I am wondering if I will be able to range gophers on flat ground from 200-400 yards with something like a Bushnell Scout 1000 rangefinder? If not how do you determine yardage for this application? Mil-dot's only? I want to build a cheat sheet to tape to my stock and dial in elevation and windage with my turrets based on yardage/wind. I have a Savage VLP .223 with Bushnell Elite 3200 5-15x40 AO Mil-Dot target turret scope. The turrets are 1/4 MOA. Thanks.
Ranging Gophers.
- Thread starter cosmicheretic
- Start date
Shoot.
If you miss, take another shot. That's the great thing about gopher shooting.... it will teach you how to eye-ball those sorts of parameters without having to rely on a theoretical print-out. If you really want to be anal, I have taken stakes and put them out at 100M intervals (starting at 200M out). My pal Don and I shoot gophers to 1000M+ and we do the shooter/spotter thing and having the stakes makes good TRP's
If you miss, take another shot. That's the great thing about gopher shooting.... it will teach you how to eye-ball those sorts of parameters without having to rely on a theoretical print-out. If you really want to be anal, I have taken stakes and put them out at 100M intervals (starting at 200M out). My pal Don and I shoot gophers to 1000M+ and we do the shooter/spotter thing and having the stakes makes good TRP's
I agree, it's a good op. to learn ranging, with game that doesn't matter as much. In the old days(older then me) the Buffler hunters made some extraordinary long shots on game, and most of their success was due to their ability to est. range. This was very important with the looping trajectories of the old BP guns. They shot day in and day out for a living and for food, and when you do that, you get real good at it. I wonder if today they would laugh at all our modern range finders and mildots and ranging 300 yd. gophers.
I doubt you can get a reading off the actual gophers themselves. When I use a Nikon 800 rangefinder out deer hunting, I have to take readings off terrain features like tree lines, creeks, hills, grain bins, etc. I think it would be a good test of your estimation and math skills to try using the mildots.
I have been borrowing a buddy's Bushnell Elite 1500 range finder recently for gopher shooting. Trying to get a reflection off of a gopher itself can be hard beyond 250 yards but often there will be a dirt mound or other item that will work to range the gopher.
If you can afford it the Leica Rangemaster 1200 is apparantlw suitable for gopher sized targets but it is pretty pricy.
When the area has lots of targets and I will not be moving for a while I take out my surveyors wheel and set up a couple flags at suitable ranges.
If you can afford it the Leica Rangemaster 1200 is apparantlw suitable for gopher sized targets but it is pretty pricy.
When the area has lots of targets and I will not be moving for a while I take out my surveyors wheel and set up a couple flags at suitable ranges.
I'm thinking a gopher that stands straight and tall will be around 9" or 0.25 yards. 1000x 0.25=250
Divide 250 by the number of mildots and that should be the distance. If the gopher is 2.5 mildots high, that's 100 yards. Adjust the above as appropriate.
Can't afford a Leica right now. What model of wheel do you use? I may have to pick one up.
Mystic Precision
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Summerland, BC
Range finders are wonderful but if you want them to work in the field, bring $$$.
Non reflective surface, bright sunlight, distance, and small target pretty much make low end/less money rangefinders ineffective.
I started with the Leica 800 (first model) and it will do all you want. Used now, they would likely be $200 to 300 so very affordable.
The lower end Bushnells tend to wash out in the sunlight.
The upper end Bushnell, Nikon and Leupold should work ok but then for the money, the used Leica is cheap. They really are only effective at half their rating under the conditions you will be using. So you want to look for models that can range out to 800yds.
If you want new, then the new Leica 900 and 1200's will do the job very well. If you intend to range much further, the Swarovski is the only game in town.
Inside 400yds with a 223, I bet you will get the ranges figured out pretty quick by using the eyeball/mildot method.
Jerry
Non reflective surface, bright sunlight, distance, and small target pretty much make low end/less money rangefinders ineffective.
I started with the Leica 800 (first model) and it will do all you want. Used now, they would likely be $200 to 300 so very affordable.
The lower end Bushnells tend to wash out in the sunlight.
The upper end Bushnell, Nikon and Leupold should work ok but then for the money, the used Leica is cheap. They really are only effective at half their rating under the conditions you will be using. So you want to look for models that can range out to 800yds.
If you want new, then the new Leica 900 and 1200's will do the job very well. If you intend to range much further, the Swarovski is the only game in town.
Inside 400yds with a 223, I bet you will get the ranges figured out pretty quick by using the eyeball/mildot method.
Jerry
Have a look at a horusvision reticle. Might reduce (or eliminate) turret-turning.
I have ranged gophers out to 400 yds with my Leica 1200, further if they are standing on a mound. My 204 makes a rangefinder a moot point out to 300. Reading the wind is the trick IMO.
I don't know where you live but couldn't you just do the work at home or at the range without firing a shot or using a rangefinder?
Draw a 9" PD on a white piece of bristol board and stick it out a 100-500 yards. Set your scope at 15 power and have a nice long look at where and how your mil-dots fill up and line up on the PD. Make up a little chart and draw pics of the little PD with a mildot covering up the appropriate amount of PD body and write down a yardage next to it. IT may take an hour or two but will give you an absolute and get you practiced up on how to do it.
If you have to do this at the range you can make up a few of these targets and shoot at them too.
Draw a 9" PD on a white piece of bristol board and stick it out a 100-500 yards. Set your scope at 15 power and have a nice long look at where and how your mil-dots fill up and line up on the PD. Make up a little chart and draw pics of the little PD with a mildot covering up the appropriate amount of PD body and write down a yardage next to it. IT may take an hour or two but will give you an absolute and get you practiced up on how to do it.
If you have to do this at the range you can make up a few of these targets and shoot at them too.
canucklehead
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Calgary, AB
I range gophers (or the ground right beside them) with my Leica 1200. Works awesome.
After a while, I can usually range them by eye (to within 10-15 yards) up to 300 yards. You'd be surprised how good you can get guessing since you can confirm with the laser.
Using mildots on gophers is good practice, but they are usually gone by the time you do the math.
After a while, I can usually range them by eye (to within 10-15 yards) up to 300 yards. You'd be surprised how good you can get guessing since you can confirm with the laser.
Using mildots on gophers is good practice, but they are usually gone by the time you do the math.
I just got a cheap one from Princess Auto, works good enough for my purposes, then I use a couple of electric fence stakes with surveyors tape on them and set them up at 300 and 350 yards or what ever the distance may be. This only works if you have a field that you can set up and shoot for several hours in one spot. I set up a shooting table in a suitable spot to make use of this as a rangefinder takes a bit to much time for individual gophers.
Even with a borrowed rangefinder I still run out and put up my distance marking flags, then I can dial-a-rat or use mildots instantly.
What did you kill him with?? a slingshot? No sign of trauma on that squeak. Just got back from decimating a few dozen more with the 204, grass is longer and Darwins theory is kicking in so it's a little more challenging than the wholesale slaughter of this spring
I usually range them like this, yup, 327 yards on the nose,
I did walk out on the field eariler and get the distances of a few landmarks for reference.
That's awesome!
Jeebas, I could put together hundreds or even thousands of rounds of ammo for what people spend on rangefinders! Cloud of dust - miss. Correct for cloud of dust. Splat. Woohoo!
