Adjustable Objectives/Side Focus Question

[Outback]

I have an older Leupold 4.5-14x50mm with the AO on the bell. I really like it and was looking to buy another one. I see that they don't put the AO on the bell anymore but either have no focus or a side focus.

How would a scope with no focus work at every range? If it's good, I won't spend the extra $100-150 for the side focus. I've just never had a higher magnification scope without an external focus in some way.

Thanks

[Outback]

Well now, not one opinion. Curious

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[texaspacker]

Now I am no scope or anything expert but don't you focus in the eye piece AKA the end you look though? If I'm following you correctly?

[Mike D]

Typically up to about 12x magnification parallax is not as much of an issue. Most non parallax adjustable scopes are fixed at 100 yards.

Anything above 10-12X should have some sort of parallax adjustment depending on the manufacturer.

What brand are you seeing that doesn’t have adjustment at higher magnification?


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[Mike D]

Now I am no scope or anything expert but don't you focus in the eye piece AKA the end you look though? If I'm following you correctly?

That is only to focus your reticle, not parallax adjustment.

Many people use the term “side focus” but in reality that is to adjust parallax out of the scope.


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[Outback]

All I know is that if my Leupold Scope is set for say 200 yards, objects at other ranges are blurry so I set the AO to the yardage I'm shooting. I focus the eyepiece initially and never change it. My low power scopes dont have this adjustment but all my higher power scopes do. I may need to go to Cabelas pt Academy to see how important and AO is for myself.

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[texaspacker]

OK I don't know diddly squat about parallax. Every time someone starts talking about parallax. All I start to hear after about 2 minutes is blah, blah, blah, just like Bart Simpson. Then I get a headache and go brain dead.
1st & 2nd planes does the same thing but doesn't that have something to do Outbacks question?

[Mike D]

All I know is that if my Leupold Scope is set for say 200 yards, objects at other ranges are blurry so I set the AO to the yardage I'm shooting. I focus the eyepiece initially and never change it. My low power scopes dont have this adjustment but all my higher power scopes do. I may need to go to Cabelas pt Academy to see how important and AO is for myself.

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Don’t put much faith into the yardage markers on the side adjustment/AO adjustment. They are for reference only.

It may look clearer through the scope but that is not the primary function of them, you can still have parallax in the scope even though it looks clear through the eyepiece.


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[cwill]

Just bought a 4.5-14x50 Leupold vx3i with no parallax adjustment. I read somewhere that Leupold sets parallax at 150 on the non adjustable models. So far I've only shot it at 100, but it seems very clear at all powers.

[sir shovelhands]

Don’t put much faith into the yardage markers on the side adjustment/AO adjustment. They are for reference only.

Huh, I never thought about checking to see if they were correct for the yardage on my scopes. Now I'll have to do a head movement check next time I shoot and verify.

[bearintex]

If your parallax is set properly, you won't see much if any shift in the crosshair in relation to the target if you move your eye around behind the scope.