Adjustable Objective or not?

mgaines

mgaines

New member
Hey guys...
I need your opinions again. I'm purchasing a .204 Savage Predator for predator hunting (coyote/bobcat). I'm gonna get something in the Leupold line. My past experience has been shots from 5 yards to 200+ yards. I could shoot as far as 300 in some places. I have a friend whos opinion I value that swears that I should only consider a scope with an adjustable objective. But he always relates his opinion to his experiences praire dog hunting. I have always passed on AO's because I feel that they are just something else to screw with. What do you guys think? Would you get an AO or not, and why?
Thanks
 
I don't like AO's on glass that tops out at 10X or less, which is about the highest any of my hunting rigs wear. At the moment, the highest mag glass I use tops out at 14X and they do have AO's. One is used for testing purposes at the range and I like the AO for eliminating paralax in that scenario; the other is on a woodchuck rifle. I'm sure others will disagree, but that's my 2 cents.
 

If you're going to buy a variable above 14X I would probably get one with AO, most of them come with it anyway. I called leupold and asked approx the same question if I was shooting from 50yds to 300yds what would be the best yardage for setting the AO and leaving it. The answer was 200yds. I use my guns for coyotes,rockchucks,PDs etc. so it's there if I need a parallax correction.
 
If the max power of the scope is over 10 then yes , if max power is under 10 then no. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
I will echo the others. Under 10, mayby 12 power it is not needed. On a calling gun it is not needed. Once over that power range and on a bench or steady rest shooting long ranges (+200-300 yards) it will help to tighten up your groups in the event you have cheek weld issues or place your eyes in a different place in relation to the ocular lens.
 
Gotta agree with everyone else here. With a magnification of 12X and down used against targets that may appear at any range from muzzle-close to ~300 yards, the AO can actually be of more detriment than good.

For higher magnification and used against targets that can be from muzzle close to 1K yards, (but, within reason, at a relatively predictable range) the AO is the way to go.

Mike
 
Quote:
Gotta agree with everyone else here. With a magnification of 12X and down used against targets that may appear at any range from muzzle-close to ~300 yards, the AO can actually be of more detriment than good.

For higher magnification and used against targets that can be from muzzle close to 1K yards, (but, within reason, at a relatively predictable range) the AO is the way to go.

Mike



How could it become a detriment? just asking not questioning your comment.
 
The AO (aside from serving to help minimize parallax) also serves a target focus function. While some have never noticed it, the next time you're at the range, set your AO for 100 yards and observe how clear a 100 yard target is. Then, without moving the AO adjustment, look at something 300 yards away. You'll see that it's not nearly as "focused" as the 100 yard target was. The reverse is also true. An AO set for 250 will provide a sharp target image at that range, but not so clear at 100.

I've found with big game rifles, or on rigs that are used against solitary (non-colony/herd) game animals where the range can vary wildly, it's better to have a non-AO scope, which provides a sharp focus over a greater latitude of range than does an AO equipped scope.

Mike
 
Quote:
I will echo the others. Under 10, mayby 12 power it is not needed. On a calling gun it is not needed. Once over that power range and on a bench or steady rest shooting long ranges (+200-300 yards) it will help to tighten up your groups in the event you have cheek weld issues or place your eyes in a different place in relation to the ocular lens.



I just had to complement your avatar. That is awesome
 
Thanks for all the replies guys.
I think I may have just found the answer to my dilemma...
I live near Kansas City, so I called the Bushnell Factory Outlet in Lenexa, KS. They have the Elite 4200 4X16-40mmAO for $340. The adjustment is on the objective. Seems they have discontinued this model and replaced it with one where the adjustment is on the left side of the turret. This is one helluva buy in my opinion. Those scopes are normally around $500. I have an Elite 4200 on my .22-250 (2.5X10 power) and I really like it.
Sounds like I'd better head to Lenexa.
 
For my 'long range' (250yd +)shooting, I think the AO is needed.

My Savage .204 carries a 2.5-10x AEtek that is non-AO and I would have no qualms about taking an occasional 300yd shot at a coyote size target with it, if all conditions were perfect.

Since I keep it set on 2.5x, I would spend enough time resetting it to 10x without getting busted, that I don't need to be worrying about the objective.
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't an AO scope with the range set at 100 yards going to be identical to the non-AO version of the same scope? I leave my Monarch set at 100 yeards anytime I'm in a position where I'll have a target appear at unknown range.
 
Parallax on non AO rifle scopes is usually set at 150yds.

I have yet to find ANY scope at ANY price where the AO corresponds correctly to the given yardage indicator. The numbers may as well not be there, like on my Mk4 16x40.......
 
Evil Luker, you are half right, some of the scope companies have a non-AO scope set for 100 yards and some of them have them set for 150 yards.

So, if you set your AO scope on 100-150 yards, you will have the same Ao as non-AO scope.

There is a lot of confusion about AO scopes.

I will take an AO scope over a non AO scope any day because I can set it on 150 and forget if for most shooting, but if I am hunting very close shooting, I can set it on 75 yards, if I am shooting open plains, I can set it on 350 and forget it.

The trouble with a non AO scopes is shooting longer shots when the factory set the AO at 150 yards. If you are deer hunting an see a buck at 350 yards, you need to look at his tines to see if any of them have been broken off before you shoot him.
 
My personal opinion is that if you need to look at tines at 350yds, that is what a spotting scope is for. I know others just use their scopes though, and I have been guilty of same also.......
 


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