Ballistic Scope

[Dcoy]

Well I may have a new secret weapon coming so have been thinking about how to scope it.Always been a basic Leopold guy,usually 3-10 variable,with a plain crosshair reticle.Read and hear about the assorted reticles/ballistic reticles etc so have been snooping around a bit online.I don't want the expense or weight of some(Nightforce for example)but would appreciate hearing from any of you who use them or have tried them.I'm not looking for 'capability'beyond,say,500 yds.Even that would be rare but....
Also any info on Pride Fowler scopes(rapidreticle.com)would be appreciated.Thanks.

[Coyotehunter]

I use a Leupold with the Ballistic Drop compensating knob. Mil Dot reticle. 4 x 12

[xdeano]

you can't go wrong with the mildot. Nightforce also has a version that is MOA which is also nice for ranging. I'd say find the best glass you can get for the money and save some more and buy then next one up the line, you'll never regret it. You can't hit what you can't see.
xdeano

[Prairie Ghost]

Just got a Leupold VX-III target with a mil-dot retcile and bullet drop compensating knob made for my caliber and round and really like it so far.

[coyotelatrans]

Ditto to what the others said. I have a bushnell elite 5-15 with tatical knobs and mil dot this I have found to be the most vesitile combination out there! I know now why our military is reluctant to switch from the mil dot!

You can either range and dial the coyote in if you have time or you can use mil hold over and mils for windage faster. I have a bal program that will print out yardage in 25 yard incraments and will give me 1/4" on my zero and also give me holdover in Mils and windage in both as well!

I keep this laminated card in my calling vest and can use either given the time I have available or not available. You can also range without a rnage finder by counting mils and the size of your target as well. The mil dot master takes all guess work out of this for you, but if you range most coyotes then the bal program and printing out the mils saves a guy 28.00 bucks! LOL.

The beauty is any claiber any bullet at any speed and you get a reliable outcome with the mil dot, unlike some of the other reticals you need to fit the load to the scope or you need to remember adjustments from your bullet drop/windage and how it is different than the marks on your retical!

[Tim Anderson]

I just use the Kenton BDC dials calibrated for the cartridges i use to kill coyotes with..
Once rife and scoped are zeroed you put the dial on zero and tighten set screws and good to go..
Once you know the distance of target just turn dial to the yardage marked on dial and shoot. I tested my two BDC dials from 100 out to 800 on my 17 Pred. and 22-250 ackley and they are right on the money, now i need to get the windage dial...

[Tyrant]

Leupy M1's are the way to fly !! I own both the M4 and regular VX-3 models.

I have come to like the TMR redicle as I prefer dashes to dots..... DCOY 500 yds isn't a difficult thing, at all.

This is how you do it ;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yBWZQlJ5hY

This is my junk.





If you have time Bushler has some very good video's

Norm

[Dcoy]

Wow.Good stuff,thanks to all of you.Lots here to digest and lots I'd never even heard of(Tim,like Kenton Dials)but I'll look into it.In a nutshell here's the deal:been shooting a lot for over 50 years.Won some stuff with rifles even.Shot running jacks with 22 rifles as a kid,day after day,and got pretty good at hitting moving stuff.Friends could verify I use to be terror on running fox at distance even.Quality rifles(customs)but simple optics with years of experience made it possible-even a few out in the 500 yd range.Then age,then switching from right to left handed,then back(2 detached retinas-one recoil related for sure),then a few months ago a permanent loss of partial vision in the right eye.With it went some 'depth perception',which to me meant 'missing'cause 'kentucky windage' and years of experience were based on 'knowing'where to hold,what to lead,etc.OK,enough,but felt I owed a little explanation.
Thus this thread.Had about decided to go with a leo 4 to 14 LR with a varmint reticle and just 'learn it' but now....????
More to digest.A guy goes with what you've got and I've been blessed but can't give up hunting/shooting so will move on to a new approach and see what happens.I have the rifles,but I need the 'eyes'.
Thanks very much again!

[coyotelatrans]

The kenton dials are OK, what I like about the mil dot with tatical knobs you aren't married to 1 load and you don't have to spend extra$$$ on a set of knobs! My elite you zero I have mine at 200 yards then take off knob and set it to zero, if you now your bullet BC,FPS you can run it through a bal program and have 1/4" clicks and mil dot info at hand. You have 2 systems in 1 and again no need to try and fit a load to a retical. A friend got the leupold varmint but he but it on a 6.5/284 well the elevation no big deal off by 2" to the retical lines, but the windage hash marks way off due to a high BC bullet 140 A max versus a 55-70 grain the retical was setup for!Pain in the butt!

With target knobs and mil dot you can make it work easy for any caliber/ any load! You also have mil dot windage which is quick and easy say you have 10 mph 400 yards 1.8 mils that quick and easy! It is like other pre set reticals but never changes with different calibers or loads! the mil rate of windage will change but a bal program does all that homework for you and gives you simple easy reads! Once you work with a mil dot in no time your doing good. If you had the varmint hunter retical and wanted 10 mph of drift and your load doesn't match the retical say by 6" then you must remember at each range I need to hold 6" off that 10 mph mark or 9" or whatever it turns out to be at that yardage.

With all of these remember though you need it at a set power to work properly! With math you can figure out on mils the differance for different powers easy enough! I leave mine on 6x and that will do me out to 300 yards. If that coyote is past that mark "most" give a guy time to switch to calibrated pwoer on mine it is 12X and then just use the mils. Or if your going to range and dial with the knobs doesn't matter what power setting you have as it is all the same!

Good luck on your quest to find a good sighting system for you!

[Tim Anderson]

With the mil.'s don't you have to keep some sort of record of bullet drop and windage?

With my Kenton dials just turn to what distance and shoot, they can also be used with another cal. with simuler ballistics. Just have to use a grease pencel or tape and mark the correct zero for each distance..
I also have a mil dot scope with the kenton dials on it and also the leupold Var reticle. My Pred. shoots so fast and flat the leupold Var. reticle dose'nt have a setting for it so i still have to guess and i hate that..

[coyotelatrans]

Your record is in mils so if the drop is as follows 200 zero, 300 .6 mils,400 1.1 mils and 500 1.8 mils etc.
So yes you have a record but no big deal you can write that on what ever where ever. Same with tatical knobs I still need a record but to be honest most of the time your 400-600 coyote shots give you a time to range and quickly look at cliks or mils mils very fast range the coyote,antelope etc he is 455 yards look at your 450 mil card 1.6 mils less than 6 seconds it can all be done. Not alot of time differance if any by ranging and turn the dial to 455 yards as mils no turing just ranging read mils and using that in the scope.

Or if you have a butt sitting coyote you can range dial in clicks and use the mils for windage without messing with the windage clicks if you so desire. Very functional/verstitile and a guy has a few systems to choose from you can find one that works best for you. Again this system is not married to 1 load. You can use any and all and all you need is to print out a new range card for that load.This scope setup will work on any caliber with any bullet with no need to purchase anything additional or have to mess with any other than a new zero.

Many times I will pre range onjects on stand at 300,400 and 500 so I know when it hits those spots and doesn't want to come closer for variious reasons I just glance down at the range card and if he hangs up at 350 I look .8 mils get him in the scope .8 mil holdover and bang.

[Coyotehunter]

I use my Mil Dot for judgeing distance and hold for wind. If I have time I use the laser range finder or if can not pick him up with the laser, it is nice to have the Mils. I just made up a chart for coyote in Mils on the side of my gun. 3 Mils is 185 yards and .25 Mils is 2222 yards. once I know the yardage I just dial it in. Leupold will engrave custom knobs for your leupold scope with target knobs. the knob cost arounds $60. target knob will run about $150 and the Mil Dot reticle was $175. We were shooting targets a few weeks ago out to 730 yards and it is nice to just dial in the distance. Got done shooting, turn the dial back down to 200 yards (zereod range) and verified zero again. It was right on the money.