Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Hash Marks in Your Scope...

I think just about all of us are able to figure what works best for ourselves on our ground. My duplex-equipped scopes will continue to be sighted about 1 to 2 inches high at 100 for quick shots at any sane (for me) range, but the ones with extra aiming points are now zeroed at 100, well within the opportunities I've had in recent years, and the secondary points used farther out. Even my Grendel is only a bit low at 150 with a 100-yard zero, and its a simple matter to range various points within view from any vantage point and select the magnification that works. Typically, all my scopes stay on the lowest setting until I think more Xs are in order.

My only scope with a "tactical" reticle is a SS 6x42, and actual tests have proven to me that it's too fine for dim light, for me anyway. Show me a FFP reticle that works for me in low light (without illumination) at low magnification and I might give it a go. I say "without illumination" because of all the scope-setting sins, the one I'm most likely to commit is killing the battery by leaving the light on.

Sure is!

I thought that looked familiar. You put a great shot onto him.

That's a great image, and the "Where's Waldo" thing with the elk is icing on the cake.

From this morning:
Top is using secondary aiming point at 9x at 200 yards.
Bottom shows actual drop, fired at 14.5x








Really just a little range exercise. The secondary aiming points in that scope are too fine to be of much use in dim light. I was struggling a bit today as the sun kept going behind clouds. If I were hunting and had a 200 yard poke offered, I'd just hold a hand high and shoot. Might work in the "gopher woods".

up to 500-600 meters use human eyeballs anything over that a 8-36x50 scope

I’m really enjoying the Ballistic Plex in my 708, the hash marks work almost perfectly at 100,200 etc out to 500 Metres
And before anyone asks the scope stays on 9X , as does my 3-9SWFA , which has been my practice for the last 40 years

Almost exactly my experience. I still own a few BDC equipped scopes, but have a hard time using anything but my Mil/Mil FFP or fixed scopes anymore.

I agree about BDC; if I need to twist, I'd prefer a real dialing scope, and BDCs are often attached to scopes with "questionable" adjustments.

But for quick shots under the conditions I encounter, a secondary aiming point can be useful, if one has the presence of mind to keep the power dial where it belongs. Finding a FFP scope with a reticle suitable under conditions here without illumination is tough. As mentioned, even the reticle on the Burris I used on my Grendel is too fine. Gonna probably switch that one out for a standard FF 3-9 with dots under the crosshair, but a Weaver K6 is also available and would cut some weight. My shots are usually between 20 and 100 yards, so a rifle zeroed at 100 makes the most sense, and helps with threading the needle through brush.

As long as those hash marks are measured in MRADs I agree, other than that, I have zero use for generic BDC reticles.