Rifle Vs. Shotgun Scopes
Place a rifle scope and shotgun scope of equal power and field width side-by-side and they will appear the same. Both withstand heavy recoil, have viewfinders with similar sight pictures and are generally weather resistant. The difference is in their internal engineering and relates to the scope's interpretation of the phenomenon known as parallax.
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Parallax
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Parallax is an illusion of target movement caused by changing your line of sight as you look through the viewfinder. Your target will appear to move when, in reality, just your eye has moved. Parallax results from the target appearing on a different optical plane as the scope cross-hairs and can cause a sufficient shift in aim to miss your target.
Parallax Correction
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As long as your line of sight is lined up with the center of your scope (right along the cross-hairs), parallax will not significantly affect your aim. Most manufacturers preset their scopes with a parallax free range and therein is the difference between rifle and shotgun scopes--the preset range.
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Shotgun Scope Parallax Range
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A shotgun has a shorter effective range than a rifle. For this purpose, manufacturers typically preset shotgun scopes to be parallax free at 75 yards.
Rifle Scope Parallax Range
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The parallax free range of a rifle scope is generally set at 150 yards, the average distance at which a hunter takes game.
Adjustable Scopes
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Scopes equipped with adjustable parallax settings are practical for both short-range and long-range targets. Although typically classified as rifle scopes, adjustable scopes allow you to set the parallax free range for either shotguns or rifles.
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References
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