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Rifle Scopes Parallax setting on Vortex Viper 5-15 - should I trust my eye or the markings?

targetterror

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Minuteman
Sep 16, 2008
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I have a Vortex Viper 5-15x44 (the discontinued Midwayusa special). The optics are decent enough, but the parallax setting seems to be way off. Sharpest focal setting to my eye yields a parallax setting much shooter than the distances I'm shooting at (off my a large factor, like well under 100 yards setting for actual 300 yards). I am familiar with how to set the reticle adjustment in the eyepiece, and have done it both with and without my glasses to the same effect.

I know that on cheaper optics, the markings may not quite line up. Granted, this is no Nightforce, but I am surprised it is off by that much. My concern is what the actual parallax is set at. Is it indeed set for the sharpest/correct setting, or would the correct parallax for, say, 300 yards be at the 300 mark on the focusing knob, even if that doesn't yield the sharpest focus for me?
 
Focus is not the same as absence of parallax. Lack of movement in the reticle is the absence of parallax. If you are lucky the image will be in focus. If you're luckier that setting will coincide with the numbers .
 
If I am unlucky and they don't coincide, would it be best to prioritize focus or parallax? Or should I focus it, then make sure my head is 100% centered in the scope?
 
Just confirm that when focus and the image is crisp that you do not get any reticle movement by shifting your head. If you do, parallax is going to take precedence over a perfectly focused image. If you find it's still off send it back to Vortex. Just remember (as someone else mentioned) the numbers are just reference. There are manufacturers that have stopped putting the yardages on the knobs because of issues like this.
 
i would say the markings are a suggestion and always go by what the scope does and not what it says it will do.
 
The way to determine when the parallax is actually set correctly for your shooting distance is to place the gun on the bipod/bags and not touch it at all. Then while "hovering" over the cheekrest and looking through the scope, move left/right behind the eyepiece. If you see the reticle move on target as you move, the parallax is not set correctly. If the reticle holds perfectly still then you've got it dialed correctly.

It's not about focus or the distance markings on the turrets, it's about knowing that the reticle is going to be in the exact same place between shots, even if you move your head/eye position a little bit after recoil.
 
This seems one of the age old questions and one I have wrestled with. The idea (as I understand it) is to get the reticle and the target on the same focal plan. My gut keeps telling me that there is a correlation involving having the front eyepiece properly focused as well.....The whole "point it at the sky and focus the reticle" seems arbitrary to my eyes. I 'm even careful to close and open my eyes, leaving them open for a second. Having said that, I can adjust the ring so that with glasses and without are in two difference places on the parallax knob. This to me seems to corroborates what my gut is saying.
 
One approach is to completely dial out the parallax using the method I posted above, then see if you can get both the reticle and image focused together by using the diopter.
 
One approach is to completely dial out the parallax using the method I posted above, then see if you can get both the reticle and image focused together by using the diopter.

Hey Sheldon, I want to try this. What do you mean by "completely dial out". Do you mean dial to infinity? If so what range target are you looking at.

thanks!
 
Hey Sheldon, I want to try this. What do you mean by "completely dial out". Do you mean dial to infinity? If so what range target are you looking at.

thanks!

I was referring to my instructions above.....Dial out = set parallax correctly as to remove all parallax error

The way to determine when the parallax is actually set correctly for your shooting distance is to place the gun on the bipod/bags and not touch it at all. Then while "hovering" over the cheekrest and looking through the scope, move left/right behind the eyepiece. If you see the reticle move on target as you move, the parallax is not set correctly. If the reticle holds perfectly still then you've got it dialed correctly.
 
I was referring to my instructions above.....Dial out = set parallax correctly as to remove all parallax error

The way to determine when the parallax is actually set correctly for your shooting distance is to place the gun on the bipod/bags and not touch it at all. Then while "hovering" over the cheekrest and looking through the scope, move left/right behind the eyepiece. If you see the reticle move on target as you move, the parallax is not set correctly. If the reticle holds perfectly still then you've got it dialed correctly.

Yea I have done that. That's how I diagnosed a parallax issue in my Leupold and got it replaced. When I called Leupold the tech support guy asked me to define parallax. I defined it the way you just did. He said "why would you do that? Why would you move your head around an introduce an error?" I said "can I speak to your supervisor. Because you bviously don't know what you are talking about".... His boss said "He said what"???

What I'm wrestling with is the eye piece adjustment. I just read the sticky "psa" post and it says to dial to infinity with scope on max setting. Then focus the eye piece against a white wall or blue sky.
 
Ah okay, now I'm tracking with you.

What I was talking about as an alternate option is to set parallax correctly for any given distance with the above method then fine tune with the diopter. Sometimes when you set parallax correctly, the actual plane of subject focus is not quite on the same object that your reticle is on. In other words, the reticle is nice and sharp but correct parallax does not equal in focus target. Sometimes you can fix this by first adjusting parallax on target, then fine tuning with the diopter adjustment so that the target and reticle are both in focus too. Your eye tends to follow and focus on the reticle since it's so well defined, and that can pull your eye's focus away from the target plane of focus and make it look out of focus even though parallax is correct. If you fine tune with the diopter, you may be able to get it to where target in focus and reticle in focus and perfect parallax are all in the same place. That's the ideal solution since after you've got it set correctly all you need to do is adjust parallax until target is in focus and then shoot, knowing that target in focus = perfect parallax.
 
Geez, if the prescription to the reticle is correct then adjust the focus for your eyes. Answer: trust your eyes for both settings. That is your overall prescription for that distance for your eyesight. It is a miracle people hit anything at all with fixed parallax scopes, lol. Just kiddin'
 
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Ah okay, now I'm tracking with you.

What I was talking about as an alternate option is to set parallax correctly for any given distance with the above method then fine tune with the diopter. Sometimes when you set parallax correctly, the actual plane of subject focus is not quite on the same object that your reticle is on. In other words, the reticle is nice and sharp but correct parallax does not equal in focus target. Sometimes you can fix this by first adjusting parallax on target, then fine tuning with the diopter adjustment so that the target and reticle are both in focus too. Your eye tends to follow and focus on the reticle since it's so well defined, and that can pull your eye's focus away from the target plane of focus and make it look out of focus even though parallax is correct. If you fine tune with the diopter, you may be able to get it to where target in focus and reticle in focus and perfect parallax are all in the same place. That's the ideal solution since after you've got it set correctly all you need to do is adjust parallax until target is in focus and then shoot, knowing that target in focus = perfect parallax.

Yea, yes.... this is the very direction my instincts have been taking me. I failed to mention that I shoot with and without prescription glasses. Hence my anecdotal understanding that the diopter moves the "reticle focal plane" on which we are trying to sync with the parallax adjustment i.e. target focal plane. (That's my working theory which I think you are agreeing with)

For me what became odd, is that turning the diopter does not offer a precise immediate and definite point of reticle focus. This no matter how clear the sky nor how much looking then looking away. In fact with my newest scope I just turned it out a few times and called it good. It was never out of focus.

Having said that the diopter adjustment does a a profound effect on parallax and subsequent target focus. One rifle wants my prescription glasses on, while the other needs them off. Hence my current struggle......
 
Geez, if the prescription to the reticle is correct then adjust the focus for your eyes. Answer: trust your eyes for both settings. That is your overall prescription for that distance for your eyesight. It is a miracle people hit anything at all with fixed parallax scopes, lol. Just kiddin'


As as I mentioned before I had a scope with terrible parallax. Since I did not really feel that I understood parallax I was reluctant to blame bad grouping on the scope. I hate blaming gear for bad shooting. It cost me a lot of time, barrel life and reloading supplies......
 
Just confirm that when focus and the image is crisp that you do not get any reticle movement by shifting your head. If you do, parallax is going to take precedence over a perfectly focused image. If you find it's still off send it back to Vortex. Just remember (as someone else mentioned) the numbers are just reference. There are manufacturers that have stopped putting the yardages on the knobs because of issues like this.

Which manufacturers have stopped putting yardage on their parallax knobs? They are just blank? If it's somewhat arbitrary, I'm fine with simple reference points. I think it does cause confusion to have precise yardage indicated.
 
Which manufacturers have stopped putting yardage on their parallax knobs? They are just blank? If it's somewhat arbitrary, I'm fine with simple reference points. I think it does cause confusion to have precise yardage indicated.

Bushnell elite tactical XRS does not have distances, just dots.



 
Bushnell elite tactical XRS does not have distances, just dots.
Yea I would think some sort of number scale for reference would be good. I know when I go hunting, I set that scope at 300. If I'm taking a longer shot I'll change it but usually I forget. As for the precision rifle I try to remeber to change it but again sometimes I forget. I'll usually set it in advance for an average of what I think I'll be shooting. Most often I leave it at 500 while stored. I rarely shoot that rifle close than that.