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I keep confusing myself

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mj52 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mj52 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: I keep confusing myself
    Posted: October/19/2012 at 08:41
Not going to confuse anybody else with my confusion.

So I'll list what I'm using and ask a question. Thank You ahead of time.

Nikon Buckmaster 6-18 x 40 Mildot reticle with 1/8"/click dials.

The scope works very well and for myself is a well made piece of equipment. I've twisted the dials often enough to say it tracks (??) very nicely.

I can and have dialed in anything from 25 to 300 yards. I use hold over out to 600 only because I don't have free acess to the 600 range (in order to learn my dial in settings).

My question,

is it possible to walk onto a range put a shot on a target measure the distance of POA to POI and quickly dial that in?

12X is my ranging power.

At 100 prove my zero using (8x).
Hold over 1 mildot - fire 1 round - measure, dial in changes, hold over that same 1 mildot and fire a second round. always within 1 MOA. biggest problem is the mildot is bigger than the stick on bullseye I use.

do the same thing 1 mildot under. These #s don't match but I think i understand why. In layman's terms aiming under is fighting uphill a bit more than aiming over.

everytime I changed my power the dial in #s changed as well.
If I use a different mildot the #s change.

It's not like at 100 I'm 2" low at 6. Ok dial in 16 (1/8") clicks. 200 4" low 16 clicks again.

Is there a system? A solution?Or was I taught an expensive lesson?

Thanks, mj52
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ccoker View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ccoker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/19/2012 at 09:01
well, with a 2nd focal plane scope like you have (assuming it is SFP) the mildot measurements only work at a given power setting (12x in your case  from what you said)

That's the advantage of a FFP scope, the mil dot measurements are the same irregardless of magnification.


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3_tens View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 3_tens Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/19/2012 at 09:11
The scope you are using the reticle is in the second focal plane. It will only work at a predetermined magnification. to use the mil-dot at all power settings easily you need a reticle in the first focal plane. Calculating the drops in relation to the mil-dot at different magnifications is simple. The hard part will be setting the magnification ring exactly in the same spot to achieve the desired magnification every time.
Folks ain't got a sense of humor no more. They don't laugh they just get sore.

Need to follow the rules. Just hard to determine which set of rules to follow
Now the rules have changed again.
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mj52 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mj52 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/19/2012 at 11:00
A more specific question regarding 600 yards.

I use a good 300 yard zero and then hold over 3 mildots at 10X and I'm doing okay. The pit marks my hit and target reappears.

Lets say I'm 12" low at 6 o'clock.

Using the above info can anyone give me a good beginning to dialing in. I don't have the luxury of being able to take the time to methodically figure it out.

If I can simply get to using my crosshairs I can figure the rest out. It's making that big crude step from 3 mildots over to my crosshairs that worries me.

1/8" / click at 100,
300 yard zero using 3 mildots over
10X
12" low at 6 o'clock.

If I ever got the chance I'd just start at 300, back up to 400, then 500 and finally 600. But as of yet I'm neither a member nor had the opportunity to step through it.

Thanks mj52
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DCAMM94 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DCAMM94 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/19/2012 at 11:11
Get one of these:

Mil-Dot Master
Mil-Dot Master
Stock # - MD1
  • Estimating Target Size
  • Determining Range to Target
  • Correcting for Bullet Drop
  • Correcting for Wind Drift
  • Correcting for Uphill/Downhill
  • Correcting Correction to Mil (holdover)
  • Correcting Correction to MOA (sight adjustment)
$29.95

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3_tens View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 3_tens Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/19/2012 at 13:34
If You are not willing to do the math you would have been better off with a BCD rather than a Mil-dot. The Mil-dot will give you the angular distance along one side of a triangle. Then you calculate the missing side. Then in your case you then convert the MIL of deflection to MOA. for your turret. A Mil-dot scope is much easier to operate if it also has MIL turrets. Get the Mil -Dot Master It does a good job of teaching the mechanics of the system.
Folks ain't got a sense of humor no more. They don't laugh they just get sore.

Need to follow the rules. Just hard to determine which set of rules to follow
Now the rules have changed again.
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ccoker View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ccoker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/20/2012 at 16:06
Well,
I would suggest you run your load, BC of bullet, weight, FPS and local environmentals through a ballistics calc

this is a good one:
http://www.trijicon.com/resources/downloads/ballisticscomputer.xls

you can plug in your 300 yard zero and then see in say 50 yard increments the mil corrections.

that would be the easiest thing to do, and make a cheat cheat taped to your gun.


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budperm View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote budperm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/21/2012 at 08:47
I think the one thing your not taking into effect is the Ballistic curve of your bullet.  if the bullet were perfectly flat shooting then you could leave the scope at 10X and it would be a straight mil-dot count versus distance to target.  Your changing magnification with distance which changes the actual elevation correction per mil-dot.   That will be compounded by the bullet drop which also changes over distance.
 
If you know the ballistic curve or drop of your round then you can make a cheat sheet for amount of bullet drop at each distance from your zero distance.
 
say you zeroed at 200 yds.  100 would be so many inches high, 300yds say would be 3 low, 400yds could be 8" low and 500yds could be 16" low... due to increased drop at distance as the bullet looses steam.
 
Since you are dealing with multiple variables the easiest solution is a cheat sheet.
"Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading".
--Thomas Jefferson



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