when shooting long distance with a scope, once the target is accuired, do I focus on the c

relentless1

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
May 22, 2013
108
1
Hi, I have been told , as a nooby that once I am ready and on target, to focus on the cross hairs, not the target beyond, as I take the shot. Any feedback? I have been dry firing practiceat this, and I seem to stay on point of aim better...?
 
To be honest, I've never heard that come up before. If your scope is adjusted to clarity the target and your crosshairs should be what I would consider one deminsional. One should be as clear as the other, if not you should adjust your eyepiece and or your paralex and focus knob ( if you have one, depending on type of scope ). Place the cross hairs on where you want the bullet to strike and concentrait on the squeeze. I hope this helps as I'm sort of guessing that this is what you are dealing with.
 
Adjust the parallax and your crosshairs and target should be on the same focal plane. If you can adjust your eye and get one clearer than the other, you have parallax/focus issues. Whatever works for you to put one on top of the other and keep it that way when you break the shot, do it.
 
you focus on the crosshairs, on the target, that is where the bullet is going to go if you do things right.

The other fundamentals should be executed without thought. We know how to press the trigger, if you concentrate on the trigger you mind will wander down to the trigger and take your focus off the crosshairs which will probably start to drift off target. If you think about your breathing you'll hold your breathe. We breath without thinking about all the time. The only time you need to think about your breathing is when you swim underwater. All you need to know is the shot should break at the bottom of the breathing cycle.

Next time you are driving your car on the highway doing 65, look at your hands.. see the subconscious micro adjustments our hands make to stay between the lines. Same thing... you focus a couple hundred yards down the road, not at the tip of the hood. You can talk on the phone, change the radio station, eat your breakfast all while your hands are keeping you in your lane. Why, repetition.

If you practice correctly the repetitions will create positive neural pathways so we can execute the firing task on a micro level. Milliseconds and Millimeters of control. So what does that mean, you watch where the bullet needs to go and focus on that... let your body do its job without distraction or confusion,which is what we interject when we over think the problem.
 
Thankyou very much, I value your expertise. Yes, I do tend to overthink things at times...I also watched a vid. On the fundimentals of fifle shooting and the guy disscussed just that. He says to make sure crosshairs are crisp, as well as no shadows to focus on the retical.. I guess our eyes go from one to the other, naturally ....
 
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Lowlight, again I am thanking you, and I just found out how crappy a scope I have...no problems when looking through a friends more pricey one... guess you get what you pay for...brain f.. and a headache for nothing. I am getting a much better scope.