Pardon my cross post please?

I'm making a chart for scope click adjustment / elevation change so I can dial in the scope reticle rather than hold over/under.

Let me see if I can be precise with these questions.

My scope has 1/4" clicks

If I want to change the POI at 100 yards by say ... one inch I would dial in 4 clicks. Right?

OK. How about other yardages?

If I want to change POI at 200 yards by the same one inch ... How many clicks? Is it 2 or 8?

OK ... How about 12 inches at 500 yards?

Math wasn't my strong suit. HELP!

TIA

TBC

[ 07-21-2003, 05:26: Message edited by: The Birth Controller ]

For a scope with 1/4 inch clicks, you are right at 100 yards--4 clicks moves you 1 inch. At 200 yards, 2 clicks moves you 1 inch, and at 400 yards 1 click moves you 1 inch.

My 2 cents worth is that it's faster to hold high or low if needed than to adjust the scope, unless maybe you're setting up on some prairie dogs. If I'm using a new load, I sometimes will write the trajectory on a little card to refresh my memory. But most of my hunting loads (.270 and .257AI) are sighted about 2.5-3" high at 100 yards, 3.5-4" high at 200 yards, on at about 300 or so, and about 4-5" low at 400 yards. Maybe you can hold closer than that in the field, but I can't.

I also personally dislike target knobs on a hunting gun, because it's too easy to get them bumped out of position when you don't notice (sometimes way out of position), and they just love to hang up on stuff, especially when you need to get that gun smoothly and slowly into position...

Each click is worth 1/4 inch per 100 yards so 1 click at 200 yards equals 2x1/4 or 1/2 inch at 300 yards that same one click will move you 3/4 inch 400 yards = 1 inch per click and 500 yards it equals 5/4 or 1 and 1/4 inch. So to move it 12 inches at 500 yards you would go 1click=1.25 inches 2clicks=2.5 inches, 3clicks=3.75 etc. Does that help?

I have my come ups written on the inside of my rear scope covers for some rifles on others I have 2 dots painted on my hand adjustable knobs for 2 hundred yards, 3 dots for three hundred yards etc.

Thanks for the posts guys!

Take a look at my card, if you will. Look OK math - wise?



[ 07-21-2003, 14:27: Message edited by: The Birth Controller ]

http://www.nookhill.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=17;t=001091#000000

Check out the thread above. I asked a similar question there. Some helpful info, especially from X-Man with the formula.

Except for extreme ranges, it is neither necessary nor desirable to adjust your scope for each shot. You'll soon wear out the adjusment mechanism if you attempt to do so. Besides, most "click" adjustments are only APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MOA, and only the best scopes show consistent repeatablity. Measure the offset of the duplex reticle (which most scopes use these days) and use it as a reference for holdover.

However, windage is usually trickier than elevatation to allow for, and you should never move your scope from center zero for windage since every time you change the direction of your shot, or the wind changes in direction or intensity, you'll become hopelessly "lost" in terms of center zero if you try to monkey with it.

The Birth Controller

Send me an email at

brian_sinnott@hotmail.com

and I will send you some graphs of the drop of your cartridge. Graphs can be much easier to use.

Regards

700

The above responses are correct but its best to try this on paper. For instance you may move your scope 4 clics and it may only move 5/8 of an inch. Bushnell elite scopes are notorious for this. This can result in you not ever really knowing where your POI actually is. Its better to sight in at 100 yards and know you loads trajectory well enough to hold high (or low) as needed.

IMHO these statements are Myths and approximations...at best. Near truths from someone with little apparent experience on the subject.

quote:

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Originally posted by Stonecreek:
Except for extreme ranges, it is neither necessary nor desirable to adjust your scope for each shot. You'll soon wear out the adjusment mechanism if you attempt to do so. Besides, most "click" adjustments are only APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MOA, and only the best scopes show consistent repeatablity. Measure the offset of the duplex reticle (which most scopes use these days) and use it as a reference for holdover.

However, windage is usually trickier than elevatation to allow for, and you should never move your scope from center zero for windage since every time you change the direction of your shot, or the wind changes in direction or intensity, you'll become hopelessly "lost" in terms of center zero if you try to monkey with it.

---

Many scopes offered today (and in the past) allow the user to reset the index marks on the elevation and windage dials to -0- once the rifle and scope are "zeroed". A mental note of the revolution index marks or a physical note attached to the scope or rifle will allow the user to return to "zero" without much trouble. Many big game hunters using the "adjust the turrets" mode will not exceed one revolution of the turrets (10 to 15 MOA in most scopes) and therefore not require the revolution index reminder.
Windage adjustments are a different matter (as previously noted)...if the shooter is not familiar with wind calls and ballistics there is probably no reason to "mess" with the windage as the shot should probably not be taken (if the wind is significant). At hunting range...inside 500 yards...a wind sufficient to require a full revolution on the windage dial (10 to 15 MOA) would probably equate to about 25 to 37 miles-per-hour in a direction 90 degrees to the flight path of the bullet...probably not a high probability shot and one that should not be taken.

One a drop "click" chart that is designed for UP and DOWN adjustment. Many shooters that adjust for shots will allow in their procedure a method to remove the "slack" from the internal scope adjustment mechanism(s). This procedure generally requires that the scope be adjusted beyond the desired setting and then returned to the correct position in a consistent direction...in other words... the final scope setting is arrived upon by ALWAYS using UP "clicks" or DOWN "clicks". When adjusting UP (as I do) from a 100 yards zero I can stop on any setting and shoot accurately and precisely . But if I were to adjust back DOWN to a lesser MOA setting (closer range than the previous shot) I would need to come below my desired setting and then click back UP to the required setting. This seemingly confusing method is used to remove the "slack" in a constant and consistent manner.

The actual amount of movement of the reticle is different for many manufacturers. Some use .250 inch per click, some use .250 MOA (.267 inch)per "click" and some just flop around in a truly inaccurate manner (fits and starts). There is but one sure method that I'm aware of to determine your individual scope's settings...use a target (paper) and shoot groups on it, 100 yards is an suitable distance for this. Shoot one group at "zero" then adjust the scope UP or DOWN several MOA (8 or 12 "clicks") and shoot another group, repeat this procedure several more times, UP or DOWN (consistently) for each series...once you have some useful data return the scope to your "zero" and shoot another group (over the top of the initial "zero" group) and verify that the scope is tracking accurately. This procedure can be simple or complex depending of your desires. You can add in some windage adjustments to check that part of the scope's mechanisms. (The method used by many is to shoot a "zero" group then use 1 or 2 MOA (4 or 8 "clicks" elevation AND windage and shoot another group...move the windage left or right 2 to 4 MOA and shoot again then move the elevation DOWN 2 or 4 MOA and shoot once again then windage right or left 2 or 4 MOA and shoot yet again and finally return to "zero" and shoot a final group. This creates a 5 group pattern on the paper...one central group (comprised of the two "zero" groups) and four corner groups located in the four corners of the square.)

Good Luck

Stonecreek, I was very curious about your response:

"You'll soon wear out the adjusment mechanism if you attempt to do so."

Because I have never heard that. The scope I typically make adjustments on is a Leupold
Vari-X III. I sent an email to Leupold's customer service asking about your comment, and below was their response:

"Though I am unsure how Stoney Point adjustments attach externally, there is no concern of harming the internal components of the scope with frequent adjustment. Long range shooters typically make sight corrections on a daily basis and military personnel adjust for every shot. You can use the adjustments with confidence. I hope this helps."

Regards,
Tim Lesser
Leupold Customer Service
Product Specialist Group
Phone (503) 526-1400

I'm sure your comments might be correct if talking about lesser quality scopes, but on scopes such as Leupold, Zeiss, etc., you shouldn't have a problem. Besides, even I do have problems, Leupold stands behind their scopes and I'm sure would be willing to fix it for free.