How often windage adjustment during hunting?

[vancewalker007]

Long time reader, new to forum and getting into hunting big game. I have some scope questions for you veteran hunters. I'm looking to scope my new Tikka 300WM. I'm torn between two scopes I narrowed down. I was planning on spending about $1200. I also considered Meopta, Vortex, Leica, Steiner, Athlon, but only my two choices have most of the turret features I liked. I wish a scope manufacturer would make exposed, but locking turrets on both elevation and windage. This will be for all capable ranges for the rifle as my skill and confidence improves.

Leupold VX5 3-15x56 metric. Locking elevation. Capped windage. I was thinking of metric to match my tac rifle. The 44mm's don't come in metric (Not a deal breaker). I'm not used to scope caps and don't want to lose it or fumble with it on a quick shot. I am used to checking my scope dials before pulling the trigger.

Zeiss V4 4-16x50 moa. Open turrets, but at least the windage is locking.

How often do you actually adjust your windage on hunts? If often, I'm leaning toward the Zeiss. If not, I'm leaning toward the Leupold.
Are most of your shots early morning or late evening so the wind is usually calmer than mid day, so you don't adjust windage often, at least for closer range?
Do you usually have time to adjust windage or do you hold over?
Am I overthinking this or am I missing something?

Thanks for all your advice and experience! I've learned a ton from this forum.

Those all great scopes. The Nightforce SHV is also in your price range. I think the 4-14 comes in the FFP version which would allow you to have accurate hold marks at any power where the FFP scopes you listed have to be on max power for the wind hold marks to be accurate. Personally my father, my son and I have always dialed wind because we hunted with Leupold VX3 6.5-20s for years with exposed turrets. We have retro fitted all the VX3s we have left with custom zero stop elevation knobs and we tape the windage knobs when they are getting carried on backpacks during western hunts. I went to a 4-24 VX6 HD, which has locking elevation and windage knobs. The windage knob on the VX6 HD has an R and L on the dial which makes dialing wind easy and of course at 24x I can use the reticle to hold wind if I like.

 

[Ol' Red]

Never.

Dial elevation and hold for wind.

X 2

 

[StanleyActual]

Yes. Leupold refers to that Mil scope as metric on their website.

I would grab that Leupold with the Mil reticle. Itll Make using the MPH method for wind holds MUCH easier.

basically, you take the 1st number of the G1 BC of the bullet you're shooting and that's the MPH of your gun. Ie if the BC of my bullet is .550, I have a 5 mph gun.

so wind holds are based off a 5 mph wind (5 mph wind @ 500 yds = .5 Mil Hold)


100 yds @ 5mph = .1 Mil hold
200 yds @ 5 mph= .2 Mil hold
300 yds @ 5 mph = .3 Mil hold
400 yds @ 5 mph = .4 Mil hold
500 yds @ 5 mph = .5 Mil hold
600 yds @ 5 mph = .6 Mil hold
700 yds @ 5 mph = .7 Mil hold
Etc etc

it's extremely accurate, simple and instinctive.

here's a link explaining it in some
More detail. Watch the videos Lowlight posted and read through the thread. Some good info

Calculating mph rifle

At a recent match, many on my squad were describing their wind calls in terms of mph, by saying eg: I used a 5mph wind( rather than describing it in terms of mils). These were good shooters doing this. (I just got on their squad by accident). Where can I learn about this technique, and...

www.snipershide.com

 

[evancox308]

Long time reader, new to forum and getting into hunting big game. I have some scope questions for you veteran hunters. I'm looking to scope my new Tikka 300WM. I'm torn between two scopes I narrowed down. I was planning on spending about $1200. I also considered Meopta, Vortex, Leica, Steiner, Athlon, but only my two choices have most of the turret features I liked. I wish a scope manufacturer would make exposed, but locking turrets on both elevation and windage. This will be for all capable ranges for the rifle as my skill and confidence improves.

Leupold VX5 3-15x56 metric. Locking elevation. Capped windage. I was thinking of metric to match my tac rifle. The 44mm's don't come in metric (Not a deal breaker). I'm not used to scope caps and don't want to lose it or fumble with it on a quick shot. I am used to checking my scope dials before pulling the trigger.

Zeiss V4 4-16x50 moa. Open turrets, but at least the windage is locking.

How often do you actually adjust your windage on hunts? If often, I'm leaning toward the Zeiss. If not, I'm leaning toward the Leupold.
Are most of your shots early morning or late evening so the wind is usually calmer than mid day, so you don't adjust windage often, at least for closer range?
Do you usually have time to adjust windage or do you hold over?
Am I overthinking this or am I missing something?

Thanks for all your advice and experience! I've learned a ton from this forum.

Hello,
As a big game hunter here in Colorado I have used leupold scopes almost exclusively. The features I love about my vx5hd is that is in fact has locking elevation and capped windage, the way I get around a capped windage is the use of their badass windplex reticle. It's awesome and offers enough windage adjustments in the reticle that you should never have to uncap the windage turret. I find most of the shots I take are in the first 2 hours of sunrise and the last sever hours at the end of the day when the wind and thermals are usually swirling. I shoot a 300wm myself. Hope this helps

 

[badthirtyone]

#1 I can't add any real new information to this thread, but will add another vote towards holding
for wind instead of dialing in Hunting situations.

#2 welcome to the forum from Colorado. Plenty of quality people with a ton of experience here that are willing to share and help whenever possible.

 

[orkan]

I typically don't dial wind unless its over 2 mils. Set NPA correctly for the hold off, and roll.

 

[Tadd]

Agree with everyone else, dial elevation, hold for wind.

 

[Alberta Wexit]

Yes dial elevation and hold for wind.

 

[mercerbear]

Long time reader, new to forum and getting into hunting big game. I have some scope questions for you veteran hunters. I'm looking to scope my new Tikka 300WM. I'm torn between two scopes I narrowed down. I was planning on spending about $1200. I also considered Meopta, Vortex, Leica, Steiner, Athlon, but only my two choices have most of the turret features I liked. I wish a scope manufacturer would make exposed, but locking turrets on both elevation and windage. This will be for all capable ranges for the rifle as my skill and confidence improves.

Leupold VX5 3-15x56 metric. Locking elevation. Capped windage. I was thinking of metric to match my tac rifle. The 44mm's don't come in metric (Not a deal breaker). I'm not used to scope caps and don't want to lose it or fumble with it on a quick shot. I am used to checking my scope dials before pulling the trigger.

Zeiss V4 4-16x50 moa. Open turrets, but at least the windage is locking.

How often do you actually adjust your windage on hunts? If often, I'm leaning toward the Zeiss. If not, I'm leaning toward the Leupold.
Are most of your shots early morning or late evening so the wind is usually calmer than mid day, so you don't adjust windage often, at least for closer range?
Do you usually have time to adjust windage or do you hold over?
Am I overthinking this or am I missing something?

Thanks for all your advice and experience! I've learned a ton from this forum.

Most dial elevation and hold for windage.

I never touch the windage once I zero.

If you want exposed windage, Leupold does offer options. I have a VX6-HD with exposed elevation and windage.

 

[mdmiller]

^^^x2^^^

 

[redleg1013]

Long time reader, new to forum and getting into hunting big game. I have some scope questions for you veteran hunters. I'm looking to scope my new Tikka 300WM. I'm torn between two scopes I narrowed down. I was planning on spending about $1200. I also considered Meopta, Vortex, Leica, Steiner, Athlon, but only my two choices have most of the turret features I liked. I wish a scope manufacturer would make exposed, but locking turrets on both elevation and windage. This will be for all capable ranges for the rifle as my skill and confidence improves.

Leupold VX5 3-15x56 metric. Locking elevation. Capped windage. I was thinking of metric to match my tac rifle. The 44mm's don't come in metric (Not a deal breaker). I'm not used to scope caps and don't want to lose it or fumble with it on a quick shot. I am used to checking my scope dials before pulling the trigger.

Zeiss V4 4-16x50 moa. Open turrets, but at least the windage is locking.

How often do you actually adjust your windage on hunts? If often, I'm leaning toward the Zeiss. If not, I'm leaning toward the Leupold.
Are most of your shots early morning or late evening so the wind is usually calmer than mid day, so you don't adjust windage often, at least for closer range?
Do you usually have time to adjust windage or do you hold over?
Am I overthinking this or am I missing something?

Thanks for all your advice and experience! I've learned a ton from this forum.

I don't dial for wind.
I've had mornings that were blowing a gale only to have a relatively calm afternoon and vice sersa.

How I deal with wind is use my G1 as a wind base - meaning my 165gr TTSX has a G1 BC of .442 I know that my wind increments are going to be .1 mil/100yds at 4mph and that holds solid to 800 yards for my DA, which is more than far enough for me to take a harvesting shot.

I can't remember an occurrence where I had time to dial wind, maybe I did but didn't care to.

Hope this helps.

 

[sourdough44]

Did we ever get into type of hunting? Game? & at what average shot distance? Lots of difference from a MI cedar swamp to the open plains out west.

Either way, I'm not one to fiddle when it's time to shoot.

 

[skipglo]

I don't dial for windage. Dial elevation hold for windage. Wind changes so much it's quicker and easier just to hold what it's blowing when you're ready to torch one off

Do you have a scaled reticle?

X 2!

 

[ATH]

I prefer to hold windage on an MOA reticle. There have been a few times I dialed, won't go into the specifics, it's rare. All my scopes have an adjustable windage turret but I wouldn't feel handicapped without it.