Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Ballistic reticles

Fair question.

I'd not advocate snap shooting at anything past 250 or so without knowing the approximate range. Where I find the BDC reticles to be useful and fast, I already know the approximate distance the moment the animal walks out. These are generally large pipeline right-of-way box stands that I've hunted for years. Some are stands in pastures. Landmarks are pre-ranged by LRF and some even have yardage signs driven in the ground. Our bucks don't generally hang out for long in the open, and it's handy (not foolproof though) to be able to see a big silhouette step out and know "he's just over 300" or something to that effect, as you get him in your scope and brace up for a shot. Sometimes, many times actually, a deer will not even check up as it crosses the line. I've flung bullets at 300-450yd walking pigs and connected, but I'm not doing that with a deer. So....for this particular application, where distances are already roughly known, dots/hashes that line up with the markers/landmarks on the ground can be fairly fast and reasonably precise for a target the size of a basketball.

Steve, I did not know that about you, but IMO you did an outstanding job with it. This coming from a died in the wool duplex reticle user for the first 40 years of my hunting life. The B&C is accurate, simple, uncluttered, and very easy to work up loads that jive with the holdovers. Nice work Steve, and thanks. Hope you are enjoying your retirement as well.

Yes Steve did an outstanding job, I bought my first Leupold with the B&C reticle about 15 yrs ago. Over the years I've tried others and keep coming back to the B&C reticle. My last two purchases have been Leupold VX6 HD with B&C reticle. Hunting in the south , deer or rutting bucks are on the move and cross power lines, small fields, or come out in cow pastures and never check up. Like said above I always pre range land marks so I have a pretty good idea of the range and using the B&C reticle along with my Leica range finder works well. This is what I practice with so this is what I'm comfortable with also.

Nah, a ballistic reticle works just fine for that purpose. Elk are big targets.

Dog shooter nailed it.

I like the ballistic reticles in fixed or FFP scopes. You still need to go out and practice. Even with that, I feel they are best used 400 yards and in.

Turrets are much better for pinpoint accuracy.

Depends on what ballistic reticle you are talking about. Any of the ones that are in MOA or mills can be just or at least almost as good as dialing...A MOA is MOA weather it is dialed or depicted in a reticle.

And I think a reticle does have the advantage of having the animal visible in your scope while lining up.

I shot a mulie this year with my .260 at 408 yards once he was ranged I looked through the scope put the proper MOA hash mark and he was dead.

I will say any of them need a lot of practice. Hundreds of rounds were fired before that mulie died .


Lefty C

Lefty C. I agree reticles can be quite good. It it’s all the ranges between the tick marks, 437, 469, etc. where dialing offers a little more comfort though. For me anyway. I like the reticles in closer, and dialing out further. Oddly, that’s exactly how my bow sight works. Fixed pins to 40, dial a pin for longer.

If you have any sway with Leupold and you could convince them to put the B&C reticle in a 6x42 or 6x36 that would be awesome!

Best to you on this fine Mother’s Day.

v/r
Joel

both reticle holdover and "turret" twisting are subject to "cone of fire" of the rifle/load combination one chooses. If the cone of fire is within the dimensions of the target area. then deviations in load ballistics and wind dominate

If the scopes turrets aren't mechanically repeatable and accurate to the degree of register (1/4, 1/2 moa or 1/10 mil) the accuracy is not equal to a hold over reticle which is a parallax situation.

most scopes do not have accurate enough "turrets"--- if you've done these repeatability tests great.

most complaints against reticle holdover arise from " the reticle hold over not being in whole unit lengths"


Hmm now if a scope maker could just make a scope so the power ring selector had click stops

Yes please! Or at least bring back the Long Range Duplex in those scopes!

Friends,

Sorry, but I am totally disassociated from Leupold now.

No sway here, but they would make grand combinations.

Blessings,

Steve

Unless I messed the sarcasm font..... I figured you were a little more judicious than that.

They are big targets.... but there’s also a lot of places to “hit” an elk, that lead to bad results.

If you’re gonna send a round at 1/4 mile plus.... you better hedge your bets as best you can. Floating a dot in the vicinity of where you’d like to hit.... leaves a lot to chance.... especially if you throw in a little wind.

I'll dial if given time and with the right setup, but the reticle works fine in a pinch. No need to denigrate a technique just because it may not have worked for you, as it has worked well for others.

Anyone use the Tri MOA reticle? Seems like it would be relatively easy to use without having to try and match ballistics to pre determined hash marks.

I’m not degenerating it... I’m saying the “advantages” aren’t really that advantageous. And, the additional precision offered by taking an extra second and dialing exact range is a significant “advantage” over floating a dot.

I’m not sure about you... but I’m not into taking quarter-mile shots in a “pinch”. Previously wounded critters are the exception here... then, use what you brung.

this is Leos constant distance moa market entry. the distance is angular , moa, instead of distance. all of these type reticles work well if you know the "drops" for your load from something like JBM

I love dialing exact range.

hmm get the laser range finder, sight the target , check my drop card. how long did that take.?

Steve, good to know you are still kicking...

Good thread.

To each his own, but I've yet to see a good shooter buck here at 300+ that gave me or my kin time to dial a turret. Most have been taken with duplex hold-over and the range already pre-estimated. My dad and I were just talking the other day about turrets being fun, but how they often aren't that useful where we hunt. You can bring them into play with feeding does or hogs, but that's usually about it. Buck shot presentations are generally too brief. I'm sure other parts of the country have differing opportunities.

You have to do the first two with either a ballistic reticle or a turret..... so they’re invalid in the whole “time” argument.

My drop chart is on my turret, and I can see it (and adjust it) without moving my head from the stock. It takes about a half a second..... or, less time than figuring out which stadia line is which range, and where you need to hold in between which dots.

What if there’s some wind thrown in?