Let’s say you don’t know what a rifle scope is, in fact, it might be the first time you’ve heard of the term. If you get the gears in your head turning, you might think of trying to check out the context clues available and work around the basics. What is a rifle scope? The most basic of layman explanation would conclude that it has something to do with scoping and a rifle. Although you may not be entirely wrong, let’s just say you’re not completely on the mark.
A rifle scope is a nifty little device attached to all sorts of firearm that helps eliminate the difficulty in aiming. It works like a very strong telescope, depending on the magnifying power of your rifle scope you can see up to great distances. This is why it’s a very useful tool for gun enthusiasts, marksmen, and seasoned hunters. In terms of buying one for your rifle, there are credible options like https://adventurefootstep.com/best-rifle-scope-manufacturers/ that you can explorer as well.
Parts of a Rifle Scope
The riflescope is only as good as its parts, after all, what makes a good anything is the quality of what it’s made out of. Each part of the rifle scope contributes to the overall working of the scope, it should also be noted that understanding its components can make it easier for one to pick the rifle scope better.
In a paragraph before, we mentioned that the riflescope is more or less a telescope for your firearm. It helps you aim and eliminates at least three third the error when it comes to shooting. So when you pick a rifle scope, you should first and foremost check the lenses, there are two lenses attached to the scope- The objective lens and the ocular lens (which is a house by the eyepiece). The objective lens is the ones at the farther end, they are usually bigger and is used to transmit light and images to the ocular lens.
The whole thing is usually called the main body, however; the part that houses both lenses is the objective bell.
The parallax and its adjustment features are usually found in the middle of the body. It works side by side with your crosshair, when you shake your head a bit and your reticle moves along with you, then you know your parallax is functioning.
Riflescopes will always have reticles or crosshairs. If you had your fair share of spy movies or shooter games, this is usually where you would see the intended victim being targeted. Examples of different kinds of the reticle are below.
Tips on Picking a Rifle Scope
When going about and picking a rifle scope, there are a lot of things one should consider. It’s not just the brand and model that one looks after; one should also think of the kind of reticle they need to be attached. Where will you use your rifle? Will you be going out hunting with it, or are you just still practicing with it? Do you really need the biggest lens that money could buy? How well does it fit in your budget?
We will try to answer those questions and more.
Reticle
It’s a known fact that there is a lot of reticles (or otherwise known as crosshairs); however, reticles can be summarized into three main kinds. Every other reticle just follows in the fashion of this trio.
The Duplex reticle is characterized as the most basic of the three designs. Its design from hence most crosshair was evolved from.
The next is the Mil-Dot is one of the most used crosshairs among military personnel and the police. The little dots in the middle is a subtle and yet powerful addition, as this improves one’s point of view and aim.
The BDC or short for Bullet Drop Compensator, this is the most popular of them yet. The BDC is known to make shooting accurate. By putting different aiming points into the pattern, it can easily correspond to distances the target may have.
Parallax
The parallax is one of the most important parts of your rifle scope, most parallaxes can often see up to 100 yards. Most rifle scopes don’t really need any adjustment, especially when you are using 10 x magnifications, anything lower and can be easily adjusted by a tilt of your head. To check if your rifle scope has a parallax, move your head away from the scope and nod slowly up and down, even left to right. You also have to keep your rifle steady while you’re testing this. If your reticle moves along with the movements of your head, you have a parallax.
Focal Plane
There are two kinds of focal planes available today; these are the First Focal Plane (FFP) and the Second Focal Plane (SFP). Most people now use SFP reticles, now what does this mean? It means that when your magnification is adjusted or altered in any way, the reticle or crosshair doesn’t change. This is a good thing because it keeps a constant and clear picture in all levels of magnification.
Payout
When you’re out buying your rifle scope, it’s good to note that you should at least put out a hefty $200. High-end manufacturers would make you part with a good $2000-$3500, but they don’t always offer you what you really need. When you’re out buying your rifle scope, be sure to understand a little more of the terminology used among guns men. A long list of that could be found over here, this could ensure in you and the seller meeting eye to eye in a lot of points. Perform your own research into brands and check who offers the best not only in the product that they sell but the kind of warranty you can get from them.
