• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

ScopesLife

Find The Best Rifle Scopes For Money

  • Home
  • Scopes
    • Rimfire Scopes
    • Scope for AR-10
    • Scout Scope
    • 300 Blackout Scopes
  • Optics
  • Sport
  • Red Dot Sights
    • Bushnell TRS-25 Review
  • Scope for Ruger 10/22
  • Scopes for Your 30-30 Rifle
  • Scopes For Marlin 336
  • Scope for 6.5 Creedmoor

Looking Inside A Scope and Understanding How Scope Adjustment Work

May 6, 2019 By Libbie C. Hass Leave a Comment

Looking Inside A Scope and Understanding How Scope Adjustment Work

Into A Scope

A scope on a rifle or in any sport optics almost functions in the same way. It is an optical sighting device that consists of many lenses inside a long tube.

Every scope has an objective lens on one end, and its purpose is to transmit light back into the ocular lens which stays on the other end, so you can see the image.

An object that holds the ocular lens is an eyepiece; it is where you place your eye close-up to see things from a far distance. When you look into a scope, that image you see is a light that has been magnified from a focal point by the ocular lens.

Everything inside a scope is controlled by the three knobs outside called turrets, and rifle scopes usually have two or three turrets depending on what type you are using.

On a gun scope, there is a reticle which also known as crosshairs. They are multi lines appeared on your eyepiece, and shooters usually rely on this reticle to aim because it shows them exactly where the shot will hit when they pull a trigger.

However, a bullet flight path does not always go straight due to many factors. Its trajectory is affected by many reasons such as gravity pull, wind or temperature.

To fix this problem, this is when the windage, elevation and parallax turret come into use.

Now that we understand the anatomy of scope, let’s move on to answer the question of why we need scope adjustment.

How Does Scope Adjustment Work?

Scope adjustment is a combination of balancing three things, elevation, windage, and parallax. Learning how to adjust this can take a lot of time and practice, but in the end, you will be rewarded.

The two basic turrets on the scope that everyone can adjust are elevation and windage. They simply help you to sight the reticle up and down or left and right on the target.

Some new high-end scopes nowadays have a parallax turret for focusing, and to add more accuracy. In the past, this feature is not available because they don’t want you to mess with it. But having this option on the scope is a trend now in the game.

People sometimes are confused as what it is exactly when they are making scope adjustment. They are not adjusting the bullet, and neither is the barrel of the gun. The bullet comes out in the same way, and the barrel is fixed. The only thing that moves is the reticle.

This reticle on your scope does not control the bullet’s movement. When you adjust the scope, you simply move this crosshair to where the bullet hits on the target. By doing this, your eye will know where the bullet goes based on the position of the reticle.

Scope adjustment is measured either by MOL (minutes of angle) or MIL (milliradian). The first one is more easier to understand than the latter. Knowing this minute of angle will help you to zero your rifle. It is the first step when adjusting a scope.

Most scopes have 1/4 MOA per click which indicates that every four clicks will be equal to one MOA of adjustment. 1/8 MOA means eight clicks will adjust one MOA and the same goes for others.

Now let’s make a simple calculation. You are aiming a target at 100 yards away, and your scope has 1/8 MOA adjustment. If your shot is 3 inches low, then you need to adjust your scope 3 MOA up by turning the elevation turret by 24 clicks. Did you get it?

This principle works the same on the windage turret. The more inches you short on the target, the more clicks you turn based on the MOA adjustment of the scope.

There are two popular turret types you usually see on a rifle scope; they are exposed turret and capped ones. This adjustment works on both of them. However, the latter requires you to remove the cap, and use an adjustment tool to make changes if they don’t have finger adjustments.

There is a small trick for those who have a regular capped turret. You can use a coin as a tool to adjust it.

Watch this video below to understand more about scope adjustment.

Why Do We Need Scope Adjustment?

At a certain magnification, you should be able to see the image in front of a scope reticle. But when you cannot, this means you are out of focus, and this is what you don’t want to happen.

The shade border effect you are experiencing is called parallax. This happens every time you move your head or adjust the elevation and windage turret.

While adjusting the parallax turret, keep in mind that it must be adjusted slightly when you head, and the eye is moving. You know it’s correct when the reticle no longer move at the target.

There is also a tip for you to correct the elevation and windage turret. You should never adjust both of them at the same time, and always use the same bullet brand for every shot.

Finally, be patient is the most important, you might have to shoot a few rounds before making it right.

Being able to judge the windage, elevation, and parallax is an essential skill for a shooter. It’s all about practicing and dedicating.

Every rifle scope is different, but the way they work always follows this principle. This explains why scope adjustment matters when shooting. It not only helps you to aim but also makes you a great shooter.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, this is all you need to know about how scope adjustment work. Understand this not only helps you to aim properly but also improve your skill. Now if you think this article is helpful, please share it around among your friend, and give some comments below. We love to hear from your experience.

Related Articles

  • 6.5 Creedmoor Or 308 Winchester – Which One Is Better?
  • Top 7 Best Rifle Scope Brands: List & Ultimate Guide
  • What is The Difference Between 270 and 308? Which is Better?

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Featured Posts

Vortex Diamondback Reviews

Vortex Diamondback Review – The Truth about The Budget Rifle Scope

March 22, 2019 By Libbie C. Hass

The Vortex Diamondback 4-12x40 comes with excellent optics. It is a relatively reasonable scope, but … [Read More] about Vortex Diamondback Review – The Truth about The Budget Rifle Scope

Barska scope reviews

The Best Barska Scopes Reviews – The Last Updated Review Of 2019

March 20, 2019 By Libbie C. Hass

Sometimes I come across the argument over whether we should purchase the affordable scopes like the … [Read More] about The Best Barska Scopes Reviews – The Last Updated Review Of 2019

best scopes For 22LR

5 Best Scopes For 22LR in 2019 You Can’t Neglect (Review And Buying Guide)

March 19, 2019 By Libbie C. Hass

A 22LR (or 22 Long Rifle) scope is an ideal choice for short and mid-range shooting as well as … [Read More] about 5 Best Scopes For 22LR in 2019 You Can’t Neglect (Review And Buying Guide)

best scope for 308

Best Scope For .308 List & Buying Guide (2019 Edition)

March 14, 2019 By Libbie C. Hass

The .308 cartridge is popular among hunters. But which is the best scope for .308? Keep on reading … [Read More] about Best Scope For .308 List & Buying Guide (2019 Edition)

Discover 5 Best Varmint Scopes In 2019 & How To Choose The Right One For You

March 14, 2019 By Libbie C. Hass

A varmint scope is specifically designed to help a hunter to focus on a target over long distances, … [Read More] about Discover 5 Best Varmint Scopes In 2019 & How To Choose The Right One For You

best scope for 338 Lapua

The Best Scope For 338 Lapua Review – An Interesting Choice For Hunters

March 12, 2019 By Libbie C. Hass

What is the best scope for 338 Lapua? It is the most common question for me recently. If you read … [Read More] about The Best Scope For 338 Lapua Review – An Interesting Choice For Hunters

best scope For 17 HMR

5 Best Scopes For .17 HMR In 2019 You Must See (List & Buying Guide)

March 11, 2019 By Libbie C. Hass

A scope for .17 HMR (Hornady Magnum Rimfire) has excellent performance in small varmints hunting, … [Read More] about 5 Best Scopes For .17 HMR In 2019 You Must See (List & Buying Guide)

Best Scopes For M1A

Best Scopes for M1A – Choose A Legendary Rifle To Make You A Legendary Shooter

March 7, 2019 By Libbie C. Hass

What do you need to set up an astounding scout rifle game? Nothing but the best scopes for … [Read More] about Best Scopes for M1A – Choose A Legendary Rifle To Make You A Legendary Shooter

best 22-250 Scopes

Top 5 Best .22-250 Scopes: Reviews & Ultimate Buying Guide

March 6, 2019 By Libbie C. Hass

The .22-250 Remington is one of the best-selling and most popular cartridges. That’s why many people … [Read More] about Top 5 Best .22-250 Scopes: Reviews & Ultimate Buying Guide

best Spotting Scope

Top 5 Best Spotting Scopes In 2019 (List & Buying Guide)

March 5, 2019 By Libbie C. Hass

Why do you need a spotting scope? You can use a spotting scope to look at terrestrial objects … [Read More] about Top 5 Best Spotting Scopes In 2019 (List & Buying Guide)

Tags

.22 scope 6.5 creedmoor scope 17 hmr scope 22-250 Scopes 22LR Scopes 300 Blackout Scopes 308 308 scope 338 Lapua scope AR-10 Scope Barska Scopes Barska Scopes review Best Barska Scopes best red dot sight reviews best spotting scope under 500 Bushnell TRS-25 long eye relief scout scope M1A scope Marlin 336 for sale red dot sight red dot sight reviews Rifle Scope rimfire scope ruger 10/22 scope ruger 10/22 scope reviews Scope For .308 scope for 17 HMR scope for 22 250 scope for 30 30 scope for 30-30 reviews scope for 338 Lapua Scope for AR-10 Scope For M1A scope for mini 14 Scope for Ruger 10/22 Scopes For 22LR Scopes For Marlin 336 scout scope Spotting Scope spotting scope reviews Tactical Rifle Scope tripods for spotting scope types of rifle scope Varmint Scopes Varmint Scopes reviews
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
scopeslife.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon, the Amazon logo, AmazonSupply, and the AmazonSupply logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Additionally, scopeslife.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes get a commission through purchases made through our links.

Copyright © 2021 · scopeslife.com