AO Adjustable Objective Scope question for you serious shooters and hunters.

[redsnapper101]

Hello all,

I am considering a new scope for my new .308 and I have never owned a scope over 10 power and thus have stayed away from AO lenses. To be honest with you I really didn't even understand parallax until I read this great article:

http://www.snipercountry.com/Articles/Parallax.asp

My question is more along the lines of do I need this AO for the type of shooting I will be doing? I will mostly be shooting in the 80 - 200 yard range in hunting situations. I don't spend an abundant amount of time at the range with my big rifles. I might every once in a while (every 5 years) get a shot at 300 - 400 yards. Having read the article above, in hunting situations with live targets that may be moving into the brush, is the AO just another thing I have to mess with that might give that trophy a chance to get to cover? Is it really worth the extra effort and expense? Will I appreciate having an AO anywhere besides the range?

I know there are some serious range guys on here... Would love to hear from them and guys like me that site a rifle in, check it at the range before the season or a big trip and go hunt.

[redsnapper101]

TTT bump for the afternoon crowd

[Artos]

I like AO's on my scopes but they certainly are not needed and can backfire on you (as can higher magnification) if you do not remember to reset after adjustment.

My main gun is a 280AI with a 6.5x20x40 wAO....if a buck comes out at distance and I want to look at detail, I can crank to 20 and use the AO for fine adjustment focus...good stuff. BUT!! If i just set the rifle back in the blind and a yote runs across at 50yds, it's going to be a booger getting on him on 20x. I've learned this the hard way.

My routine is to always leave on the lowest power at 6.5 and the AO in the 150-175 range as that is where most non AO's are set after I have been messing with it.

THere is nothing a basic 3-9x40 scope can't do in hunting applications over the highers w/ AO...you just need to decide if having the extra power and fine adjustment of the AO is worth it to you.

[Cajun Blake]

I own 19 rifle scopes and 18 have an AO or SF feature . Fine tuning the parallax is crucial when shooting groups for accuracy at 50 yds, 200 yds, or 600+ yds.

factory scopes have parallax set at 100 yds. which means your scope will have optimum clarity and focus at 100 yds. Rimfire scope has parallax set at 50 yds. ..... If shooting an animal or target at 63 yds or 263 yds., the scope w/out an AO will be out of focus.

once i know my target distance using a Leica rangefinder (deer, crow, squirrel, paper target, coyote, prairie dog, armadillo, etc....) I adjust my A.O. or SF for precise scope focus and send the bullet.

an adjustable objective or side focus helps increase confidence when pulling the trigger. If i want to shoot an animal in the head or eyeball, I know my rifles are fully capable of getting the job done with one shot.

non parallax adjustable scopes will work for the avg. deer hunter who shoots his rifle 6-10 times per year at deer eating corn 118 yds away.

For my shooting and hunting style, an AO is a necessary tool to help improve accuracy

to each their own

[redsnapper101]

A little more

I own 19 rifle scopes and 18 have an AO or SF feature . Fine tuning the parallax is crucial when shooting groups for accuracy at 50 yds, 200 yds, or 600+ yds.

factory scopes have parallax set at 100 yds. which means your scope will have optimum clarity and focus at 100 yds. Rimfire scope has parallax set at 50 yds. ..... If shooting an animal or target at 63 yds or 263 yds., the scope w/out an AO will be out of focus.

once i know my target distance using a Leica rangefinder (deer, crow, squirrel, paper target, coyote, prairie dog, armadillo, etc....) I adjust my A.O. or SF for precise scope focus and send the bullet.

an adjustable objective or side focus helps increase confidence when pulling the trigger. If i want to shoot an animal in the head or eyeball, I know my rifles are fully capable of getting the job done with one shot.

non parallax adjustable scopes will work for the avg. deer hunter who shoots his rifle 6-10 times per year at deer eating corn 118 yds away.

For my shooting and hunting style, an AO is a necessary tool to help improve accuracy

to each their own

Since you are a big AO Fan, let me ask you this... when hunting has there ever been a situation where you wish you didn't have the AO? Moving target? no time to adjust? Curious, my last three bucks I killed were all on a doe and stopped with an agressive grunt call... not sure I would have time to adjust AO ... your thoughts?

[Cajun Blake]

I have never been in a hunting situation where I wish I didn't have the AO.

when i use to hunt in Ozona , I had shots from 50 yds to over 500 yds. Since I knew my feeder was at 175 yds, I set the parallax for known distance and left it.

when deer were chasing does at closer or farther distances, I either left the AO alone or had enough time to adjust. Scopes with an AO have yardage markings on the objective ring. It takes less than 2 seconds to fine tune for yardage and distance.

if you don't have time to adjust, you just aim crosshairs on deer and pull the trigger.

You're not gonna miss a deer at 75 yds., if your AO is set on 200 yds.

my suggestion, go to a local gunshop or ask a freind who may have an AO scope. Look thru the scopes and play with the AO while fine tuning and scoping objects at various distances.

[Bonesplitter]

I prefer a side focus and for normal hunting situations an adjustable objective is not needed. IMO.

[redsnapper101]

Cajun Blake thanks a lot for the input, Thanks to all.... I need to find one to play with for sure.