How do I correclty focus my scope/reticle with accordance to parralax. I managed to screw with a good thing and when I adjust parrallax it hits knowere it should at 100, 200 & 300 yards...

Thanks!

Well focus and parallax won't make your rifle/ammo shoot straight, or align the scope properly.

But, all else being OK you should focus the cross-hair against the sky or such until clear and sharp to your eye. Then leave it.
Parallax is pretty well fixed unless your scope has an adjustment for it on the front bell or extra turret near the x-hair adjustments.

If so it should be marked for the range needed.
This setting is usually a bit off, so you look at your target while the rifle is in a good rest and move your head/eye around the rear lense. If the x-hairs seem to move around the target centre, it's a bit out. If so just adjust the parallax ring back and forth a bit until the apparent movement stops. Then the target should also be clear and sharp along with the x-hair.

If your eye is in the centre of the image a little parallax error shouldn't matter for hunting accuracy. That's why a lot of scopes don't have adjustments for it.

JAL, that's a good write up, but, when you adjust the objective bell, you are also focussing the "target". Will one (focussing the target) also fix the parallax?
peter.

since focus changes with range as does parallax the 1st part when you focus the cross wires is to get a clear picture of the crosswires. then the parallax and focus comes with the objective lens. what it all boils down to is that the first part makes sure that the crosswires aren't fuzzy, then the second part takes care of both focus and parallax at the same time. if in doubt focus the objective lens on the target and move your head side to side while looking at the crosswires and see if they move on the target or not.

First, set the parallax (adjustable objective) to infinity and put the scope on its highest power.

Now look at a cloud or something in the sky, a white wall letting your eye relax to infinity and focus the reticle so it's sharp and black (using the eyepiece). Take breaks so your eye doesn't get too fatigued and to let it stop compensating.

Once that is done you should be done. Leave the eyepiece focus alone. Point the scope at various objects at various distances and focus with the parallax adjustment. If it's a good quality scope, the object and the reticle should come into focus together at the same time when parallax is removed. Move your head to check for parallax.

The only thing that the eyepeice focus does is focus the Reticle. It does NOT have anything to do with Parallax. There has been a good deal of incorrect BS bandied about about using the eyepeice to adjust Parallax - it doesn't happen.
There are two ways to adjust parallax. One is as mentioned above - have a scope with adjustable parallax in either the objective or on a side turret. If your scope doesn't have an adjustable objective some brands will allow you to send it back to the factory and have them adjust it.

From the Leupold Answer Guide:

The Leupold Answer Guide

A Clear Understanding of Parallax
Often, people will pick up and use technical terms without really understanding their meaning. Take, for instance, the term parallax. How often have you heard people talk about parallax? Do you know what it means? Can you explain it to other shooters? If you can't, you're not alone. Many people are confused as to just what this term means. Quite simply, parallax is the situation that occurs when the reticle and the image are not in the same optical plane, causing the image to be unclear or to move in relation to the reticle. "Wait a minute, wait a minute," I can hear you say, "what's all this about optical planes?" Remember when you were a kid and you would burn a piece of paper (or a bug) with a magnifying glass by focusing the light of the sun on it? What you were doing was bringing the magnified image of the sun into the same optical plane as the piece of paper. Therefore, when you are bringing the image of the target into the same optical plane as the reticle, you are doing something similar; you are focusing the image of the target onto the reticle. Bringing the image into the plane of the reticle is important because if it is not in the same plane, the image will not be clear and reliable. Just as you had to move the magnifying glass back and forth to focus the image of the sun on the paper or it would be unclear of blurry and not burn the paper, so you have to move the lens of the scope back and forth to bring the image into the reticle plane or it will be unclear and not be useful. This is what we do in the Leupold factory when we set the parallax of the scope to a distance; we move the lens until an image that is a specific distance away, say 150 yards, focuses perfectly on the same plane as the reticle. You are doing the same thing when you adjust the adjustable objective or side focus dial of a scope with one of those features; moving the lens to focus the image on the same plane as the reticle. All of this is important because if the image and the reticle are not in the same plane, the image will be unclear and the reticle will appear to move in relation to the target. If either of these things happens, the result is obvious: you will not have a consistent point of impact. This becomes more important as the magnification of a scope increases - the greater magnification makes the focusing of the image more sensitive to changes in distance from the target. That is why lower magnification scopes are generally set at the factory for a specific distance and higher magnification scopes feature adjustable objectives or side focus dials. Knowing this and being able to explain it clearly will certainly inspire confidence in you on the part of other shooters. It will also help you in your own shooting activities, as you will better be able to understand how your own scope is performing.

Can I have the parallax setting changed on my scope?
Leupold is able to change the internal parallax setting of a Leupold scope. Please check our website for current Custom Shop pricing and all services offered.

The Leupold Answer Guide

How do I Focus the Eyepiece of my Leupold?
Focusing the Reticle Have you ever looked through a scope and had the reticle seem soft or fuzzy? If so, this means the eyepiece is not properly adjusted to your eye. Focusing is simple with Leupold scopes, because they have a generous focusing range, and because no tools are required. Just follow these steps: Secure the scope and firearm in a firm rest. Point the scope at a light colored background object. With the scope approximately four inches from your eye the reticle should appear sharp and crisp; if it does not, it is necessary to adjust the focus by means of the eyepiece. If your Leupold scope is one of our models with an eyepiece that has a lock ring, follow these simple steps: 1. Grasp the eyepiece with your hand and back it away from the lock ring. Once the lock ring is free from the eyepiece, turn it clockwise away from the eyepiece to keep it out of the way during the adjustment. 2. If you tend to hold things away from yourself to see them clearly (you are far-sighted) turn the eyepiece counter-clockwise by three or four turns. If you hold things close to yourself to see them clearly (you are near-sighted) turn the eyepiece clockwise by three of four turns. 3. Looking through the scope when pointed at the sky, take a few quick glances at the reticle. The focus of the reticle should be noticeably different from when you started. Continue this process until the reticle appears clear and sharp. 4. When you are satisfied with the image of the reticle, turn the lock ring so that it rests firmly against the eyepiece. If your Leupold scope is one of our models with a fast-focus eyepiece, follow these simple steps: 1. All adjustment is made with the eyepiece. 2. Look through the scope with quick glances while focusing the reticle image. If you tend to hold things away from yourself to see them clearly (far-sighted) turn the eyepiece ring counter-clockwise until the reticle is clear and sharp. If you hold them close to yourself to see them clearly (near-sighted) turn the eyepiece ring clockwise until the reticle is sharp and clear. If your eyesight changes, readjust the eyepiece. As we age, eyesight normally changes. You may want to check the sharpness of the reticle on your scope every few years to ensure it is still adjusted correctly for your eye. NOTE: To protect the integrity of the waterproof seal of every Leupold Golden Ring scope, an internal mechanism prevents the eyepiece from coming off the scope.


..................................DJ

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:
JAL, that's a good write up, but, when you adjust the objective bell, you are also focussing the "target". Will one (focussing the target) also fix the parallax?
peter.

Yeah, from what I can gather it's one and the same, BUT, I think focusing the target can be a bit subjective, and testing for reticule movement a little more exact. I usually just focus for a clear target or just set the front adjustment near where it has proved to be, on one of mine, a little more than the marked distance. Then only for target shooting anyway.