One More Scope Sighting Question
I have often wondered if it makes any difference what power setting you have your scope set on when sighting in for the first time. Say if I'm set on 4 and get my zero , then have cause while hunting to go up to 7 , would my point of impact be any different ? I'm working with a 270 and a Nikon scope.
leafrivermac
leafrivermac
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Hey Leafriver, with a good scope makes no difference, if there is a point of impact change when changing powers you have big trouble and should send that scope to the manufacturer for service. I always sight in my Leupold 3x9's on 9 power and a lot of times have shot game on 9 power as well because it is open here in Colorado and sometimes shots are long. I always carry it on low (3) power cuz you never have time to turn it down when they are close, you almost always have time to turn it up when they are far. But anyways I do shoot it at the range on 3,4, or 6 power at 100yards just to check and see that it's shooting the same as it does on 9 and it always shoots to the same point of impact. Good luck! 0 -
There is actually a Yes & No answer to your question.
The No side as Snellstorm explained is right about shifting POI when power changing on a quality, undamaged, or properly adjusted scope.
The Yes side has three factors that can influence what I call, "True Sight In".
They are:
1. Amount of internal adjustments used.
2. Power (magnification) used.
3. Quality of mounting system, and how it was done.
Happy Bullet Holes!0 -
Guns& Glass I'm not following you, I still say if you change the magnification ring on your scope and you have a shift in point of impact you have a bad scope, all other things like proper mounting and the like being accounted for. 0 -
Relating to:
#1. Internal Adjustments.
99.9% of scopes use a single bias spring to hold the inner tube which pushes against the adjusting points.
If the system has a weak mechanical design, varying quality control of the components dimensions, and - or a small focus window (optical axis design), as power is changed the internals can not track correctly.
That can - will create a POI shift.
#2. Higher magnification allows one to see better. Adjusting AND sighting in at 4X vs 9X gives a lesser quality of sight picture, and less accuracy.
All optics have boundaries whether optical, chemical, or mechanical.
Adjusting any scope at anything but the highest power is, was, and will always be the wrong procedure.
Hope this is getting....'clearer', and I'm not confusing.
Happy Bullet Holes!0 -
It seems to me that I saw somewhere, . . .maybe in the "Sighting In " section of the manual of some cheap 22 rifle scope , that one should set the scope at it's highest power to sight the scope in. Wherever I saw that , the idea stuck with me and I am now wondering if it applies to any other scopes as well. I can't say that I have had many scope / rifle combinations , but I have had several and I had never considered this or noticed any change in POI no matter what my setting was. But then again there is not much long distance shooting here so there has not been much concern about magnification. Although once I did make a 270 yd shot at a deer on a power line and I remember not turning my scope up past 6X because of not having practiced at the higher settings.
leafrivermac0 -
Guns& Glass thanks for making that clear, I am with you 100%, and agree Leafrivermac should sight in his rifle on it's highest power. I also think if he has a concern about moving the point of impact when he changes power then after he is accurately sighted in on highest power he should "prove it to himself" by changing the scopes power and shooting another group. Nothing makes you a better shot like having 100% confidence in your equipment. If you are totally confident in the equipment you can focus all of your attention on doing your job and making an excellent shot. It works for me. 0
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