Will 20 MOA scope base affect optical clarity of scope if sighted in at 100 yards?

[rmiked]

I have never had a canted scope base. Getting a Seekins Havak PH2 that comes with a 20 MOA base on it mounted with 5, #8 screws. My question is if I dial 20 MOA (approx) down when sighting in at 100 yards, my scope will start there, not optically centered. My scope is a Nightforce 4-32 x 50 SFP. It has 90 MOA vertical travel range. Which means I will be using 20 of 45 (half of 90) MOA to get it sighted in. I should have 65 MOA of up travel left for elevation adjustments. I don’t really need a 20 MOA base as my shots won’t exceed 600 yards, more likely 400 yards. I don’t have the scope yet but have ordered it. I have always assumed if a scope was able to be adjusted within a range, the optical clarity should be the same within that range. I have read a scope performs best when optically centered. I’m not sure if that is true. For you guys that routinely dial for long shots, do you notice any degraded optical clarity when looking through your scope compared to it being optically centered? Will my scope still be as clear when viewing through it with 20 MOA dialed in all the time as a starting point? If it’s a problem I can try to get a 0 MOA base. Given it has 5 screws it would probably need to come from Seekins. Most of the REM 700 bases I see have 4 screws. I’m not sure they make them but probably do.

 

[308pirate]

I have never had a canted scope base. Getting a Seekins Havak PH2 that comes with a 20 MOA base on it mounted with 5, #8 screws. My question is if I dial 20 MOA (approx) down when sighting in at 100 yards, my scope will start there, not optically centered. My scope is a Nightforce 4-32 x 50 SFP. It has 90 MOA vertical travel range. Which means I will be using 20 of 45 (half of 90) MOA to get it sighted in. I should have 65 MOA of up travel left for elevation adjustments. I don’t really need a 20 MOA base as my shots won’t exceed 600 yards, more likely 400 yards. I don’t have the scope yet but have ordered it. I have always assumed if a scope was able to be adjusted within a range, the optical clarity should be the same within that range. I have read a scope performs best when optically centered. I’m not sure if that is true. For you guys that routinely dial for long shots, do you notice any degraded optical clarity when looking through your scope compared to it being optically centered? Will my scope still be as clear when viewing through it with 20 MOA dialed in all the time as a starting point? If it’s a problem I can try to get a 0 MOA base. Given it has 5 screws it would probably need to come from Seekins. Most of the REM 700 bases I see have 4 screws. I’m not sure they make them but probably do.

You're worried about nothing

 

[rmiked]

Glad to hear that. Just no experience in dialing long range. For my past hunting I have held over using the vertical reticle.

 

[308pirate]

Glad to hear that. Just no experience in dialing long range. For my past hunting I have held over using the vertical reticle.

Your scope will not be at mechanical center when zeroed at any distance even with a 0 moa base.