Scope -Dialing Up Elevation ?

[ol mike]

Howdoo,
I'm just getting into dialing up elevation and have a couple of questions.
Whats the best way/place to start,sight in at 250yds and expierament out from there on your drops?

Do you have a mark or something to come back to zero ,on the elevation turret?

Is a simple card taped on the stock w/clicks per yards a good way ?
Going to try for the 500 yard club on my spring praire dog shoot with a 22-250. Thanks Mike

 

[bailey1474]

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Whats the best way/place to start,sight in at 250yds and expierament out from there on your drops?



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I'm sure someone will disagree, but I like to be zeroed @ 100 yds. For me, it just makes things much more simple.


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Do you have a mark or something to come back to zero ,on the elevation turret?


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Depending on your scope, but most have a way to set a zero, so to speak. Whether it be by lifting and turning the turret or by loosening a set screw.

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Is a simple card taped on the stock w/clicks per yards a good way ?

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Should work great. If you can, get out and practice a little at the ranges you plan to shoot to confirm your drops. With a little practice, you'll get the 500 yarder!!

 

[4ked Horn]

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Is a simple card taped on the stock w/clicks per yards a good way ?

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That should work well but I would reccomend noting the adjustments in MOA and remaining clicks.
If your scope has 1/4 MOA per click adjustments and you want to dial up 43 clicks that is alot to count and keep track of while keeping an eye on your deer. But if you think of it as 10 MOA plus 3 clicks it is much easier to deal with. I am assuming that your scope turrets are marked in groups of 4 lines ie:a tall line and 3 short ones then a tall line and 3 short ones and so on. Even better if they have numbers above the tall lines noting the MOA steps.

If your range card says 10+3 or 22+0 or 45+1 that saves ALOT of counting and susequently an error that might result in a miss at the extended ranges.

If you would like I can direct you to an on line ballistics calculator that will compute this for you and allow you to print a card custom made for your loads and shooting conditions. It is VERY handy.

 

[royinidaho]

What the above guys have said is good.

I'm several months behind you with this. I can't keep track of anything like numbers when there is game in the scope, except for maybe chucks and PDs. Can't see it at all for anything that has hooves.

Was going to suggest a counting method, but it sure looked stupid when written + you gotta count all the clicks regardless, then remember to go back to zero before making the next adjustment. I screw this up repeatedly. So I gave up. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Ended up with a mil dot scope then put a cartridge under it so that with a 250 or 300 yard zero I can go to 1000+ with a 5 mil hold-over. 5 mils is where the wide post starts. When that isn't enough I'll get a different reticle that goes down 8 mils and or an even flatter shooting cartridge.

I get anxious enough just trying to get the shot off while optimum shot conditions exist, which is usually short and gets shorter as distance increases. And shooting at a moving animal at 1K is most probably not a good thing. Saw a fellow shoot at the 3rd elk in a string at 800 or so and make a perfect hit on the 4th elk. Lucky thing it was a cow. Everyone hi 5'd him on a great shot, but he and I knew the truth.

 

[DougH9]

Here is my 2 cents:

I learned in highpower shooting NOT to count clicks. Use and trust the numbers on your sights/scopes. I usually only gauge to 1 MOA, but will sometimes cut that in half (I wish they made 1/2 min scope adjustments...1/4 min is too fine for big game IMO)

I zero all rifles at 100 yards. This is your baseline.

When I hit the field, I will dial in a 200 yard zero . This is my "walking around" zero. If something pops up if front of me within 300 (ish) yards, I am good to go.

If I see something farther away, I range it and dial in the extra MOA's that I need (again, looking at the sight numbers, not counting).

When done, I dial it back to 100, until the next trip out.

 

[lumberjack]

4ked if you would share that info with me i would really appreciate it.I have been huntin a ballistics program.Thanks
LJ

 

[Bart B]

I've always zeroed my rifles at 100 yards, then used Sierra Bullets software to find out how much drop my bullet have at 100 yards. Then add that drop amount to the line of sight height above the muzzle axis for a correction. Finally I'd move the sight up in elevation moa an amount equal to that correction then rezero the adjustment knobs so they're at mechanical zero for that rifle. All this process does is zero the sights to the bore axis. I call it "dynamic bore sighting." And rarely does it agree with traditional "static bore sighting" by looking (or lasering) through the bore then the sights and converging them. Most folks don't believe how much difference there is.

Anyway, after getting a dynamic bore sight, I use Sierra's software or range shooting to get the come ups for different ranges and altitudes. I'll tape 'em to the stock or whatever. And learning to count the clicks lets you keep your eyes on what the target and conditions are doing.

 

[4ked Horn]

This program is in a sticky thread here in Bullets Barrels and Ballistics posted by Klinkers.

http://biggameinfo.com/BalCalcAdv.aspx

Once you put in your information regarding Muzzle velocity and conditions you can select one of the options to get your drops in "MOA+ clicks" if you want.

You can pick to get your ballistics in yardage steps as small as one yard or by 100 yards. (usually 10 to 25 yards is most useful)

The best part is that you can copy and paste the ballistic chart into a spread sheet without having to muck around with it. Then you can shrink the font or delete info you don't want ore add info you do want then print the thing for taping to your stock.

Give it a good honest try and you will soon see the potential.

 

[4ked Horn]

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I can't keep track of anything like numbers when there is game in the scope,

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Calm down Roy. You are too close. If you are long range hunting they don't know you are there.

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Was going to suggest a counting method, but it sure looked stupid when written + you gotta count all the clicks regardless, then remember to go back to zero before making the next adjustment. I screw this up repeatedly. So I gave up.

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***? I would have given this up as well. You are a man in need of help. We are here for you.

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Ended up with a mil dot scope then put a cartridge under it so that with a 250 or 300 yard zero I can go to 1000+ with a 5 mil hold-over. 5 mils is where the wide post starts. When that isn't enough I'll get a different reticle that goes down 8 mils and or an even flatter shooting cartridge.

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Step away from the crack pipe and learn to dial. It is easy if you try the 4ked horn method of MOA + Clicks and a stock chart to match. (unless it is just an excuse to get another gun.) BTW getting tapered bases for a top dot zero at 300 yards is cheaper than either a new scope or a new gun. This gives you 9 dots down. Or you could.... JUST LEARN TO DIAL!!!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

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I get anxious enough just trying to get the shot off while optimum shot conditions exist, which is usually short and gets shorter as distance increases

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Again I ask ***? If the deer don't know you are a half mile away how would the conditions go away?

And I don't think shooting at moving game is a great idea. This is one of those things I have picked up from the folks that have been at this game long before I ever knew about it. No need to reinvent the wheel.

Roy does your scope have numbers on the turrets? I'm asking because dialing is so easy if you do but I can understand the problem if you don't. If you are really this apprehensive about it I would be glad to discuss why with you.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

I zero my rifles at 200 yards. I have found that when you zero at 100 yards, your trajectory is to much of an arc for the faster shots where you cant "click up". You either shoot way to high or way to low. 200 yard zero simplifies things a bit, while giving you a little more range on your scope.

 

[RDM416]

I too like sighting my rifle(s) in at further than 100 yards. I normally sight in for 300yds (depending on how flat shooting your rifle is, 200 may be more practical)

With the 300yd zero I can just aim and shoot out to 400 on deer and larger sized game. For longer shots I dial up from there. This allows me to make a quick shot out to 400 without thinking about it. At ranges longer than that, If I don't have time to think about it and gauge all the variables, then set up.....I don't shoot.

On my chart I also note the (-) clicks for exact poi at 200 and 100yds, just in case I want to shoot crow, pdog or other small critter where an inch or two will matter.

 

[ol mike]

I've read all this and it has helped me out.
I got my scope and owners manual for it out and read it in detail.Should have did that from the get go!

4ked horn,
My scope does have the 1 tall 3 short graduations -it's a 6.5 x 20 =50 zeiss by the way.I now understand how the scope is sighted in then bring the turrets to zero.
I think i'll stick with the 200yd zero initially and get my ballistics card in the MOA+x amount of clicks.
And i will take the advice to go off the numbers on the scope turrets and not count MOA.Thanks Mike

 

[grit]

I'll jump in here, cause I can.

Mike, dialing a scope is easy. I don't know what scope you have, so I'll tell you how mine works. My scope has a zero mark at center which can be seen while shooting. After zeroing at one hundred you take the knobs off and put them back on so the zeroes line up with the marks.

I like to carry the rifle with the elevation knob set on 2. This is a two hundred yard zero. Out to 300, I don't have to compensate for any elevation. My turrets have 12 min in one turn. My scope doesn't have hash marks to show how many turns of elevation I have used. Lots of them do. If I lose track of where I'm at, I know zero is 2.5 turns down from topped out, and 1.5 turns up from bottomed out. So, I can always turn the scope all the way up or down, then back to zero. I haven't lost track yet.

Another option I like is the reticles with crosshairs for various yardages. Leupold has two, burris has one, and Nikon added one this year. For shooting at big game out to 500 yards, these reticles offer speed and good accuracy. For anything further than 500 you dial. The leupolds also have 10 mph windage ticks, a handy reference.

A card taped to the stock would work well. Mine say 10+2,14+1 etc. I don't count, I look at the numbers.Be sure to understand how temp, elevation, and inclination affect your drop chart. Another option is a steel tape offered by leupold. It clamps to your scope, looking very much like another turret. You simply pull it out, look up your drop and let it go. Some of these guys carry pda's with ballistic programs in the field. Last thing I want to look at hunting is a computer. Even a tiny one. But they have merit, til you drop one, forget it, or the battey dies.

Roy,
As always, I enjoyed your post. More truthfully I enjoyed 4kd's response. I like to dial for elevation, and hold for windage. I find it impossible to hold for both. So, when you're holding six mils high, what's your reference for windage? Air? I just like to have at least one solid line crossing point of aim. Not knocking the mil dot sytem at all.

To sum it up, my needs have evolved with just a little experience. Enjoy your shooting.

Lumberjak, that you? Welcome.

 

[Sourdough]

One way is the card with the clicks for all differant yardages written on it and taped to the gun. Or you can go to the Loupold Custom Shop. Fill out their questionare on caliber, bullet, and velocity. They will make you a calibrated turrent cap, that will be calibrated for your load. Then when you have ranged the target with your range finder, just dial in the yardage on the turrent. Seen this on a video, so I asked about the scopes they were using at the sports store. They showed me Loupolds catalog and the services provided by their custom shop.