What Is Parallax and Why Do I Need To Adjust It On My Osprey Scope?

Parallax is an inconsistency in the view when you look down the scope or red dot. That is pretty vague and a lot of parallax explanations can leave people more confused than before they googled ‘ what is a parallax”. So we want to explain in basic terms what a parallax is on a riflescope and how to use the parallax on an Osprey scope. Any Osprey scope will have a parallax adjustment on the side if it is a variable zoom that goes over 10 power. We will give ou a user friendly guide to using the Osprey Scopes parallax adjuster.

What Is Parallax?

As we said it is an inconsistency in the view when you use a scope or red dot. To delve a little deeper here, it is common amongst when you magnify your rifle-scope and you can also find parallax issues on on cheaper red dots. Basically, if you are looking at a target through your optic and you move your head BUT NOT the optic and the cross hairs seem to float around the target even though the optic is not moving then you have a parallax problem. It means that you cannot trust where your crosshairs are. If the rifle and optic dont move then neither should your Point of Aim. As stated before: all Osprey scopes that go over 10 power have a parallax adjuster because this is where a parallax can become apparent. Some people consider it a secondary focus knob but it is more detailed than that

What Causes Parallax?

You are seeing a magnified projected image when you look through a rifle scope. The light rays are all focussed on one point. Parallax occurs when the “projected image” is too far in front or behind of that image. This is why we always build in a parallax adjustment turret on all our high power osprey scopes at Osprey Global. To fix the issue you use this adjustment knob to adjust the focal point on your optic. On Osprey scopes the parallax adjuster is usually on the left hand side of the riflescope.

How Do I Adjust Parallax On My Osprey Scope?

The knob or turret on the left of the osprey scope is usually the parallax turret. You can tell its the turret as it will have distance markings on it from 10 yards to infinity. These will be slightly different depending on the Osprey Scope that you have. For example the Osprey Scope 4-16x50 has markings from 50-infinity and the Elite 5-30x56 has from 10 yards to infinity. The best thing you can do is to use these numbers as a rough guide. In fact on my Osprey Scopes I ignore them completely and use it to adjust until everything is focussed and there is no parallax regardless of what the numbers say.

What To Do Before You Adjust Your Osprey Scopes Parallax.

Wait. Just wait. Before you go playing with your parallax on your Osprey scope make sure your diopter is set for your eyesight. The diopter is the focus ring on the back of the scope that you put your eye up to to look through the optic. So adjust the parallax down to a low setting between 10-75 yards. Then adjust your diopter on whichever Osprey scope you have. The image should be sharp, this is a personal adjustment and will depend on your eyesight. All Osprey scopes have a diopter regardless of magnification as you need to be able to adjust the scopes particular focus to your eyesight. The only Osprey scopes that do not have a diopter are Osprey Global Red Dots. That's because with when there is no magnification and unlimited eye relief, you do not need to adjust for focus cause you see the same as you would without an optic.

Adjusting the Parallax On Your Osprey Scope.

It is inaccurate to call a parallax adjustment knob a secondary focus turret but it is usually the easiest way to explain it. The best way to set up your Osprey scope for succes is to turn the parallax adjustment knob to a number between 10-60. No need to be precise here, just keep it low. Then focus the diopter at the back of your scope on the eye piece for your eyesight.

At this point at the lowest power your Osprey Scope should be crystal clear. As you zoom out you will need to make parallax adjustments. Usually as your Osprey scope gets past ten power you will start seeing a slight fuzz and a small parallax. The further you zoom the more pronounced the parallax effect becomes. At this point slowly turn the parallax knob on your Osprey Scope until the fuzz disappears and the parallax is gone. Your image should be crystal clear again.

Top Three Osprey Scopes With Parallax Adjustment:

Osprey Global Elite 8-32x56 MDG:

The Osprey Global Elite 8-32x56 is an excellent long range all rounder. This Osprey scope is very popular with the 6.5 creedmore round due to the fact that it is excellent for long range with the adjustable parallax and the impressive 32 power magnification. You can also hunt and use it on your AR-15 if necessary. 

Osprey Global Tactical 10-40 IRF/MDG:

The osprey global tactical 10-40x50 MDG/IRF is a popular Osprey scope for dedicated long range shooting. Since it has a massive 40 times magnification and parallax adjuster, it is ideal for plus 600 yard targets. Its main drawback lies at its bottom end. It is not a great choice for stalk hunting or short range targets due to the fact that its magnification begins at ten poser. When an Opsrey scope starts at ten then it sacrifices its quick target acquisition. If you want a good mix between stalk hunting, tactical advantage and long range targets you may prefer the Osprey Tactical 6-24x50 MDG/IRF.

Osprey Core Rifle-scope 3-12x44: 

The Osprey 3-12x44 rifle-scope is popular with tactical set ups that want to retain its tactical advantage but get some decent magnification to reach beyond the 400 yard distance. For most of us we don't shoot beyond 200 yards more than a couple of times a year. The 12 times magnification coupled with the parallax adjustment gives you enough magnification to get to a medium range and the three power lets you keep your quick target acquisition. Super popular with AR-10 and other longer range AR platforms.

Top Three osprey Scopes Without Parallax Adjustment:

Osprey Core Riflescope 6x42:

This is a fixed power riflescope that is one of the best budget options available. Since it is a fixed 6 magnification the only focus is on the diopter keeping it very simple. It still has etched reticles and HOYA glass so it is every bit as reliable as our top end Osprey scopes, just none of the bells and whistles you may not need. Popular with .22 long rifle and economy hunting rifles.

Osprey AR Optic 1-6x24mm Riflescope:

This fast acquisition AR optic is popular with hog hunting, three gun competition and self defense scenarios. It has a true one power making it very fast to get on close range targets and the ability to magnify to 6 power it covers most tactical and hunting scenarios. With competition Turrets, illuminated reticles but still a simple core design it ticks a lot of boxes from targets, competition to all round medium range hunting.

AR Optic Osprey Compact 3-9x42 MDG/IRF:

This is Osprey Globals top selling scope. It has the range to reach out to 500 yards but it has an immense eye relief meaning it retains a speedy target acquisition for tactical situations. It has no parallax adjustment, only needing to adjust the diopter out the box and you are good to go. All the trimmings are available for it including an illuminated reticle, customisable turret system and fully multicoated HOYA glass and even has an aftermarket zoom lever available. It is no wonder this is the top seller year after year. 

Conclusion On Using Parallax On You Osprey Scope:

The main point I urge people to take away from this article and put into use is to not get too caught up in details. It can be confusing wrapping your head around why the parallax is created or how the different focal plane and projected image affects your POI and focus point at different distances. The big takeaway is that when you first get your Osprey Scope to turn everything to its lowest setting when you take it out the box. If your have the Tactical 4-16x50 MDG/IRF Osprey Scope, then turn the magnification down to 4. Turn the parallax knob low before you even look through your riflescope. Adjust your Diopter ring as your primary focus (This is not necessary on Osprey Red Dots). As you increase magnification then once you get beyond 10X magnification then adjust the Parallax slowly. Don’t pay too much attention to the numbers as the exact distance numbers on all rifle scopes parallax including Osprey rifle scopes, are not an exact science. When the floating reticle has been resolved and the image is clear then get to pulling that trigger.