I know your suppose to sight your gun in at 200yards and then your next dot is 300 and so forth. My question is... does it matter what power your scope is on when you shoot the 300 or 400yd dot? powdr

Yes, on a second focal plane reticle it does. Not necessarily a bad they my though. You can play with the magnification to make the reticle more closely match the ballistic curve of your chosen ammo.

John

What he said. You can also alter your zero slightly to allow the dots to hit at 300/400yds. Play with JBM software and arrive at a zero that has roughly 2.2moa of drop at 300yds and 4.8 at 400 for the LRD at max power. You may need a zero of 190yds or maybe 220. I then tweak it at 300yd steel until it is "on". After that, i verify at 200 and 400 to see if POI is reasonably close. Usually works on Spitzers above 2,750fps.

Thanks guys...I think I understand. So I would need to know what power my drop works for? So I would need to say set up my 100yd zero on a certain power and keep it there to shoot my long distant dots. OK powdr

powdr,

I have a variable with mildots. I like 20X for varmint shooting. I discovered if I sight in for 200 yards and use 20X the first dot down is good for 300 and 400 yards. The second one down is good for 500 yards.

RINGMAN THAT'S WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND. HOW CAN THE FIRST DOT DOWN BE GOOD FOR 300 AND 400? powdr

powdr,

Do you have a LRD scope that you are trying to learn how to use or contemplating a purchase?

David

Am contemplating one. Just trying to get he logistics of owning one. I must admit being poor in mathematics, even though I have 3 college degrees, it's a problem for me to understand the ins and outs of the dot game. powdr

Read this two or three times. If you can't figure it out go with the standard duplex.

Certainly tweaking LRD dots with mag changes can be done, but it is not a very precise way of making hits. The practicality of using a reticle starts to go away as the distances increase. I have an LRD reticle scope and I like it, but a mil/mil scope w/ turretts turned to arange POI where the crosshairs lie is a much easier system to learn and use. When shots are hurried and/or game starts moving, your eye goes automatically to the crosshairs, not the "300 yd dot", etc...

David

Thanks aheider and Canazes. I understand better than when I first posted. I still think I might be better off getting a CDS in inches/yards? I know if JG can learn how to use one I can. After all, he's just a hillbilly from west Texas that stunt shoots muleys. I hope he gets a monster this week. He hunts hard and pulls no punches. Man this stuff is fun. powdr

Every variable scope with LRD that I know of is intended to be used at its maximum power when using the dots at long range. If you try to use it at a lower power, the yardages will be off (and off the most at the lowest power).

I have a couple of Leupold 6x42mm fixed power scopes with LRD reticles and obviously that eliminates any confusion over power settings. I sight my rifles in at 300 yards, using the 300-yard dot, and then check to see if I am off at 200 enough to worry about when using the crosshair.

Another solution is a custom BDC elevation dial that can be ordered from Leupold for their scopes. A BDC is not affected by the power setting. I have a 4 Leupold scopes with BDC's and also sight them in at 300 yards and then set the BDC at the 300 mark. Then I dial it back to the 100 and 200 yard settings to see if it is on at those ranges.

The instructions tell you to sight at 100, set the dial at 100, and then you are supposed to be "on" with the dial set at longer ranges, but when I tried that I was a couple inches off at 300. By sighting and setting at 300, I believe I will be much closer to POA at the longer ranges, because I eliminated that error that resulted from sighting and setting at 100.

My range only goes to 350 yards so I can't easily check to see if the longer range dots or BDC settigs are truly "on", but am sure I will be close by being precisely sure of the 300 yard setting.

I have the 2.5x8 with the B&C reticle. I set for it at the highest power, then sighted in at 300. My 400 mark and 200 yard zero are pretty close to point of aim.

Ben, that is a good way to do it.

Good shooting practice.

I have a a handful of leupolds with LRD's. as mentioned they are meant to be used at max power. I have them on a 250AI, 6.5 CM, 7mm-08Ai, 300WSM and 338RCM I also have a 7 SAUM and a 308 with the Burris B-plex, pretty much a similar thing except the burris aiming point is better.

I will start by getting a decent zero at 200, but I wait for a nice still day and to the final zero with the 400yd dot at 400. The 300 yd dot and crosshairs might be off a touch but not much. For me its nice to know that I can pick up any of my standard rifles with dotz and know that crosshairs=200, 1st dot 300, 2nd dot=400 or close enough not to matter on anything coyote or larger. It keeps things simple.

Exactly.

Yep basically how mine works.

Season starts Monday, so hopefully it gets the job done...grin

Unless you practice a lot. Then your mind tells you which aiming point to use.

Positively idiotic comment, as usual. I practice - a lot! I've used the LRD - a lot! When $hit starts happening fast, all but the coolest types go to "automatic mode", which means centering the animal in the scope. Nothing beats having crosshairs mesh w/ POI.

David

When $hit happens fast I agree you will tend to use the center of the scope. Which is perfect because when that happens the critter is close enough for the center to work. If my intended target is 300 plus I have time to range and aim with the correct hold over. This year I have used the LRD on 4 different rifles to take animals at 100, 350, 350, and 485 yards. It's so easy even I can do it!

$hit only happens fast at close range? Fascinating!

David

I guess I can figure out which aiming point to use regardless of the situation. YMMV