Leupold Varmint Reticle HELP

[1holeaddict]

Just purchased a 6.5 X 20 leupold with the varmint hunters reticle. I plan on putting it on one of my 6br's. The gun shoots 80 berger's fb and 107 sierra's very well.What have you guy's found as the best method to use for this scope.Would love to plug some info into a program and get a print out value of the holdover points at every power.

 

[trentalan34]

The easiest way is probably to sight in at 200. Then fire a group at 500 by aiming at the bullseye. Center the crosshairs on the bullseye at 500 and adjust the power until the the hash mark for 500 lines up with where your group is. Every method with predetermined hash marks will involve compromise, but this will get you pretty close for 2-500 yard shots.

 

[K22]

A fellow shooter who specializes in long range varminting (over 300 yards) has the same scope on both his custom 22 250's. He sights in a 200 yards zero then dials up the elevation using the target knob based on the range using a range finder to determine the distance. In other words, he does not use the varmint recticle and hold over. He claim the the following process yields more reliable elevation values:

He bases his "dial up" values at 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, and 500 yards on shooting at paper targets at these distances rather than just calculating them from chornographed data and drop tables.

Since 99% of my varmint shots are at 300 yards or less, I've never had to deal with this but I thought I'd pass on his system since he specializes in long range varminting and is quite successful. He also shoots off a portable table in the field.

 

[1holeaddict]

K22 thank you and this is not the first person i heard of that does not use the hold overs.

 

[sscoyote]

When i apply multi-stadia reticles for LR shooting, i calc. the ballistics profile of trajectory vs. subtension, then shoot the dope, noting correction needed in MOA, then recalc. the profile to get the best fit by adjusting bullet BC and mv. and drag function [in JBM], then recalc. the profile in 50-yd. increments [including windage], then attach a dope sticker like this--

range, drop, windage

 

[8SNAKE]

A fellow shooter who specializes in long range varminting (over 300 yards) has the same scope on both his custom 22 250's. He sights in a 200 yards zero then dials up the elevation using the target knob based on the range using a range finder to determine the distance. In other words, he does not use the varmint recticle and hold over.

Out of curiosity, why does he get the varmint reticle if he dials for distance?

 

[1holeaddict]

A fellow shooter who specializes in long range varminting (over 300 yards) has the same scope on both his custom 22 250's. He sights in a 200 yards zero then dials up the elevation using the target knob based on the range using a range finder to determine the distance. In other words, he does not use the varmint recticle and hold over.

Out of curiosity, why does he get the varmint reticle if he dials for distance?

Snake i have spoke to several different guys that do the same thing.They all say that it is a more accurate way then trying to figure out the hold overs. My thinking is to shoot each hold over point at 100 yards then run my nightforce program and play with the sight in distance until it matches the verticle impact of each hold over point at 100. Then i will shoot those distances to see just how close my numbers are.

 

[8SNAKE]

Snake i have spoke to several different guys that do the same thing.They all say that it is a more accurate way then trying to figure out the hold overs. My thinking is to shoot each hold over point at 100 yards then run my nightforce program and play with the sight in distance until it matches the verticle impact of each hold over point at 100. Then i will shoot those distances to see just how close my numbers are.

I think we're talking about two different things. As I understood K22's post, that guy was dialing his elevation turret for each shot (meaning that he uses the center crosshairs every time to make the shot). What you seem to be describing is using the varmint reticle to shoot at varying distances by referencing the hash marks once you figure out how those marks correspond to your bullet's trajectory.

 

[1holeaddict]

Nope we r on the same page i was saying that i have spoke to several guys who prefer to use the clicks on the scope instead of the hold overs. This is not what i wanted to do. I bought the scope for fast action shooting. I have a farm field behind my house that goes out to 618 yards. I frequently see coyotes in this field at daybreak and have no time for rangefinders and clicks. They are always on the move. I have the field charted out for yardage and need a quick response weapon. I figured the varmint reticles holdovers would fit this purpose. Just looking for the best method to figure out the holdover values.

 

[mikecr]

I prefer dialing elevation,and it's very important to me that a reticle cross-hair subtends the right amount for precision field use.
An example of one that's perfect(for everything) is NF's CH1. But my preferred scope, a SFP Mk4, doesn't have this available anymore.
So I could see someone wanting a varmint or other reticle, even though dialing, as it might be a reticle that subtends preferably.

 

[8SNAKE]

Ok, now I'm on the same page with you. I think if I were in your situation, I'd set out targets from 200-600 yards and shoot each one with the center crosshairs (assuming a 200 yard zero). Then, with a very steady rest, I'd center the main crosshairs again on the target and see how those bullet holes lined up my hash marks in the reticle. It's not a fast method, but it will be the most precise for your real-world scenario.

 

[mikecr]

Nothing so far is more precise than dialing with a scope designed for it.
I'm a varmint hunter(Groundhogs). If I need 17.25moa off my click card, I dial 17.25(that's 10+7+1/4). If I need to hold-off 5" into wind, that'll be my only adjustment(other than level) when it peaks above the grass line again.

Would it be easier for me to look it up & level + hold-off elevation + hold-off wind?
I don't think so, and there is no time savings there for me.

 

[sscoyote]

Got a buddy that killed a number of predators at long-range several years ago while i was hunting with him. He only had time to dial one shot and that was a 785-yard 1st shot kill with his 243 AR-10/Leup. VX-III. The rest were with the VH reticle in his optic, which was very close to even hundred-yd. intervals to the limit of the reticle--can't remember what it was. He killed two dogs at 650, a 535 and 500 yarder, and a 440-yd. badger that was running and stopping constantly away from us like they do. We actually had a pretty good system with me being the spotter using a 10x Geovid, calling range to him as he was setting up. He now has 2 other Leupolds both with VH reticles.

IMO the VH reticle is definitely one of the best ballistic reticles out there. If you wanna' dial elevation it has 3 nice little 1.8 MOA units horizontally right along the reticle's axis for windage reference. Either system works well with that reticle.

 

[FFL Medic]

I'm the buddy of sscoyote. I think the VHR is one of the most user friendly systems out there. If you have an accurate load worked up, and have access to a chronograph, you can get the information needed from an online ballistic calculator, and the Leupold manual.

I zero my rifles at 200, then plug in the reticle subtention values into the data from (JBM) ballistic calculator. Due to the thin air in Colorado, the holdovers in the reticle are not equal per se. However, the above information gives me a known zero for each of the subtentions in the reticle. Case in point, the 535 yard coyote that Steve alluded to was held dead on the fourth subtention. Eric.

 

[K22]

A fellow shooter who specializes in long range varminting (over 300 yards) has the same scope on both his custom 22 250's. He sights in a 200 yards zero then dials up the elevation using the target knob based on the range using a range finder to determine the distance. In other words, he does not use the varmint recticle and hold over.

Out of curiosity, why does he get the varmint reticle if he dials for distance?

Funny you mention that, I had asked the same question - he told me that he too was initially lured by the concept of the varmint reticle but found, through trial and error that the dial method yielded much better results. It's important to note that has verified his dial up figures with shots at those distances.

 

[K22]

I forgot to mention an article in the American Rifleman a while back - can't remember the date but it was about a coyote hunter, hired by one of the State's Fish and Game commisions out west to weed out coyotes.

As I recall, he shot them at very long ranges using one the 6.5 calibers and I think it was a Nightforce scope (i.e. special equipment). Anyway, getting to the point, he sighted in a 100 yards then dailed up all other shots base the target distance. I remember that I found this very intriguing. Obviously you need a very high quality scope to get repeatable clicks.

I also lost sleep over this article wondering how I could get a job like that -

 

[sscoyote]

K22--i read something similar to that in Trapper and Predator Caller several years ago. I believe the guy actually started out with a 50 cal McMillan, and found it didn't work like he thought it would. He then switched to a 6.5-284 and a NF scope. Wonder if this is the same ADC guy.

 

[1holeaddict]

I was wishing that Leupold had a program like Nikon's Spot on Technology. It would be a great resource to accommodate this reticle. I have been trying to get into their resources and downloads for several days now and it wont load for some reason.

 

[K22]

K22--i read something similar to that in Trapper and Predator Caller several years ago. I believe the guy actually started out with a 50 cal McMillan, and found it didn't work like he thought it would. He then switched to a 6.5-284 and a NF scope. Wonder if this is the same ADC guy.

It may be, the American Rifleman had a picture of the guy, shooting prone from bipod (one I had never seen before looking something like that new one Sinclair is offering). Anyway, I was impressed with the simplicity of his approach and mobility of his equipment - sighting in at 100 yards then dialing up elevation and holding using a center hold regardless of distance.

Can't remember how he compensated for wind however - i.e whether it was dialing in or using the recticle hash marks. Wished now that I'd save the article

My fellow shooter (the long range guy) uses dial in figures for wind based on a wind gage but many times it's not necessary in the summer evenings in eastern PA since wind is normally not a significant factor.

 

[killahog]

Using the sight in at 200 and then turning down the power to corespond to your actual impacts is one way to do it. The drawback is you will then have a fixed power scope because if you change the power setting you will change the subtensions. So you you have to be careful when you turn it back to where you had it. Clicking the dope in the scope works just fine. Now the method I use is sort of a hybrid of the two. I hold one of the subtensions on the target say the 3rd one down and if I need to make an adjustment from there I correct it with a few clicks. This works very well on prairie dogs where the ground is dry and you can see the impacts.