Is a BDC reticle on a 3-9 power scope THAT practical?

StevieK

StevieK

Regular
Rating - 100%
83   0   0
Location
Hamilton, ont
So I know everyone's opinion will be all over the map but I would like some input from guys who have experience with more long range shooting than I get an opportunity to do.

I am looking at getting a Swaro Z3 3-10x42 scope to put atop my kimber 270. I own other guns but for right now the good glass will get put on the 270 as it can be used for everything from coyote to moose. I don't have any scopes that have a ballistic type reticle so I figured I would get the swaro with a BRH reticle, to make longer shots a little easier. However I was looking at the ballistics of some new powder loads I might try and inputting them into my isnipe app and realized that for my 270 win trajectories I can zero at 200 yds and never have the bullet rise above 1.5" before that nor drop below 2" until 240 yds away. For my accuracy in hunting needs that means that I can hold dead on for any game coyote size or bigger and hit vitals. This means that I wouldn't even be utilizing the BRH reticle until a shot is further than 240 yds (which for most of my hunting is not a very probable scenario). But for shots 250+ yds will the 10 power scope really be giving enough magnification at that range to use the reticle??
My range is only 100 yds, longest in the area is only 200, and my hunting is closer so I don't get an opportunity to practice that long yet. For guys that do get the chance to shoot at ranges of 250-500yds with cartridges having velocities similar to the 270 do you find the 3-10 power adequate?
And a question for the rest of you...for all of you who are like me and bought a scope assuming that BDC reticles are a MUST and needed for long shots, how many have ACTUALLY used the BDC?
 
Last edited:
Out to 400-500 yards 9x is very workable in a hunting situation. I wouldn't use any reticle I hadn't range truthed though.
 
For offhand shooting too much magnification can be a handicap it really magnifies any shake you have. Unless you have shooting sticks you don't want to use a lot of magnification while shooting offhand.
 
StevieK said:
So I know everyone's opinion will be all over the map but I would like some input from guys who have experience with more long range shooting than I get an opportunity to do.

I am looking at getting a Swaro Z3 3-9x42 scope to put atop my kimber 270. I own other guns but for right now the good glass will get put on the 270 as it can be used for everything from coyote to moose. I don't have any scopes that have a ballistic type reticle so I figured I would get the swaro with a BRH reticle, to make longer shots a little easier. However I was looking at the ballistics of some new powder loads I might try and inputting them into my isnipe app and realized that for my 270 win trajectories I can zero at 200 yds and never have the bullet rise above 1.5" before that nor drop below 2" until 240 yds away. For my accuracy in hunting needs that means that I can hold dead on for any game coyote size or bigger and hit vitals. This means that I wouldn't even be utilizing the BRH reticle until a shot is further than 240 yds (which for most of my hunting is not a very probable scenario). But for shots 250+ yds will the 9 power scope really be giving enough magnification at that range to use the reticle??
My range is only 100 yds, longest in the area is only 200, and my hunting is closer so I don't get an opportunity to practice that long yet. For guys that do get the chance to shoot at ranges of 250-500yds with cartridges having velocities similar to the 270 do you find the 3-9 power adequate?
And a question for the rest of you...for all of you who are like me and bought a scope assuming that BDC reticles are a MUST and needed for long shots, how many have ACTUALLY used the BDC?
Click to expand...


In the Z3, your choices are a 3-9x36 or 3-10x42. There's no 3-9x42.

I personally don't like ranging reticles, but I don't ever shoot past 500 yards and know my bullet drops up until that point. I don't like the idea of having to keep my scope at a set power to use that function.
The highest power scope I have right now is 12x, and that sits on a 257 Wby. The rest are in the 2.5-10 or 3-9 range. All are simple duplex type reticles.
 
bearkilr said:
In the Z3, your choices are a 3-9x36 or 3-10x42. There's no 3-9x42.

I personally don't like ranging reticles, but I don't ever shoot past 500 yards and know my bullet drops up until that point. I don't like the idea of having to keep my scope at a set power to use that function.
The highest power scope I have right now is 12x, and that sits on a 257 Wby. The rest are in the 2.5-10 or 3-9 range. All are simple duplex type reticles.
Click to expand...

Thanks fixed it for ya, thanks for the correction. Sheephunter, I definitely wouldn't shoot at any distance that I hadn't practiced at, let alone shoot a reticle without practicing what the actual drop measurements are. I still am leaning toward a BRH reticle but don't want to find out it's just a whole lot of extra confusion in the scope that isn't worth it
 
StevieK said:
Thanks fixed it for ya, thanks for the correction. Sheephunter, I definitely wouldn't shoot at any distance that I hadn't practiced at, let alone shoot a reticle without practicing what the actual drop measurements are. I still am leaning toward a BRH reticle but don't want to find out it's just a whole lot of extra confusion in the scope that isn't worth it
Click to expand...

Nothing confusing about it...there's still a primary crosshair......I've never been tempted to look at secondary hashmarks when they weren't required but when you do need them they are there.
 
I don't think I would ever again buy any scope without some type of holdover reticle marks...why guess when you don't have too!
 
StevieK said:
I still am leaning toward a BRH reticle but don't want to find out it's just a whole lot of extra confusion in the scope that isn't worth it
Click to expand...

Just remember that it only works at a certain power of your zoom range, usually at or near max. Lots of guys forget this when using their ranging reticle.
I have a Z3 3-10x42 on my 22-250 with standard plex reticle. It's a nice scope, you won't be disappointed.
 
bearkilr said:
Just remember that it only works at a certain power of your zoom range, usually at or near max. Lots of guys forget this when using their ranging reticle.
I have a Z3 3-10x42 on my 22-250 with standard plex reticle. It's a nice scope, you won't be disappointed.
Click to expand...

Perhaps when you get your first one but it does become second nature after you've run a few rounds through them at various ranges. I forgot where I set my glasses one day. We ended up finding them in the deep freeze. True story. I never forget to turn the mag ring for a long bomb though.
 
Buy a 4-16 or similar mil dot type reticle with dots or hashmarks with matching turrets and First Focal Plane. Take your loads and shoot different distances to get you come ups/holdovers, compare to ballistic calc, adjust MV to match your drops(just trued your dope). Do that once for yote load and once for big game and never look back.
 
Last edited:
I love my leupold LR duplex scopes.

I can say I pretty much leave them on max (9x or 12x) zoom 99% of the time.

For most of my rifles I've figured out which hash line works out to for bullet drop. The rest of the
rifles, I just havent had time to get to yet.

The main rifle I hunt with, I know the drops. I've used them in the past as well. I've tested them out
at the range as well, except for the bottom one (pointy top of the bottom post) which is 700+ yards for me.
 
I think you should move forward with a ballistic reticle - if ever you hunt at longer ranges it may come in handy. If you don't, then they really don't clutter the sight picture too much - that is the simpler reticles which I prefer.

Hunting groundhogs using my BDC reticle on 2 occasions (with a 22-250) - 330 and 450 yard holdovers and long round-trips back to the car! When you need a quick shot (e.g. deer, coyote) at longer range (250 yds plus) there will be zero time to dial-up using the turret - that holdover reference may be the difference. No point unless you have a rangefinder however...

I only have 3 hash marks on mine (1.5, 4.5, 7 MOA) and the bottom of the post (11 MOA) but that covers minute of coyote out to 600 yds with a 200 yd zero. I have shot my best 450 yard 5 shot group using a 14x (vs. 20x) so I think you are good to go to 500 yds with a 9 or 10x.
 
I bought one of the Nikon.... Buckmasters? - with the little circles - just clutter as far as I see it. As the OP says - zero at 200 and the bullet will hit where you put the little hairs. This is true for most modern calibres.

Three out of four scopes that I have tried at 400 yards - one 22 250, one .243 and one 270 all hit at the top of the post at 400 yards. What I mean to say is this: if I hold the point of the lower post (thicker part of the crosshairs) on the bullseye, that is about the right holdover for 400 which is about 24" of holdover. In practice, it was surprising to find how the three calibres with three different scopes on three makes of guns all trajected about the same.
 
I rarely use my 2.5-10 nightforce to range but I find the hashmarks quite valuable as far as holding for wind and spotting misses. I was shooting that setup at an 8'' plate at 880 yards with great results the other day. It took 2 shots to get on target and the rest was easy. I'd have been guessing at my corrections without my NPR2 reticle
 
For the short range you're talking a subtension reticle is far from necessary. With a little thought and some testing its surprising just how much thought out ranging and hold-over can be done with a duplex and at considerably farther ranges as well. On the other hand, it doesn't weigh anything and you don't have to use it if you don't want to. I can't picture buying another scope that doesn't have either a ballistic reticle, dial yardage or target turrets depending on use.

A 3-9 is enough scope for 500 yard big game hunting, more wouldn't work if you want it. More power is nice at the range, and if you're going to be doing any 500 yard hunting you better be spending a lot of time at the range.
 
Last edited:
I find 9 power to be more then enough at 500 yards on a target the size of a deer and larger. A hold over retical is a great way to go for those longer shots.
 
The Bushnell Trophy 4-12x0 DOA is supposedly set for a .270 130 grain round. I don't know if that is accurate or not though. Just some review I read on Amazon.com The poster wrote Bushnell asking what the caliber and bullet used was for calibrating it. Also from other reviews on the same site and other sites suggested as much which is why I went with that scope.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom