So, it's time to buy a new riflescope and you are getting ready to start shopping. If you haven't purchased a rifle scope in the last 10 years or so, you may be in for a surprise as things have changed quite a bit in the riflescope industry. When buying a scope these days, you need to know terms like field of view, parallax, and objective lens. These terms aren't all that complicated, but you'll be able to make an educated buying decision.
Before we get into the terminology, it's important to clearly define what type of shooting you will be doing as scopes these days can be very use specific. If you are doing long range shooting or varmint hunting, you'll need a scope designed for that use. If you are shooting a .22 for plinking or for fun, then you won't need a high power scope. Clearly identifying the type of shooting that you will be doing will make it much easier to choose the best scope for that purpose.
Let's get into common riflescope terminology:
Parallax - Parallax is a fancy term that basically describes a condition that occurs when the target image is not precisely focused due to misalignment of shooters eye on the reticle plane. The truth is, every riflescope has some degree of parallax, and it's more pronounced at longer distances. You can view parallax when shooting as it appears as apparent movement between the crosshairs and the target when a shooter moves their head and changes eye alignment in the scope. Many modern riflescopes have a built-in parallax adjustment that compensates for this condition based on the range to the target. If you are shooting beyond 100 yards, this is a nice feature to have.
Scope Magnification - This is also called the scope "power". There are two basic kinds of rifle scopes for sporting purposes, fixed power and variable power scopes. Fixed power scopes have a preset magnification power set by the manufacturer that can't be changed. A good example of a fixed power scope is a 4 X 32, which has a fixed 4 power magnification that magnifies an object up to 4 times larger than you could see with the naked eye. Variable power scopes possess an adjustable magnification that can be changed within a preset range. For example, a 3 X 9 X 40 would be a variable power scope where the power can be adjusted anywhere from 3X up to 9X by turning an adjustment ring. Most variable power scopes have the adjustment ring on the objective lens, but some of the new scope models have this adjustment on the side and are called side focus models.
Field of view - The field of view is commonly called the FOV, and it's the measure of how much area you can see through your scope at 100 yards. For example, a scope with a FOV of 30 would mean that at 100 yards you would be able to see 15 feet to the left and 15 feet to the right of the target.
Eye relief - The eye relief is a term used to describe the optimal distance between your eye and the scope, where you can see the scopes entire field of view. Typically, if you move your head forward and move underneath the eye relief distance, you won't be able to see the entire field of view. Most scopes have an eye relief between 2 and 4 inches, depending on the power of the scope. The higher power scopes tend to require a longer eye relief.
Objective lens - The objective lens is the lens in the front of the scope, and is usually measured in millimeters. The larger the size of the lens, the more light it will gather. In the case of objective lenses, bigger isn't always better as the larger objectives will be heavier and may require special rings or bases to mount to your weapon. Generally, an objective lens anywhere between 32mm to 44mm will be fine.
So the time has come to pick-up a new riflescope?
We recommend taking the time to educate yourself on the all the new riflescope
features so you can buy the best scope for your needs. For more information
on rifle scopes, please visit our web site at best
rifle scopes.
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