Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Long Range Scope

I'm planning a pronghorn hunt this fall and can't decide on a new scope.I was orginally going to put a Swarovski with TDS.I have recently also thought about a Leupold with target turrents like the Mk4.How do they work?Can you just dial up the range that is marked on the elevation turrent and hold dead on?Wich one would be best for long range hunting.

I'm a big fan of the target/tactical turrets for lots of reasons. Basically, the closer you can set the scope to where the bullet will actually land, the better you will shoot. The further out you go, the more important it gets.
They are also very handy for other things, like changing loads, or shooting through a hole in cover at an intermediate ranges. I haven't found a down side to them yet.
I am not a fan of any AO, or side focus scopes on a big game rifle. That's because they have a much shorter depth of focus than a non AO/side focus scope.
Pronghorn are lots of fun to hunt. They are typically killed at ranges much longer than just about everything else. You need to actually practice at whatever ranges you believe you will be shooting them. That will do two things. It will show how tough it is to do things like make a wind call, and it will give you a chance to get better at it. But, the most important, it will show you just how well you can keep your shots in the vital area. A scope with some custom features, like a long range reticle or target/tactical knobs will help, but you still have the problem of making a wind call, and hitting anything.
As to scopes, even a stock 4X will do. I've got the head of an 84 4/8th's buck that I took at about 176 yds. with a simple 4X. But, given a choice, I would prefer a 6X42 Leupold with an elevation turret. E

The turrets (no "n") don't dial range, they work in MOA.

Most turrets do dial MOA, but the M3 dials on some Leupolds are setup to dial range with specific loads.
Be that as it may, it is not hard to do. You need to know how much drop your load has at a given range, then divide that by the range in hundreds and reset. For example, if your load has a drop of 30 inches at 500 yds., you divide 5 into 30 for 6. You turn the turret up 6 MOA and you are set. Most of them allow you to dial quarters of an MOA and all have the means to set the turret at zero for reference. E

problem is that if spend lots of $ on a long range scope, you will probably shoot your 'lope at 80 yards.

I got tired of waiting for Leupold's promised low profile knobs to put on my 2.5 - 8x so I just recently had the reticle swapped for a B&C. It's back on my Bob and I'll be testing it with my 110 gr. AB load with an eye towards a Pronghorn hunt this year.

Turrets work for every load,at every speed and at any/all initial zero's.

Nothing else offers nearly as much,for as little......................

I have decided to open my mind and I am following you and the others fanfare of Turrets and my first turreted scope is on its way back from Leupold as we speak. May not agree with your ways on some things but your words about turrets make sense. We'll see. Seems way smarter than lots of crosshairs,circles and assumptions if Precision is the goal!

I hear ya. I've got M1 spin dials on another rig. I'll give this B&C thingy a tryout.

Many of my Leupold & Zeiss scopes have reticles with mil-dots. Combined with a range finder I have had no problem with shots up to 425 under ideal conditions. I am not capabile much beyond that but I know a few our(a very few). I have shot several lopes, mulies, sheep, goats, & where I hunt in Africa is semi-desert & this has always worked as a max distance for me. Average has probable been closer to 300 yards. I believe long distance shooting is greatly overstated in most cases.

I have a leupy VX-II 3x9x40 with the LRD, nice and simple, has worked great for me and won't break the bank.

I have worked with turrets and ranging reticles (Ballistic Plex, B&C, and mil-dot). My conclusion is that either turrets or a ranging reticle, when used in conjunction with a laser, work equally well PROVIDED you do enough long range shooting to be able to get the elevation right on the first shot. When I have a turret scope, there is a table of numbers taped to the stock telling me where to spin the turret for that distance. When I have a ranging reticle, there is a picture taped to the stock showing me where to hold for that distance. In either case, the piece of paper taped to the stock has been derived from actual shooting, not a drop table or computer programs. If you do enough shooting at 300-600 yards to build such a table, then you will know what you and your rig are capable of.

Most people forget about the wind when planning an antelope hunt. Many days it makes a 300 yard shot unethical, rendering your LR gun a SR gun. But I do love antelope hunts, in part because if done right, they are a rifleman's game.

And one more thing--
I have seen a lot more antelope killed at under 250 yards than over. My son killed his first this year, and it was 56 yards. Part of the fun is antelope HUNTING, which is not to be confused with antelope SHOOTING (or SHOOTING AT, or SHOOTING NEAR). Oh dear, I feel a rant coming on.

Thanks for all the advice.So with target turrets you have to know what setting to adjust for each range?They are not like a BDC for a specific round.How much more range would they give over BC or TDS?The TDS or BC seem that they would be faster out to 500 yards but have not used either therefore I wanted input from others.

Utah,

Amen to that advice.

Like your gun pics I've seen too........thanks for posting.

MM

Heres a good link explaining turrets.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads...&PHPSESSID=

Using turrets is simple and quick. It no trick at all to dial up the range for your load as you assume your shooting position. There is "no running out of marks" as on some ranging reticles. There is no spliting the difference in marks, etc.
Some ranging style reticles, like the Mil-Dot, can fade out in bad light rendering them useless. E

If you shot LRF/Turrets,you'd be amazed at whatcha' could do,out of the gate.

I don't mind the mil reticle,for wind holdoff's.................

In over 20 years of antelope hunting, the farthest kill I've seen was 330 yards (lasered). Most were well under that distance. Mainly because the shooting conditions were such that the long shots MISSED, ie off-hand, no good rest, too far, etc etc. The antelope certainly has the potential for long range shooting, but why? Many hunters are too lazy or unskilled for the stalk. One CAN get within 250 or so yards, and then its just a matter of aiming dead-on. And unless its really blowing wind is almost a non-factor.

I'm a little ignorant of the "turrets" you seem to be talking about. Are these those things that stick out an inch or so? If so, I wouldn't want them on any hunting gun I own except maybe a varminter. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Amazing the windows of opportunity that open,when one has both the tools and the skills,to reliably extract what's available.

Noone that has ever used an LRF,has ever given thought to hoping to guess about range for eternity,as a more viable route of success. Same goes the simplistic approach of pasting crosshairs,where you wish your boolit to go.

One poke is all it takes,for folks to see the light........................