Interesting read. John, thanks for sharing your experience and expertise clearly and concisely, as always.
Noticed that no mention of Leupold’s B&C reticle was made. I’m not a varmint hunter or long range shooter preferring to take shots at game as close as possible. However, conditions in open places sometimes make a longer shot the only one available.
My 3 longest shots at game have been with Leupold’s B&C reticles. Main crosshairs sighted in at 200 yds with the lower 3 short hash marks confirmed at or very close to 300, 400 and 450 yds IIRC. Splitting the distance between the hash marks works for intermediate ranges.
Shots were on a Dall ram in AK at 423 yds with a 2.5-8x, a mountain goat in BC at 393 yds with a 4.5-14x (too much magnification on the high end I concluded) and 456 yds, with a 3.5-10x, at a mule deer in ID across a canyon where no concealment was available. These shots were late in the hunts when no more time was available, the animals were worth the effort, and wind conditions were favorable.
The B&C is simple, accurate out to at least 450 yds and can be used in field conditions without too much movement or a complex and cluttered sight picture. This reticle and the simpler LR Dot have become my favorites when a longer shot might be unavoidable.
As in almost everything in life, personal experiences and results largely condition our conclusions and choices. Though I see a fair amount of Leupold horror stories IME over the last 50 years they’ve worked well for me and the type of hunting I’ve done. YMMV
Last edited by Wildcatter264; 09/05/23. Reason: Spelling
