Gun Scopes
If you are new to gun scopes or are looking at gathering more information before you buy a scope, our crash course in scopes will give you the answers.
The decision to own a gun is a personal decision, and one to be taken seriously. Whatever the reason for owning a gun, hunting, personal defense, or recreational, you will want to be educated on the subject as much as possible.
Terminology
In your search for gun scopes you have probably come across some new terms that you may or may not know the meaning of. There is specific terminology with optics and I’ll list some here.
Eye Relief: How far your eye is from the eyepiece.
Objective Lens: The diameter of the objective lens, usually measured in millimeters. The larger the number means a larger lens. The larger the lens the more light can enter it yielding a brighter picture.
Field of View (FOV): The area you can see through your scope, measured from left to right.
Tube Diameter: The majority of scopes have a one inch tube diameter. A larger tube does not let in more light.
Length and Weight: Pretty self explanatory. Something to keep in mind is that the more weight you carry around can get heavier and heavier as the day goes on. A lightweight scope is a good choice.
Parallax: This is how the reticle appears on the targeted object at different ranges.
Turrets: These are the knobs on the top or side of the scope. These adjust for both wind and elevation.
Zero: When your gun and scope are sighted in together.
Power: The level of magnification.
Fixed Power Scope: The magnification is fixed to a certain power.
Variable Power Scope: Used for shooting at different distances, a variable power scope can have magnification of different powers.
These are a few of the terms and parts of a scope you will need to understand.
Zero Your Scope
Sighting your gun scope is for rifles and long distances. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for mounting the scope then you will need to follow these steps to zero your scope.
Bore Sight (Optional): You can get a bore sight to get your gun scope roughed in, but this is optional. It is recommended that you do this at a range, rather than your back yard.
At The Range: If you skipped the bore sight, this is where you start. Put the target out to 25 yards. Get comfortable and take a shot when you’re ready, aiming for the bullseye. It’s best to shoot a group of three or so shots to eliminate the possibility of a bad shot.
Measure and Adjust: Take a look at your 25 yard target to see how close you were to the bullseye. Observe if there is any area that is off. For example, all your shots are off to the left ½ inch. Adjust your scope as necessary.