thanks for the explanation.  I feel like moving the occular focus ring has helped, but can't say for sure.  Armed with additional information, I'll set out for the range soon and give it a shot.  I now have a practice range where I can shoot 200 and 300 yards.  I look forward to practicing a little more at these further distances, since that is where I usually fall apart. 

I feel confident in my scope at the shorter yardages, as the results have been better than I had hoped for.  I like the way the scope tracks and holds point of aim, so I'll certainly try to get the parallax working better.  It is so much harder adjusting the parallax in a 6x scope, since the dot is so hard to see in the first place.  I find myself going cross eyed staring into that scope so intensely.  I am very left eye dominant and would probably benefit from shooting left handed if I weren't such a clutz on that side.