I have a scope that is clear except the reticule is blurry. How can that be?

Post this in the optics section and you will get help faster.

Your scope has an adjustment for that -- the ring at the rear. It also will change the focus of the target slightly. The trick is to adjust it so that both the target and the reticle are in focus.

Read this

Note they say adjusting the ocular ring doesn't change the focus of the target. That's just not true, as you can confirm for yourself.

Rotate that ring back and forth until your crosshairs are sharp and black and the target is in focus. But don't stare at the crosshairs. Adjust look, look away. Repeat until it's set the way you like. Your eyes can only maintain focus for so long. Moving them back and forth assures you have your crosshairs as sharp as possible.

Point the scope a the sky, adjust the ocular until the reticle is sharp. Then aim the scope at your target and adjust the parralax so that the target image is clear.

Whoa, don't confuse him -- his scope may not have a parallax adjustment.

Its an old basic 3X9 scope. I'll look and see what brand. I tried adjusting the front ring and it had no impact

Its an old basic 3X9 scope. I'll look and see what brand. I tried adjusting the front ring and it had no impact

My reticle adjusts on the rear ring (the ocular side not Objective).
Could be even further back than the one on this picture, mine was all the way at the outer edge.

The ocular's job is to bring the reticle into focus. The objective's job is to bring the image of interest into the same focal plane (or as close as possible) as the reticle's position. If all is adjusted and working correctly, the reticle is in sharp focus and the image of the target is also in focus because it resides in the same focal plane as the reticle.