Scopes will not make you a better shooter on their own, but they can make your job a bit easier if you know what to do. A scope makes the job of aligning all of your sights easier. It allows you to see better and get a clearer picture of your target. When you know what to do, scopes will enable you to shoot in poor conditions when you start to feel the effects of fatigue. A scope, similar to a DS fold-down lever, is among the most important rifle accessories you can acquire, but you want to make sure you buy the best one for your rifle.
Consider How You Will Use the Rifle
Before looking at scopes and scope accessories, you want to think about how you will use the gun. Will you mostly use it for target practice at a range of 100 yards? Do you plan on going hunting in the woods where you may need to shoot something at a much longer distance? When you are in the woods, the trees may hamper your vision, but if you hunt in wide-open spaces, then a scope can help you see your prey from further away.
Think About What Magnification Will Help You Best
When you purchase your scope, you will find it comes with two numbers. It may read similar to “3-9×40.” The numbers left of the “x” show how much larger the target will appear in the scope to the naked eye. In the above example, the target will appear anywhere between three and nine times larger than how you could see it with only your eyes.
Anything below 10 is ideal for off-hand shooting. If you have a full-scale rifle, then you will want something with a magnification between 12 and 20. These are preferable for wider, open spaces when you need to take longer shots. There is no benefit to paying for a higher magnification when you will not need it.
Check for Environmental Conditions
No matter where you live, you must make sure the scope you purchase is fog-proof. Fog can descend on a valley in a moment’s notice, and you want to be ready. Additionally, you want to make sure your scope is able to hold up well in extreme humidity, moisture, and heats. In general, it is best to have a weather-proofed scope if you tend to hunt in a variety of locales.
Look for the Eye Relief
All high-quality scopes will come eye relief, which determines how far back your head can be from the scope to see everything. You want to make sure the eye relief is a safe distance away so that you avoid
“scope eye” or a black ring around one of your eyes. Additionally, you want to be a safe distance back anyway because the scope could hit you in the face from the recoil of the gun. Four inches is the most common eye relief for long-range rifles.
Examine the Parallax Correction Knob
Some scopes will not come with a parallax, which is designed to enhance regularity and consistency to your shots. When you have the parallax, the crosshairs will actually move with your head. This can make short-range shooting a lot more complicated. Again, consider what type of hunting you tend to do so that you can decide if the parallax is even necessary.
Scopes are made to make the lives of hunters so much simpler. Fortunately, you can find a wide range of scopes as well as scope accessories from Switchview USA. Contact us via phone or fax if you have any questions about our line of products. We can help you find the perfect scope for your rifle.