Water lines

[Shawd43]

Looking for some feedback on line thickness (not width) at different distances. Usually I use a 2” line at 800 and 1000. Just enough of something that allows me to gauge elevation. Just wondering if there are some better practices out there.
Thanks

 

[Dthomas3523]

As long as it’s enough to see and keep your horizontal part of crosshairs on.

I just hold spray paint can a few inches away. Nothing fancy

 

[Steel head]

As long as it’s enough to see and keep your horizontal part of crosshairs on.

I just hold spray paint can a few inches away. Nothing fancy

This.

 

[Jack Master]

If I got fancy with it it would be 1/2" out to 500yds, 1" out to 1000 yards, 2 " after that.

Most of the time it's pretty hasty and is a paint can "spray width" at all ranges like stated above.

 

[blbennett1288]

I just take a a piece of cardboard or 2x4 ad spray paint above that to create a straight edge. No measuring of any sorts other than "looks level"

 

[Rookie]

What the heck are you guys talking about?

 

[blbennett1288]

What the heck are you guys talking about?

Spray painting a line (aka water line) on target so you can true up you dope and have a point of reference for aiming.

 

[Bender830]

What the heck are you guys talking about?

Painting a horizontal line to easily identify if you are high or low. I just spray a dot and judge off that but its basically just any reference point on the target.

 

[AIAW]

What the heck are you guys talking about?

I was like WTF too... a thread about spray painting a horizontal line on steel. Never really felt the need (or how it would really help) to do that before, but to each his own! You can either see the impacts or you can't in my opinion.

 

[Dthomas3523]

I was like WTF too... a thread about spray painting a horizontal line on steel. Never really felt the need (or how it would really help) to do that before, but to each his own! You can either see the impacts or you can't in my opinion.

It absolutely helps

 

[AIAW]

It absolutely helps

Interesting. I’ve had no issues over the years but I might have to give it a try sometime just to feel the difference.

 

[702lineman]

Interesting. I’ve had no issues over the years but I might have to give it a try sometime just to feel the difference.

It might sound stupid but honestly, if you really want to true up your dope give it a try. It helps a lot

 

[LawnMM]

If I got fancy with it it would be 1/2" out to 500yds, 1" out to 1000 yards, 2 " after that.

Most of the time it's pretty hasty and is a paint can "spray width" at all ranges like stated above.

An inch seems pretty narrow considering most of our scopes adjust in increments 3x as course. You could move the scope a tenth back and forth and skip right over a line an inch high at 1k.

I was like WTF too... a thread about spray painting a horizontal line on steel. Never really felt the need (or how it would really help) to do that before, but to each his own! You can either see the impacts or you can't in my opinion.

It's useful for checking/truing dope. You line the horizontal stadia up with the waterline and shoot.

Wind is irrelevant, you're just looking for hits on the line. Helps verify your dope is good, scope is tracking, etc.

Just did this today at 1040yds with the new Berger 109s.

 

[AIAW]

An inch seems pretty narrow considering most of our scopes adjust in increments 3x as course. You could move the scope a tenth back and forth and skip right over a line an inch high at 1k.



It's useful for checking/truing dope. You line the horizontal stadia up with the waterline and shoot.

Wind is irrelevant, you're just looking for hits on the line. Helps verify your dope is good, scope is tracking, etc.

Just did this today at 1040yds with the new Berger 109s.

View attachment 7205391

I could see that working just fine. I guess tradition can be a difficult thing to change. I've already either used fresh 4" gongs around 1K+ or shot paper at extended distance (depending on reticle thickness). A 10th MIL in elevation is a bad day at that distance.

 

[Sheldon N]

Just did this today at 1040yds with the new Berger 109s.

Looks solid. What did your G7 end up truing at?

 

[LawnMM]

Looks solid. What did your G7 end up truing at?

Used the AB custom curve ?

I knew I hit right around the waterline but the mirage made it tough to see how close. I got up and checked the spotting scope between the second and third shot.

Figured it was pretty accurate so I called it good then let another guy true his dope up with 140s. He was a little low at first.

Then we started doing positional practice and shot it up. Somehow never coming close to that initial group.

Cleaned up and looked at it like ?

 

[M8541Reaper]

I wish my range put waterlines on the steel. ...and didn’t paint them black.

 

[chevy_man]

I wish my range put waterlines on the steel. ...and didn’t paint them black.

We paint ours white in the summer so we can see them against the brown dirt.
Black in the winter so we can see them in the snow.

We can generally do whatever the hell we want if we bring our own paint and leave them "clean" for the next guy.

 

[M8541Reaper]

We paint ours white in the summer so we can see them against the brown dirt.
Black in the winter so we can see them in the snow.

We can generally do whatever the hell we want if we bring our own paint and leave them "clean" for the next guy.

Yea it’s black year round here, despite a dark dirt berm. The targets are massive and rarely painted so it’s just a sea of light grey spots on a black target. Definitely a lot of fun when shooting alone in heavy mirage lol.

But yea, watermarks should be on all rec range steel.

 

[LR51]

Interesting concept never heard of a whole line always just used a T

 

[C.R. Adams]

If a "water line" is marked/painted horizontally level, it provides a great reference point to verify the shooter is holding the horizontal cross hair level; thus aiding in reducing cant.............. this is only of benefit assuming the optic is mounted plumb and square.