Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics What riflescope RETICLES do you prefer for big game hunting and why?

Anyone use Mil-dots?

How about...heavy duplex....duplex....B&C...other...What do you use and why? What would you like to try? What have you tried and didn't like? PICS welcome!

Anyone use the Leupold or other custom service to set your reticles up for your cartridge ballistics?

All my riflescopes are either Leupold with std. duplex or Zeiss Conquests with Z-plex. In my situation, I prefer the Z-plex as they are a little thicker and are more obvious in low-light conditions and seem quicker on target than my Leupolds.

I've contemplated other reticles, including mil-dots, other factory offerings or even having some custom ones made up.

What are your thoughts?

Lefty: I've been up since 2:00AM doing business,so I'll start this off,because I'll be the easiest post going

I have never used any reticle other than a standard crosshair (long ago)or a duplex. I am not a "long-range" shooter as the term is currently used,although I have killed game out to the 500 yard mark(once),and a few times at,or in excess of 400 yards.All these shots were made with a duplex reticle.

I have used the leupold-duplex more than any other;and there is a simple reason.I know the duplex reticle system and have found it easy to coordinate it with my prefered sighting systems, and the cartridges I typically use.

A recent example is a 7mm Dakota loaded with a 150 Swift S'co at 3225 that I zeroed 2 3/4"high at 100 yards.The load prints POA at 300 yards,and 9" low at 400.With the scope(a 3.5-10 VX III)set at 6X,the reticle (from crosshair to tip of bottom post)subtends app.25" at 500 yards,which is precisely my drop at that distance.So, with this cartridge and load,and the Duplex reticle in a 2.5-8,3.5-10, or a fixed 6X, I can reliably hit to 500 without the need for anything else.At 400 yards, a top of the back hold will get me a center chest hit. I know this because I have done it a number of times,mostly with fixed 4X scopes.

I fired the day before yesterday and got 6" groups for 3 shots at 500 yards distance.I cannot set up a similar system with a Zeiss Conquest because the spacing of the Z-Plex is too wide. I have similar arrangements with a 2-7 leup and standard duplex on a 30/06; with the scope set on 7X,the bottom post is my aiming point at 400 yards.I have never had a problem shooting running game or picking up the reticle quickly while running a Leupold duplex.Just me...

I have used, at the range, some scopes with B&C,dots, and mil-dots,and they all work;if I had to use one, it would be the dots because they seem to stand out better than the B&C(which looks to me as if it could fade out in bad light).The mil-dot is far too busy for me as a general purpose hunting reticle;so is the B&C reticle. I find all that stuff a bit distracting.

I tried the 3-9 Leup with dots on the 7mm Dakota, but with a 300 yard zero, the load shot too "flat" for the dots;even set at 9X, I was hitting high at the 400 and 500 yards range from a 300 yard zero.

I leave for Wyoming in a couple weeks,and will grab either a 270(with a 4X leup),or a 7 mag with a 2.5-8X leup,both with standard duplex,and will not worry about it at all.I will likely kill anything I choose to shoot at,as I have for years.

If I habitually shot at game at over 500 yards I would pay a lot more attention to the newer reticles available today. I can practice only to 600 yards on a regular basis,and would not take a shot at an unwounded animal at that distance; so for the most part I am pretty content with the Duplex,although I will continue to mess with the dots

It depends on the type of hunting I'll be doing. Overall, I like the 4a reticle as it comes in the Swarovski or Kahles scopes the best for hunting. I would guess I'd also like other Euro 4a's. Leupold uses too thick of cross hair portions in their 4's for my taste. If I'm anticipating long range shooting, I also like the TDS or IOR MP8.

I like the TDS best especially in a FFP scope. When potenntially shooting long range, you do not have to take your eye off the target to make the shot. That is why I avoid target turrets.

I guess it marks me as a throwback to another era, but all my medium-large game scopes have a post and cross hair with the tapered post coming just above the cross hair and preferably with a flat top post It works well for me, and I see no reason to change and especially not to one of those mil-sniper-do hickeys that's full of dots, ticks, lines!
For varmints, I have stayed with the standard fine cross hair.

Bob,
Why wouldn't you zero for 100 yards when using dots? Even if the load shoots too flat, there is a range where it will hit dead on. For example, I'm at 4000 feet elevation, and my load shoots flatter here than it does at sea level. Using a max load in my .25-06 as well as my 7RM, the ballistic plex and BDC reticle in my Burris and Vortex scopes have dots that should be right on the money at 300, 400, 500, and 600 yards with a 100 yard zero. In reality, the dots are right on at 300, 455, 555, and 655 yards. That's fine, as long as I know the range for which they're calibrated on MY rifle, it doesn't really matter much what that yardage is.

Hey Bob,

Here is how I do it with my big 7mm rifle. First,I zero the primary cross hair at 250 yards,do this on a 250 range instead of zeroing high at 100.

Then check it at 375 and 500 yards,I'm bettin the next two dots will be very close there,it worlked for me with a 160 Accubond at 3150 and a 150 Sierra Gameking at 3250. Your results are bound to be close to mine.

CanadianLefty
The thing to be aware of with a Mil-dot is ,its going to be harder to see as the light grows dim than say a heavy duplex.
I ran a S&B for years with the 4a.Coverage at the thinnest point
was .68.I had no problems drilling deer at 400 and 500 yards.
If your going to do the hold over thing with dots or a TDS type of reticle remember.FFP scopes are MUCH better for this type of application.As the hold overs remain the same from low to high power.SPF scopes change there dot spacing.To my mind, making them much less useful.
You have other options now as you can get a illuminated Mil-dot.
This would make the Mil-dot more useful in the dark and still provide hold off dots for you use.
Im thinking That TK Lee or somebody, is putting custom dots in loopies now.
A full blown custom reticle is going to be expensive.
dave

My favorite is the Leupold LR-Dot reticle. For most big game hunting you don't need dots going up and left and right. The 2 dots going down really do alot.

I am suprised that more don't use a similar reticle.

My favorite though if not shooting 300+ is def the #4

Thick #4. I have a custom one from Premier Reticles on a Leupold M8 6x42. All my deer rifles have this type. Once you try one you will know why they are so popular, they make a very fast acquision of the target area.

I have a LR dot Leupold scope coming and an looking forward to giving it a go.

Rob

IMO, the best system for learning 2nd focal plane reticle calculations and applications for longer-range shooting is the simple plex reticle itself. When i apply a reticle for downrange zeroing i never sacrifice the point blank range zeroing system i use to establish an intuitive system for a multi-stadia reticle's lower stadia (even hundred yd. intervals). Once the PBR zero is established (and verified), if the shooter wishes he can usually alter the scope's power to establish a more intuitive system, either by calculation and verifying at the range (just like Leupold's BAS reticles), or simply adjusting the power so the stadia match the hundred yd. interval zeros.

I have never used the plex reticle for downrange zeroing in a big game optic, but i did establish a "tactical" system for a coyote rig several years ago. It was an XP-100 17 Mach IV with the Burris 4-12X Mini on top with plex reticle. The plex reticle subtended 2.7 MOA X-hair to lower post tip @ 12x. This gave me a plex post tip (PPT) zero of 340 yds. with something like a 225 yd. PBR x-hair zero. 300 yd. zero was 1.6 MOA, so 1.6/2.7=0.6. I knew then that the 300 yd. zero was 6 tenths down to the PPT. I calcd. zeros for 300, 325 and 340 for that system. I also calcd the same zeros horizontally for 10 mph windage. Once everything was calculated i put it all in a Butler Creek scope cap cover something like this--

225-0-.5
250-P-.8
275-P-1
300-.6-1.3
325-.8-1.5
340-1-1.8

...obviously range, vertical, and horizontal reference, always in that order, no headers needed ("P"=point blank range). I use the same system for multi-stadia reticles as well. As far as i've seen this is the fastest, most efficient system for reference for longer range shooting i could come up with, without having to get out of shooting position to quickly reference downrange zeroing.

I like the HD reticle on my Leupold M8 6X42 and the Post and Duplex reticle on my Leupold VariX-III 2.5-8X. They're just reticles that I really like for the hunting environment/conditions where I use them.

sscoyote
Interesting to see you running a 17 MACH IV.Not many do.
Sweet little round.I gather you use it to keep from blowing big holes in the yotes pelts?What bullet are usuing?Powder?
I'd say your SFP system is well thought out.
dave

Jordan/Britt: All good advice and you are both no doubt correct;but the reason for me is simple:INSECURITY and CONFIDENCE

Insecurity in that I cannot change now; I have been sighting rifles and shooting them with a 3" high zero for so long, and shot so much this way,that my "holds" are pretty instinctive. I really do not think about trajectory at all out to 350 or so with a 270 or 7 Mag,unless angles are steep,and then I weigh things a bit more carefully.I am accustomed to Partitions,which are not among the high BC bullets;driven at 3100-3300,the 270-130 is down about 3" at 300;the 140-7mm at 3300 is POA at 300,while being about 3.5" high at 185-200.

If I zeroed POA at 100 and depended on the dots, I would be a disaster,and a nervous wreck to boot!

With a very fast,high BC bullet like the S'co(which shoots flatter),I still want that 300 yard zero,but get it with a slightly lower impact at 100.

The S'co at that velocity is too flat for the dots;BUT, the Partition is not. I recently shot the 165 Partition in the 300 Win Mag with the 3-9 dots and from a 300 yard zero, the first dot was just right for 400 yards,the second for 500.So, I'm OK for a lot of stuff.It is just that the 150 7mm S'co,started at over 3200 is very flat at long range,and seems not to line up for me.Maybe more shooting is in order, but I will not worry because I have trajectory nailed to 500 with the scope and load for this rifle.

As to the issue of confidence, see above

Plus, you have to remember something else; I'm 58,and got my first 270 when I was 19. So I have been shooting the cartridge for almost 40 years. I don't shoot as much as some on here,and I have slowed down a bit,but I would guess,conservatively, that I have averaged about 2000 rounds of 270 ammo a year during that time. This does not include the other cartridges I shoot.Doing something that often sort of drills things in your head....makes it very hard to abandon what works for me I can't think of anything I've done as often over the years,except breathe,and blink

Rob: They do work; I like the system

Bob, gonna give it a whirl. Can't hurt a thing.

Rob

Simple minded here......all my hunting rifles wear glass with plain old duplex reticles. I've been zeroing 3" high @ 100 since I was a teenager (almost 30 years), and feel very confident out to 400 given the right circumstances ( wind, etc). No turrets or fancy reticles for me.

I have one tapered post with a cross hair like HerbG, and one German #1. These are my favorites for the big game hunting I do, but yes they are out of place in many situations. A duplex works fine for me, and I want to try a #4, but I don't want a more complicated image for my hunting.

About two months ago I ordered a Leupold VX2 3x9x40 with the post & duplex reticle. The posts aren't as thick as a heavy duplex, the center is about the same as the HD, and the area between the thicker posts is more narrow tha the HD. I really like it but I have not used it hunting yet. I have a Premier Reticles #4 in a Leupold 1x4 and it does a good job. For a standard duplex I like Nikon, Burris, and Pentax. Leupold's standard duplex is too thin for my liking. I'm not a long range shooter and I not interested in a range compensating reticle.