[asolde]

My original question was dose the POI change on a variable power scope at different power settings? Ok after getting all the advice I could from here and from Gundoctor here's what I came up with. Shooting a leupold VX III 4.5 X 14 X 50 the POI dose not change through variable power settings. I took five shots letting the gun cool somewhat between shots. The first three were with the scope set at mid range, the next at full and the last at low power. Just not enough to make a difference. The second pic I had made an adjustment two clicks to the left. I still need to make one final adjustment and that is either one click up or two clicks up.

 

[Haute Pursuit]

Thats good shooting without messing with the power range.

 

[StevePage]

how far were you shooting? if thats zero'd at 200 yds, your fine to shoot wherever the heck you want to

 

[AM Cloutier]

I bought a Kimber 8400 Montana 25-06 and paired it with a Zeiss Conquest 6.5-20x50 scope. I was told that the POI would change at different power settings on this scope. I have sighted it in at around the middle power setting but it somewhat defeats the purpose of a powerful variable scope if I can't increase the power to see game at a long distance and still have the POI the same.

I haven't had the time to experiment with it at the range but was wondering if the information I was given is correct. I don't mean to hijack this thread but I would appreciate any experiences with this scope.

 

[tx064deer]

No , Changing the Power of zoom will not change POI , But alot of the better scopes with high zoom also have An Adjustable Objective I think is what they call it and it does change POI And I think you just have to shoot it and see how much diff it makes.

 

[rost496]

My buddy has the same scope on an 06, we've shot it through the power range at 100 yards(he doesn't shoot past that very often where I generally start at 200 or 300....) and at 100 yards there was not an inch of difference in any of the settings. He zero'd it for 100 at 9x(I don't know why) and I shot a doe with it on 20x for grins, shot at her left eye and caught the bottom of the eye.

Jeff

 

[ruben f.]

Alex,your shooting is pretty durn good! I'm impressed with your dedication to practice at this point in the year. I'll pm Jay to see if he wants to shoot his new 22-250. I'm off friday and so is he. Also, Jimmy fixed the washed-out road with a new tractor he bought. If it would just stop raining for a minute, I might be able to go to the lease. My 8 pointer will be ready maybe sunday or later this coming week. if it is like maybe wednesday, I'll run to the lease, since my taxidermist is 15 minutes from the deer lease.

 

[gundoctor]

No , Changing the Power of zoom will not change POI

tx064deer, clamp a variable scope to something so it can't move. Then as you look at a target 100yds away, change the zoom from max to min and back a few times.
After seeing what happens, I think you'll change your statement a little.
The change in POI may be insignificant, but it will definitely be there.

But alot of the better scopes with high zoom also have An Adjustable Objective I think is what they call it and it does change POI And I think you just have to shoot it and see how much diff it makes.

I've never seen a adjustable objective adjustment cause a POI change.

 

[Redfishr]

No , Changing the Power of zoom will not change POI , But alot of the better scopes with high zoom also have An Adjustable Objective I think is what they call it and it does change POI And I think you just have to shoot it and see how much diff it makes.

Not true........The front adjustment on larger power scopes is a Paralex adj...
Its kinda like a focus....
But POI doesnt change.......

 

[Johnboat]

Optics

I recommend a book I have..not to old so it should still be available. It is "Optics for The Hunter" by John Barsness It definitely clears up a lot of common misunderstandings we all have about scope and binocular performance.

 

[El Cazador]

Nice shooting Asolde. I wouldn't change anything. Although if that is a 100 yard target, two clicks up will (should) get you 1/2" higher (assuming 1/4" click adjustment).

But on to parallax. Too much parallax can change the POI. It will only be noticeable in bench guns that you are shooting for groups. That is why they make scopes with adjustments for removing parallax.

For those that don't know what parallax is; set your rifle on a solid bench and look through the scope at say 100 yards. Now, move your head in a circle. You will notice that a scope with a lot of parllax - the reticle will move as you move your head. What this means, is that to shoot the best group possible, your head will have to be in the exact same spot every time you fire a shot. Scopes w/a PA, are theoretically parallax free once it is focused at the distance being shot. The further the distance... the more the parallax affects the POI.

For hunting guns, scopes with parallax are not a problem. Just my .02

 

[gundoctor]

The further the distance... the more the parallax affects the POI.

Not quite true.
Set your rifle(none parallax adjustable scope) on sandbags so it doesn't move using a 25yd target. Then watch your crosshairs on that target as you move your head in a circle. It'll look like the crosshairs went all over the paper.
Now move to a 300yd target and do the same test. You'll see very little movement of the crosshairs. With a 100yd target there should be no movement, if the scope is set for a center fire rifle.
The distance they set a scope to be parallax free is the only difference between scopes intended for center fire and scopes that are intended for rim fire. Center fire scopes are set to be parallax free at 100yds, while rim fire scopes are set to be free at 40yds. Any thing closer than the focus distance, suffers much more from parallax than anything beyond the focus distance.
With a adjustable objective scope that has a accurate scale for the adjustments, there should be no parallax for the range the objective adjustment is set for.
Parallax only becomes obvious at ranges beyond where the scope is focused when the magnification starts to get pretty high. For distances closer than the scope is focused at parallax is very obvious at even very low power.

Parallax is another one of those things that we can't do much about.
All scopes are free of parallax at one distance only, unless they have a adjustable objective. At any other distance they have parallax.
Even with a adjustable objective, the scope will have parallax at all ranges except the one its set at.

 

[Redfishr]

Thanks for the clarification guys.
I dont buy scopes with parrallax adjustments, but I have shot rifles with them on it.
Just one more thing..

 

[Sometimer]

Don't know if this is right or wrong technically, but with a variable power scope, I sight that sucker in at whatever distance I figger I'll shoot at most likely and set the scope at its highest power. In my way of thinkin, if you sight your scope in while it's set at its highest power, you're viewing a magnified area. Once you dial it in to hit consistently in the circle, when you back off the power you're lookin at more area through the scope, so you (or at least I) can't tell a lick of difference 'cause everything's smaller in the view. Look at the difference of the size of a penny at 4.5 power compared to it at 14 power at 100 yds.
When I shoot - whether at the range or huntin - I usually leave my scope on pretty high power. 'Course I don't shoot at nothin movin faster than a walk using a scope neither. I'm using a .257 Wby with a 4.5-14 Lupy. Works for me is all I know.