Still see much reference to spotters with MILS in them or spotting hits/splash and re measuring.
This isn't really apllicable to a Hunting scenario-regardless of units or reticles.
I'll continue to read, research and listen.
Sure it is. Coupling a mil reticle with mil turrets (and a mil reticle equipped spotter, if you've got one) allows for quicker adjustments on misses or hits off center, and for me I'm noticed that I center punch targets more easily while practicing when using a Mil/Mil setup.
I guess what I'm saying is- better practice=better performance. I can see myself switching to all Mils in the next few years. It really is incredibly easy to use.
Tanner
There is truth in both positions. I've hunted for over 35 years, have dabbled in a few informal F Class matches in recent years and participated in one certified long range shooting class last summer at Gunsite. That's a few very broad brush strokes of my experience, which clearly represent the bias of my skill set. As a big game hunter the goal is to deliver a lethal shot at the first pull of the trigger with a very high level of certainty. The ole "one shot, one kill" idea. Which is what I thought military snipers adhered to as well. That is until I visited Gunsite.
Now I'd guess the military community still strives to achieve the "one shot, one kill" ideal, but the mission taught at Gunsite is actually "one hit, two shots, quickly". They didn't come right out and say it, but that's what's taught. And the instructors at Gunsite are very, very, very clear these long range methods are not appropriate for hunting big game. To paraphrase the instructor's orientation lecture, "All these long range hunting TV shows are lying to you." The wording may not be exactly right, but the message was clear to everyone in the class.
To summarize what they taught: the spotter finds, ranges the target, and estimates the wind through the spotting scope. The spotting scope has a mil ranging reticle. No laser range finders are allowed. The spotter calculates the solution: elevation dial settings and windage hold-offs and communicates these to the shooter. The shooter pulls the trigger and the spotter watches the shot. If the shooter misses, the spotter tells the shooter the POA corrections, the shooter then makes POA corrections in the scope, not the dials, and shoots again. This should all take less than about 10 seconds start to finish. Note: this is where having the spotting scope and the rifle scope marked in the same units (mil's or moa's) is extremely helpful. A hit anywhere, not just in the vitals, on the second shot is considered "success". Of course, the sizes of all targets is known. Obviously, to do this well takes lots of practice.
I found ranging in the spotting scope a challenge but by the end of the class I was getting pretty good at it. Not so reading the wind. It was pretty calm while I was there, yet I was never confident, nor accurate in my wind calls. Reading the wind to an acceptable level of accuracy for successful long range shooting takes serious practice.
The whole point to all of this is: the goals of a big game hunter and a long range shooter are different. The goal/mission/ethic of the big game hunter is "one shot, one kill" at any range and it's up the hunter to know what his/her effective range is. If long range shooting skills/technologies (i.e., mils, etal.) can be used/exploited by the big game hunter while keeping the integrity of his/her mission, then all is good. It's up to each hunter to decide and execute. Though I suspect many in the field these days are "overdriving their headlights".
