Is a mil-dot reticle practicle if you have a rangefinder? I was looking for a new scope for my .300 win I have never used a mil-dot. I have heard that scopes with target knobs can get in the way while in a rifle scabbard so I thought I might get a mil-dot and just assign a point of impact for each dot. I us this rifle exclusively, I hunt here in MI but plan on going west to hunt. Thanks Chain
mil-dot reticle
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sakofan
Well-Known Member
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Is a mil-dot reticle practicle if you have a rangefinder? I was looking for a new scope for my .300 win I have never used a mil-dot. I have heard that scopes with target knobs can get in the way while in a rifle scabbard so I thought I might get a mil-dot and just assign a point of impact for each dot. I us this rifle exclusively, I hunt here in MI but plan on going west to hunt. Thanks Chain
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Chain, if you don't WANT to learn the mil dot system, I would stick with the RF and a duplex type reticle.
I think the RF is superior to mil dots for range estimating, but thats my opinion and of course, YMMV....sakofan.....
Is a mil-dot reticle practicle if you have a rangefinder? I was looking for a new scope for my .300 win I have never used a mil-dot. I have heard that scopes with target knobs can get in the way while in a rifle scabbard so I thought I might get a mil-dot and just assign a point of impact for each dot. I us this rifle exclusively, I hunt here in MI but plan on going west to hunt. Thanks Chain
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Chain, if you don't WANT to learn the mil dot system, I would stick with the RF and a duplex type reticle.
I think the RF is superior to mil dots for range estimating, but thats my opinion and of course, YMMV....sakofan.....
Pete Lincoln
Well-Known Member
Yep LRF superior.. untill your batteries go flat, its gets foggy or reals poors with rain, or you leave the LRF in the 4x4 or at home. The mildot is a superb redunadan system. If you get used to ranging in meters and adjusting in fractions of miliradian then it takes about 10 minutes to learn. It pays to have a plan B.
Pete
Pete
My primary concern, although I wasn't thinking of a back up, was using the mil dot to eliminate hold over. I was just going to crank it up to the highest power and use the vertcle dots at certain ranges. I would sight it in @ 200 in the center and work from there. Does this make sense ? Thanks Chain
G
Guest
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Chain,
The bottom line is: Get what you want. If you're willing to spend a little time learning to use the mil dot, you will not be disappointed. I have both, and I can say that the mil dot offers you more options. If you can dope the wind & do the math, you can make some shots; you previously thought impossible! Put it this way, You can use a mil dot like a typical crosshair recticle, but you can't do the opposite. More options always appeals to me, in most situations.... Just my .02
The bottom line is: Get what you want. If you're willing to spend a little time learning to use the mil dot, you will not be disappointed. I have both, and I can say that the mil dot offers you more options. If you can dope the wind & do the math, you can make some shots; you previously thought impossible! Put it this way, You can use a mil dot like a typical crosshair recticle, but you can't do the opposite. More options always appeals to me, in most situations.... Just my .02
I just switched over to the mil-dot reticle myself. I think I will keep buying scopes with it. I've already learned to use the mils for windage adjustment instead of cranking on the target knobs, very very effective after just a little trial time.
If you switch to a mil-dot make sure you get a scope that the dots in the reticle keep the same MOA no matter what power you have the scope on. I bought a cheap scope and the dots are 3.14 moa at 10x, but considerably smaller when I crank it up to 24x. because of this I usually leave my scope at 10x when I have to deal with a lot of wind.
If you switch to a mil-dot make sure you get a scope that the dots in the reticle keep the same MOA no matter what power you have the scope on. I bought a cheap scope and the dots are 3.14 moa at 10x, but considerably smaller when I crank it up to 24x. because of this I usually leave my scope at 10x when I have to deal with a lot of wind.
ricka0
Well-Known Member
If you need a backup system, get another rangefinder. With point blank ranges on high powered rifles 500 yards (beyond which Mil dot is useless unless you are very good) - I prefer the NP-R2 reticle on my Nightforce
I heard the same argument 35 years ago with the advent to calculators - when your batteries die my Slide rule will still be working /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif I've still got a slide rule but I have to use my calculator to check the results /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I admire anyone who can use a slide rule or mil-dot. I don't have the patience or skill to use either. I'm a victim of technology.
There are plenty of marines who can out shoot me at 500 meters (kneeling ) when I'm using my $1,200 Nightforce and they are using iron sights -
I heard the same argument 35 years ago with the advent to calculators - when your batteries die my Slide rule will still be working /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif I've still got a slide rule but I have to use my calculator to check the results /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I admire anyone who can use a slide rule or mil-dot. I don't have the patience or skill to use either. I'm a victim of technology.
There are plenty of marines who can out shoot me at 500 meters (kneeling ) when I'm using my $1,200 Nightforce and they are using iron sights -
sakofan
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Yep LRF superior.. untill your batteries go flat, its gets foggy or reals poors with rain, or you leave the LRF in the 4x4 or at home. The mildot is a superb redunadan system. If you get used to ranging in meters and adjusting in fractions of miliradian then it takes about 10 minutes to learn. It pays to have a plan B.
Pete
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Good points, Pete. I would disagree with you on one point though.
It really takes more than 10 minutes to learn the mil dot system. Or at least for me. Maybe I'm just "numerically challenged"...sakofan..LOL
Yep LRF superior.. untill your batteries go flat, its gets foggy or reals poors with rain, or you leave the LRF in the 4x4 or at home. The mildot is a superb redunadan system. If you get used to ranging in meters and adjusting in fractions of miliradian then it takes about 10 minutes to learn. It pays to have a plan B.
Pete
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Good points, Pete. I would disagree with you on one point though.
It really takes more than 10 minutes to learn the mil dot system. Or at least for me. Maybe I'm just "numerically challenged"...sakofan..LOL
Buffalobob
Well-Known Member
Two Post bamboos, Versatrig 1450 and Versalog 1460 complete with case and belt snap, they bring back a lot of painful memories.
If you want to just have a scope with a vertical scale with distances assigned look at the Burris ballistic mil dot. It has the holdover bars plus the mil dot. I have one on a 45XTR TC muzzleloader. Of course just like Big Bore, that slide rule ruined my brain so I have a little piece of paper under acetate on the stock so I can remember which end of the gun to point at the deer and which little dot and bar to use.
If you want to just have a scope with a vertical scale with distances assigned look at the Burris ballistic mil dot. It has the holdover bars plus the mil dot. I have one on a 45XTR TC muzzleloader. Of course just like Big Bore, that slide rule ruined my brain so I have a little piece of paper under acetate on the stock so I can remember which end of the gun to point at the deer and which little dot and bar to use.
royinidaho
Well-Known Member
Here's my 2 bits worth.
Bought the mil dot scope for ranging. Got pretty serious with the project. Ranged a bull elk at 595 yds over a 20 minute period. (Was yote hunting and no elk tag for the area). Over the 20 minutes every time the bull would move I'd run the ranging process. Always got close to 595 yds.
My other test with an orange piece of foam tubing worked well also. I knew it was 36" long.
Got the LRF. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif The elk turned out to be 395 yds away.
Now the LRF is the range finder and the drop chart on the butt tells me where to hold. It works great. Next thing is to get a gen 2 Mil Dot as trying to hold 2.3 mils over is a bummer.
From now on all scopes will have mil dot or maybe a Burris Ballistic Plex that I'll calibrate my self. Want to find a good deal on one for my 375 H&H.
FWIW
Bought the mil dot scope for ranging. Got pretty serious with the project. Ranged a bull elk at 595 yds over a 20 minute period. (Was yote hunting and no elk tag for the area). Over the 20 minutes every time the bull would move I'd run the ranging process. Always got close to 595 yds.
My other test with an orange piece of foam tubing worked well also. I knew it was 36" long.
Got the LRF. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif The elk turned out to be 395 yds away.
Now the LRF is the range finder and the drop chart on the butt tells me where to hold. It works great. Next thing is to get a gen 2 Mil Dot as trying to hold 2.3 mils over is a bummer.
From now on all scopes will have mil dot or maybe a Burris Ballistic Plex that I'll calibrate my self. Want to find a good deal on one for my 375 H&H.
FWIW
The point blank idea is a good thought. Truth be told I probably never will shoot any deer or elk beyond 400 yds. However I envy the shooters in this forum and their abilities so I think I will get one to use at steel gongs in the off season, and just use like a regular reticle in hunting season. It would be nice to learn. I had a bad technology experience on a bowhunt last fall. My bow sight is an electronic "red dot" I took plenty of new batteries for it by the third day I was out of batteries that were good and I was robbing batteries out of the keyless entries from our pick ups. No plan should ever be without a back up. Thanks for the help. Chain
