How to Use the Parallax Setting

In general terms, parallax has to do with the distortions that angles can cause with vision. If you're sitting in the passenger seat of a car, for example, the fuel gauge may appear to be much closer to "Full" (or "Empty") than it actually is, because you're looking at the needle from the side, and your angle of vision causes you to think it's pointing to a different spot on the gauge. With rifles, parallax occurs when you look through a scope, and by changing the parallax settings you can correct for this and end up hitting your target.

Instructions

    • 1

      Place your rifle in a position for shooting, either by putting it on a stand or by taking a standing or lying position, preparing to fire.

    • 2

      Adjust the parallax ring to the appropriate distance to your chosen target. Depending on the manufacturer, the ring may have numbers all the way around or just a series of lines broken up by one or two numbers.

    • 3

      Put your eye to the scope and find the target. Move the rifle so that the cross-hairs surround your target. Move your eye back and forth (not your head -- your eye). If the cross-hairs appear to move with your eye, move to Step 4. If not, move to Step 5.

    • 4

      Turn the parallax ring to the right -- just a small turn, though. Look again at the target through the scope and move your eyes. Repeat this step until the cross-hairs are still even when your eyes move.

    • 5

      Try out the adjustment by sending three or four shots at your target. If the scope is now correct, you'll get a close cluster of shots on your target.