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Historical question... Why Mil-Dots? |
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fordag
Optics GrassHopper Joined: April/30/2009 Location: MA Status: Offline Points: 7 |
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Posted: May/01/2009 at 00:26 |
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So in talking with a buddy of mine about my upcoming scope purchase I was explaining to him how a Mil-Dot reticle worked. He then asked me this one simple question...
Why do they use dots? Why not little hash lines? My answer was to tell him I didn't know the answer, but that I guessed it had to do with limitations of manufacturing techniques at the time when the reticles were being made of wire. So why were mil-dots used rather than stadia lines? |
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Monster
Optics Master Joined: December/16/2008 Location: So. Cal Status: Offline Points: 2031 |
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You can find the middle of the dot better than a little hash. When you look through the mil-dot the center of one dot to the other is 1 mil. I think if you were to look at the circles you could estimate where the target is hitting on a little circle better than a hash. Mil-dots can be used in a very precise manner if the user is capable. I do not really know the real answer as to why they use circles but that is my guess. We will have to see what the rest of the guys think, but that is my guess.
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"Get Busy Livin' or get busy dyin'" -Red (Shawshank Redemption)
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koshkin
MODERATOR Dark Lord of Optics Joined: June/15/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 13182 |
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There are a lot of Mil-Based reticles out there that either use hashmarks exclusively of in combination with dots: IOR's MP-8, Mil-Dot Gen II, several Nightforce reticles, etc.
Unless I am totally wrong, for a wire reticle (as all the original MilDot reticles were), you can't easily make hashmarks. However, adding dots is comparatively easy. Nowadays, with the proliferation of glass reticles, you can have just about any pattern you want. ILya |
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Kickboxer
MODERATOR Moderator Joined: February/13/2008 Status: Offline Points: 23679 |
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You are correct, Oh Dark Lord, as usual.
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Opinion,untempered by fact,is ignorance.
There are some who do not fear death... for they are more afraid of not really living |
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fordag
Optics GrassHopper Joined: April/30/2009 Location: MA Status: Offline Points: 7 |
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So it was a manufacturing technology limitation as I first guessed.
Further questions: When was the first mil-dot scope made? How were the dots made on the wire cross hairs? |
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jonoMT
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: November/13/2008 Location: Montana Status: Offline Points: 4853 |
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Here's mine: |
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cheaptrick
MODERATOR Joined: September/27/2004 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 20844 |
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Ahhhh. That's sweet!!
That reticle makes me want to go out and buy a puppy.
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If at first you don't secede...try..try again.
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RONK
Optics Master Extraordinaire Joined: April/05/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3199 |
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If you could make the eyes light up. it would work pretty good in low-light, too!
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mike650
Optics God Joined: May/14/2006 Location: West of Rockies Status: Offline Points: 14569 |
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“A hunt based only on trophies taken falls far short of what the ultimate goal should be.” – Fred Bear
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Kickboxer
MODERATOR Moderator Joined: February/13/2008 Status: Offline Points: 23679 |
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Each dot in the happy face could be a precision refinement... you are REALLY on to something here.
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Opinion,untempered by fact,is ignorance.
There are some who do not fear death... for they are more afraid of not really living |
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BeltFed
Optics Retard Joined: February/12/2008 Location: Ky Status: Offline Points: 22287 |
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It's also my understanding that the dot itself has a value of measurement to help in determining range.
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Life's concerns should be about the 120lb pack your trying to get to the top of the mountain, and not the rock in your boot.
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Dale Clifford
Optics Jedi Knight Joined: July/04/2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 5087 |
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some early mildots were actually ovals --- adaptation by various branches more an attempt at standardization rather than optimization. degree of accuracy between hash marks and dots depends more on the quality of the scope than the system, if all things are equal probably what you got used to. hash mark systems are easier to subdivide into 1/2 mil or moa than dots-- problem in both cases is size of target, easier in urban setting but different size people in suburbs. standard size target in open country is nonexistent -- for long range shooting the error is usually 5% of the range, A 300 yrd shot in the urban setting doesn't have a drop problems for a trained shooter,
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Kickboxer
MODERATOR Moderator Joined: February/13/2008 Status: Offline Points: 23679 |
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Read below... it explains the differences in mil-dots very well. |
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Opinion,untempered by fact,is ignorance.
There are some who do not fear death... for they are more afraid of not really living |
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fordag
Optics GrassHopper Joined: April/30/2009 Location: MA Status: Offline Points: 7 |
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I highly recommend this article for a full explanation of Mil-dots and their use (but not history and manufacture other than to say John Unertl made the first one for the USMC)
http://www.remingtonmilitary.com/articles/DA%202005.12MH.pdf |
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