Rifle Scopes not seeing how to utilize "crescenting" in my scope image

[Walter Haas]

Guys, I've seen Ryan Cleckner and others on YouTube saying to utilize the dark "crescenting" of the image when you move your head slightly around to make sure the eye is centered down the scope axis, that, even though parallax adjustment will help, the eye must still be centered to be perfect.
But I'm not seeing a practical use for this reference through my scope, I can sort of move my head around and see from the crescenting that I'm probably not far off center but something seems unstable about it. If I pull my head back to get a full black ring I can guarantee center but its very awkward and unstable, especially trying to add that to my pull and everything else I'm concentrating on.
What is your way of nailing this issue down? Thanks in advance!

 

[wade2big]

If you see black in your scope you are either off to one side or to far forward or back. Thats it. Its not a tool so much as a beginners reference. If there is a full scope picture when you are comfortable behind the rifle, congratulations you are doing it right.

 

[mick243]

yeah, I've always thought of it as something to avoid rather than something to try to "use"

 

[smoothy8500]

I've used it to confirm my cheekweld and adjustable cheek riser was at the proper height.

 

[Diver160651]

If you see black in your scope you are either off to one side or to far forward or back. Thats it. Its not a tool so much as a beginners reference. If there is a full scope picture when you are comfortable behind the rifle, congratulations you are doing it right.

You are misunderstanding the scope shadow use.

In some cases if you do not have time to dial parallax out, or if mirage makes it hard to know if you have it correct, the shooter can back away from the scope creating a perfectly even“shadow” around the image.

This centers the shooter eye in the scope tube. It an old trick but still works today. It not a beginner thing at all quite the opposite.

 

[wade2big]

You are misunderstanding the scope shadow use.

In some cases if you do not have time to dial parallax out, or if mirage makes it hard to know if you have it correct, the shooter can back away from the scope creating a perfectly even“shadow” around the image.

This centers the shooter eye in the scope tube. It an old trick but still works today. It not a beginner thing at all quite the opposite.

I guess you could do that and get what you are saying but parallax is a non issue in actual practice.. It's an internet issue at most and one that I dislike how much it is brought up as it confuses new guys like the OP. He just needs to know how to look through a scope and see a full picture. A new shooter just needs to understand that it exists if you are jacked up on the scope and that once he learns how to get behind a scope its overcome and never has to be thought about again. There is much more error when lining up iron sights than there is being jacked up behind a scope. If a shooter has any knowledge of getting behind a rifle then parallax is not factor. I do not check to see if parallax is dialed out ever. Hell several of my scopes don't have parallax adjustments and it makes no difference in hits.

I shoot every now and again with guys that only hunt and never really shoot to just shoot. They all end up making good hits at 4 times the distance they have ever shot and I do not even show them the parallax knob on the scope and never mention parallax itself. The only time I touch mine is when bringing it in to 100 yards to zero and only to get a crisp image and then goes right back. I have even made sure that my scope had parallax dialed in before shooting and then made sure it was dialed out and made the same hits shooting as I normally would on both accounts. If you would, do the same the next time you are out and let me know if you see any real world difference. I would like to know if you come to the same conclusions as me or have a different result.

I dont shoot ELR so maybe it shows more at those distances. I have no experience there.

 

[nn8734]

@wade2big agree. If the sight picture is perfectly circular and the reticle/target are both in focus then breathe, achieve natural point-of-aim and send it.

 

[smoothy8500]

...if mirage makes it hard to know if you have it correct, the shooter can back away from the scope creating a perfectly even“shadow” around the image.

Heavy mirage is quite common where we shoot LR F-class, a good tip that I'll use in the future.

 

[nn8734]

The point is not always is the sight picture perfectly clear. Not always can you get on the gun like you might at the range with time.

It is another tool in the tool box for experienced shooters.

if you’ve shot a lot of ELR the first reference about less than perfectly clear image should immediately make sense. If you have ever had a match stage where there was almost no way to get behind your gun naturally and very little time, the second should make sense.

Not understanding or thinking that NPA is going to happen for every shot for everyone does not mean the tool is useless. I’m not saying using scope shadow is ideal, used frequently, or for everyone, but it is a tool.

I frequently shoot out to a mile with my win mag in the deserts around Vegas; I hate public ranges. I’m not on the bench or perfectly prone (I’m usually on a rocky outcrop) so understand what it means to have to deal with an imperfect positions. Can also identify with clarity challenges in the sight picture, esp when heavy mirage starts in the early morning, making your target look like it’s behind a waterfall. To your point, there is more than one way to skin a cat.

If applying the technique helps you get the target swinging and singing, use it.
?

 

[Walter Haas]

I guess you could do that and get what you are saying but parallax is a non issue in actual practice.. It's an internet issue at most and one that I dislike how much it is brought up as it confuses new guys like the OP. He just needs to know how to look through a scope and see a full picture. A new shooter just needs to understand that it exists if you are jacked up on the scope and that once he learns how to get behind a scope its overcome and never has to be thought about again. There is much more error when lining up iron sights than there is being jacked up behind a scope. If a shooter has any knowledge of getting behind a rifle then parallax is not factor. I do not check to see if parallax is dialed out ever. Hell several of my scopes don't have parallax adjustments and it makes no difference in hits.

I shoot every now and again with guys that only hunt and never really shoot to just shoot. They all end up making good hits at 4 times the distance they have ever shot and I do not even show them the parallax knob on the scope and never mention parallax itself. The only time I touch mine is when bringing it in to 100 yards to zero and only to get a crisp image and then goes right back. I have even made sure that my scope had parallax dialed in before shooting and then made sure it was dialed out and made the same hits shooting as I normally would on both accounts. If you would, do the same the next time you are out and let me know if you see any real world difference. I would like to know if you come to the same conclusions as me or have a different result.

I dont shoot ELR so maybe it shows more at those distances. I have no experience there.

Those are interesting observations, thanks. To my mind you're pointing out that for hunting or tactical shooting there's a lot of room for being imprecise while still being effective. Or, put another way, it all depends on what you're trying to do with the gun. I'm mostly fascinated with the incredible precision that is possible, like this real world champion result I saw where a guy put five shots into the size of a quarter from 600 yards. That's an incredible power to be sitting on.