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Kentucky windage v.s. dialing the scope

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shooter4 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote shooter4 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Kentucky windage v.s. dialing the scope
    Posted: February/16/2011 at 07:32
Good day
 
Can anyone explain in general to an Old dog, the pros and cons of using "kentucky windage" v.s. dialing in the scope for various distances?
 
Is one method more precise than the other (in general terms)?
 
Thanks


Edited by shooter4 - February/16/2011 at 07:48
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 8shots Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/16/2011 at 08:32
Shooter, Kentucky windage is using a your iron sights or telescope sights, which have been zeroed for a specific distance. Say 100 yds. You still need to know your bullet drop, let us say 4 inches at 200yds 8 inches at 250 yds and 13 inches at 300 yds. Your target is now at 250 yds, so you simply aim 8 inches above your target and so on. The same for windage, if you expect the wind to move your target 4 inches left, you aim 4 inches right.
This system is quick and foolproof. Most hunters adopt this system due to the fact that game do not wait around for the hunter to fiddle with dials etc.
By its very nature it is not precise because it is difficult to see an inch out to 300 yds etc.
 
The other way is to dial in the elevation for a known distance. Same principle, you need to know your bullet drop and also how precise your scope dials.
Once doped, dialing in for a specific load and distance, it is precise. Only the shooter and rifle accuracy level will cause the bullet to miss.
 
The con on dialing is that it takes a bit of time and the shooter can confuse the settings.


Edited by 8shots - February/16/2011 at 08:33
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote shooter4 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/16/2011 at 11:47
Hmmmm
 
So in GENERAL terms - if you will be shooting say 500 yds+ you get better results using scope with tactical turrets than using kentucky windage??
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote supertool73 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/16/2011 at 11:52
Kentucky windage for the most part is just guessing.  There is no repeatability or consistancy to it. 

With practice and keeping a log book a shooter can get very good at making first round hits dialing in.  If a person really wants to shoot much past the point blank range of their sight in, then they need to learn dialing in.  Its just guesswork other wise.  If you are hunting that means wounded animals, if you are just shooting paper it just means you will be all over the place.  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote biggreen747 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/16/2011 at 15:35
Originally posted by shooter4 shooter4 wrote:

Hmmmm
 
So in GENERAL terms - if you will be shooting say 500 yds+ you get better results using scope with tactical turrets than using kentucky windage??


More like 300-350+
We measure it with a micrometer, mark it with a crayon, and cut it with a chainsaw.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote shooter4 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/16/2011 at 17:08
Aha, interesting. 
 
I saw a guy that has one of those tactical turret scopes. He had marked on the turret what seemed to be distances (200yd, 250yd, 300yds etc).  I recon that is for one type of hand loaded bullet, he must have pretty good idea about the ballistics (trajectory) of the bullet to make such markings on his scope.
I dont plan to use this method but I love to learn and be interested to know what the heck this does??
 
Has anyone here tried such a "quick adjustment" modification on their scopes?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote helo18 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/16/2011 at 21:36
I have a custom turret from Kenton Industries.  It is set for my specific bullet and rifle for the conditions I hunt in the most.  It is set for distances from 100 to 1000 yards. So you can do that, but it is no substitute for practicing at any and all ranges you intent to use, and all conditions you will shot in.  You have to know what your gun will actually do, not just what the turret says it is going to do.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote biggreen747 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/16/2011 at 23:12
The custom turret is a great option and you can have them made for different loads as well so you can swap turrets. Or you can cheap out like I do and create charts to use with your factory turrets. The key to this however is having scopes with turrets that are easy to re-index and adjust as well as a high degree of repeatability and accuracy in the adjustment system. The old scope that requires a couple taps to settle in after adjusting and is poorly marked will not cut it for this type of shooting. I carry a range card with ranges corresponding to each .25moa (1 click) out to 600yds in a see-thru iPod case that straps to my arm so it is always right there for me to look at, some prefer to tape it to the gun, usually the stock. A good chronograph is almost a must as well as a-lot of shooting at multiple ranges to verify the info generated by the ballistics program. This also requires a good bit of data keeping for things like temperature, pressure, elevation, and velocity to plug into the program. The old addage of Garbage In - Garbage Out manifests itself very quickly when you start shooting at longer ranges. Even with all this I still am only really comfortable out to 600yds simply because I don't have the time to invest in pushing it any farther.
We measure it with a micrometer, mark it with a crayon, and cut it with a chainsaw.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tahqua Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/17/2011 at 05:19
Originally posted by biggreen747 biggreen747 wrote:

Originally posted by shooter4 shooter4 wrote:

Hmmmm
 
So in GENERAL terms - if you will be shooting say 500 yds+ you get better results using scope with tactical turrets than using kentucky windage??


More like 300-350+
 
Depends what your doing. This feature is not needed when sighted in for PBR and used on big game.
Doug
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Urimaginaryfrnd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/17/2011 at 12:39
It all depends on the shooter because experience is your friend and there are plenty of guys who can dial in the wrong amount of correction. Math isnt everyones strong point how many times have you found a cashier who cant add.

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