I'd like to be able to use the full zoom and have both reticle and target in focus. I had read that this is fixed by re-parallaxing the scope to a range suitable for airguns (not 100 yards). This is achieved by winding the objective lens OUTWARD until both are sharply focused.

 

Am I right?

 

Quite right, although make sure it's a quick glance and that the reticule is sharp the second you look at it, as your eye will adjust very quickly to sharpen the image which is not what you want.

 

If you do re-parallax the scope instead, its anti-clockwise while looking at the scope from the muzzle end to reduce the parallax range.

 

The other option is to re-focus (on the eyepiece) when you are experiencing the problem, not the right way to do it but if it works for your scope then why not.

[John_R]

The eyepiece adjustment is for sharpening the reticle and will have no effect at all on the parallax. The OP is correct in as much as he will need to adjust the front lens.

 

When I have done this, I wound the mag up to full and made the image look sharp at 25 yards, as it was on a springer .22 that I never use beyond that range. I found that when I backed off the mag again it was still usable down to less than 15 yards.

[solo17]

Once youve unscrewed the cover on the front lens, mine (its a hawke though) can be turned by hand its tight but hold the rings in a cloth to stop the cutting you,

It may not need much of a turn.

 

good luck.

[mick miller]

Thanks for your replies folks.

 

Once I have adjusted the front lens I assume I should be able to use max mag (10) at shorter ranges without the problems with blurring?

 

Atb,

 

Mick.