Acceptable tracking error

[Dthomas3523]

What is considered acceptable tracking error?

Recently performed a tall target test and once I got to 7 - 10 mils I was consistently about .1 - .2 mils right of center. No problems 0-6 mils, no problem when dialing windage and elevation (example 10 mil up 1 mil right). Only issue is when dialing elevation only and once I'm past 6 mils. Return to zero is dead nuts no matter what.


I'm going to be triple checking with Badger dead level and plum lines. But for the sake of conversation, as long as the plum checks still return the same error, what is considered acceptable?

 

[Bender]

So long as you know you are consistently off you can add the discrepancy into most ballistic solvers. It will put you right back in line.

 

[ShtrRdy]

You will need to contact the manufaturer to see what they spec.

 

[Sheldon N]

Assuming everything was done correctly with your reticle perfectly aligned with the true vertical plumb line on the tall target when you shot it, then the results are telling you that the reticle is canted by just over 1 degree. Odds are the scope manufacturer will tell you that's "in spec" and not do anything with it. It's not really a tracking error, it's a canted reticle.

My thought would be to do this....

Shoot the tall target test again to verify. Assuming that the results repeat, then I'd rotate the rifle ever so slightly so that the reticle leaned a little bit to the left, pulling the point of impact of the 10 mil high right group back onto the vertical line. You'd want the bottom edge of the reticle to go through the 0 mil point on the line, then the top edge to be the corrected POI. Once you had this positioned, I would re-set the bubble level on your scope so that it read dead level when the reticle had that tiny bit of "corrected" angle to it.

Doing this would make your scope bubble level track perfectly true with the internal elevation of your turrets. You could then go out and shoot in the field, trusting that the bubble level on your scope was the perfect reference for keeping the gun properly aligned to gravity when shooting and dialing for elevation.

 

[Dthomas3523]

Assuming everything was done correctly with your reticle perfectly aligned with the true vertical plumb line on the tall target when you shot it, then the results are telling you that the reticle is canted by just over 1 degree. Odds are the scope manufacturer will tell you that's "in spec" and not do anything with it. It's not really a tracking error, it's a canted reticle.

My thought would be to do this....

Shoot the tall target test again to verify. Assuming that the results repeat, then I'd rotate the rifle ever so slightly so that the reticle leaned a little bit to the left, pulling the point of impact of the 10 mil high right group back onto the vertical line. You'd want the bottom edge of the reticle to go through the 0 mil point on the line, then the top edge to be the corrected POI. Once you had this positioned, I would re-set the bubble level on your scope so that it read dead level when the reticle had that tiny bit of "corrected" angle to it.

Doing this would make your scope bubble level track perfectly true with the internal elevation of your turrets. You could then go out and shoot in the field, trusting that the bubble level on your scope was the perfect reference for keeping the gun properly aligned to gravity when shooting and dialing for elevation.

Thank you very much for the response.

I’ll be doing this again tomorrow or Saturday. I’ve confirmed everything is plumb. I will be laser focused on my parallax just so that I can 100% rule that it. Then a clamped tracking test.

If I still confirm the same results, I’ll talk to manufacturer and then move onto your solution.

 

[uncoffeed]

Excellent advice above. When following it, do be sure to verify any effects this has on your windage dialing.