hunting and parallax , what power do you hunt with and is it important on lower power ?
- Thread starter jwrabbit123
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I am waiting on a 10x40 that I just purchased here from another member, so no experience yet. Do a search here. I know some members have used them, if I remember correctly L.Leon used a prismatic scope at one time on his Atomic XR.
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I have the 5x30 on my L2, which I hunt with and the 5x24 on my 1720t which I don't shoot as much as I'd like.
For squirrel hunting at least, I love them and they are exactly what I wanted. Massive FOV so I just glass with the scope. At the ranges I can get shots on squirrel in the woods 5x is plenty -- past that and there are trees in the way and I need to get closer anyways. I generally have the parallax set around 25 yards but will dial it if I'm glassing, etc.
Can't reccomend enough for hunting and plinking. I've got the "rapid" reticles which are useless for real target shooting, but great for my purposes.
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Here they are on my rifles --- there's a couple long threads about these scopes on the forum.
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I hadn't read your post until it was getting dark yesterday evening so I couldn't do a test then but a few minutes ago I did.
Nothing many of us already don't know but with all these subjects of parallax adjust, fixed parallax, focus and clear image, DOF, and viewing of the reticle as far as how well we see it and the holds in it, there are some "trade offs" I'll summarize at the end of my post.
Here's where I'm coming from...I haven't been behind the Styrka 1-6 so I couldn't comment on it in most ways but I do know for me I want more than a duplex reticle. Also since I've had the Athlon 1-6 I found I needed more magnification for my style of shooting. Even though it was SFP, fixed parallax, and with a great reticle for holds as well as easy to see, it didn't work for me. 6x was getting weird looking up closer though.
I hadn't tried a "side focus" 1-?x42 yet so I bought a Athlon 1-4.5. Great scope in many ways except weight and 4.5x didn't cut it either. 4.5x is low enough that the side focus is just about not needed except in the military matches it was designed for which dialing out all the parallax is an advantage.
Then I got a Burris 1-8 FFP. Really weird up close like 10-15Y above 5x. No adjustable side focus. It was really bad closer in on 8x and IQ was not that good at any distance, as well as the fish eye effect. I liked it at first but the more I used it the more a distaste grew. Good reticle and I liked the big daylight bright circle and dot.
Then I tried a Athlon Helos 1-10. No side focus and for my eyes, and also my older friends eyes, it wasn't a clear image at the diopter setting we needed for a focused reticle above 4.5x. I sent it back and it was tested but Athlon CS said the scope was fine to them, it was looked through by the oldest being 45 years old and the others younger, which I suppose is why??? They gave me credit for a 2-12x42 DMR instead which is one of my favorite all around scopes.
I traded into the March 1-10 DFP shorty I have now. As with all scopes its got its compromises. BUT, and this is a BIG BUT, it's capable of anything a scope like this could be used for and does it well.
Good for focus and dialing out parallax at any distance except maybe 5Y.
Very good glass.
Very good reticle. It's not exactly what I would prefer but close enough.
DFP/Dual Focal Plane so the hold hashes are in the FFP and the SFP part of the reticle stays big on any magnification.
Daylight bright dot and on the lowest setting of the illume isn't too bright for the darkest night. Might not work for NV but I wouldn't know??
10x is clean and clear and usable at any but Bugbuster distance. So nice when shooting long range with my AR!!! 10x is so much more usable than 8x for long range, IMHO.
So short and light its really cool, interesting too, and my AR is lighter than before with the other scopes that have been on it.
For whatever reason I am not sensitive to tighter eyeboxes at higher magnifications??? I do have an adjustable cheek piece on the gun my March sits on so this has been a non issue. Actually I've used this scope on 10x the most often and without complaint.
My test was from 1x to 10x from 10Y estimated to 50Y estimated. My judgement was how focused the image was at all magnifications, or basically an experiment in DOF, but I'll keep this short. With the parallax set to approx 25Y and from 1-4x the IQ was fine for anything inside 50Y, perfect no but not worth a hill of beans difference. Up to 8x it was only the slightest bit unfocused getting closer to 10Y but great at 50Y. 9-10x a little more unfocused(barely) up close but great at 50Y and it's still easy to hit something up close.
However I always have the option to set the side focus where ever I want. Especially if hunting squirrels this is pretty much the perfect distance to leave side focus set. Big game I'd set it at 75Y and keep it at 4-5x for walking around anticipating shots inside 100Y. Long range, or small targets, 10x baby!!!
Versatility is where its at with me. I do feel like this particular scope is worth keeping and that's saying something because it works great.
Okay its an expensive scope! It's not a perfect scope! Best I've found so far for what it is?? DEFINITELY, as far as 1-? scopes go!
Honestly that Athlon Helos G2 2-12x42 DMR is more desirable to me because of the 12x and 1/4th the cost. Though 2x to me is not the best choice for across the room type of gunfighting so one is on my 6mmFatRat AR long range rifle. And one on my Steyr ProX. That scope on the ProX is a perfect marriage!
I guess each of us see's things differently and must choose optics according to our personal priorities vs others priorities. However for me I'm not buying anymore fixed parallax 1-?'s anymore.
If I didn't want more than 6x and was ok with a duplex I'd surely give that Styrka a try, the deeper DOF would be a desirable attribute.
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Steve the Styrka is nothing special. I got two for $200 each and I'm glad to have them for practicing indoors. Otherwise they're like looking through a tube and significant fish eye at 1x. And actually 1x is noticeably below 1x. If I adjust the magnification to what appears to be 1x to me there is still fish eye. I don't need 1x but do have a vestibular issue that makes me glad to have it when shooting off hand indoors. I get dizzy frequently and see movement when it isn't even there.
Duplex reticle is also very thin, although illuminated. Oh yeah, the turrets are capped and not something I'd want to dial in the field even if left uncapped. I'm quite surprised these retailed for over $700 originally.
But like I said, the depth of field is nice out in the woods if one is will to stick to their PBR. I recently adjusted the fixed parallax on a Leupold scope so I'll be curious to see how the depth of field works out in the woods.
I'll try to duplicate your test with my March 1-10. Based on videos I've seen online it's quite possible it has a more forgiving depth of field than my SFP March. Not what one would predict based on specs but certainly possible.
Duplex reticle is also very thin, although illuminated. Oh yeah, the turrets are capped and not something I'd want to dial in the field even if left uncapped. I'm quite surprised these retailed for over $700 originally.
But like I said, the depth of field is nice out in the woods if one is will to stick to their PBR. I recently adjusted the fixed parallax on a Leupold scope so I'll be curious to see how the depth of field works out in the woods.
I'll try to duplicate your test with my March 1-10. Based on videos I've seen online it's quite possible it has a more forgiving depth of field than my SFP March. Not what one would predict based on specs but certainly possible.
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The Immersive is amazing in the field, clear and wide, light and small. The 14x50 gives the same FOV as 4.5x on conventional scopes, very easy acquisition and tracking, no fussing with zoom.
Eye relief is very close and puts most people off in their 10 second reviews. Once you become accustomed it is a non-issue especially since the eye-cup places you in the box quickly.
If you can learn new tricks, this is a good one.
Eye relief is very close and puts most people off in their 10 second reviews. Once you become accustomed it is a non-issue especially since the eye-cup places you in the box quickly.
If you can learn new tricks, this is a good one.
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@jwrabbit123 For me I was taught to shoot rifles short-range with iron sights. I didn’t really use scopes much until I got into PCPs. I learned what I’ve been using from the internet. I started with fixed parallax scopes. I initially had a fixed parallax Hawke vantage scope with a simple Mildot reticle for target practice and small game hunting on a small bore PCP. What I learned with that scope was to establish a consisten cheek weld before I understood that a scope with a side wheel or adjustable objective was more desirable. At the advice of an AGN member I switched scopes a few times then got comfortable with an Alpha 6 SFP on my rifle. I still like that scope and had gotten familiar with it enough to know my holds around the 6x-8x range. This was mainly for rabbit and fowl. I still didn’t quite understand the leeway one could take with lower magnifications on variable magnification SFP scopes.
When I bought my Lelya from you a lot of this changed. How I was able to move within the woods changed. I learned to stalk a lot more efficiently considering the amount of vines, saplings, and thickets i encounter in the woods. As a result squirrel hunting became a lot more enjoyable. I don’t know of another animal that moves quite like a gray squirrel does through the trees (we call them cat squirrels for a reason). Those factors led me to a FFP Vector Veyron 3-12x44 that was recommended by several members on the forums. With this scope I learned to shoot by a series of steps that enable me to locate a squirrel, focus on the animal, and lower the magnification to either take a quick shot or track it a short distance before obtaining an opportunity to shoot. Later I learned to “range” trees and landmarks so when squirrels showed up I’d have an idea where to set the parallax knob. Now I can estimate distance based upon sound or sight as I walk for quick shots. I’ve called squirrels and watched a couple run out of hiding overhead and/or descend trees right next to me. I’ve had a rabbit come running across the yard right in front of me. I’ve had a couple of raccoons cross my path in the woods within 10 yards, so I take shots at 10 yards. I’ve practed shooting at 7 yards with my Lelya/Veyron combo because of these scenarios and that was the closest distance I could shoot and focus on the target at high magnification.
After reading responses in this thread I may have over complicated a more simple process. I can relate to some of what @Feinwerk posted. I do it because what I’ve described above works for me. I’ve also found that a rifle, binoculars, and a few mags is what I need to hunt. I sometimes bring shooting sticks or something to kneel or sit on, but rarely take a range finder. Using any of those things further complicates my process wasting time. A lot of members recommend using rangefinders. For hunting squirrels in the woods I don’t like it. So the compact FFP works best for me to take quicker shots because I can change magnifications and take shots without having to be concious of making sure that the magnification is exactly where it needs to be when I change magnification before shooting. Most times it’s between 4-5x, other times it’s closer to or a little over 6x.
When I bought my Lelya from you a lot of this changed. How I was able to move within the woods changed. I learned to stalk a lot more efficiently considering the amount of vines, saplings, and thickets i encounter in the woods. As a result squirrel hunting became a lot more enjoyable. I don’t know of another animal that moves quite like a gray squirrel does through the trees (we call them cat squirrels for a reason). Those factors led me to a FFP Vector Veyron 3-12x44 that was recommended by several members on the forums. With this scope I learned to shoot by a series of steps that enable me to locate a squirrel, focus on the animal, and lower the magnification to either take a quick shot or track it a short distance before obtaining an opportunity to shoot. Later I learned to “range” trees and landmarks so when squirrels showed up I’d have an idea where to set the parallax knob. Now I can estimate distance based upon sound or sight as I walk for quick shots. I’ve called squirrels and watched a couple run out of hiding overhead and/or descend trees right next to me. I’ve had a rabbit come running across the yard right in front of me. I’ve had a couple of raccoons cross my path in the woods within 10 yards, so I take shots at 10 yards. I’ve practed shooting at 7 yards with my Lelya/Veyron combo because of these scenarios and that was the closest distance I could shoot and focus on the target at high magnification.
After reading responses in this thread I may have over complicated a more simple process. I can relate to some of what @Feinwerk posted. I do it because what I’ve described above works for me. I’ve also found that a rifle, binoculars, and a few mags is what I need to hunt. I sometimes bring shooting sticks or something to kneel or sit on, but rarely take a range finder. Using any of those things further complicates my process wasting time. A lot of members recommend using rangefinders. For hunting squirrels in the woods I don’t like it. So the compact FFP works best for me to take quicker shots because I can change magnifications and take shots without having to be concious of making sure that the magnification is exactly where it needs to be when I change magnification before shooting. Most times it’s between 4-5x, other times it’s closer to or a little over 6x.
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I hunt with a Prophet Compact wearing a SWFA 12X. I used to use a SWFA 6X when hunting barn pigeons which worked great. Super easy to hold steady for off hand or resting on a Primos Trigger Stick tripod. last year installed the 12X which makes seeing birds and squirrels much easier but at the sacrifice of a shakier sight picture. I like the SWFA’s because they are light weight, robust and have great glass. I’ve used heavier and higher magnification scopes but when hunting I try to keep the weight to a minimum.
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When I'm squirrel hunting in the woods with my Taipan I usually run between 3-5x with the parallax at 40 meters. My zero hold distance with this setup(firing 15.89 grain .22 Hades @ 925 fps) is just shy of 40 meters and running at a low magnification allows me to quickly locate the target in the scope, especially if it's close and I need to make a quick shot. If it's 25ish meters or farther away I will generally zoom up to 6X which is still low enough to have good clarity even if the parallax is off a bit.
This is when I'm squirrel hunting...when I'm targeting birds or other prey at longer distances I generally run at 6-8X with parallax set to 40 meters. More often than not when chasing birds at 40 meters and beyond I will run my magnification up to 12X or even 18X because I need a solid rest to shoot at those distances anyway.
I've found that it is generally a good idea to generally run parallax at a too far of setting that at a too close of one. It seems like the closer the parallax is set the smaller the field of depth becomes. There is a smaller window of clarity at low parallax settings than at high parallax settings, exponentially so.
This means that if my parallax is set a little too high it will probably still be a fairly clear picture provided I'm not above about 10X magnification(this seems to be the point at which correct parallax starts becoming crucial to a decent sight picture). But if the parallax is set a little too low...more often that not it really effects the clarity and focus negatively at all farther distances.
This is when I'm squirrel hunting...when I'm targeting birds or other prey at longer distances I generally run at 6-8X with parallax set to 40 meters. More often than not when chasing birds at 40 meters and beyond I will run my magnification up to 12X or even 18X because I need a solid rest to shoot at those distances anyway.
I've found that it is generally a good idea to generally run parallax at a too far of setting that at a too close of one. It seems like the closer the parallax is set the smaller the field of depth becomes. There is a smaller window of clarity at low parallax settings than at high parallax settings, exponentially so.
This means that if my parallax is set a little too high it will probably still be a fairly clear picture provided I'm not above about 10X magnification(this seems to be the point at which correct parallax starts becoming crucial to a decent sight picture). But if the parallax is set a little too low...more often that not it really effects the clarity and focus negatively at all farther distances.
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Look at the scopes the UK Hunter Field Target guys are using. Their rules are no touching the scope after the first shot. Thus they need parallax free with lots of depth of field.
One that many are using is the Optisan 10x32 which was built for UK HFT and came out in 2020. They set the side focus parallax at 23 to 25 yards and are fairly good from 10 to 45 yards. It does not have an illuminated reticle.
Search on YouTube for "hft optics warehouse" for more recommendations that fits your needs.
One that many are using is the Optisan 10x32 which was built for UK HFT and came out in 2020. They set the side focus parallax at 23 to 25 yards and are fairly good from 10 to 45 yards. It does not have an illuminated reticle.
Search on YouTube for "hft optics warehouse" for more recommendations that fits your needs.
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My understanding is that in European HFT they don't rangefind with the focus/parallax wheel. they just use Mark 1 eyeballing with a deep DOF, is this correct
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That is correct. Since they cannot adjust their scope, including no parallax adjustment they need long DOF and low parallax error. I believe they are also limited to 12x magnification.
All of that works well for quick shooting when squirrel hunting. I believe that was the intent of the OP.
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