Tactical Scopes ???

[redsnow]

Just curious, anyone else read the article in the Sept. 2007 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN about tactical scopes? It starts on page 82. Seems to me the first 3 paragraphs of the story are BS. The guy is shooting 500 yards at a deer and changes his "point of aim" over 12 MOA, that's more than 60" (5 feet) at that range. Not sure at what range his rifle was "zeroed", that's a lot of drop. What do you think?

[Freak( Jim V.)]

Sounds like a made for TV movie
Just got done putting a Burris XTR 3 -12 illuminated ballistic mil dot on my 17 rem about 10 minutes ago and found this funny. Hope the dang thing was worth the jack. Ended up switching 4 scopes around that i figured would work better on different guns after last year. start one and just keep finding more to do. LOL

[markymark]

Greatings Jimmy,

You like that Mil. Dot for game??

[Freak( Jim V.)]

Marky , not sure yet. Bought it primarily for the glass and not the dots.Been looking high and low for a good illuminated reticle scope. It fit the bill at 3 power and a 50 bell with good eye relief. This my primary night hunting rifle for fox.

[Rod17]

Where its zero'd determines how much elevation is needed -- but assuming a 100 yard zero, he's actually correct.

The .308 shooting a 168 gr boattail hollowpoint (2,700fps ), will require about 11.75 MOA at 500 yards, using a 100 yrds zero. In terms of bullet drop, that 59.9inches.


RD

[richc]

I am thinking that the guy probably had some sort of BDC reticle so he could use appropriate dot toward bottom of the reticle. I doubt that he was screwing the adjustment knob that many clicks.

[Rod17]

Hard to say what he actually did. A deer at 500 yrds would certanly give you the time to dial in windage and elevations changes.

None the less, 500 yards is a long way for anyone to shoot a deer and elevation is only part of the game; dont forget windage. A 10 mph wind would require about 5 inches of correction. That doesnt seem like much but, for a deer and aiming at the shoulder or just behind it, being off 5 inches could be a gut shot or a non-lethal chest hit. Given the amount of swirling winds, angles etc, never underestimate the important of windage.

The average hunter has no business shooting at an animal 500 yards away..but, in most cases, the animal would be safe!

RD

[redsnow]

I'll give you a quote from the story, "I turned the big turret counterclockwise one complete revolution and continued to the number two".

Seems to me if he plans to shoot deer at that range, he'd have his rifle zeroed at 200 or so, thinking about my 7mm mag, at 500 it's about 36" low. 18" at 400, 6" low at 300. I agree 500 is a long way, shooting at game. Give you another quote, "This was a typical shot as my partner and I. . . " I know that piece of paper will let a feller write anything on it, I don't think much of the idea of giving the knob a spin, and then shooting at game.

[FWS]

"I turned the big turret counterclockwise one complete revolution and continued to the number two".

That sounds right for a scope with target turrets that actually will change the point of impact accurately. And then go back. ;D

I used to shoot metallic silhouette and the old Weaver 10x with target turrets did that pretty well. 168 gr. Sierra Matchking at 2750 out of my .308 would drop about 60" at 500 meters which is the distance of the ram.

If you shoot distances with a consistent load you can drop em' in pretty consistently at 500 meters.

But even with a laser rangefinder shooting a deer and killing it at that range is pretty iffy.

I could take a lot of such shots in my country on deer but the cross canyon, up or downhill with multiple wind currents going through the canyon makes it difficult.

I used to practice under field conditions for those kind of shots and though the rifle was consistent off the bench it wasn't shooting at a milk jug 500 yds across a canyon with a breeze.

It was interesting to see the affect a Harris bipod had on accuracy in the field too.