Unless I'm mistaken, the reticle adjustment makes the crosshairs clear and crisp, regardless of the distance to which the scope is focused. This adjustment is pretty fine - takes a lot of turning to see a difference.

And this is one where you have to look quickly and evaluate how crisp the crosshairs are - if you continue to look through the scope as you adjust, your eye will try to focus the crosshairs. Look at it, turn two turns and look again. Keep going until you find the point where the crosshairs are the clearest.