Re: New - what to start with?
i prefer the <span style="text-decoration: line-through">rimfire technologies </span> D.I.P. base as it provides more MOA than the EGW and has a port cutout to make cleaning / shell extraction easier. the bases are sloped to cant the scope forward which will compensate for the extreme drop of the .22 lr at longer distances.
mildots are used primarily for ranging targets, but can be used for holdovers, just be aware of your magnification of the scope when using as holdovers it has to be on the same magnification or you'll be off. as many of the lower priced scopes are second focal planed, the holdovers and ranging distances will change when the magnification is changed. first focal planes do not have this.
this'll help you out
http://www.mil-dot.com/ or
http://www.chuckhawks.com/mil-dot_scopes.htm
ammo is a main concern, start with wolf as it's a very good performer through most rimfires.
a good trigger that is light and safe is a huge advantage for accuraccy / consistancy, i like rifle basix triggers in my savages
do searches and some reading on breathing techniques, eye alignment / cheekweld, trigger squeeze, follow through.
free float the barrel.
do a search on parallax, get an adjustable objective or side focus scope. i like a higher magnification scope at least a 4-16x, up to a 8-32 or 36x scope. allows me to "spot" my hits without having to break my shooting form having to move to look through a spotting scope.
practice. not just practice makes perfect, but perfect practice makes perfect. make every shot count, think about every shot, what you did right and what you did wrong.
a data book. make notes on the distance, how many "clicks" you must adjust for each, the temperature, humidity, etc.
the next time you have the same conditions, refer to the data book for proper adjustments.
wind guage. caldwell makes an affordable one for under $40.00, use it, make a table to put in your data book for different MPH winds. i like to make a note every 3mph, at every 25 yards. the wind can move your impact several inches to several feet depending on the distance and MPH.
i also like to use a rifle level, as a cant left or right will mess up your point of impact (POI) several inches depending on distance.
if you are soing uphill / downhill shooting, a cosine or angle indicator is very helpful as the POI can change several inches up or down depending on distance, angle, and the FPS (foot per second) of your ammo.
the use of a steady front rest is critical, along with the use of rear support or bag to be consistant.
there is probably a hundred more things, but those mentioned above will put you on the proper track, and if excersized properly and frequently should lead you to success.
the easiest way i've found to range or use the dots as holdovers is to actually go out and do it in reality.
many of the mid to lower end scopes use several different sized dots, they stick 'em in their reticles and presto - a mildot scope.
many of the mildot info out there is based on 10x power on the optic.
so you know what you have, get a sheet of paper, draw lines across for the average size (usually top of back to bottom of chest) for game in your area, or even the size of targets you are using if your not hunting game.
this is what i use on my .22 mag:
my general ranging / sizes out to 200 yards (more options):
on 10x ranging:
so if a i'm ranging a turkey, using the top of the back to where the legs meet the bottom of the body of the bird being the ares to be bracketed, and it takes the span of three dots to bracket it, i look at my magnification, see that it's on 9x for example, i know it's out 125 yards.
i don't use the dots for holdover, just dial 3.2 on my elevation to match the 40 gr. ammo i'm using for turkey, then think of what color ink to use on my tag.
if you prefer the holdover method, almost the same thing can be done, just zero in @ 25, 50, or where ever (whether you choose to use the center of the cross hair or one of the dots is up to you), then shoot at the different distances you go back, noting what dot you are using for that given distance, and what power your scope is set at.
unless it's a front focal plane optic, the amount of holdover will change when you adjust the magnification. you may actually end up with several options of what dot to use by making the power adjustment, note the different dots at different magnification levels.
mildot holdover chart rem. SS and sk match rifle:
avg. high velocity mildot holdover chart:
using the avg. hv chart, using high velocity ammo, to hit my target at 100 yards with my rifle zeroed at 50, and the optic set on 12x, i have to use a 2 dot holdover. on 10x 1.75 dot holdover, and so on.
this wasn't figured out using a slide rule, protractor, or using standard mathematical equations, but what the results where using actual equipment, and the results are derived from that particular equipment.
by actually going out and doing it takes out the factor of the dots being the correct size and spacing apart from each other, depending on how the manufacturer of the optic sized their dots properly or not.
some optic threads:
22 scope+ mounts+rings threads
http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1954182#Post1954182
http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1939158#Post1939158
there's an absolute ton more threads, and a whole lot of options available for the price range that'll fit your budget.
