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Scope reticle disappears?

Started by trow, October 02, 2012, 09:26:44 AM

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trow

Hey gang,

I remounted my scope (Nikon Prostaff BDC 3-9x40) and the crosshairs and bdc bubbles come into focus and then slowly... disappear. I can close my eyes and see the everything for a few seconds before the crosshairs become faint again.

I tried a few different distances and the same thing kept happening. I haven't messed around with it to much since. Is this a depth perception given the scope zoom or have my eyes gone bad since the last shoot lol. My guess is that I'm using my scope wrong though.

Thanks!


2 clicks low

That you can see it then it fades out makes me thing you are not in the correct focal plane and are "eye muscling" it, your eyes are straining to achieve a focus that they can't hold.

When you remounted the scope did you leave the proper amount of eye relief for your turkey neck? With your turkey neck do you see any shadows around the edges of the scope? I see many scopes mounted way too far back.

Do you wear glasses? Prescription up to date?

There should be an adjustment for focus on the eye ring of the scope. Have you adjusted it so the reticle is sharp and clear?

2cl


"Semper Fritos" 1st. Chicago Chairborne

didactic

#2
Sounds to me like the eyepiece is way out of focus for you.

To fix that, loosen the lock ring on the ocular (eyepiece) housing.  The "ocular" lens is the one closest to your eye, and the "objective" lens is the one closest to the target.

Set the scope on its highest power, then look through the scope at a plain light colored wall or a cloudless blue sky (NOT at the sun - you'll fry your own eyeball!).

Adjust the lens housing on its fine threads until the reticle (crosshairs or whatever) is sharp and clear immediately.  It might take quite a few turns, and you'll have to close your eye and re-open it a few times, to get it just right.  The IMMEDIATE sharpness is what's important, because your eye will adapt (change focus) to sharpen the reticle, but if you force your eye to do that for any extended period of time, you'll get the eyestrain headache from hxxl - and be constantly struggling to see the reticle.

Tighten the lock ring back down, to keep the eyepiece from turning any more and un-doing your adjustment, and you should be good to go.   O0

This eyepiece focus, which stays the same for you unless your eyes change over time, is separate from the distance adjustment on an adjustable-objective scope.  That one is on some scopes, usually higher-powered ones, and adjusts parallax and focus for the distance to the target.

If you didn't need this much detail, sorry, no offense intended.  Maybe it'll help somebody else with the same problem.  It it's what you needed, then now you have it!
"If not us, who?  If not now, when?"  Ronald W. Reagan

trow

Thanks all for the info. When I get free minute I'll try out some adjustments and see if that helps!

Charles McKinley

How far away are you looking?  Trying to focus on something 25m away or looking at a wall in the house?  This could pose issues as well.
Last evening, it occurred to me that when a defender of Liberty is called home, their load lands upon the shoulders of the defenders left behind. Just as the Founders did their duty for Liberty, every subsequent generation must continue their work lest Liberty perish. As there is no way for the remaining adults to take on the work of those that die, we must pass the ideals and duties on to the children. -PHenery