Question: Parallax settings

[Khondker]

I got a Vortex Crossfire with adjustable parallax on my Savage B22 in 22lr. I will be hunting squirrel with this rifle. I am planning to sight in the rifle at 25 yards with CCI Subsonic 22lr, hunting distance will be 15 to 50 yards. Question: once I sight in the rifle at 25 yards, at what distance should I set the parallax so I don't need to adjust the parallax in different distance within 15 yards to 50 yards while squirll hunting.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Jester896]

not sure which Vortex Crossfire you have but the rimfire model is only parallax free at 50 yards. Sighting the rifle in at 25 yards you will experience parallax. The answer to your question I think would be for the setting...would be it depends on the target distance.

 

[Khondker]

not sure which Vortex Crossfire you have but the rimfire model is only parallax free at 50 yards. Sighting the rifle in at 25 yards you will experience parallax. The answer to your question I think would be for the setting...would be it depends on the target distance.

I have Vortex CROSSFIRE II 4-12X40 AO (adjustable objective).

 

[sleepr71]

Some rimfire scopes are (parallax) adjustable down to 10 yds. That’s what I’d be after.

 

[Khondker]

Some rimfire scopes are (parallax) adjustable down to 10 yds. That’s what I’d be after.

Just checked my Vortex. The parallax is adjustable all the way down to 10 yds.

 

[Jester896]

Just checked my Vortex. The parallax is adjustable all the way down to 10 yds.

good deal...that will allow you to zero @ 25 yds without issue.

it will still depend on the target distance for the parallax to be properly set. You might determine what your most common distance will be and set it there. That way you will be free at that distance and only moderately affected at other distances. Just because it says 25 yds on the dial doesn't mean that you will be parallax free at that distance...you will need to prove it.

 

[Khondker]

good deal...that will allow you to zero @ 25 yds without issue.

it will still depend on the target distance for the parallax to be properly set. You might determine what your most common distance will be and set it there. That way you will be free at that distance and only moderately affected at other distances. Just because it says 25 yds on the dial doesn't mean that you will be parallax free at that distance...you will need to prove it.

Got it. Thanks. Hoping to go squirll hunt in few weeks.

 

[bullgator]

good deal...that will allow you to zero @ 25 yds without issue.

it will still depend on the target distance for the parallax to be properly set. You might determine what your most common distance will be and set it there. That way you will be free at that distance and only moderately affected at other distances. Just because it says 25 yds on the dial doesn't mean that you will be parallax free at that distance...you will need to prove it.

This^
I‘m guessing this would be for small game hunting like squirrels and such. Personally I’d set it closer to 40 with the thought that closer shots would be naturally easier and not as much in need of perfect parallax. At anything under 50-75 yards parallax should stay with minute of squirrel anyway unless you’re shooting tiny target groups

 

[killerv]

Adjust it as you need, but I'd set it for 50 and forget about it. You might feel the need to change it once in a blue moon or if you paper shoot further distances.

Our dads and grandfathers didn't worry about it at all. Before rimfire scopes became popular, we were throwing old centerfire tascos, etc on our 22 and never noticed a thing.

 

[JustUs4All]

In most hunting situations I believe that a proper shouldering of the gun coupled with a proper cheek weld will be more important than a parallax adjustment. Theoretically, an identical hold and cheek weld every time would do away with the need.

 

[Jester896]

ever put 3 in the same hole then 2 just off to the side...probably parallax karma.

 

[Darkhorse]

In my Zeiss with adjustable eyepiece I adjust it for a sharp picture at just beyond the distance I will be shooting at.
I've always assumed adjustable parallax followed the same rules. I might be wrong but it's worth a try if other methods don't work. But as Justus4all indicated proper form and consistent hold and cheek weld overcomes the need for an AO. I've made some really long shots and never felt a need for a AO on my rifles. But long ago my early teachers worked a lot on my form and I've not varied from what I learned.
However my next scope will be equipped with an AO.

 

[Jester896]

after you have focused the eyepiece of your scope to get the crosshairs clear or in focus against the sky or some other object...in your good form what ever it is...if you move your head slightly up/down or side/side and the crosshair move on the target you are experiencing parallax issues. The crosshair shouldn't move with that slight movement of your head

 

[rosewood]

When you are shooting off sand bags at pencil erasers, the parallax matters. When shooting at squirrels, I doubt you will ever know the difference in the field setting. You can't likely hold the gun steady enough off hand to matter. That being said, from 10-50 yards, I would probably leave mine on 25.

One thing to note, the yardage setting on the parallax is at a given zoom. You change zoom, the parallax changes. You have to adjust your zoom, then tweek the parallax for that zoom. I usually set gun on sand bags, set zoom, then bob my head back and forth while looking through lens and adjust parallax until the cross hair doesn't move on target.

Rosewood

 

[Dub]

I got a Vortex Crossfire with adjustable parallax on my Savage B22 in 22lr. I will be hunting squirrel with this rifle. I am planning to sight in the rifle at 25 yards with CCI Subsonic 22lr, hunting distance will be 15 to 50 yards. Question: once I sight in the rifle at 25 yards, at what distance should I set the parallax so I don't need to adjust the parallax in different distance within 15 yards to 50 yards while squirll hunting.

Thanks in advance.

The scribed marks on a given scope‘s parallax adjustment may be well off from the real distance indicated.

The simple way to know is to shoot it and see. Let the results on the range….or even without ammo in your backyard….tell you how to set it.


Spend ten minutes with your rifle and confirm.

 

[Khondker]

Updated: you guys are correct, yardage markings on the dial does not correspond to the real distance. I moved my head slightly left and right, up and down to make sure the crosshair not moving, shooting from rest, tried my best to eliminate all the human factors when shooting, now bullets are landing in same hole at 25 yards. This is a big time achievement for a shooter like me. I am shooting 22lr CCI subsonic, small game, 1050 fps.

 

[rosewood]

Knowing your equipment goes a long way. And web communities like this can be a big help once you weed thru the armchair commandos and funnin.

 

[GunnSmokeer]

i once tried to find the "eliminates all parallax error" setting on an adj. objective lens scope. Was on sandbag rests fore and aft at 100 yds.

The closest I could get, after 20 minutes of fiddling with it, was a parallax error of about 1/2 inch at 100 yards.

But I found when I tested that same setting at other distances that it was still a half inch off at 50, 75 and 25 yards.
P.S. The Best parallax setting for my scope at 100 yards corresponded to a marking on the front lens ring that was somewhere around 40 yards. So, the calibration on the scope was way, way off.