Proper Head Bobbing Method

[josh3rd]

Question about the head bob method. Say I have a target set at 20yds. Now I know that the numbers on the AO bell/sidewheel are not always correct/correspond to the yardage of where your target is at. Ok, so your target is at a 20 lasered/measured away. You are at your bench with your rifle and you adjust the AO till you get the clearest crispest (if thats a word) and you proceed to do the "head bob" method.

My question is:

When doing this method, do you move your head up and down or move it from left to right or both?

Reason I am asking is because when I do the up and down method and the reticle isn't moving against the target I will do the left to right head movement and the reticle will move. And vice/versa. So which one is correct? Or find the happy medium between them both?

 

[hawkeye69]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-ied67wwHY

 

[JoeWayneRhea]

I'm gonna do a head bobbing video soon . It'll amke ya dizzy , and hopefully giggle a little 

 

[josh3rd]

Well joe I hope you come up with something. Because I can't decide which is right

 

[BlackICE]

If you can't zero out Parallax in the horizontal and vertical axes at the same setting you're scope is far from optimal.

 

[josh3rd]

Thanks blackice...any advice?

 

[fishinwrench]

Here's a dandy head scratcher for ya.....

When a slight error on AO adjustment is inevitable, which way is safest ?

AO adjusted PAST the target? Or AO adjusted CLOSER than the target?

 

[BlackICE]

I little off in AO setting isn't a big deal unless you are a competitive target shooter. If maximum parallax error is much less (e.g... 10%) of what you and your gun can do, it really doesn't matter. As far is too close or too far, I'm guess the error for the same eye position will be 180 degrees different. But if you can tell which direction the error is in then you have a great understanding of your eye position such that you know where the optic center is. In that case you don't need a parallax adjustment. 

I'm guessing that if you can't get X and Y axis parallax zeroed at the same setting the quality of scope isn't enough to meet your expectation. I may get better results if the crosshairs were optical centered on the scope, (look up mirror method scope optical center) and the focus of the eyepiece is adjusted the best you can do. Then you would need a scope mount that has X and Y adjustments. Unrealistic, better to have a gun which barrel is aligned with the scope mounts and a reasonable quality scope which performs adequately even when the crosshairs are off the optical center.

In my limited experience with less than 10 scopes. Generally you can't expect great performance at a low price. Without spending at least $500 probably more then $1000 some functions just don't work as you would like. 

A minimum scope is the one you can hit your target with once is is setup and zeroed. The sight picture may suck but it works. The brightness will be poor for the size and weight of the scope You can't trust the zero to remained unchanged if you zoom. The sight picture and or the crosshairs will be poor, fuzzy and blurry, causing eye strain with long use. The turrets will have a lot of hysteresis and poor tracking and repeatability. Use cannot turn the turrets and expect them to work perfectly. You much trust but verify any turret changes and the changes may take some number of shots to stabilize, but it will hold zero for a given zoom once adjusted and a number of shots (recoil cycles) has occurred.

 

[josh3rd]

Fyi I have a 4-16 30mm air max sf and I feel/believe that my eye piece is focus2to the best of my ability per the A-Teams instructions. And lastly I believe, even though my scope's reticle is centered to the bore, an optically centered scope has nothing to do with adjusting a scope's paralax or to be paralax free.

 

[allenbowles]

thanks hawkeye,,i did not know about the left & right.

 

[nced]

Never had issues with the image being "still" when bobbing in one direction and bobbing in another direction. I simply adjust the eyepiece so there is NO movement when doing the "bob" in any direction. My eyesight isn't as sharp which does hamper my "scope range finding" accuracy when shooting field target matches but I do the best I can.

Anywhoo........here are the instructions I've been using for years when doing the "head bop" testing............ 

http://www.bcsportsmen.org/ft/A_Team_Parallax_adjustment_procedure.pdf

 

[nced]

I was thinking the same thing because I've never had that issue with any of my scopes mounted to my HW springers.

 

[josh3rd]

Ed, I am wondering now if my ocular focus isn't correct. Darn, i can't wait for it to get warm up here in SE Penn

 

[josh3rd]

Thanks Hawkeye

 

[Motorhead]

Ed, I am wondering now if my ocular focus isn't correct. Darn, i can't wait for it to get warm up here in SE Penn

Anyone SERIOUS in getting good results from range finding and having a clear Ocular focus of the Reticle ..... NEEDS TOO paint mark the position where ocular focus was set WHILE doing there SF wheel calibration/markings. And make sure it is set to those marks every time you shoot the rifle.



If over time you need to change the Ocular focus to get a clear retical view .... Time to REDO the SF wheel range marking too !!!



JUST some FYI

 

[mubhaur]

Never had issues with the image being "still" when bobbing in one direction and bobbing in another direction. I simply adjust the eyepiece so there is NO movement when doing the "bob" in any direction. My eyesight isn't as sharp which does hamper my "scope range finding" accuracy when shooting field target matches but I do the best I can.

Anywhoo........here are the instructions I've been using for years when doing the "head bop" testing............ 

http://www.bcsportsmen.org/ft/A_Team_Parallax_adjustment_procedure.pdf

Thanks nced,

Very good material regarding scope usage.

 

[josh3rd]

Wiil do motorhead

 

[FPoole]

I thought I had just gotten to be a crappy shot over the years. I hadn't checked the ocular adjustment in 10 years ,but I knew my eyes were way different than 10 years ago, so I started playing around with the adjustment. I suddenly became a much better shooter. I would've never dreamed this would cause such a problem.

 

[bandg]

That has made a large difference for me in recent years as well. Also, check that your ocular is stable once adjusted. I have several scopes that will move the crosshairs a lot with just a light touch on the ocular. I prefer scopes with a locking ring on the ocular for this reason. My eyes now need extreme outward adjustment of the ocular to focus and that can lead to the noted "looseness" of the ocular and shift apparent position of reticle.

 

[spinj]

Also, check that your ocular is stable once adjusted. I have several scopes that will move the crosshairs a lot with just a light touch on the ocular. I prefer scopes with a locking ring on the ocular for this reason.

Many think that moving the ocular lens moves the reticle, but it doesn’t. Although it might seem like the reticle moves away from the point of aim, what you are experiencing is an illusion because when moving the ocular lens, due to it having some play, you also move the entire gun. When the target is adjusted to eliminate parallax, when moving the ocular lens the entire sight picture moves—that is, the reticle and point of aim together.

If you don’t think so, mount a laser on your rifle and adjust the beam to be right on the crosshairs. Make sure you’ve eliminated parallax. Then, look through your scope and move the ocular lens to your heart’s content and observe what happens...and thank me later.



Cheers!