Have you ever wondered what the term Parallax means? I asked the same thing when I first started shooting with a higher magnification rifle scope. This guide should give you some insight into getting the best focus out of your target, varminting or hunting scope, or any other adjustable parallax scope for that matter.

Have you ever looked through a higher magnification scope and noticed that if you move your eye off center to the edge of the exit pupil, the reticle seems to shift around the target? The shift occurs when the parallax setting is out of adjustment for the distance to the target. While some have mistaken the parallax adjustment to be a focus adjustment or even act as a rangefinder,  neither of these is the case. The parallax adjustment, when set properly will insure that the reticle remains positioned correctly on the target; as if your crosshairs were painted on, as a part of the target, specifically for your vision & scope setup. Now if your scope is not a "target" or a "varmint hunting" rifle scope, you usually won't need to be concerned with the parallax setting. In most hunting scopes the parallax problem is negligible. Most often, I do not have a problem with parallax on my lower power hunting scopes. I hunt, and  also enjoy achieving tight groups at the range, so then parralax is of critical importance to me, where accuracy is a must. I personally, do not want the aggravation of a floating reticle when I'm shooting for accuracy at the range or in the field.

Most of the higher power scopes, with a power of 12X or higher, will have an adjustment ring at the end of the objective lense (the end closest to the target). Usually the parallax adjustment ring has the suggested settings printed on them, so you can just dial in the range you're shooting from. The problem is tthat these suggested settings are rarely as accurate as they could be. You might ask, "Why should I go through the trouble of getting my settings "just right"? Why not just use the suggested setting? The reason is simply that  you could easily shrink the size of your groups by as much as 30%, just by taking the time to properly set the parallax adjustment on your scope. Many shooters don't realize that with a few adjustments they could greatly affect their shooting performance. This is particularly so, when really tight groupings are desired, for competition or longer range varminting. If you are like me you will find that the documentation that comes with your scope isn't particularly helpful when it comes to ease of learning how to use it. The scope manufacturers assume you already know. Howvever, the adjustment for parralax should not be avoided, since they are fairly simple to make.

Now that you have an understanding of what parallax is, it's time to fine tune your scope for increased accuracy.  We will assume you have already zeroed in your scope and that it's properly sighted in. You will need to set up your rifle so it is securely positioned on a bench. A solid shooting rest with a vise is recommended. Dial in the suggested setting on the parallax adjustment ring for the range that you're shooting from. Now, look through the scope and shift your eye back and forth, left to right so you can see if the crosshairs seem like they are moving across the target. Experiment with the adjustment ring until you have eliminated the illusion that your crosshairs are moving. When you think you've got it perfect, take a little white-out liquid paper and make a mark on the parallax adjustment ring so you'll know where to adjust it later. I see some people paint their mark or score it into the metal, but I prefer something that's not so permanent until I'm absolutely certain about the position, so the white out liquid paper can easily be removed once you get the parralax setting locked in. Your next step is to take three to six shots  (2 goups of 3 shots each) and check how your grouping has improved. You will see improvement, and then take the time to continue the parralax 'dialing in' by moving he target 50 yards out and repeat the process. It will be very useful to find the perfect settings for all the ranges that you typically shoot in 50 yard increments.

Happy shooting!