I am new to PD shooting as a sport unto itself.. I have shot several times as a side light while in WY or CO deer and antelope hunting..I plan on going to SD this spring on a dedicated PD shoot. I have two guns ready to go.
#1- Cooper 204 -39 grain Sierra@3875 fps , <1/2 MOA, Nigth force 5.5-22x56mm w the NP -R2 reticle
#2- Cooper 6.5/284- 139gr.Scenar @ 2970 fps, shoots in the 3's and 4's, Nightforce 8-32x56 also has the NP-R2 reticle.This reticle has 2moa cross wires with 20 MOA built into the reticle drop form center cross wire.
The 5.5-22 scope has about 109 minutes of internal adjustment and the other Nightforce has about half that (49 MOA),.
The question that I need advice on:
Do most of you experienced PD or LR shooters just use the crosswires for holdover or justup or down clicks or combo of both?? Please elaborate, I especially value GHD and VarmintGuy's brain drain as these guys are my heros>>(grin)
thanks much
Doc Stone

Doc Stone, Thanks for the kind words however I'm not nearly as experienced at this as VG and some other folks here!! As far as what I do back here in the east, I use my MOA click chart that I've developed for each rifle and dial up and down. But here in the east, I am not dialing as much as if I was in a dog town!! A big day would be 20-30 shots at various ranges. And I've never had a NF scope like yours but would love to try it out!!! I have tried to equate the mil-dots in a Bushnell Elite 4200 6-24 with the 6mmRemington and that worked all right out to 300 but didn't follow my load for longer stuff so just stuck with my"dialing up and down". Good luck on the hunt!! We're expecting pics of a 1000 yard plus kill with the 6.5-284 you know!!! Dialing up and down for range will be one thing! Figuring the wind drift in some of those stiff breezes will be another!! HAVE A GREAT TIME!!! GHD

voldoc02

On my .223 and 22-250 which both have 6.5 X 20 Leopoulds and are zeroed for 200 yards using hold over is my method. On my 6MM Remington I have the Nightforce 5.5-22 just like yours. I use it when the wind comes up. I'll use the clicks for elevation but not for windage.

Voldoc, I am marginally experienced in the P-dog world, and would say that 4 trips and 5,000 rounds doesn't an expert make. My primary rifles are Cooper 243AI, Remington 40X 6 Rem 1 in 8 twist, and Rem 700 in 6.5/284 28" Hart tube. My favorite is the big gun, which has gotten out to 1248 yards as a personal best. VHA 1,000 yard qualifier. All my scopes are Leupold's; 16X Mark 4, and 2 - 8.5 X 25 LRT's with fine duplex. I dial them all for correction and that way I always have a consistant aiming point/hold. The best advice I ever got was to shoot over and work down. The dogs will give a greater number of sighter's if you aren't kicking dirt in their eyes! Also when switching from one dog to another try to stay in the same approximate distance, so corrections will be minor. they become second nature by day 3. Use a balistic program to get approximate MOA corrections and have a blast.

thanks guys for the advice, still hoping VG(the old pro)will chime in thanks,
Doc

Voldoc,
Here's my method, for what it is worth. I don't shoot prairie poodles, just yote's. I use mil-dot scopes. I learn how my rifle shoot's using hold over out to 400yds. from there on out I start dialing using my range finder and the ballistic charts that I developed for the rifle or rifles I shoot. I ususally don't have time to dial with a Yote that is within 400 yds.

The fun part is when and once you have figured out how to dial up or down, left or rt. based on what you have learned (especially with the wind) is being able to make those long range hits. I just scored a 568yd hit yesterday on an unsuspecting customer. It was gusting and rainy here in NW Oregon, Wanna talk about a rush, the average person has a hard time believing that you can hit a target @ that distance. PRACTICE & LEARN, Then PRACTICE more. I do miss, I'll admit to that, but, I figure if I'm not missing I'm not learning and I'm not shooting.

Most of my scopes have the mildot reticle but all have target turrents. For a few shots I use the mildot, for staying on an area I will dial up or down. Enjoy

if you're in a good town you just don't have time to fool around with adjustments. besides that it's as good a time as any to learn hold over and under. make sure you've got good ear protection and some advil along if you're going to shoot much 6x284 because the concussion will get you. Normally for high volume pd shooting limit youself to the 223 type rounds. Even then i can think of some 800-1000 round days when i'd get a concussion headache.