The SPREAD = parallax wheels comparison

I am finally doing a comparison of a few popular scopes used for field target. The pictures will show you how far apart in degrees a given scope spreads out the ranging or distance calibration numbers from 10-55 yards.
I encourage you to add your scopes spread to the thread In a similar way.
not showing is the Element Titan 3-18x50 which has a 270 degree spread from 10-55 yards. The Sightron S-Tac definitely held its own. The Sightron S3 10-50x60 Hft scope left before I recorded the spread But memory says it was 220 plus degrees.

IMG_0119.jpeg
IMG_0122.jpeg
IMG_0123.jpeg
IMG_0124.jpeg
IMG_0121.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Lowly Element Helix 6-24 is at 270 degrees, most I have seen on any normal scope.

Sightron S6 supposed to have over 300 degrees from 10-55 yards but doesn't go beyond that.
Having owned the S6 FT scope you are correct but at 16x when you try to focus past 40 yards - finding repeatability is challenging to say the least but from 9-40 it’s Shazam!
 
  • Like
Reactions: qball
can someone help explain this to me? what does spread effect? what is spread?
@daddypaddy - in field target we add a larger ranging wheel to the parallax side focus feature. Then we calibrate the wheel to our eyeballs by creating a focus course that sets out targets at known distances to focus on… we then make marks on our wheels from 9-60 yards. We do this so when we go to an unknown course we can use the parallax focus feature to determine distances to a target, this is how we determine holdovers or clicks.
So the “spread“ is how far apart the distance markers are on our wheels… more spread generally makes it easier to determine distance when shooting field targets, especially from 10-22 yards as the ability to closely estimate distance is critical to success. We call this ranging.
The below picture is of a Sightron S6 I marked. @qball - in case you want a picture of the S6.
IMG_8130.jpeg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Croxton63
Is it safe to infer that the larger the spread of degrees from 10-55 the more likely ranging will be accurate? In other words is there a direct correlation between the two?

Could one expect that a scope that people reported that ranged very well - the Falcon 503? for example - would have a large spread. A friend at MAFTA reported that he had one, but it didn’t have IR which he preferred for our shaded course.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cavedweller
Is it safe to infer that the larger the spread of degrees from 10-55 the more likely ranging will be accurate? In other words is there a direct correlation between the two?

Could one expect that a scope that people reported that ranged very well - the Falcon 503? for example - would have a large spread. A friend at MAFTA reported that he had one, but it didn’t have IR which he preferred for our shaded course.
@Croxton63 - the short answer is yes.... but, and there is always a but.... repeatability is also important.

A scope needs to be able to return to that exact spot (or distance) each and every time it is ranging... we call this repeatability.

Many things can affect this, including "lash" which is slop in the way the lenses move as they engage the forward and backward force of the parallax knob. the more slop, the less repeatability or room for errors. the tighter the movement or the less lash means greater repeatability.
Although some scopes may spread the numbers out further, they may lack repeatability because of lash, esp if the user doesn't understand the need to range the SAME way they set up their ranging wheel.

This is why you will hear many FT shooters talk about using the parallax wheel exactly the same way every time... going from either near to far .... or from far to near .... or going slightly past clear image and then returning to it, but doing it exactly the same way you did it when you set up your ranging wheel.

Since we are sort of on topic, let me add this... the ability of a scope to range accurately also involves the end users ability to create the same eyebox when looking through the scope... sometimes difficult for those people wearing glasses, esp progressive / bi-focals etc.. skinny little glasses provide skinny little windows to get the picture just right... owning a set of birth control glasses (big and ugly) will provide a bigger sweet spot in the middle of the lens. Other factors are cataracts, Macular degeneration, high or low blood pressure, high or low blood sugar... or anything else creating changes to the human eye like jaw clenching when stressed or headaches. Because of these things, if you have cataract surgery your wheel will need to be re-calibrated once your eyes heal.; or if you had high blood pressure or high blood sugar... once those are under control... you will probably need to re-do your wheel as those things affect your vision or ability to focus.

Add to this whole ranging wheel set up, one more tidbit... while setting up a scope, our eyes can fatigue, it is important to constantly "look away" from the scope and and blink and yawn, then come back to the image because if we stare through the scope too long, our eyes and associated muscles try to bring the image into focus instead of the scopes lens system doing the work.


Illumination, to me, or my older eyes is essential, esp when in a dark wooded course where an evil match director has placed a dark brown, dark blue or dark green painted target because after all.... they can.
 
Last edited:
Adding the Sightron S3 10-50x60
appears to be aprox 210-215? degree spread. This is also on a 6” wheel
Thanks @SAZ
Here are the numbers I got for the scopes I've used in Field Target, at 16x:
------------------------------------Degrees of parallax knob turn
Scope-----------------------------10-55 yards-------------40-55 yards

Sightron SIII 10-50x60 FT--------------225-----------------------13
Vortex Diamondback 6-24x50---------238-----------------------22
Immersive Optics 14x50-----------------75------------------------7

I think the degrees of spread for the 40-55 or 45-55 yard range is more important than the 10-55 yard range, since it is tougher to range longer distances.
While the Vortex looks on paper like it should be the winner, I get more repeatability with the Sightron, even though it doesn't focus in/out all that crisply.
The Immersive Optics prism is spectacular at crisply getting the focus. And it has a superbly wide field of view for fast target acquisition. But the knob range is so small, I can't judge repeatability. f they could gear the parallax knob to triple the turn range and increase magnification to 16x, it would likely be the winner.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: cavedweller
Here are the numbers I got for the scopes I've used in Field Target, at 16x:
------------------------------------Degrees of parallax knob turn
Scope-----------------------------10-55 yards-------------40-55 yards

Sightron SIII 10-50x60 FT--------------225-----------------------13
Vortex Diamondback 6-24x50---------238-----------------------22
Immersive Optics 14x50-----------------75------------------------7

I think the degrees of spread for the 40-55 or 45-55 yard range is more important than the 10-55 yard range, since it is tougher to range longer distances.
While the Vortex looks on paper like it should be the winner, I get more repeatability with the Sightron, even though it doesn't focus in/out all that crisply.
The Immersive Optics prism is spectacular at crisply getting the focus. And it has a superbly wide field of view for fast target acquisition. But the knob range is so small, I can't judge repeatability. f they could gear the parallax knob to triple the turn range and increase magnification to 16x, it would likely be the winner.
That’s fascinating 🤨, I’ve never looked through an immersive optics prism??
 
Super helpful info here, thanks for putting it together!
Something I learned recently from Mike Nische the inventor of the Thomas Airgun.

this is his take on how to take some of the stress out of ranging past 40 yards-hope I explain this correctly: @thomasair

When you shoot Hunter class, you only need to hold in two places Past 44 yards

#1) determine if the target is greater than 48 yards and if it is, hold it for 52

#2) if it's less than 48 yards hold it 44.

I tried this today and the targets were dropping like flies

He recommends Testing this out for yourself by intentionally hold 2 yards off a known distance and see how or if your hit ratio decreases on the long shot

He was saying people develop a fear of ranging 2 yards off.

In the hunt class it is extremely common for people to blame all of their misses on Miss ranging for the long shots… But in reality it's just a wind call or maybe you didn't hold quite as still or something.
 
Lowly Element Helix 6-24 is at 270 degrees, most I have seen on any normal scope.

Sightron S6 supposed to have over 300 degrees from 10-55 yards but doesn't go beyond that.
I’m actually impressed by Sightrons S-Tac 4-20x50 in FFP, it ranges very well and with repeatability BUT, the MH4 Mrad reticle lacks the delineation my ol brain needs
specifically I would like .2 mil markings vice .25 mil especially past (1) When it goes to .5 😞
I really like the Nightforce MIL-C2FD especially for those close in crazy holdovers
IMG_9436.jpeg

IMG_9716.jpeg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: qball
You mentioned that you tried an S6. By any chance was this the 5-30X? I like the Christmas tree reticle on that scope better than the simple reticles on the 10-60X. I just haven't heard many people using the 5-30X scope for FT so I have no idea how it ranges and what the wheel spread may be.
For HFT you will discover that the reticle lacks sufficient delineation for those dicey holdovers. It does range very well from 10-40 yards at 16X but is meh….after 40
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gear_Junkie
Something I learned recently from Mike Nische the inventor of the Thomas Airgun.

this is his take on how to take some of the stress out of ranging past 40 yards-hope I explain this correctly: @thomasair

When you shoot Hunter class, you only need to hold in two places Past 44 yards

#1) determine if the target is greater than 48 yards and if it is, hold it for 52

#2) if it's less than 48 yards hold it 44.

I tried this today and the targets were dropping like flies

He recommends Testing this out for yourself by intentionally hold 2 yards off a known distance and see how or if your hit ratio decreases on the long shot

He was saying people develop a fear of ranging 2 yards off.

In the hunt class it is extremely common for people to blame all of their misses on Miss ranging for the long shots… But in reality it's just a wind call or maybe you didn't hold quite as still or something.
Is this particularly true for guns set at just under 20ft/lbs? I wonder if it would work for a 15ft/lbs springer - I might have to try and see!
 
Is this particularly true for guns set at just under 20ft/lbs? I wonder if it would work for a 15ft/lbs springer - I might have to try and see!
@Croxton63 - I’m making a w.a.g. Here, if your dope is solid at 15fpe, and your shooting hunter class, you should be fine BUT… set some targets out and give it a try and let us know what happens 🎯
 
  • Like
Reactions: Croxton63