So, I'm hardly qualified to speak here as I'm just getting into dialing.
I've always run Leupolds, the 2.5x8 being a favorite. I like they're size, weight and clarity.
But where I hunt Blacktails, there's plenty of opportunities for shots well over 300 yards and I feel I need to do better than just holding over....which is just guessing, for the most part.
So I sprang for a couple of SS 6X MQ's from a fellow 24HR campfire member.
One is on the Ruger American .223 and the other rides on my Kimber Hunter 7mm-08.
With no time or place to shoot POA/POI, I ran the calc's through a ballistic program and sighted in.
After a quick morning hunt, I set up my steel plates at 300 and 400 yard (12" plates).
I dialed for 300 and shot twice - dead center X2 (7mm).
Dialed for 400 and sent two - one dead center, the other I pulled slightly but still was well on steel!
I'm jazzed!! This is exactly what I wanted and it ran perfectly.
Right now the range goes to 400 yards, but as soon as I can snag another 12" plate I'll go to 500.
I'm heading there in just a few minutes with a bucket full of .223 rounds and a goodly pile of 7-08"s. And I'll be burning a ton of ammo there all spring and summer.
The SWFA scopes have (for me) shown that they are as capable as many folks here have claimed,
Yes they're big. Yes they're heavy. I can live with that. The glass to me is just as good as my Leupolds and I really like the reticle.....it works for me.
By summer's end, I'll have a lot more experience with these scopes and dialing. If it works as well as I believe it will, there will be a couple of their 3x9's purchased during the Black Friday sale.
Not all of my rifles need to dial... several will stay slim and trim with set and forget scopes on deck - all are Leupolds and I'm very comfortable with that. Use what works for you.
If you are like me, you'll dial back down to shoot 100 yards and notice a perfect return to zero. Also after you shoot out to 400 and 500 in the next few months, you'll be looking for smaller diameter plates. I made a tree just for shooting at 400-450 yards and the biggest plate is 12", the smallest is 2". With a good rifle and dependable optic, i can repeatedly hit the 2" target. I sold my savage 6.5 CM 16SS combo to a coworker and he shot that rifle at the tree for the first time and asked if he should shoot at the "big target first". I said, no aim for the 4" target. I scribed the turret of the SS for different yardages and i told him, as long as he had the dial on the 4, he would hit the target. Sure enough, be hits the 4" plate 8 out of 10 times. Not bad for a new shooter and new to him rifle. He asked if he should try the 2" target and i said sure, go for it. No hits on that one, but if he practices more, it will be possible for him to hit it. Again, good accurate rifle and dependable rifle scope and you can do quite a bit. Now, should i tell you guys about my bosses $1,800.00 leupold and the goat rodeo he had that same day? Lets just say its a good thing my tree has 12" targets on it...
