Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Tall target test

Wondering if you guys have done the tall target test to confirm your scopes tracking? Seems like an interesting thread topic, and a good check for your longrange rifles. Even though most of you probably confirm on hard targets, like I do when finding dope. Anyway, I've done some tests on some of my Nightforce SHV 5-20x56 rifle scopes and found only 1 is tracking real true. The others are all climbing just a little more than the dial reads. The one ATACR I have is spot on as well:

Tikka CTR 6.5 Creedmoor, 7-35x56 ATACR:




Today's testing included a Winchester model 70 308 Winchester and a Tikka T3 Varmint 22-250. Both set up with a Nightforce SHV 5-20x56 MOAR reticle.

I was burning up some ammo from another rifle, so the Tikka was not shooting to its full potential accuracy wise. However, this is a tracking confirmation test:




And the target shot earlier today:

Zero consisted of the Winchester's load slightly off to the left side of the orange dot, and the Tikka's load slightly right of the orange dot, so as to not confuse the groups. As you can see, I ran out of elevation adjustment with the scope on the 308. However, it gets me to 1,000 yards. The 22-250 still had some left. The ATACR has a chidt ton of elevation left. 75 moa total, to be exact.

This guy Bryan Litz seems to think the tall target test is worth doing. Check out the video:


This is also a good test, if you are seeing POI shift at long range. Your scope may not be tracking in a vertical plane, or you could be canting the rifle/scope. My buddy is sending his Vortex Razor in because it fails a windage tracking test.

If any of you have done a tall target test, share your results here. Thanks!

Good stuff. Thanks for posting.

I second that.

Never tried a tall target test, but I will now. Thanks

I do this with all my rifles now.

Did one for a friend with his 7PRC before a hunt in Kurdistan for stag and Ibex. Nailed his stag with a 750 yard shot.

I live in the desert eastern Washington state and have lots of friends who are busy in PRS. It’s mandatory for them to be competitive.

You can order tall targets for testing over on Snipershide.

With my long range iron sighted prone rifles this is required with every new barrel set up. Both the front and rear sight adjust vertically and the front sight needs to be rotated to ensure both are tracking on the same vertical plane. Click adjustments can be easily verified with a dial indicator setup without firing at all.


I like to set them up so that the POI at 30 MOA elevation is about 3/4 MOA left of the vertical plumb line at 100 yards. That compensates for spin drift and keeps your no wind zero pretty well centered with increasing distance.

I don't run scopes up as high as they are used for hunting out to mid range distances only.

How come y'all running MOA targets? I thought everyone was gunning with Chickens + MILs

Cool info on the iron sight set up mike. I know you will be happy that the Winchester model 70 308 kicked the Tikka's azz yesterday. I know you like your 308's. I like to shoot these with a non bias and can admit when one does better than the other.

Next time out, it will be these 2:


The best tracking scopes of the bunch, and 2 of my better shooting rifles. I'd like to put the ATACR on the CTR with the Mcmillan A3 edge, but that rifle shoots very well as is. The SHV just has some tracking error. Like I said though, I shoot hard targets and make note of the actual dope out to 1,000 yards on all of these. Happy Thanksgiving guys!!!

Great advice on the targets. Thanks David.

Happy Thanksgiving guys.

You moa guys, make sure you understand the difference between smoa and tmoa before you run a ton of minutes up and scratch your head.

Plumb on the line is critical.

I did the same tall target test on a 4.5-14 Leupold CDS , it passed on one day before I took it to a steel test the following day. All went well until I went from 350 to 450 with a light 6.5 SAUM, I hit the fence post holding my 10" steel target with my first 2 shots and then it corrected to the center of the 10" steel.

As much as I wanted the Leupold to track it did not. It did well for 2 years with minimial dialing and I did connect on a 625 yard antelope on the first shot. Perfectly placed 130 JLK.

The same scope after Leupold FIXED it, it failed this year double, grouping 3" from shot to shot. I had 2 really nice sub 3/4" groups 3" apart.

I am still looking for a solution, who TF wants to put a 2 lb scope on a 5 lb rifle?

I have to add that when they returned the scope it tracked very well on several trips shootig steel Until it went south.

That sucks. I had 2 VX3 Leupold CDS scopes go bad. Fail to even adjust. Couldn't even get zeroed. They worked good for a few months of use, not even hard use, but occasional shooting at the range. Since those failed, I have a hard time trusting Leupold anymore. They were the straw that broke the camel's back. Oddly enough, I've had some older Vari-x IIc models that track alright. One I am hanging on to. I'll use it until it dies...


It would be interesting to see how those target turrets track on this tall target test.

If it won’t pass this test, send it back and switch brands.

Well that is helpful AF

If you send a scope back and it comes back no better, it’s a QC issue.

Hence, switch brands.

Better?

Well Heck yea.

After seeing your post on your new 22 Creed shooting groups that should be in the shotgun thread I'm all ears.
Certainly you are the guy I should listen to on a Long Range THREAD

Roger that on the minutes of angle. Many don't realize the constant commonly used for milliradians is a rounded number as well.

To which constant are you referring?

6400