The Ballistic Plex Reticle is calibrated for 9x on the 3-9x scope.
What ranges did the hash marks end up as zero ranges for you at 4.5x?
At 500 and 600 yards I crank the scope up to 9x.
Why would you set the scope on 4.5x, especially if you are going to shoot at game at extreme ranges like 450 yards?
Because I often and in fact usually shoot at ranges under 200 yards. 4.5x allows a wider field of view for faster target acquisition and I can still hit game out to 400 without a problem. (Clay pigeons on the 400 yard berm are my favorite targets with my bolt guns, regardless of which one I�m using.)
I have no use for a 10x scope inside 200 yards, either, (open sight range). That is why I suggested a 6x set at 200 yards.
But I said, if you plan to shoot at 300 or 400 yards (I have no need, but the thread is about 300 to 400 yards), that 10x is better. 10x works out well with Mil-Dot and target knobs incremented in radians to match. That is the reason US military snipers use that.
Turning the knobs on a 10x tactical scope is just as fast as using the BP reticle, faster than if you have to stop and use note cards or a separate range finder.
So lasering and twiddling knobs is faster than lasering and using the integral BP hash marks? For me it is not. I�ve done both and use the BP for a reason.
When I get my 6.5-06AI humming I plan to get a scope with knobs � but I also plan to be taking shots (targets) at range to and hopefully past 1000. For those unknown and longer ranges I�ll also have to get a much better laser as mine isn�t much good past 750.
As several other posters have noted, it is easy to set up your .270 or .30-06 so you don't have to do anything more than hold on hair and shoot out to 300 yards, which covers 95% of ethical shots, anyway. Use a ballistic reticle or knobs for the other 5%.
Hmmm, �hold on hair and shoot out to 300 yards�? With my .300 WM and a 180g MRX @ 2950fps MPBR zeroed for a max 3� rise, using a standard reticle with a high �hold on hair� keeps me in an elk�s kill zone out past 450 yards (at only -24�). With my .30-06 and a 168g TTSX @ 2901fps, the range is over 445 yards. Over 410 yards for my .308 Win with the same bullet running 2682fps. And right at 500 yards with my 7mm RM and a 140g TTSX running 3358fps. MPBRs (-3�) are 294 yards for the .300 WM, 290 yards for the .30-06, 268 yards for the .308 Win and 327 yards for the 7mm RM. 300 yards really isn�t very far for any of them.
My concern is not so much with the shots under 200 yards, which are easily handled with a maximum 3� rise, but with the longer shots. Using the Burris BP reticle and MPBR zeros for a max 3� bullet rise, I have no need to twiddle and fiddle at ranges out to 500 yards (.308 Win and .30-06s) or 600 yards (7mm RM and .300 WM). I don�t shoot beyond those ranges so except for prairie poodles and my .22-250, knobs are of little interest for my hunting purposes.
