Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics How to use that new SWFA scope- reticle, turrets and proper usage.

Now how do you take a zeroed rifle and use those turrets and that reticle?



You need a dope card or drop card that tells you how much to adjust for a given range.

We used to have to hang targets at every 100 yard line and walk our rounds into the target, note the required adjustments, and move to the next. With the advent of accurate ballistic solvers you no longer need to do that. You can use the ballistic program to "true" your data. If you know the real BC of the bullet you can true the velocity, or if you know the real muzzle velocity you can true the BC for an unknown bullet. In general chronographs are the weakest link and I would default to velocity calibration.

It's pretty easy to find accurate BC's for most bullets by selecting the bullets with "Litz" next to them in the ballistic program as those have been tested and verified by Applied Ballistics and Bryan Litz. While it is improving, manufacturers love to inflate their BC numbers.


The best way to true is to shoot a target as close to transonic speed as possible- as close to 1,340fps as you can. If you can't get that far, then do it as far as possible. If you input all the variables correctly scope height, BC, range, weather, etc. the outcome will be VERY accurate data out to the range that you trued.

For a target I use a piece of steel with a waterline across the middle (this one is set at 600). The goal is to get your rounds splitting the line. This allows you to true your velocity by manipulating the app.






You need a good app. There are quite a few good ones, but in this case I use Shooter on an IPhone. It's simple and provides good data. Regardless of what app you use, you follow the same general steps.

First build the rifle profile. Measure and input accurate data with regards to sigh height. I've named the gun, input the barrel twist, sight height, and set everything to mils, and 1/10th graduations-




Then I go to "Ammo" hit the "+" sign, and a screen pops up. Select "from bullet library" as I know the bullet I am using will be in there.





A "bullet diameter" screen pop up. Select your bullet diameter- for this one ".224".