Sidewheel Ranging Question

[Gear_Junkie]

I have a question about sidewheel ranging.  In order to range consistently on my Sightron S-Tac 4-20x50, YOU MUST TURN THE SIDEWHEEL THE SAME DIRECTION.  If you turn the sidewheel different directions to range a target, you will end up in different positions on the wheel.  The manual recommends always turning from infinity, so that's how I ranged my targets and marked the sidewheel.  It's the first scope that I have had to deal with this issue. 

My question is whether or not this is unique to this scope, or if other scopes are like this.  On the UTG and Hawke scopes that I;ve used, it didn't matter which direction I would turn the wheel - I would still end up at the same point on the wheel when ranging a target.

Thanks!

[Motorhead]

Pretty much MOST will contain some degree of backlash within the parallax mechanics.  It is Prudent as a student of the game to ALWAYS get in the habit of setting up and ranging ones final figures by doing so the same direction.

[Gear_Junkie]

Thank you for the confirmation Scott.  This puts my mind at ease.  Now I just have to get consistent in doing this!

Thank you!

[TwiceHorn]

Someone posted a guide from the UK about FT shooting (I think it's here somewhere recently), and as part of the "routine," the author recommended ranging four times. And yes, it is conventional wisdom not to fiddle back and forth.

As you may know, your eyes can "complete" the focusing for you, so it doesn't behoove to stare at a ranged target too long (can fool you that what appears to be in focus at a certain range isn't really).

So it's kind of hard to resist the temptation to fiddle the wheel back and forth.  For whatever it's worth, I do try to range repeatedly (maybe not four times, but three for sure if I am unsure) and on one of those, I deliberately go slowly "past" focus to insure that I haven't fooled myself.  I don't go "back," though, because that's fool's gold, I just do it again from the same direction (yes from infinity), slowly going toward the "past" range until I see focus.

Then again, I am a barely adequate shooter, but I have been improving my scores pretty consistently using this and some other techniques (I mount the rifle to my shoulder from a near-vertical position and lay it into the cradle, then adjust for balance point, before the shot).  I use the ranging step, where natural point of aim is far less critical, to adjust my bag position, self, and sticks so that npoa is fairly established before embarking on the preceding to actually take the shot.

[dan_house]

Scott Hull is an advocate of ranging it 3 times, then averaging the 3 readings.....