hunting and parallax , what power do you hunt with and is it important on lower power ?

Jump to latest Follow Reply
jwrabbit123

jwrabbit123

Member
Feb 14, 2018
2,032
464
Ct, United States
HI so My topic is about hunting with a scope and min parallax . Ok well I am a hunter and to be honest I own a lot of hi power scopes as much a 45x but I find hunting say squirrels and most shots 25 to 50 yards and once in a while a 100 yd shot but more over closer range , heck in woods with leaves on trees and denseness most times you cant even see 30 yards , This being said i do most of my hunting 6x to 8x and if I use say my PM2 5x25 on 20x or so the field of view is too narrow to actually find or track a squirrel , so for me sweet spot is 6x to 8x , now lets dive into Parallax I know what it means and how to adjust for it , but I read so many people having a view on this topic saying I need 10 yard parallax or it is a deal breaker , for me I am fine with a Low powered variable optic even with a fixed parallax of 100 yards like a 1-8 or a 1-10 like a typical AR15 or 3 gun scope for hunting squirrels ,I do not have time to adjust parallax hunting small game , Now if I was shooting in a open field at 20x or shooting steel then yes it is very important , when I see a squirrel I have seconds to aim and shoot , so I find it not really important to me , Now If you have a 5x25 scope on 6x to 8x and move parallax it makes no difference on lower powers ,but say on 20x to 25x it is critical to get a clear picture and have things line up , Now a lot of people target shoot and use hi power optics but to really have a scope go down to say 10 yards who shoots hi power and point blank ranges ? I don't think I ever shot 10 yards unless I was using a handgun , OK lets hear some of your thoughts why is this so important to you and what powers do you use for hunting , and I get it some scopes say for example a dedal stalker 6x parrallax changes on this optic but on a 4-20 or 5x25 or even my 3x18 if you put either on 6x it dont matter on any optic I own , saying this I hunt squirrels alot with a trijicon 1-8 or my vortex 1-10 and they great to hunt with and both fixed parallax . what am I missing ?
LOU
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hoffman9517
It's simple for me, I got into airguns so I can shoot in mt basement anytime I want. So I want parallax down to 10yds.

I don't hunt with a big heavy 5-25x scope as all that power is overkill.
I use 5-8x when out squirrel hunting.

So for me, a nice light 3-12x with parallax down to 10yds with good class and good turrets it what I like.

A 3lb 6-24x Arken that goes down to only 20/25 yds is not something that appeals to me. I would use it on a bolt 22lr for 50 yds and further.

Right tool for the right job.
 
  • Like
Reactions: thane and Struckat
Upvote 0
Most of the time I'm pesting squirrels from inside, at a door or window frame as a rest. Ranges vary from 5y to 60y, and can be anything in between. At the closest ranges, lots of holdover is required and the target can get a little blurry if the focus cannot accommodate that short range.

I generally leave my variable scopes set to either 10x or 15x for all around shooting, for best resolution on a small 1" kill zone (minute of squirrel head/neck). If you have a second focal plane (SFP) scope, holdovers will change and mess you up if you change the magnification. Not so with first focal plane (FFP). I have FFP on most guns but not all, but don't generally change magnification unless I'm target shooting from a rest.

The very first thing I do after spotting target with naked eyes is estimate range mentally, pre-dial the range on the side parallax/focus knob, glance at my range card (on the side of the stock) for the proper hold over, then shoulder the rifle and acquire the target in the scope. Yes this takes a few seconds. If the target moves significantly, I have to readjust the focus and hold point. If I lose the target view in the scope, I start over, re-spotting quickly with naked eyes but gun still shouldered. I try not to get in a hurry. In this case, it's not a matter of hunting for *survival* where you never want to lose any opportunity for a shot.

If I use the same rifle often enough in the same area, I have already memorized holdovers for the usual target locations and the whole process becomes semi-automatic with practice.

You have to evalute the typical target size for choice of magnification, then typical ranges for choice of parallax range.

Feinwerk
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Ezana4CE, thane and nervoustrig
Upvote 0
It's more of a convenience for me to use a scope with adjustable parallax. You are an older guy like me and I'm guessing you've shots tons of small critters with fixed 4x and variable 3-9x32 scopes at close range like I did when I was young. But back then my eyes tolerated doing so easily but now they don't and also now I'm too used to a clean image and a focused reticle at close range. When I used to hunt squirrels I'd often be under the tree they were in so most shots were inside 20Y and at an extreme angle.

If you haven't yet tried it, I strongly suggest a Athlon Helos G2 2-12x42 DMR. Except for the March 1-10 DFP, I don't think there is a more versitile scope for hunting out there. My reason is that one can see these reticles easily, and be focused, and be on the magnification of choice. Then FFP or DFP for holds to be correct at any magnification. Great for longer distances too.

I don't like shooting or hunting on 1x 99% of the time. Like you I'm up there from 3x on to whatever feels right at the time. 4x to 5x is enough FOV usually, and I set the side focus to 15Y or so, that way if I don't have time to focus better the image is still pretty clear anyway.

I had some LPVO's without adjustable parallax and I did not like the optical compromises that exist in these at higher magnifications at closer distances.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hoffman9517
Upvote 0
Had a longer reply posted but lost it.

For the most part I do not care if a scope focuses at ten yards at max power. In my area Red Squirrel provide a lot of close shot opportunities. By close I mean closer than the near zero of my PBR. But I do not take those shots anywhere near max power so the focus does not matter as much. However, I do like to practice indoors at close distances and that's where it matters most. But even then if I found a scope that only focused down to 25 yards I'd just dial down the magnification and practice with that.

But it really depends on the scope.

I have a Styrka 1-6x24 with side focus that has a very forgiving depth of field. It could be used for quick shots within the PBR. Duplex reticle so no holds for quick shots at 50 yards, unfortunately. And that is further than the PBR on any of my current PCPs. With that scope one could start their hunt by setting the focus on 6x at the max distance of their PBR and leave it there for the day. Just adjust magnification as needed.

My March 1-10x24 with side focus, on the other hand, has an extremely tight depth of field. Quick shots at 25 to 50 yards would not be in this scope's wheelhouse, at least in my hands. Very finicky to dial in a clear sight picture and the eye box really gets tight at higher powers. Not great in hunting positions in the woods. And mine is the longer, SFP version. The shorter FFP that Steve mentioned is probably "worse", although I haven't looked through one much less taken one into the woods.
 
Upvote 0
Larger, heavier scopes with high magnifications are for bench guns shooting at 50-100+yds in my opinion. I have no use for them on a light, easy to maneuver hunting rig.

I also like SFP as I like to see the reticle vs. using it for ranging at various magnifications. Truth be told, most folks would be better off using a SFP vs. a FFP.

Again, these are just my experiences, and we all have and get to make our own choices.
 
Upvote 0
Thanks for replies I see what you use it for , also Steve I almost got the march 1-10 but at time I had gotten the Razor3 1-10 If my mind serves me correctly I think the March was sfp and I only use ffp so my holds are constant , it is a balance for me but the only drawback to the razor 3 is like any other ffp hard for the eyes to see at lover power unless i use illumination and I think the march is sfp ? I only own one sfp scope it is called a swarovski 2.3x18 , I had to buy it after using my friends binoculars which were swarvoski and I fell in love with quality of lens and coatings ,
 
Upvote 0
There’s a difference between hunting in the woods versus shooting stuff out of the window or off the deck of your house. Your never changing environment setup that works just fine at the house suddenly can become a pain in the butt in the field. If I leave a high mag scope on a hunting gun, I set it on 6X and set the parallax at 30. Then just try to adapt on the fly. I have a “hopper” scope. It’s a 3-12 that hops from gun to gun if I have time before I take that gun hunting. What I have found is a low mag scope set at 6X 30 parallax is much more forgiving than a high mag scope at those settings. So basically if you want the most convenient effective woods setup, ditch that giant crutch that most airgunners put on top of their guns. I’ve been hunting for over 40 years and target/bench/long range scopes are not hunting scopes. But airgunners are a strange bunch because along with giant scopes, they also think bullpups are a long range rifle. Some of us choose to struggle with what is cool instead of just switching to what easily just works.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scouty
Upvote 0
jwrabbit123 said:
Thanks for replies I see what you use it for , also Steve I almost got the march 1-10 but at time I had gotten the Razor3 1-10 If my mind serves me correctly I think the March was sfp and I only use ffp so my holds are constant , it is a balance for me but the only drawback to the razor 3 is like any other ffp hard for the eyes to see at lover power unless i use illumination and I think the march is sfp ? I only own one sfp scope it is called a swarovski 2.3x18 , I had to buy it after using my friends binoculars which were swarvoski and I fell in love with quality of lens and coatings ,
Click to expand...
Here is what I don’t understand. I jumped on the FFP bandwagon a long time ago to try to give my turrets a break. That worked fine from the bench or being a house sniper when I was always close to or on my max magnification. When I took those scopes to the woods it was a struggle seeing the reticle at low magnification. I found it easier to switch back to SFP and learn how my guns shoot with that clearly visible reticle at 6X. In the woods if we are truly only shooting 20-45 yards, there’s not much to figure out. Why struggle.
 
Upvote 0
You can get a good idea as to how far off your impact will be vs where the reticle is when the parallax isn't set right by moving your eye from side to side. The reticle to target alignment will move as you change your eye position. It can be enough movement sometimes to completely miss small targets. You can reduce the chance of parallax being a problem by moving your eye further away from the scope until the image is reduced as much as you can in size and floating within the eyepiece. Center that floating image in the eyepiece like you would a peep sight, to reduce parallax errors when you can't adjust it out.

jwrabbit123 said:
Thanks for replies I see what you use it for , also Steve I almost got the march 1-10 but at time I had gotten the Razor3 1-10 If my mind serves me correctly I think the March was sfp and I only use ffp so my holds are constant.....
Click to expand...

March also makes a Dual Reticle 1-10x FFP / SFP Shorty that gives you the benefits of both worlds. It has a first focal plane ranging reticle and a second focal plane "duplex" style bold reticle that is always the same thickness regardless of the zoom range, with a daylight visible red dot in the middle that also does not change size when zooming. Nothing quite like it out there and nothing close in size and weight.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: DaveSa and Ranchibi
Upvote 0

10 yard parallax — important — or NOT❓​


I think that the lack of understanding on both sides of the discussion stems from totally different shooting scenarios....

🔸 Group 1:
The hunters taking "rushed shots" as they chase rapidly moving quarry at short ranges: They are one or several of the following:
•(a) in dense woods
•(b) stalking

•(c) hunting squirrels and rats
•(d) shooters that are simply accustomed to scopes from decades past, when a 3-9x40 SFP with 100y parallax was considered "normal" and "long range".


🔸 Group 2:
The "others" — who take non-rushed shots because their quarry and/or the range allow for this. They are one or several of the following:
•(a) spoiled by affordable scopes loaded with features
•(b) shooting quarry at very close ranges: backyard, garbage dump, etc.

•(c) hunting from a hide — be that a window or a stand in the woods
•(d) hunting animals that stay comparatively still, either because their roosting, or they are eating your bait

•(e) hunting a long ranges where they don't spook the quarry
•(f) shooting in their 10 yard basement

•(g) take scopecam footage of their hunts — killing and filming — what I call killming.



I am squarly located in Group 2 — on all seven counts mentioned.
Please, don't bash me! 😄

Matthias
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: steve123 and Geezerhood
Upvote 0
JungleShooter said:

10 yard parallax — important — or NOT❓​


I think that the lack of understanding on both sides of the discussion stems from totally different shooting scenarios....

🔸 Group 2:
•(f) shooting in their 10 yard basement
•(g) take scopecam footage of their hunts — killing and filming — what I call killming.

I am squarly located in Group 2 — an all seven counts mentioned.
Please, don't bash me! 😄

Matthias
Click to expand...

Got a chuckle from Killming. If I owned some kind of shooting cam, my hunting videos and photos would be called Vidmissed, MissPros or Misscams.
 
  • Haha
  • Like
Reactions: Scouty and JungleShooter
Upvote 0
jwrabbit123

Have you looked at the Immersive Optics prismatic scopes? They have a light weight fixed 5x24 and 5x30 with parallax of 6 to infinity with a markedly reduced parallax error plus an increased field of view. It is a different type of scope, but take a look at the review below. This might be what you are looking for.

 
  • Like
Reactions: thane
Upvote 0
I have had squirrels sit still for me while I messed with my scope but more commonly if I do not have it adjusted well enough for their presentation I do not get a shot. So if I don't mess up my scope is set to about 6X so I can find the target before it runs off. For shots to 30 yards, 6X is enough. I leave the parallax at about 25 yards. If the target is too fuzzy, I may adjust since it also suggests the range may be unusually close or long and I need to know that. Rarallax is a crude range finder. I prefer SFP so I can see the recticle although my Primary Arms 4-14 has a thick enough recticle it is visible at lower power. The thick recticle is harder to use for target shooting, however. I'm making notes about hold over in terms of mils at a certain power but finding it hard to do at low power because I cannot see the pellet holes at low power at 40+ yards. It is not a big concern because I am zero'd at 40 yards which puts me within 1/4 inch from about 20 to about 42 yards. That covers most shots for me.
 
Upvote 0
Harv24 said:
Larger, heavier scopes with high magnifications are for bench guns shooting at 50-100+yds in my opinion. I have no use for them on a light, easy to maneuver hunting rig.

I also like SFP as I like to see the reticle vs. using it for ranging at various magnifications. Truth be told, most folks would be better off using a SFP vs. a FFP.

Again, these are just my experiences, and we all have and get to make our own choices.
Click to expand...
I think most people use sfp scopes because there cheaper I prefer that the hold overs don't change when I change magnification which is why I went to ffp and there again I like to at least use 10 or higher power aim small miss small but then again I can take my time with a shot it's not a matter of eating or not
 
  • Like
Reactions: Feinwerk
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Home
Forums
Resources
Menu