Rifle Scopes Scopes with Ballistic Reticles?

[libertyman777]

Zeiss Conquest, Pride Fowler, Horus, etc.

This concept doesn't get a lot of play around here and I've always wondered why. I realize that they're not perfect but it would seem to me that once a load was decided on and it was zeroed somewhere along the midrange of the reticle that it should be really effective. I've heard that Horus customer service leaves something to be desired but PFI and Zeiss should be good to go. Am I missing something?

The one BDC reticle scope that I didn't mention in the above list is the ACOG. Proof of concept is undeniable.

Is it just a matter of matching up the reticle with what you choose to shoot? This shouldn't be a problem as long as they close, right?

I guess the same could be said for ballistic cams too.

Is it that some of these scopes lack a user friendly rangefinding ability?

Paul

 

[42769vette]

Re: Scopes with Ballistic Reticles?

this is personal opinion

for me none of those systems are accurate enough for what i do. if im using holdovers i prefer a reticle that hav points that i can just shoot enough to find out what they are. the ballistic reticles work for the way i fo it aswell, i just take the what they say they are and throw it away and find out what they are in the real world

 

[RotARy15]

Re: Scopes with Ballistic Reticles?

They are accurate enough for "OMG gotta send lead over there asap" types of situations.

But then again, a mil-dot style reticle with a small amount of memorization is an infinitely adjustable "Ballistic Reticle". And you can find your range with it as well.

 

[libertyman777]

Re: Scopes with Ballistic Reticles?

I'm not sure I understand.

So what you guys are saying is that dialing is more discrete than 12.5 yards at distance? Most are marked in 25 yard increments and it shouldn't be hard to split the two, right?

If someone ranges a target at 763 yards, he wouldn't dial for 763. It would be either 750 or 775 with some hold off wouldn't it?

 

[chaser_2332]

Re: Scopes with Ballistic Reticles?

I think precision shots are more accurately made when dialed. Then you have the ability to hold wind or dial. While not having the field of view cluttered by alot of lines that may or may not be right. I would rather find a load that my rifle loves than one that matches my scope's "ballistic dope"

 

[bulzeye]

Re: Scopes with Ballistic Reticles?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: libertyman777</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'm not sure I understand.

So what you guys are saying is that dialing is more discrete than 12.5 yards at distance? Most are marked in 25 yard increments and it shouldn't be hard to split the two, right?

If someone ranges a target at 763 yards, he wouldn't dial for 763. It would be either 750 or 775 with some hold off wouldn't it? </div></div>

with the use of ballistic computers/pda's/smartphone programs you would dial in for 763 I would assume

 

[BigJohn141]

Re: Scopes with Ballistic Reticles?

I have a Burris XTR14 which is a 1-4 with a BDC reticule and it's on a 16" AR. The instructions that came with the scope tells what bullet weight and velocity it is calibrated to but I have never that that exact round to check it yet. I am in the process of building a 800 yard range so I might just try it out sometime. I will say that at closer range, as in 300 yards or less, the reticule works well with most ammo and could easily hit a medium size animal or bad guy. I also think it really depends on what you're doing with weapon, fast engagement like hunting or in battle where the range changes quickly and you have to shoot fast the BDC will help a lot like what's on the Acog. If it were more of a slow fire competition or long range hunting/sniping where every shot has to hit its mark as accurately as possible and maybe have a little more time then you can't beat dialing in your scope.

 

[XTR]

Re: Scopes with Ballistic Reticles?

Hunting with my muzzle loader I've learned to love my Bushnell DOA 250. For my loads it rocks. Every shot so far out 150 has been a one shot less than 20 yds traveled kill.

I've also heard the guys who do timed tactical comps love the Horus reticles. They are good enough to put you on steel in a fraction of the time to dial.

 

[sscoyote]

Re: Scopes with Ballistic Reticles?

Got a buddy who uses both turrets and reticle, and out of maybe 7 long-range shots on predators he's only had time to dial 1. He uses Leupold's Varmint Hunter reticle on a 243 AR-10.

I am also a reticle guy for the most part. But i don't apply them the way they're designed. I always apply my reticles at the optic's highest power, and once tested and troubleshot I calculate the reference in 50-yd. intervals only. I don't even care where the stadia lines/points are zeroed for since the 50-yd. reference may not fall on any particular stadia. For my purposes they are there for reference and calculations only. I.e. suppose u have a ballistic reticle that the neighboring 2 stadia fall at 4.00 MOA and 6.27 MOA. Now your dope for say 450 yds. is 4.8 MOA. Now there are 2.27 MOA between the 2 stadia, and the 4.8 450-yd. zero is .8 MOA beyond the 1st stadia. If u divide the .8 by 2.7 u get 0.3. That measn that the zero for 450 is 1.3 stadia. See how it works? Now do the same for windage if u have any horizontal stadia points to use for it and u create sort of an interpolative grid system in the reticle. Here is what i came up with for my buddies 22-250 Sav. Striker/2.5-8x Nikon EER BDC reticle scope/60 JLK Low Drag at 3080 mv.--

(range sticker for Butler Creek scope cap cover is in upper right corner)

and 1st 3 shots at 425 yds.--

Here's the dope for a custom Savage Striker 243 WSSM/117DTAC at 2600 mv/Leupold VH reticle. The windage calcs at 1/2 the 10 mph subtensions (so u should know the subtensions of your windage stadia as well--vertical subtensions are not enough). I have killed several long-range coyotes with this rig at ~500 yds.--

And don't think for a minute that the ballistic reticles can't be used for rangefinding purposes. I reticle-ranged 2 different coyotes last season at ~500 or so and was close enough to have killed both of them using a ballistic reticle.

 

[Rprecision]

Re: Scopes with Ballistic Reticles?

I use a Buris BDC on a hunting rifle. I think for that use the BDC reticle works best. It never seemed to work that great for other uses, IMHO, because of e second focal plane reticle

 

[XTR]

Re: Scopes with Ballistic Reticles?

In most applications where you are using a BDC reticles you are shooting far enough that high power is warranted, black powder excepted, but even then my Bushey is only a 3-9 so using the 9x at 200 yds isn't out of the question; however, you do need to remember to dial back to high power if you've been on a lower power. Possibly not the first thing that comes to mind when a deer pops out of the wood line at 200 yds.

 

[Gunner's Mate]

Re: Scopes with Ballistic Reticles?

I am no expert but do have exp with Shepherd optics and they are the bomb digity. I have not tried any of the others although I would like to try a Horus.