Parallax on Nikon BDC scope

[overthere]

I just started reloading for 223 and I have worked up loads that are working well at 100 yards (~ 1 MOA).

I took my Savage 11 trophy hunter XP bolt action to the 300 yard range today and I was having lots of issues getting consistency in my placements, some of it probably related to my shooting skills but I also noticed a lot of parallax in the Nikon 3-9X BDC scope I have on the Savage.

Is this a common occurrence at 300 yards? How similar / different is the 'shooting experience' between 100 and 300 yards? Is parallax just one of the things to expect to deal with?

I had (somewhat naively perhaps) thought that going from 100 to 300 was going to be primarily an exercise in adjusting for bullet drop, assuming no noticeable cross winds etc., but the parallax was just brutal. By just moving my head slightly the crosshairs would cover a good 6 - 8 inches of space on the target.

I'm trying to get a better handle on what to expect going from 100 to 300 yards. Do I need to become more consistent in lining up the shots (thereby compensating for the parallax) or should I get a scope that deals better with parallax going from 100 to 300?

 

[wogpotter]

Any scope without an AO is set for a specific distance, usually 100yds in the case of a centerfire one. Because of this when used at any distance other than the one set it will have paralax. How much is not rreevealed by your post nor is how you determied it so its hard to say if the amount you are seeing is excessive.

I'd suggest checking for paralax at 1oo yds, if there is some you have a problem if not then it's normal. To remove paralax at multiple distances you'd need to get one with an adjustable objective & adjust for each distance.

 

[big al hunter]

You will notice paralax at all distances except the one your scope is set for. As mentioned above that is probably 100 yards. The amount of paralax will vary based on distance and the properties of your scope. You have 2 choices. Practice getting your eye in exactly the same place relative to your scope every shot. ( not very easy ) Or buy a scope with paralax adjustment. Either an adjustable objective or a side focus adjustment. Most companies offer some models with paralax adjustment.