Re: NF Reticle Focus
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DamnYuppie</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Hi All,
Long time lurker first time poster who is very new to shooting.
Yesterday I received a new NightForce NXS 3.5-15x50 and got it mounted on my rifle. I then went through the process of making the reticle focus adjustments, as instructed, against a plain white wall. Yet now when I look at a target through the scope, either the target or the reticle is slightly blurry depending on where I focus. If I focus on the reticle it is clear but the target behind is slightly blurry, or if I focus on the target the reticle becomes slightly blurry. Yet both are never clear at the same time. Is this blur normal or should I focus the reticle some more such that both the target and reticle are both clear?
Also note that I have astigmatism and always wear corrective glasses. I wore them when making the adjustments and wear them when dry firing/shooting.
Thanks,
Brian </div></div>
Hi Brian,
Welcome to Sniper's Hide'. Adjusting the Ocular Lens (aka the <span style="font-style: italic">"Diopter", or "eyepiece"</span>), on a firearm scope is the first thing that should be done after the scope has been mounted and leveled. Unfortunately, the Nightforce Owner's Manual does a poor job of detailing the correct procedure. Instructing people to <span style="font-style: italic">"look through the riflescope eyepiece at a light colored background such as a white wall..."</span> isn't the best way to focus the ocular / diopter / eyepiece.
Why? Because the best way to adjust the reticle is to adjust it <span style="font-style: italic">without distraction</span> to the eye, and the best way to eliminate any distraction is to have nothing else in the view except the reticle. This is why the Ocular should be adjusted while viewing the reticle against a cloudless sky (or at least a clear area of the sky). A blank wall is "OK", but clear sky is best because the reticle will be the only visible object within view.
Below is <span style="font-weight: bold">the</span> correct procedure for Diopter (Ocular/Eyepiece) adjustment for both fixed and variable power scopes. The procedure is the same regardless of scope manufacturer, or whether the objective/parallax focus is on the objective ring or is a side focus type.
<span style="font-weight: bold">NOTE:</span> If the scope is a fixed power unit skip steps 1 and 2 as they do not apply.
(1) Turn the magnification ring to maximum (highest power).
(2) Turn the Parallax focus to "Infinity" (the symbol for Infinity looks like a figure eight). <span style="font-weight: bold">NOTE:</span> Most non-side focus scopes use a ring on the objective bell to adjust parallax, and the distances are usually numbered. Side focus parallax adjustment knobs may or may not have distances marked.
(3) Turn the ocular bell/eyepiece all the way in.
(4) Aim the scope at a cloudless section of the sky (you don't want anything except sky in the view, or else your eye will naturally attempt to focus on the object in the view beyond the reticle.
(5) Look at something nearby, but not too close, then look through the scope at the reticle. If the reticle is out-of-focus turn it a bit to begin to focusing the reticle, but look away from the scope. <span style="font-weight: bold">Never look at the reticle for more than a couple of seconds when adjusting the eyepiece</span> (if you look at the reticle for more than a second or two your eye will naturally begin to adjust to bring the reticle into focus - and you don't want this to happen. <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">You want to be able to look through the scope and see a sharply focused reticle immediately with your eye relaxed</span></span>. This cannot be achieved by continuously looking through the scope and turning the eyepiece into focus in one continous motion because your eye will have already begun to adjust.
<span style="font-style: italic">Remember, look away every few seconds and make small adjustments to dial-in the Ocular/Eyepiece focus.</span> Once you have achieved this, you should not adjust the eyepiece at all, <span style="font-style: italic">except to maintain sharp reticle focus</span> as your vision changes over time <span style="font-style: italic">(it always does).</span> You may want to put a pen mark on the eyepiece indexed to the index dot on the scope tube - if the tube doesn't have an index mark use a pencil. That way, if someone else shoots your rifle and adjusts the Ocular you know where to return the adjustment to.
However, if you still cannot achieve simultaneous reticle and image focus after following the above directions for Eyepiece/Ocular Focus, it is <span style="font-style: italic">possible</span> that there is a problem with the scope. That said, it should be noted that <span style="font-style: italic">setting the diopter at the extreme end of it's adjustment range in either direction can affect the image focus.</span>
Keith
