Leupold Vari X Series Instructions Manual

							8
Unlike riflescopes, adjustments to the eyepiece in handgun scopes affect
the eye relief as well as the reticle focus. Turning the eyepiece clockwise
increases eye relief and turning it counterclockwise decreases it.
COMPLETING THE INSTALLATION
1.Without disturbing the optimal eye relief position, rotate the scope
until the elevation adjustment dial is at the top of the scope.
2.
From a firing position, check to be sure that the vertical hair of the reticle
aligns with the vertical axis of the firearm. Misalignment will not affect
accuracy at moderate distances but it can diminish long range accuracy.
3.
When you are satisfied, tighten the ring screws evenly and securely.
FOCUSING THE RETICLE
Secure the scope and firearm in a firm rest. Point the scope at a light 
colored background object. With the scope approximately four inches from
your eye the reticle should appear sharp and crisp; if it does not, it is 
necessary to adjust the focus by means of the eyepiece. 
						

							9
If your Leupold scope is one of our models with an eyepiece that has a
lock ring, follow these simple steps:
1.Grasp the eyepiece with your hand and back it away from the lock
ring. Once the lock ring is free from the eyepiece, turn it clockwise
away from the eyepiece to keep it out of the way during the adjustment.
2.
If you tend to hold things away from yourself to see them clearly (you
are farsighted) turn the eyepiece counterclockwise by three or four
turns. If you hold things close to yourself to see them clearly (you are
nearsighted) turn the eyepiece clockwise by three or four turns.
3.
Looking through the scope when pointed at the sky, take a few quick
glances at the reticle. The focus of the reticle should be noticeably 
different from when you started. Continue this process until the reticle
appears clear and sharp.
4.
When you are satisfied with the image of the reticle, turn the lock ring
so that it rests firmly against the eyepiece. 
						

							10
If your Leupold scope is one of our models with a fast-focus eyepiece, 
follow these simple steps:
1.All adjustment is made with the eyepiece.
2.
Look through the scope with quick glances while focusing the reticle
image. If you tend to hold things away from yourself to see them clearly
(far-sighted) turn the eyepiece ring counterclockwise until the reticle 
is clear and sharp. If you hold them close to yourself to see them clearly
(near-sighted) turn the eyepiece ring clockwise until the reticle is sharp
and clear.
If your eyesight changes, readjust the eyepiece. As we age, eyesight 
normally changes. You may want to check the sharpness of the reticle on your
scope every few years to ensure it is still adjusted correctly for your eye.
NOTE: To protect the integrity of the waterproof seal of every Leupold 
Golden Ring scope, an internal mechanism prevents the eyepiece from 
coming off the scope.
The primary function of a scope is to aim the firearm. Never use the scope
as a substitute for binoculars. Never watch another person through the scope.
As always, the Golden Rule applies. 
						

							[
H
ow to sight – in
]
11
USING A BORE
-SIGHTING COLLIMATOR
To save time and ammunition, start out in your shop or gun room with a
bore-sighting collimator (a spud and an optical assembly) to “get on the
paper.” Remember that adjustments made during bore-sighting will appear
to move in the opposite direction than that indicated by the adjustment dial.
1.
Assemble the collimator with the correct spud and insert it into the barrel.
2.
Look through the scope. Note that the collimator displays a crosshair that
is at 45º to the scope’s reticle. The center of the scope reticle is normally
some distance away from the center of the
boresight reticle. This shows the scope’s
line of sight relative to the axis of the bore.
3.
For purposes of demonstration, Figure A
depicts a scope that is low and to the left.
Begin with the windage adjustment.
Figure A 
						

							12
(Remember, when possible, it is better to make
the initial windage adjustments to the mount
base before using the scope’s windage adjust-
ment.) Turn the windage adjustment until the
vertical crosshair of the scope covers the center
of the collimator crosshair. 
4.
Adjust the elevation until the horizontal
crosshair of the scope covers the center of
the collimator crosshair. With that, the scope should align with the axis
of the bore, as shown in Figure B.
5.
Remove the collimator spud from the barrel.
NOTE:Bore-sighting alone is not sufficient to sight-in a scope. You must make
final adjustments by shooting the firearm using the same ammunition you use 
in the field.TRADITIONAL BORE
-SIGHTING
(B
OLT
ACTIONS
)
Preliminary sighting-in can also be accomplished by bore-sighting at the
firing range using a target from 20 to 50 yards away.
Figure B 
						

							13
Target as seen 
through the bore.
Figure C
Figure D
1.
Position the firearm on the bench, using sandbags to steady the firearm.
2.
Remove the bolt from the firearm.
3.
Looking through the bore itself, move the firearm to center the bull’s
eye of the target inside the barrel, as shown in Figure C.
4.
Hold the rifle steady. With the bull’s eye centered when viewed through
the bore, make windage and elevation adjustments to the scope until
the very center of the reticle is aligned with the bull’s eye of the target,
as shown in Figure D. 
						

							14
BORE
-SIGHTING LEVER ACTIONS
An inexpensive device with a small mirror, which inserts into the chamber
or rests on the magazine follower to allow sighting down the barrel, is necessary
for bore-sighting lever action rifles.
THE FINAL STEP
: THREE
-SHOT GROUPS
Whichever bore-sighting method you’ve used, the next steps are the same
on the firing range. To ensure reliable results, always fire from a rested position
when performing these steps. (If you are using an adjustable objective or
side focus model scope, perform any correction for parallax before continuing,
as explained in 
“Understanding Parallax.”)
Lever action rifles 
require a special 
bore-sighting device. 
						

							15
1.
Fire a shot or two. 
2.
If you are several inches off center, make an appropriate amount of
adjustment to move the reticle to the center of the target.
3.
Carefully fire a three-shot group. 
4.
Use the center of that group as a reference
point for the final adjustments to
windage and elevation.
On the sample target, the center of the
group is two inches low and three inches 
right. Assuming you’re sighting-in at 100 
yards, you should make a 2-MOAadjustment
up, and a 3-MOAadjustment left. Your 
next three-shot group should be very close 
to the center of the target. To learn about 
making final adjustments, proceed to 
the upcoming section on windage and 
elevation adjustments.
2 
						

							[
M
aking precise windage 
and elevation adjustments
]
16
The style of elevation and windage adjustments on Leupold scopes varies
with specific models. If you are unsure of the value of your scope’s adjustment
increments, follow these steps.
Determining the value of adjustment increments:
1.
Count the number of hash marks—from zero to and including that of
the first number—on the dial. 
2.
Divide the first number on the dial by the number of hash marks counted.
For example, divide 1 (the first number on the dial to which you counted)
by 4 (the number of hash marks counted) to get .25 or 1/4.
The resulting number is the value of each increment of adjustment in 
MOA. This method will work with any Leupold adjustment dial. One MOA
moves the point-of-impact at 100 yards by one inch (at 100 meters, 
it moves 29mm). 
						

							17
Target style adjustments 
let you hear and 
feel each adjustment division.
The windage adjustment has arrows pointing at an “L” for left and a “R”
for right. The elevation adjustment has arrows pointing at a “U” for up
and at a “D” for down. All of these symbols refer to the direction that the 
point-of-impact of the bullet is moved.
ADJUSTING WINDAGE AND ELEVATION
ON TARGET AND TACTICAL SCOPES
Leupold Target, Benchrest, and most Tactical (including M1 style) scopes
have micrometer-style windage and elevation adjustments.