A scope question for discussion.

Pete Wass

Pete Wass

Well-known member
I have slowly, over time, been having trouble keeping the reticle on my 6X scopes in focus. It has gotten to the point where, when using my internally adjustable scopes, I can not clearly see to shoot through a 25 shot Rimfire card match. My apologies to all of those I have chided in the past who said they could not see to shoot 6X scopes. I now understand. My Eye Dr. has been no help and says my cataracts are thicker in the center and what may be causing this issue.

Well, I have two 6X Burris HBR II scopes I had frozen years ago and have not paid much attention to them as the mounts I have for them are not particularly User Friendly. I did mount one of them on my BAT HBR rifle last week and was surprised that the reticle stayed in focus. Fine and dandy, as some say, so I used it Sunday in a match. Much to my surprise, I was able to see the reticle clearly all day!

Question; what about the scope being frozen might make such a change in what one sees? I have 3 Sightron HBR scopes, which have been great over the years. They have a big "picture" and small hairs and dot and as far as I can tell been "True". I have now 4 of the Burris HBR scopes and have had a number of others over the years. Two are still internally adjustable and the two frozen scopes. I am going to try to use one of the adjustable Burris HBR II this weekend to see if I have been somehow deluded. Any thoughts from anyone on this?

Thanks,

Pete
 
Your issue may not be reticle focus alone, it may, in fact be that many more medium priced lower power optics cannot, in fact, correct for parallax completely and lots, not at all. This can be very subtle in the beginning but eye fatigue ultimately wins out.
There is a reason more shooters, especially older shooters, are investing in the (unfortunately) higher priced, side focus choices, often with a center of focus done to reflect 50 yard shooting.
The reduction in eye strain is substantial when the human eye loses its capacity to make adjustments required .
 
Pete Wass said:
Well, I have two 6X Burris HBR II scopes I had frozen years ago and have not paid much attention to them as the mounts I have for them are not particularly User Friendly. I did mount one of them on my BAT HBR rifle last week and was surprised that the reticle stayed in focus. Fine and dandy, as some say, so I used it Sunday in a match. Much to my surprise, I was able to see the reticle clearly all day!
Click to expand...

Well Pete
All I know is it must have worked well for you. Congratulations on winning the Hunter class beating several top notch shooters.
Dick
 
Pete,
What sort of adjusting have you done to the eyepieces of the scopes that are giving you the problem? In my experience, eyepieces have quite a bit of range through which the reticule may appear to be sharp, because of depth of field, and the eye's ability to compensate. I know that you are a highly skilled veteran shooter, but I commonly see shooters staring at their reticules for what in my opinion is entirely too long, when making adjustments. I try to get the scope in position so that I am looking at something like a cloudless sky, and only glance at the reticule for perhaps a half of a second before closing the eye, and then I form an opinion as to what I have seen based on that, rather than continuing to stare. This is all probably all old hat for you, but I thought that there would be little harm in bringing it up. Bottom line, if your eyepieces are in that range where the eye can initially compensate, but fatigue changes that, it might cause what you have been experiencing.
Boyd
 
Thanks Dick

Dick Grosbier said:
Well Pete
All I know is it must have worked well for you. Congratulations on winning the Hunter class beating several top notch shooters.
Dick
Click to expand...

It's been quite awhile for me as I am dabbling in too many rifles shooting sports at the present time. I appreciate your kind words.

Pete
 
Well Boyd,

Boyd Allen said:
Pete,
What sort of adjusting have you done to the eyepieces of the scopes that are giving you the problem? In my experience, eyepieces have quite a bit of range through which the reticule may appear to be sharp, because of depth of field, and the eye's ability to compensate. I know that you are a highly skilled veteran shooter, but I commonly see shooters staring at their reticules for what in my opinion is entirely too long, when making adjustments. I try to get the scope in position so that I am looking at something like a cloudless sky, and only glance at the reticule for perhaps a half of a second before closing the eye, and then I form an opinion as to what I have seen based on that, rather than continuing to stare. This is all probably all old hat for you, but I thought that there would be little harm in bringing it up. Bottom line, if your eyepieces are in that range where the eye can initially compensate, but fatigue changes that, it might cause what you have been experiencing.
Boyd
Click to expand...

The Burris HBRII has the feature that only permits a movable lens at the rear of the scope to be moved. With the others, the whole ocular bell has to be moved. I don't know, I have been shooting the 6X game for years, owned perhaps 25 and probably more 6X scopes over all this time, searching for the Holey Grail. Great, reliable 6X scopes have been very hard to find until recently I think. A friend has a March lo power variable and he has the same problem with it that I do with mine. (long time shooter as well) It's just been the past year that I have had the problem. I think Tim is right regarding the parallax issues because I have to move both front and rear to get a clear picture but it doesn't stay - - on all but the two frozen internals scopes. Don't understand how that could change the parallax situation though which is what I am trying to find out by asking the question.

A friend called yesterday to tell me not to wait for the cataracts to keep growing, to have them removed now. Makes sense if they will do them I think.

Pete
 
THanks for the reply Tim

tim said:
Your issue may not be reticle focus alone, it may, in fact be that many more medium priced lower power optics cannot, in fact, correct for parallax completely and lots, not at all. This can be very subtle in the beginning but eye fatigue ultimately wins out.
There is a reason more shooters, especially older shooters, are investing in the (unfortunately) higher priced, side focus choices, often with a center of focus done to reflect 50 yard shooting.
The reduction in eye strain is substantial when the human eye loses its capacity to make adjustments required .
Click to expand...



You could be right, I obviously don't know what is wrong. I think removing the cataracts may be the best answer. I am going to see if that may be possible today. A friend called yesterday urging me to do that. We'll see. I have a former client who is in that bidness and I will go to see him today.

Pete
 
Based on your response, I believe that your attempts are aggrevating the issue. The eyepiece's. ONLY function is reticle focus and as Boyd alluded, if you look to long, your eye compinsates. You need to look breifly, look away, come back and do this a few times until you get an instantly clear reticle.
The pretty issue, older eyes generally require adjustable objective at a minimum, side focus, better
Is bet plenty the guy with the March has an improperly focused reticle leading to his mid target eye fatigue.
 
A Scope question for discussion

I don't have any experience in hunting and new to the shooting. I often spend my time with digiscoping and photography. Nice to see here the shooting experience shared .
 
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