So I am a long time hunter, but just really started getting fanatical in the last year in regards to reloading and improving accuracy. I joined a private range near my home about a year ago with a 500 yard line, but due to Covid it has been shut down. I live in Western WA, so long range lines are hard to come by.
I recently re-scoped two of my rifles, a 338WM and a 7RM with Leupold VX5 3x15x44s. These are my first scopes that I really have ever intended out of the gate to actively dial elevation with. Previously I just held over, or kept my hunting ranges within MPBR. This has led me down the rabbit hole of understanding MOA adjustments, and I think I am 99% there in terms of being crystal clear. I don't have any family or friends that I can rely on to answer this question, so I am turning to this forum for confirmation that I am understanding this 100% correctly.
For the sake of clarity, both these scopes are MOA, 1 click equals 1/4 MOA. I have both these rifled zeroed at 200 yards, shooting sub MOA, around 1.5 inches. With the handloads I have developed for both, we are going to round to a nice even number, and say that my ballistic charts at 500 yards show a 40 inch drop.
I am crystal clear on an MOA being an angle of measurement, 1 MOA at 100 yards equals 1 inch, 200 yards equals 2 inches, 500 yards equals 5 inches. I am seeing that in my head very clearly now. I also understand that same single 1/4 inch click at 100 yards equals .5 at 200yds, .75 at 300yds, an inch at 400, and 1.25 at 500 yards.
So going back to my nice even round 40 inch drop at 500 yards. A 40 inch drop equals 8 MOAs at 500 yards. So an 8 MOA adjustment will put me dead on at 500 yards. Here is where I need your help to make sure I am understanding this correctly though. An 8 MOA adjustment for that 500 yard shot will put me 16 inches high on my 200 yard target that I am zeroed at. 16 inches high at 200 yards, not 40 inches high? So confirm this for me please, the problem is that my mind thinks of drops in relation to my zeroed range, ie 200 yards. I hear a 40 inch drop and my previously unenlightened mind thinks that is a 40 inch drop in relation to my 200 yard zero. The error would be to literally dial up 40 inches high on a 200 yard target...
The way I am 99% sure I understand it now, please confirm, is that when we talk MOA and ballistics, we aren't talking drop from my 200 yd zero. Rather we are envisioning that MOA angle straight as an arrow stretching out to infinity. The 40 inch drop we are referring to is not really off my 200 yard zero, but rather how far it drop from that imaginary MOA line. An 8 MOA adjustment at 500 yards puts me 40 inches above where I want my point of impact to be, and then bullseye.
Please confirm if that all sound right?!?! Thanks
I recently re-scoped two of my rifles, a 338WM and a 7RM with Leupold VX5 3x15x44s. These are my first scopes that I really have ever intended out of the gate to actively dial elevation with. Previously I just held over, or kept my hunting ranges within MPBR. This has led me down the rabbit hole of understanding MOA adjustments, and I think I am 99% there in terms of being crystal clear. I don't have any family or friends that I can rely on to answer this question, so I am turning to this forum for confirmation that I am understanding this 100% correctly.
For the sake of clarity, both these scopes are MOA, 1 click equals 1/4 MOA. I have both these rifled zeroed at 200 yards, shooting sub MOA, around 1.5 inches. With the handloads I have developed for both, we are going to round to a nice even number, and say that my ballistic charts at 500 yards show a 40 inch drop.
I am crystal clear on an MOA being an angle of measurement, 1 MOA at 100 yards equals 1 inch, 200 yards equals 2 inches, 500 yards equals 5 inches. I am seeing that in my head very clearly now. I also understand that same single 1/4 inch click at 100 yards equals .5 at 200yds, .75 at 300yds, an inch at 400, and 1.25 at 500 yards.
So going back to my nice even round 40 inch drop at 500 yards. A 40 inch drop equals 8 MOAs at 500 yards. So an 8 MOA adjustment will put me dead on at 500 yards. Here is where I need your help to make sure I am understanding this correctly though. An 8 MOA adjustment for that 500 yard shot will put me 16 inches high on my 200 yard target that I am zeroed at. 16 inches high at 200 yards, not 40 inches high? So confirm this for me please, the problem is that my mind thinks of drops in relation to my zeroed range, ie 200 yards. I hear a 40 inch drop and my previously unenlightened mind thinks that is a 40 inch drop in relation to my 200 yard zero. The error would be to literally dial up 40 inches high on a 200 yard target...
The way I am 99% sure I understand it now, please confirm, is that when we talk MOA and ballistics, we aren't talking drop from my 200 yd zero. Rather we are envisioning that MOA angle straight as an arrow stretching out to infinity. The 40 inch drop we are referring to is not really off my 200 yard zero, but rather how far it drop from that imaginary MOA line. An 8 MOA adjustment at 500 yards puts me 40 inches above where I want my point of impact to be, and then bullseye.
Please confirm if that all sound right?!?! Thanks