spend as much on a scope as the rifle?

About 10 years ago it was true you had to spend as much or more for good glass as you spent for a good rifle.
But times have changed, Today you can spend your money the way you want but for me a good name brand scope of lower price is what I look for. The big money scopes are only paying for the lifetime warranty. I take good care of my scoped guns & don't need to pay extra for the warranty. The scopes I buy can take a little rough handling & give good accuracy for much less than the high priced scopes. I normally pay 1/4 to 1/2 of what I pay for the gun on a scope.
 
Bart B.
Stagpanther

I believe spotting scoped and binoculars DO have a paralax adjustment. I believe it is called the focus knob on both. Generally binoculars have one eye piece you can adjust to balance the focus between the 2 tubes. the "focus" on top is actually a paralax adjustment. The spotting scope I have works similarly with the eye piece being adjusted to match your eye, and the focus knob setting the paralax.
 
The correct name for that adjustment on binoculars and spotting scopes is focus.

There's no reticle in them so it's impossible to see if any slight focus error exists. Therefore, there's no parallax.
 
Bart B. said:
The correct name for that adjustment on binoculars and spotting scopes is focus.

There's no reticle in them so it's impossible to see if any slight focus error exists. Therefore, there's no parallax.
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Don't confuse marketing lingo with function. I have seen more that a few scopes that have "side focus", "range finding focus", and "adjustable objective lenses", which are all paralax adjustments under other names. It does not matter what something is called. It matters what it does.
 
You're confusing emotional feelings with telescope lens industry standards for optical functions.

Memorize the first sentence in post 35.

Search the 'net for patent documents that mention "adjusting parallax" then post the link to them.

Who believes a 20X scope has an objective lens system focal length of about 40 inches; 60 inches if 30X?
 
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Bart B. said:
You're confusing emotional feelings with telescope lens industry standards for optical functions.

Memorize the first sentence in post 35.

Search the 'net for patent documents that mention "adjusting parallax" then post the link to them.

Who believes a 20X scope has an objective lens system focal length of about 40 inches; 60 inches if 30X?
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No, no I'm not. I'm concerned with the the function of the knobs do, not what an industry has decided to call it unless the name reflects the actual function. Your criptic answer is rather unhelpful. Feel free to explain and or link documents supporting your explanation rather than tell me to "go look it up". If you have not noticed there is a significant amount of data out there. And tons of it is contradictory. I am sure I can find plenty of documents to support my understanding of things. But finding the specific documents you founds which offer a different perspective, will be well nigh impossible for me.

Not to mention that I would like to understand, rather than go tit for tat with documents.

For example. Some scopes have a fast focus eye piece. However in a different industry, binoculars, it is commonly called a "diopter". However by definition Diopter is " a unit of measurement of the optical power of a lens or curved mirror". While it may be making ad adjustment to the power of the lens it in and of itself is not a diopter. While some industry standard terminologies are good, some are completely inaccurate. And not all companies use "industry standard terminology", like some companies calling something that does the same function as paralax adjustment, adjustable objective lense, side focus knob, range finding focus knob, and I am sure others. I again, am concerned with the function, not industry lingo, unless it is consistent (which is it not in this case) and reflects the actual function.

Also, we are entirely off topic.
 
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Shadow9mm,

That knob always focuses the target image in the reticle when set correctly.

It changes parallax only when the eye is off the scope's optical axis
 
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I really do not know that much about optics. I do not take optics apart or make changes. I know,its just a thing,like a gun or a carburetor. Not everyone should monkey with those,either.

Just mentally pondering... Isn't parallax about the apparent displacement of the reticle??? And doesn't that have something to do with the reticle being exactly at some focal length? So then would first or second focal plane reticle have something to do with adjusting parallax?

I don't know that I'm doing anything right,but I prefer vaiables with a power ring,rather than twisting the eyepiece.
I do not think the rotating eyepiece variables are as robust.
I don't have the quick focus oculars. I have the kind with the lock ring,and I go for the best reticle focus I can get against the sky. I suppose if a rifle gets passed around,the quick focus could be good. For my personal rifle? The lockring type does not move. Less fiddling and distraction.

If I have a side or objective focus,I don't look at the "range" on the knob.

I go for best reticle focus.

Binoculars and spotting scopes? Without a reticle...What is "apparently displaced" I don't have binos or spotting scope with a reticle. I might some day. It would be good to know about.

Typical binos have one master focus wheel,and one ocular focus to synch both eyes. Cover the eye with the adjustable ocular,and get best focus with the master wheel.Then.without moving the master,get best focus with the adjustable ocular.
 
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HiBC,

Yes, parallax is the visual angular displacement of the reticle from the target image when the aiming eye is off the scope optical axis.

If the eye is to the right of that axis and the target image is in front of the second focal plane reticle because the scope's focused beyond target range, the target appears right of the reticle center.

As the scope's objective lenses are focused at shorter ranges, the second focal plane target image moves back and will be focused on the reticle when the objective lens system is focused on the closer target after moving forward enough (or optically changes its focal length) to do that.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parallax
 
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There's no reticle in them so it's impossible to see if any slight focus error exists. Therefore, there's no parallax.
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My father served on destroyers in the Navy--I'm almost certain he had binoculars that had a ranging reticle. he also had an obsession with making every piece of furniture possible out of spent 5 inch main battery cases.:)
 
I don't pay so much attention to the dollar amount as I do the overall quality. I want a high quality scope on a high quality rifle; however alot depends on what I'm trying to do. For most of my purposes all I need out of a scope is for it to hold it's zero and not fog up. There are plenty of good options that cost less than half of what a middle of the road rifle would cost.
 
Parallax (from Ancient Greek παράλλαξις (parallaxis) 'alternation') is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight, and is measured by the angle or semi-angle of inclination between those two lines.
 
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Technology

I lean more to the budget end of the scale on scopes as well. Here's why.

There have been many technical advances in optics and coatings over recent decades. Technological advances typically drive down cost, faster, cheaper, better. Just look at the advances driven by virtually unlimited cheap computing power on optics design.

Not sure how that would relate in cost to my rifle, it was manufactured about 70 years ago, and has changed darn little in the last 150 years.
 
'Tis my opinion that mechanical quality is much more important than optical quality. Especially for variable power scopes.

Does your variable power scope pass a hysteresis test at both ends of the power range? That's a figure 8 path the reticle makes as the zoom changes direction. It's a common problem.

Too bad scope's image quality is not measured the same way camera lenses are. It's easy enough to do with a digital image sensor in their second image plane. Focus accuracy can easily be measured to see if any error is present that can cause parallax issues.
 
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just received my new scope for my cz455. sIII 8x32-57 1/8 minute dot. almost as much money as the gun, yuck yuck.
....it really depends on what shooting you are planning. hunting, plinking, formal target shooting or in this case rimfire bench rest.
,,,generally speaking most of my more accurate guns wear iron sights or scopes that match or exceed price of the gun. fwiw.
 
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One of the best scopes I ever had was a 2.5x20 Simmons shotgun scope. Light, compact and simple. With 5.5 inches of eye relief, it was super easy and quick to get behind. It was the perfect scope for a 45-70 Guide Gun. I paid $19.99 for that scope on sale. A golf ball at 100 yards didn't stand a chance.
 
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