Thread: Help me learn and understand if you will

This is a plea going out to all of you guys that are learned on the subject of long range shooting and all things related to it.

Some of you will no doubt be aware that I have recently purchased a Savage 110 BA in 300 Win Mag and have mounted a Leupold Mk4 LR/T 8.5 - 25 X 50 M1 scope on it.

Today my buddy AndreH and I took it down the back of the farm and set up a target at 100 yards with the primary intention of zeroing the rifle but also to give it its first try out and have a bit of fun(can't help being a boy). Although I now have the rifle close to being on centre I pulled the pin on progressing any further until I develop a better understanding of a couple of things so the purpose of this thread is for me to ask some questions and for you fellah's that know and understand to answer in words of one syllable so that I can learn.

For those that don't know me I am an old bugger that does not understand the technical side of firearms much and who most typically either takes a rifle out hunting and either fires one shot or no shot's depending upon the presence of animals. Up until now zeroing is something that I seldom do and target shooting is something that I never do so today in throwing 25 rounds down range I have shot more than I would have in the last three years.

So here is the first question:

1. With my hunting rifles wich generally have low end scopes set on the lowest magnification setting (3 or 4) I can pick any of the rifles up and immediately get a good sight picture through the scope and that is the case in any shooting position. Today when zeroing (from the prone position) I had the scope set on the maximum magnification and struggled to get a good sight picture (experiencing parallax and having to move my head back and forwards and up and down far too much for my liking in order to get a good sight picture and when I did I struggled to hold it). I then experimented and starting with the scope wound down to the minimum setting and a good sight picture, I had Andrew slowly increase the magnification. When we did this increasing magnification slowly introduced parallax until I could no longer see through the scope. Doing the same thing in reverse (starting on maximum magnification and reducing) produced the same result where I went from a good sight picture to none at all. Starting from the mid point of magnification and going up and down in magnification also caused parallax but not to the same point of totally obscurring the sight picture.

Even I know that to be able to use the rifle optimally on adopting the shooting position I need to be able to gain a cheek weld that immediately produces a good sight picture so please if you know why this is occurring and how I can rectify it then tell me what I should do.

If you don't know the rifle then I am sure that by getting onto Google you will find out more about it than I can tell you. It does have a butt and cheek adjustment hich I have played with and which now feels right.