Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Reticles vs Turrets for Long shots

What's your opions on ballistic compinsating reticles as oposed to using turret adjustments for long range shots.

What's your favorite? (brand/model, ex: Leupold's varmint hunter's reticle)

I like the crosshairs planted firmly on the target with the target in the center of the scope, so turrets for me.

I have been wondering about the Leupold LR reticle, how it works, would it be faster etc. I don't even know what velocities it is compatable with. It would seem to be faster than turrets to me, but I am for the most part not a long distance shooter (yet).

I was a drop reticle fan until I started dialing. The drop reticles can work, but nothing is better than dialing & holding on target. The farther the shot, the more advantage turrets have.

I hope to try them both over the next few weeks. I have VXIII 4.5-14 B&C on a 264WM and Zeiss 3x9 with hunter knobs on a 257wby. I just got the wby back today, and I need to bed the stock, mount the scope and then I'll go and find out.

I have tried both extensively. If I am going to make one shot (most big game hunting) then turrets are a little superior to the best multi-point reticles. They are much superior to multi-point reticles with just a few widely-spaced points.

But when shooting multiple targets at various ranges, such as in prairie dog shooting, I find multi-point reticles much handier. Also whenever the shot might have to be real quick--which includes some big game hunting.

The very longest shots, such as 800-yard prairie dogs, are sometimes only possible with a combination of elevation turret AND multi-point reticle. Unless, of course, you're going to mount the scope at downward angle....

JB

JB,

If such a comparison is valid, on big game, at what range would you say the precision of turrets outweighs the quickness of a multi point reticle or vice versa? Thinking of giving Leupold's LR Duplex a try...

Thanks,

John

Curious about quickness myself. I mean if it is far enough to need a LR reticle/turrets I would think that one would generally range it, get into shooting position, etc. Can't see how 200nanoseconds to twist a turret can [bleep] a guy up.

YMMV

Not sure whether or not it would make a difference either, but not having tried either method on game, thought I would ask someone who had. Actually, I can only think of maybe two animals I have taken where either method would have made a difference, but I sure like the idea of having that capability at my disposal should the need arise.

John

If 1/10th of second won't matter than turrets won't hurt ya.

I like them more for long range dinging, which helps make shorter shots easy. Don't really have any desire to bust a big game critter at 537 1/2 yards...

Agree with you there. After shooting clays at 550, shooting them at 400 was a cakewalk...

John

The precision of turrets is a definate advantage over a multi point drop reticle... The only bullet drop compensting reticles that I care for are the ones in MOA and they work as well as turrets..........

Mostly sums up my view..........

Never been able to dial up a turret in a 1/10 of a second.....guess I'm just slow, but usually takes at least a couple of seconds.......after I've got the number of come-ups in mind.

But on a shot long enough to dial up, there's usually enough time to do the ranging & dial-up. Dial-up don't mean schitt w/o knowing the mileage.

MM

A USMC mil-dot reticle combined w/ 1/4 minute turrets and a data strip on the pocket sized Mildot Master works. This will give a squared away marksman the tools to range, for holdover, for corrections, wind, lead, inclination, declination, etc. in 1/4 minute clicks, MOA or mils.

GVA

A lot of this depends on whether you leave the turrets right out in the open, or cover them up. I prefer not to have them just sitting out there, ready to turn, while hunting big game, as I had a bad experience many years ago with an early version, when the turret got turned accidentally to the wrong yardage on a pronghorn hunt.

Coyotes are the big place I would say even 1/10th of a second might be too slow. I have also done some big game hunting where the animals are moving in and out of cover at various ranges, and it took a very quick shot to do the job. Or where your stalking in open country and the animal is moving slowly itself, in and out of coulees. In fact, I can think of a LOT of situations where the abiliy to just put the reticle in about the right place and shoot quickly would make a difference.

But I just don't believe that it only takes 1/10th of a second to turn a turret AND be able to sight on the animal and make the shot. That is where hashmarks are much faster. Or I should say much faster in my experience.

There are some really precise reticles out there too. Darrell Holland's system is really good, for instance.

But the main point, whichever system you use, is that an aiming point in the right place is a lot better than holding off by some mysterious amount. And that actual, expetsive practice with the system is necessary to become really proficient.

JB

For hunting big game to 600 yds I think that the TDS is better than Turrets. It's more than precise enough to cleanly take big game and it's a good bit faster than turning turrets. You can also use it for wind holdoff and ranging.
The other things I don't like about turrets for hunting is that you can leave them on the wrong setting. I prefer a hunting reticle that I can set and leave it alone for the next 10 years or so, it saves screw-ups made when the adreniline is pumping. I also think that exposes turrets are going to be a bit more damage prone in the woods.
Turrets are the way to go for ranges longer than 600yds but I'm kinda of the opinion that that starts to be more shootin' than it is huntin'.

I've used turrets extensively in Competition but for hunting, for most people a good ranging reticle like the TDS is simpler and faster...................................DJ

My take on it is when I have to dail It makes me think about the shot and other factors like wind, elaevation and Angle of shot. Most hunting rigs can be shot out to 300 yrds pretty easy with little hold over and no wind concerns per se. The more hold over, the more you better think about the condition and enviroment. Dialing gives me that extra secounds to make sure I can make the shot or pass!

Willys

A little dial with numbers from 0 to 14, with each whole number 1 moa etc.

Target is 543 yards away, the handy chart I have on my stock reads 8 MOA, I turn the little dial till it reads 8. No counting clicks or come-ups. I know all of my guns 500 yards so I don't even have to look at the chart, just twist.

How long can in possibly take to turn a dial from 0 to 4 or 5.5?

How about learning both? With a Mil or Moa based reticle you really should learn both. Its not hard, and if you gotta be faster than the 1-2 sec it takes to dial hold off. For instance, my .308 requires 2.2 mils elevation @ 400 yards, I can dial it, or just hold 2.2 mils up. I practice both and its pretty easy, even easier when your reticle and adjustments are in the same system. For true LR (greater than 600 yards) shooting at small targets, turrets are the best way

Very good points Jim,


Leupold has some answers to this in my opinion.

The new Mark 2 scope in 3x9 Hunter offers the LR reticle and a
"half" high turret on top. This turret size is ideal.

As far as dialing a turret, It can be done in a second or less.
On my M1 dial, for 500 yards a quick wrist turn hits 7.5 on the dial and I'm instantly there for an accurate shot. If I had to count out 30 clicks then yeah I would say go to lines. But that's just not the case. I've done both and clicking is just as fast as reading a line and far more accurate.

My simple system helps me accomplish this.

A differ hat for every bullet.
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