Indian unorganized retail sector & its challenge

Indian unorganized retail sector & its challenge

India is the only one country having the highest shop density in the world, with 11 outlets per 1000 people (12 million retail shops for about 209 million households). Rather we can see the democratic scenario in Indian Retail (because of low level of centralization, low capital input and due to a good number of self organized retail).

India started its Retail Journey since ancient time.

In Ancient India there was a concept of weekly HAAT, where all the buyers & sellers gather in a big market for bartering. It takes a pretty long times to & step to shape the modern retail. In between these two concepts (i.e. between ancient retail concept & the modern one there exist modern kirana/ mom and pop shops or Baniya ki Dukan.

Still it is predominating in India

So the Indian retail industry is divided into two sectors- organized and unorganized.

Organized retail sector refers to the sectors undertaken by licensed retailers, that is, those who are registered for sales tax, income tax, etc. These include the corporate retail formats of the exclusive brand outlets, hypermarkets, supermarkets, departmental stores and shopping malls.

Unorganized retailing, on the other hand, refers to the traditional formats of low-cost retailing, for example, hand cart and pavement vendors, & mobile vendors, the local kirana shops, owner manned general stores, paan/beedi shops, convenience stores, hardware shop at the corner of your street selling everything from bathroom fittings to paints and small construction tools; or the slightly more organized medical store and a host of other small retail businesses in apparel, electronics, food etc.

Characteristics of unorganized retail-

Small-store (kirana) retailing has been one of the easiest ways to generate self-employment, as it requires limited investment in land, capital and labour. It is generally family run business, lack of standardization and the retailers who are running this store they are lacking of education, experience and exposure. This is one of the reason why productivity of this sector is approximately 4% that of the U.S. retail industry.

Unorganized retail sector is still predominating over organized sector in India, unorganized retail sector constituting 98% (twelve million) of total trade, while organized trade accounts only for 2%.

The reasons might be-

1. In smaller towns and urban areas, there are many families who are traditionally using these kirana shops/ mom and pop stores offering a wide range of merchandise mix. Generally these kirana shops are the family business of these small retailers which they are running for more than one generation.

2. These kiran shops are having their own efficient management system and with this they are efficiently fulfilling the needs of the customer. This is one of the good reasons why the customer doesnt want to change their old loyal kirana shop.

3. A large number of working class in India is working as daily wage basis, at the end of the day when they get their wage, they come to this small retail shop to purchase wheat flour, rice etc for their supper. For them this the only place to have those food items because purchase quantity is so small that no big retail store would entertain this.

4. Similarly there is another consumer class who are the seasonal worker. During their unemployment period they use to purchase from this kirana store in credit and when they get their salary they clear their dues. Now this type of credit facility is not available in corporate retail store, so this kirana stores are the only place for them to fulfill their needs.

5. Another reason might be the proximity of the store. It is the convenience store for the customer. In every corner the street an unorganized retail shop can be found that is hardly a walking distance from the customers house. Many times customers prefer to shop from the nearby kirana shop rather than to drive a long distance organized retail stores.

6. This unorganized stores are having n number of options to cut their costs. They incur little to no real-estate costs because they generally operate from their residences.

How To Start A Cupcake Business From Home

If you have a love for creating new and unusual cupcakes and love sharing your works of art with others then starting a cupcake business seems like the legitimate subsequent measure.

Everywhere you look these days you see images of cupcakes – from refridgerator magnets to pillows. There are no indications that its popularity will lessen so if you were thinking of starting a cupcake business, now is the time to do so.

There are a lot of imperative steps to adopt to bring your passion from a leisure pusuit to a cupcakes business.

One of your initial decisions is to establish your business site. When starting a cupcake business you have the alternative of being home based, or operate from a storefront.

Once you define where you want to open your business you will need to compose a business plan.

A business plan is the instrument that you can take advantage of to see to it that that your business’s financial, promotion and strategic goals are being met. It is likewise helpful when approaching possible business partners or financial institutions if you would like to expand your cupcake business long term.

Businesses that deal with food are subject to specific health and safety laws. These change from country to country and state to state so it is important to talk to the authorities in your community to make certain you are abiding by the laws.

The fun component can now begin as you are ready to experiment with the flavours and designs that will set you aside from your competitors. This might be the easiest step as your passion is what got you to this point in the 1st place. Customers adore baked goods that are made from scratch.There is also a increasing market for gluten-free products, organic baked goods and healthier desserts. Regardless of however cute and originative your designs are, they must taste fantastic to make return sales. Start with a limited menu and then you can grow your range as you learn what your market dictates.

Now that you are fine-tuning your business acumen to make a great selling product, you have to take the steps needed to really sell your product.

What makes starting a cupcake business so attractive is that you can begin by working from your home.

As your customer base expands you can then decide if you want to reach a wider clientele by opening a cupcake bakehouse. The hereafter is in your hands!

Road Construction Equipment And Construction Machinery

Construction revolution has show the way to globalization and marvelous transportation development all over the world. Not only India is covering behind in the interconnection and interconnection of cities with the best transportation. Road construction equipments is crossing the leading road system of 3 million km all over the motherland, India is witnessing marvelous mobile asphalt plant insurgency different off in modern India. In Indian road construction surveys has passed out the number of mobile drum mix plant armada of around 48.4 million at the end of part and its mounting enormously lacking any ending.
Indian road construction machinery manufacturer are growing transportation and mobile hot mix plant system has already implicated in heavy road construction projects with general highway development program structure the quality roads plants and national highways connection main cities. In Indian road construction marvelous chance to and enlargement all gates are opened for a variety of road construction machinery and road construction industry to construct infrastructures as roads, national highways, ports, bridges and major road India machinery construction works. The machinery equipments construction machinery and paver contractor development industry is probable to bitumen and pollution unit produce about 20% per annum for the next 15 years.
The road construction industry and machinery industry concerned with road and highway construction projects is predictable to be of $40bn for the next 15 years with likely increase of 20% in road construction machines industry. Asphalt batch mix plant has the marvelous expansion and empowerment the patio pavers, bitumen sealant and construction machineries industry whole command is expected to be of around $10bn till 2020.
Some road construction require and expansion at the front position the market is difficult hot for all types of pollution control unit and road construction machineries related to road, bridges and building best infrastructures. The road construction machinery India is expected to be of great power and major segments which are expecting growth are pollution unit, asphalt pavement and asphalt mixing plants such as asphalt drum mix plant, hot mix plant, mobile asphalt plants.
The require for these road india machinery construction equipments is considerable and not only India but countries throughout the world are getting equipment from India of greatest excellence. Number of country – India is increasing in the prevailing state in india machinery with all the superiority and standards.
India road construction equipment is information and survey mentioned above are an estimation and approx build for road construction machineries industry and equipments. If you want to research more to get the best statement and patterns for construction machinery company growth.

Effective Negotiating – The Key To Sales Success

On the other hand, a person’s urgency to get something done can work in your favor. If the other person is in a hurry to get things done, you can be assured that he will be more willing to bend than he would in a normal situation.

A word of caution – never exploit the other person’s urgency to such an extent that it makes the deal grossly one sided. You may get what you want one time, but such deals have a negative impact on your reputation and future business. A win-win situation is always desired.

Price Is Not Everything – Terms Matter Too:

Terms of service are as important as the price itself. An example could be the loans and mortgage industry. Companies are able to charge higher interests rates than competitors by allowing flexible repayment options. Companies offering freebies with their products are compensating a higher price with friendlier terms. Create a balance between the price and the terms – when price is your weak point, offset it with better terms.

“The Policy” Tactic:

Since childhood, people are taught that rules are not to be broken. At subconscious level most of the people carry a perception that it is their duty to follow all rules. You will be surprised how easily people give in when they are told that the terms which they expecting are against the company policy. Salespersons always keep a printed price list with themselves. Those few black words printed on a white paper add authority to the salesperson’s arguments and send the message that it is not within their power to alter the terms.

Keep Your Last Price For The Last:

Most buyers have a tendency to ask for a lower price than offered. If asked for “the last price”, quote something more than the actual “last price” which you are willing to give. It doesn’t matter if initially you offer a price 2% lower or 20% lower – buyers will ask for a further lower price in both cases.

The Final Gambit – Say “No”:

Risk taking is an essential ingredient of success.

Agreeing to customers’ terms all the time weakens your image in the market. Walk out of the deal if it doesn’t seem profitable. If the customer gives in to your terms, you win a profitable deal. If you lose the customer, why repent? He wasn’t a profitable customer anyway.

Pole Barns Money Saving Pole Barn Construction Techniques Exposed

If you found this article you are asking yourself one of two questions. What is a pole barn? How could it benefit me to build a pole barn over a traditional barn?

Both of these questions are very good questions that we will answer for you during this article.

Lets go ahead and start with the first question. What is a pole barn?

Very simply put a pole barn is a barn built without a traditional floor or slab. The construction of a pole barn consists of placing poles or pressure treated lumber at the structural points of the building and either attaching them to a concrete pier or sinking the pole itself into the ground approx 36-44 depending on your location and building codes for your area. Once these poles are set and the framing of your roof is in place you would build your walls in-between the poles. The walls do not sit on a traditional slab but instead can sit slightly above the soil. You can later lay gravel, keep the dirt or pour a slab if you choose.

How could it benefit me to build a pole barn over a traditional barn?

Simply put pole barn construction is much simpler and more cost effective than a traditional barns construction. Here is why:

1.No foundation required.

a.A foundation for most counties consists of a 12 14 wide x 36-44 deep continuous concrete footing. Go and price that out and see what that will cost you! Keep in mind, unless you want to break your bag you need to include the cost of a full days rental for a backhoe to trench it.

2.No floor required.

a.You dont need a concrete slab on top of your foundation. You can use dirt, or gravel instead which is very cost effective. The only thing you want to make sure of when using this method is to level the ground before you begin construction. Doing it later is a nightmare!

3.If you ever want to expand your barn you can.

a.Because your pole barn is not attached to a concrete slab you dont need to worry about adding more foundation or slab when putting on an addition.

CRM Software Real Time Access and Decision Making for Marketing, Sales and Customer Service

Additionally, a detailed CRM software solution will help you:
Reduce your customer service costs. You can identify, prioritise, and address the most costly aspects of your service process. For example if you have contact centres or agents, you can quickly identify better processes and so cutting training costs and develop a rewards program for efficient work practices.
Improve your service metrics by reviewing a real time dashboard. Monitoring the performance of service processes, centres, and agents will allow you to adjust resources and processes to address the most important issues. CRM software solutions such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM, whether you choose an in house solution that integrates to your other business systems or a web based CRM software solution will help you monitor, measure, manage and drive your business. CRM can give you access to real time customer information in a simple drill down dashboard view. As such it is an essential management tool that allows you to analyse customer information and make more effective business decisions at the right time.

Five Reasons to Buy a Vintage Typewriter

With their glass keys, nostalgic aura, and charming literary output, vintage typewriters are becoming increasingly popular. Once relegated to the side amidst word processors and laptops, these writing machines are now considered an up-and-coming collectible. In a digital world where manuscripts, poems, and musings can accidentally disappear into a software abyss, more people are turning to the trusted touch of a vintage typewriter.

The Charm of Real Type

Unlike some collectibles like figurines or sports cards, a typewriter can create works of original art. With a vintage typewriter at your side, you can pen love notes, poetry, essays, and even that Pulitzer Prize-worthy manuscript. Of course, you could always type on a plastic computer keyboard, but the glass keys of a real writing machine are inspirational, causing you to contemplate each word and letter you strike.

Even if you are not an aspiring writer, the possibilities of your antique typewriter are endless! Imagine the sweet surprise of receiving a real, hand-typed thank you note. How nostalgic would your spice drawer look with hand-typed labels? Artists have even created stunning works of typewriter art depicting famous individuals and even landscapes.

Growing Value

Antique typewriters have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity, especially as todays society pines for nostalgia of bygone eras. Subsequently, a writing machine you purchase today will most likely grow in value, giving you a smart investment for decades to come.

Of course, not all typewriter models were created equal, and some are significantly more valuable than others. The rarity of the model, the year it was manufactured, its color, and condition all impact the current and long-term value of the piece.

A Nostalgic, Personal Connection

Maybe the antique typewriter at the antique shop reminds you of your mother. Perhaps you grew up idolizing Nancy Drew and hoping to type a novel. Or maybe you used the typewriter to communicate with a pen pal whom you met years later. Many antiques have a personal connection, making the item that much more nostalgic.

Thinking Outside the Typewriter Case

Although it is always ideal to purchase an antique typewriter that is in fully working condition, some writing machines have simply been neglected and may be impossible to revive. However, this does not mean that the vintage typewriter should be relegated to the recycling bin! There are many ways in which you can enjoy a typewriter, both working and non-functional.

Vintage typewriters may be used to display items like photos.
The writing machines can be used as charming bookends.
If it is absolutely impossible to repair the typewriter, craftspeople may be interested in the keys from antique typewriters to create vintage crafts, such as necklaces, cuff links, earrings, and place cards. However, sawing the keys off a functional typewriter or one that could be repaired should certainly be considered a sin!

A Living History Lesson

Vintage typewriters are their own lesson in the history of the written word. Typewriters were invented in the late 1800s, although the concept existed a century earlier. Typewriters added speed to what had been a much more laborious process. Typewriters soon became integral parts of offices and remained so until the 1980s, when computers became more prevalent. The legacy of typewriters lingers today, for instance:

Our computer keyboards still use the “QWERTY” letter line-up.
We still use the phrase “cc,” short for “carbon copy.”
Terms like “Shift” and “Backspace” also came from the typewriter.

Indeed, there are many reasons to purchase and enjoy a vintage typewriter. From the click-clack of the striking keys to the charming bell at the end of each line, the right writing machine is waiting for your fingers to type with inspiration!

Nu Skin Scam Discover the Truth about the Nu Skin Multilevel Marketing Business Model

Is Nu Skin a scam? To deal with this question it’s necessary to objectively check the a number of aspects of the Nu Skin Enterprises Inc. business model in addition to the business opportunity.

The issue of Nu Skin being a scam is a thing that’s natural to ask right before deciding on investing in it. Also it might be something that is asked by people who may be struggling to get results and also who may be wondering precisely how other folks are doing. The bottom of this posting has good info that might help in each case.

I’ll begin by laying my cards on the table. My judgment is this : Nu Skin is not a scam – Allow me to clarify precisely why I believe this below. I need to also make you aware that I’m not connected with Nu Skin. I’ve not ever before recruited people in a Nu Skin downline plus I have never been sponsored in somebody’s Nu Skin downline. Furthermore I’ve not tried any of the Nu Skin products. So, just how am I able to assess if Nu Skin is actually a scam or otherwise? I have got the experience to judge this based on my own experience of establishing a business from day 1 and doing 100s of millions of dollars of business throughout my direction. Also I have actually been in the Mlm business for over 20 years thus I understand the Network Marketing business model. With this knowledge I’ve got a viewpoint and understanding that most individuals don’t possess as a result of being without the experience that I have had.

The definition of scam in thefreedictionary.com is actually ‘A fraudulent business scheme; a swindle’. In checking out if the Nu Skin home business model can be a scam you must have this definition in mind.

Nu Skin Enterprises is an North american direct selling and multi level marketing company located in Provo, Ut, America which was established back in 1984 by Blake Roney. The company now trade from 58 locations worldwide and possess nearly 1 million distributors. Nu Skin Enterprises shows up in the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) while having an annual turnover of over $3.1 billion as well as market capitalisation of $4.31billion at the end of December 2013. In 2010, Nu Skin was listed in the Forbes “100 Most Trustworthy Companies”. Nu Skin maintains an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. They also have a Dunn & Bradstreet 5A-1 Rating which is as good as it gets.

Any business which happens to be listed in the NY Stock Exchange need to meet rigorous requirements to fulfill the requirements for being a quoted business enterprise. Additionally at the end of the 70’s in the usa the FTC examined the home based business Network marketing structure and found it’s a legitimate business framework. At the same time they even have to comply with company law, plus consumer laws in all the countries which they operate from. Taking into consideration the headline of this write-up and whether Nu Skin Enterprises is really a scam, I do not think it could be possible to run a corporation of this proportion in this many locations world wide if it was ‘scamming’ people and it wasn’t an authentic home business opportunity.

Nu Skin sells personal care products and dietary supplements that are obviously well-liked by its consumers. They formulate their market leading products and solutions using scientifically advanced ingredient technologies and formulations. You really can not sell $3.1 billion worth of products and solutions every year not having folks coming back for repeat orders of them or else this business would not be sustainable over a period of a long period.

The actual Nu Skin business opportunity employs the stair step breakaway compensation plan that has been in existence for a long time plus its used in a lot of prosperous MLM organisations. The compensation plan is simply too complex to explain in more detail right here nevertheless I’m going to address some of the basics. For Nu Skin distributors they can make up to 30% revenue on retail sales. There’s also numerous bonuses that exist as soon as you meet the criteria by reaching the qualifying levels of sales made and sign ups.

A few of the the best earners in Nu Skin are making some remarkable amounts of income. According to Nu Skin’s website ’25 distributors have earned at least $20 million in Nu Skin commissions’

As with any Multi level marketing or Network marketing business opportunity you will need to completely study and grasp the comp plan prior to signing up with them.

Often these days folks will grumble on the web when they have failed to earn money with anything. The things they don’t let you know, and there’s no means of knowing, is if they really did everything that was needed to make an opportunity a roaring success. Any time you try to find people who have not had great results you’ll find them, as at any time you search for those who have had great success you can locate them. What this means is extremely hard to get a true reflection plus a nicely balanced viewpoint. More people will fail than will be successful in any business opportunity which is a reflection of life in which many people do not get rich. That makes it important to base your desires not on individuals who have were not successful, or you’ll wind up as them, but on the those that have been successful. What you should really know is it is possible to have success and earn money after that you have to do whatever needs doing to become successful. If you don’t discover great success at the beginning then alter what you’re doing and then keep going. The final conclusion is simple – Nu Skin is NOT a scam. As a result might be best not to talk about it as the Nu Skin scam

The right way to maximise your earnings with Nu Skin – The Secrets of Success – Visit the links in the paragraph directly below…

For lots more infomation than you have got in this particular ‘Nu Skin Scam?’ posting and find out the secrets that the the best earners dont share with you click the following website link How To Get Leads and Generate a Nu Skin Downline Fast

Construction Company – Finding The Best For You

When it is time to do some form of construction it is not an easy process. Many people want to do construction on various parts of their homes. Sometimes a family has decided it is time to remodel their kitchen and sometimes people figure out that their bathroom is way too small and it is time for it to be updated. Unfortunately a few people try to do the updates themselves and somewhere along doing the project they realize that maybe they should have contacted some construction companies a long time ago. If someone wants for the update to their home then it is best that they contact some professional construction companies to do the work. This way they can completely forget about the project and it will take a great deal of stress off of them.

Most people find that hiring a great construction company is one of the best things that they could have done. It helps people to save a great deal of time. It will cost them more to hire someone than if they tried to do it themselves but if most people tried they would end up making more of a mess than what it started with.

A great way to find many professional construction companies is by researching online. It used to be that the only way people can find someone is through the yellow pages or through someone else.Be sure to do research to find reputable construction companies. This website is filled with amazing construction companies who values their costumers time and money. One can find all kind of construction workers to work on their homes; including, Window & Door Installers, Landscapers, Pool Contractors and Plumbers. Consumers can get quotes and more information from the businesses located on the website. Homeowners, and project managers, will be able to see the various profiles of featured contractors looking for work.

By doing research online a person can be sure that they are hiring the best construction company for their needs. Construction companies who are in tune will their customers will allow them to ask questions about the projects because they know the person is spending their money, so they want things to be done correctly the first time. It is important for consumers to take their time and figure out exactly what they want to get done and then find one of the best construction companies to get the job done.

Choosing A Rifle Scope

With there being literally thousands of rifle scopes on the market today, choosing the one that’s right for you can sometimes be a confusing task. The best scope for deer hunting will not necessarily be the best scope for competition target shooting. Once you understand the various terms that manufacturers use, and understand the basics about scopes, you’ll be in a better position to choose the scope that’s right for you.

The Basics

The first consideration should be the quality of the glass. Unfortunately, while optical quality can be measured, there’s no specifications published that will tell you which scope lenses are of better quality than others. You’ll need to compare one scope to another by looking through them to judge the sharpness and contrast of the lenses. In general, you should buy the best quality scope that you can afford.

The quality of the lenses isn’t entirely due to the glass itself, though. Lens coatings aid in contrast, light transmission and glare reduction, and there are terms that describe the type of coatings on a scope. A “coated” lens has a coating on the exterior surface of the lens. A “fully coated” lens has a coating on all lens surfaces exposed to the air, both front and rear. “Multi-coated” lenses have multiple layers of coatings on at least one surface of the lens. “Fully-multicoated” lenses have multiple coatings on all front and rear lens surfaces. The quality of the lens coatings can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, or even from one model to another by the same manufacturer, so you’ll want to compare the image quality of various scopes.

Another initial consideration when selecting a scope is its construction. If you anticipate using your scope in inclement weather, you’ll want to make sure that the interior of the scope is filled with a substance such as nitrogen, which keeps air from getting into the scope and causing moisture condensation on the interior surfaces of the lenses. You’ll also want to make sure that the scope body is weatherproof or at least weather-resistant.

Yet another factor in your selection process is the magnification of the scope. There are variable magnification scopes and fixed power scopes. A scope that’s marked 3×30 will have a fixed magnification of 3 (the 30 is the lens diameter, which we’ll get to shortly). A scope that’s marked 3-9×30 is a variable power scope, with the magnification adjustable from 3 power to 9 power. The magnification of a scope is usually referred to with an X, as in 3X. A 3X scope will make the target appear 3 times larger than it would be with the naked eye.

How much magnification do you need? That depends upon your intended use for the scope. Those who hunt at relatively short ranges, such as deer hunters, usually will want a lower magnification such as 3X. A higher magnification would make it difficult for them to see the entire deer and would also make the field of view too narrow for them to scan the area looking for deer. Whether you need a fixed power scope or a variable power scope is your personal preference. Years ago variable power scopes were slightly inferior to fixed power scopes; that’s no longer the case today. Variable power scopes also offer flexibility for different shooting situations.

Varmint hunters, benchrest shooters and other long-range shooters will often want the highest magnification they can afford. For these users, a 20, 30 or even 40X magnification isn’t unusual.

There’s also the light-gathering ability of the scope to consider. Generally speaking, the larger the diameter of the front (“objective”) lens, the more light it gathers, which means that your target is visible at lower light levels. A 30 millimeter objective lens is fine for shooting during the daytime, but if you’re planning on shooting at the break of dawn or the last light of the day, a larger objective lens will be a significant help. 40 or 50 millimeter objective lenses are the most common large objective lens sizes.

The Options

Scope manufacturers are providing a wide variety of options for specific needs. Included in these are turrets, reticle patterns, adjustable objectives, and more. Again, what you need depends upon your specific use for the scope.

The turrets are the adjustment knobs, usually located on the top and right side of the scope, that allow you to adjust the point of impact of your shot up or down and left or right. The most basic turrets are almost flush with the scope tube, and allow you to make adjustments using a screwdriver or a dime. Some of these flush turrets will have click adjustments. The flush-mounted turrets are probably the most commonly used for hunting, since most hunters don’t make adjustments to their scopes once the rifle/scope combination is set for a particular distance.

Target turrets protrude from the scope body, sometimes significantly, and allow the user to make quick adjustments for windage or elevation. These are popular with benchrest shooters, varmint hunters, snipers and other long-range shooters for whom a small adjustment will make a big difference in the point of impact downrange. Target turrets usually have click adjustments in either 1/4 or 1/8 Minute of Angle (MOA). Minute of angle is an expression of the number of degrees in an arc. For example, a 1/4 minute of angle adjustment will result in a point of impact change of 1/4″ at 100 yards, 1/2″ at 200 yards, 1″ at 400 yards, and so on.

Your choice of reticles, or “crosshairs,” is now so great that it would be impossible in this article to describe all of the options. They range from fine crosshairs to thick crosshairs to illuminated reticles, and more. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. For hunting, the combination of thick crosshairs on the outside edge of the reticle and thin crosshairs in the middle seems to be the most popular. Mil-dot reticles have become increasingly popular. These have dots regularly spaced along the reticle lines, and allow the user to gauge the distance to the target. Other scopes offer even more advanced rangefinding options than mil-dot reticles.

A popular option for precision shooting is the adjustable objective lens. Scopes without adjustable objective lenses are affected by what is called parallax. Parallax is the apparent difference in position of the target relative to the reticle at different distances. With a fixed-objective scope, if you move your eye left or right the barrel is no longer pointing to the same spot on the target as the reticle. You can see this if you mount your rifle solidly and look through the scope; move your eye slightly to the left and right, and you’ll see that the reticle isn’t in the same position on the target. While the parallax shift may be subtle, at longer distances it can make a significant difference in the point of impact. An adjustable objective scope allows you to correct for parallax for a particular distance by either turning a ring on the front of the scope or by a turret on the side of the scope. Fixed-objective scopes are generally set to be parallax-free at 100 yards; the adjustable objective allows for more fine-tuning.

The Technicals

When you’re shopping for a scope, you’ll encounter all sorts of technical specifications, some more important than others.

Eye relief is an important technical consideration. This is the distance from your eye to the rear (“ocular”) lens at which you can see the full target picture. The eye relief measurement will determine where on your rifle you’ll be mounting your scope. If the amount of eye relief is too short or too long, you won’t be able to properly position your cheek on the stock.

Field of view is another important factor. Field of view is the amount of area you’re able to view at a particular distance, usually measured in feet at 100 yards. For example, with a 3 power scope you would be able to view roughly 30 feet of terrain from left to right at 100 yards. The field of view becomes smaller as the magnification of the scope increases. Hunters typically prefer a wide field of view, while precision shooters usually want to narrow in on the target.

You’ll often see “Exit Pupil” as one of the technical specifications on a scope. This is the size of the circle of light on the rear (“ocular”) lens that is visible to you from arms length, and is usually expressed in millimeters. The size of the exit pupil is a factor of the magnification of the scope and the size of the objective lens. On high magnification scopes the exit pupil size can become so small that your eye must be directly in line with the scope in order to see the entire circle of view.

Technical specifications will often include the adjustment range of the scope, usually measured at 100 yards. Adjustment ranges vary from as little as 25 inches to as much as 150 inches or more. If you use your scope at moderate distances, and your scope has been properly mounted so that it’s on target at the middle of the adjustment range, a smaller adjustment range isn’t generally a concern. However, for long-distance shooters a wide adjustment range is a necessity, as bullet drops begin to be measured in feet rather than inches.

An often-overlooked technical specification is the mounting length. If the mounting length of the scope is too long or too short, you may not be able to put the mounting rings in the proper spots on your rifle, or you may wind up having to get a special scope mount.

With advances in technology, there’s almost no such thing as a bad scope today. Even the least expensive models give better performance than scopes made decades ago. But, when you consider that you may be using the scope you buy for years to come, it’s a good idea to get the best model you can afford that suits your particular needs.