Rifle Scopes newbie question about reticle sight picture

[Walter Haas]

Guys, please answer these two questions. I'm new to guns and I've only dry-fired the rifle I just bought, a Steyr SSG 08 A1.

Everything I know came out of Ryan Cleckner's Long Range Shooting book. The question is, he says I'm to focus on the reticle, NOT THE TARGET. Does that mean the crosshairs should be sharp and clear but the target blurry and in the background? That I should be putting sharp crosshairs on a blurry target? When I dry fire it doesn't seem hard to do that but its hard to resist focusing on the target, but then the crosshairs are blurry and I guess that's more detrimental.

My other question is, how critical is it that the crosshair zero is at the dead center of the circular FOV? He implied this is more important than how well the crosshairs are over the target at the surprise break, because a tiny alignment misperception at the gun translates to a huge miss at the target.

Both reduce slop in the alignment at the gun end, but if the target is blurry how are you going to hit a bullseye?

 

[Kevins750]

I will give this a shot...no expert....

Focus your reticle to a solid colored background......wall in the house, the sky etc.
Power and parallax at highest setting. Don't stare at the crosshairs, take short peeks with rest
In between peaks.

When crosshairs are on target then set your parallax to clear up and steady the reticle on target.

Big thread on here about this method.

 

[Walter Haas]

The diopter adjusts reticle sharpness and it solely. Set and forget,until your eyesight changes.

Parallax is an issue separate and when you can move your noggin' in a full FOV and crosshairs are stationary,it is adjusted out. Image "focus",may or may not correlate.

Thank you. So if the parallax is adjusted right then the crosshairs will automatically stay dead center in the FOV even with slight head movement?

 

[JakeM]

Thank you. So if the parallax is adjusted right then the crosshairs will automatically stay dead center in the FOV even with slight head movement?

Yes.

 

[JakeM]

And yes.

 

[Eoddave27]

I believe what he is referring to is focusing on the crosshairs when you shoot and not the target. This is the same as focusing on your front sight post when you shoot a handgun instead of your target. The bullet is going to go where the crosshairs are pointing. If you are so focused on your target that you lose track of your crosshairs that is a problem.

 

[Walter Haas]

I believe what he is referring to is focusing on the crosshairs when you shoot and not the target. This is the same as focusing on your front sight post when you shoot a handgun instead of your target. The bullet is going to go where the crosshairs are pointing. If you are so focused on your target that you lose track of your crosshairs that is a problem.

Thank you. I didn't know what parallax was, that was my problem.

 

[DownhillFromHere]

Maybe substitute "concentrate" for "focus:"
"... he says I'm to focus concentrate on the reticle, NOT THE TARGET."

The reticle will be in (literal) focus if the focus ring (diopter) on the ocular (rear lens) is properly adjusted. As mentioned above, that gets set once, by pointing the scope at a well-lit blank wall and turning the focus ring until the reticle is in sharp focus. No need to touch it again unless your eyes change.

Parallax is adjusted separately and is range dependent.

So, technically, both the reticle and the target are "in focus." But the shooter should concentrate on the the crosshair's position on the target, not the target itself. I know this quite well objectively, but still have to remind myself sometimes to actually do it.

 

[Walter Haas]

Maybe substitute "concentrate" for "focus:"
"... he says I'm to focus concentrate on the reticle, NOT THE TARGET."

The reticle will be in (literal) focus if the focus ring (diopter) on the ocular (rear lens) is properly adjusted. As mentioned above, that gets set once, by pointing the scope at a well-lit blank wall and turning the focus ring until the reticle is in sharp focus. No need to touch it again unless your eyes change.

Parallax is adjusted separately and is range dependent.

So, technically, both the reticle and the target are "in focus." But the shooter should concentrate on the the crosshair's position on the target, not the target itself. I know this quite well objectively, but still have to remind myself sometimes to actually do it.

Yes, I wondered if he meant focus as in "focus the mind", or as you say, concentrate. Thanks to all of you for your feedback.