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How to Manage a Scope on a Gun

Managing a rifle scope is a simple process, provided you know the basic operation and features of your scope. Rifle scopes generally come in two varieties: fixed and variable power. Fixed power scopes are preset at a specific magnification; variable power scopes give you the option of changing the magnification. If a scope is described as 3 -- 9 x 50mm, that means that the scope's power can be adjusted from three times' magnification to nine times' magnification. The 50mm refers to the field of vision that the scope provides.

Things You'll Need

Scope

Instructions

- 1
  If your scope needs to be zeroed in, you can adjust the scope crosshairs by using the adjustment dials located in the center of the scope body. The dial on top of the scope adjusts the horizontal axis of the scope, turning the dial clockwise will move the crosshairs left and turning the dial counter-clockwise moves the crosshairs right. The dial on the right side of the scope adjusts the scope's vertical axis, turning the dial clockwise will move the crosshairs down and turning the dial counter-clockwise moves the crosshairs up.
- 2
  Adjust the scope's magnification by turning the variable power ring (located just before the eyepiece). The numbers on the ring denote the power of that particular setting. Line up the desired magnification with the dot on top of the scope adjacent to the ring.
- 3
  Adjust the scope for parallax error by adjusting the objective bell on the far end of the scope (not all scopes are equipped with this feature). Parallax is the illusion of target movement caused by variance in the line of sight through the scope. You can adjust for parallax error by lining up the distance tick mark located on the objective bell with the dot adjacent to the bell. For instance if you know that your target is 100 meters away, you would rotate the bell to match 100 with the dot on top of the scope.

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