I know this forum is primarily for sixguns but there is a lot of knowledge here.
Can someone help me out with a rifle scope question? I am looking to put a new scope on my Ruger 10/22. I know what an adjustable objective does and why it is needed. However, what is side adjustment or sometimes referred to as side focus adjustment? What is the difference between side focus adjustment and adjustable objective?
thanks,
mark

Two ways of acheiving the same thing. And calling it side "focus" is a little misleading. It isn't really a focus knob, it's for parallax adjustment.

I'd skip the parallax adjustment...on a plinker/hunting .22lr it won't really make a difference.

--
Of the Troops & For the Troops

and skip the PA. It's just frosting and this cake will be plenty good without frosting. Dennis Eugene.rfmdf

The side adjustment on some scopes is handy as a range finding device. It is used by a lot of folks in the Field Target sport. It is very handy when shooting rifles with a rainbow style trajectory like your typical 12 FPE air rifle. I'd never played with one until a couple weeks ago. It was set up on an Air Arms 410 FAC precharged pneumatic rifle. When properly used with a matching wheel you can adjust parallax and see exactly how far that target is from you, then you hold over (or under) as appropriate and make the shot. The theory is pretty straight forward, but I don't have enough time with one to see if it really pans out or not. If you're shooting relatively stationary targets like pasture poodles and un spooked ground squirrels then it could be right handy.

The front adjustable objective does the same thing, but typically isn't quite as precise as you can get with the side adjustment with a large, properly calibrated and annotated wheel attached.

Thanks for all of the help. The gun is a target gun and I shoot at 50 feet for a local club match. My current scope does not have AO and the cross hairs are blurry at 50 feet. I can change the focus and make the target blurry. Neither is working on the small 22 targets.
Thanks again,
mark

If you're shooting at a fixed range with a 22 then you need some form of adjustable objective. Either front or side adjustment will work for you, you're having a parallax problem with your current scope. You might check out some of the offerings on Pyramid Air. The Hawke brand scopes get good marks from a lot of the PCP guys.

Mark

If your farsighted like most of us old guys, try screwing the focus knob at the rear counterclockwise and see if that clears up the fuzzy crosshairs. My younger shooting buddy has to screw the focus back in on my guns for his young eyes

Bob