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Historical question... Why Mil-Dots?

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fordag View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote fordag Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Historical question... Why Mil-Dots?
    Posted: May/01/2009 at 00:26
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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Monster Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/01/2009 at 01:21
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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/01/2009 at 17:23
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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kickboxer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/01/2009 at 17:32
You are correct, Oh Dark Lord, as usual.
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fordag View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote fordag Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/01/2009 at 17:49
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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jonoMT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/01/2009 at 17:57
Originally posted by koshkin koshkin wrote:


Nowadays, with the proliferation of glass reticles, you can have just about any pattern you want.

ILya


Here's mine:


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cheaptrick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/01/2009 at 18:18
Originally posted by jonoMT jonoMT wrote:

Originally posted by koshkin koshkin wrote:


Nowadays, with the proliferation of glass reticles, you can have just about any pattern you want.

ILya


Here's mine:


Ahhhh. That's sweet!!
That reticle makes me want to go out and buy a puppy. Wink
If at first you don't secede...try..try again.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RONK Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/01/2009 at 18:25
 If you could make the eyes light up. it would work pretty good in low-light, too!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mike650 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/01/2009 at 18:28
Yippee
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kickboxer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/01/2009 at 18:58
Each dot in the happy face could be a precision refinement... you are REALLY on to something here.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BeltFed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/01/2009 at 19:12
It's also my understanding that the dot itself has a value of measurement to help in determining range.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dale Clifford Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/02/2009 at 09:44
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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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kickboxer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/02/2009 at 09:57
Read below... it explains the differences in mil-dots very well.  

http://www.snipercountry.com/Articles/RealTruthAboutMilDots.asp
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote fordag Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/03/2009 at 20:38
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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