Range Finding - Mil-Dot vs Laser

[Michael Eichele]

If you know the targets size mildots can be highly accurate.

Lasers are the BEST.

I periodically practice ranging with my mil dot on dall sheep and seem to come up with a 25 yard error out to 750 yards. Thats not bad. That will get you real close. Lasers are closest though, ussualy +/- 1 or 2 yards. Dont be afraid to use both methods. Practice with the mildot for when your LRF takes a dump on you in the field, or your battary goes dead and you forgot a new one. A mil dot with some practice may meen the differance between success and.......

Dall sheep = 18" from back to belly.

27.778*18 = 500

500/mil take up = yards (1 mil = 500 yards, 2 mils = 250 yards, 1/2 mil = 1000 yards ect...)

[craigp40]

I have both. Laser is more accurate and what I prefer. However, there are some competitions that I shoot where you are not permitted to use a laser. Target size is given, but you have to figure out the distance using your dots.

The other good thing about the mildot reticle is the ability to accurately adjust for misses. If the first shot hits to the right due to wind, best way to compensate is to take a quick second shot before the conditions change using the mildots to compensate. Taking time to turn turrets allows time for wind to shift. Using both gives you a nice tool set to help hit your targets at long range.

[sscoyote]

Right-on-- reticle ranging as a backup to the laser. The nice thing about reticle ranging is that it can be accomplished fairly accurately with any ranging or ballistic reticle by a simple modification to the mil-ranging formula. I use the "modified mil-ranging formula" with all my reticles and have successfully ranged antelope to 725 yds. with simple plex-- BUT as has already been stated tgt. size must be known accurately, as well as stadia subtension (as close to .1" as possible). I sort of "tweek" the ranging a little if i can tell the animal may be a little smaller or larger than avg. Antelope in the off season make a great "measuring std.".

OK real life experience here.... very similar to what has already been said... but this actually happened..

Me, Chris and a good buddy are hunting Antelope... the Goat is way out there... we think 1000 yards... had a lazer range finder that wouldn't range the goat but would range the sage around it...
I am using the R2 ret. Chris has the mil-dots in his spotting scope. Buddy of mine has the mil-dots in his scope as well...
goat is just way out there feeding so we are in no hurry. Because we cannot get a real good reading from the range finder we all range using the scales we have...
long story short we all came up with about 900 yards... lazer is saying 1000+ of course it is my turn to shoot so me and my ego spin on clicks for 1000 yards.. and you can probobly figure out the rest..

we hads everything doped perfect but the yardage... the shot touched off and I was just inches over the goats back, front shoulder.

Moral of this story... mil dots do serve a purpose but only a back-up system.

[royinidaho]

Here is what I was trying to say in my above post.

Here is a bull and cow that I had 20 minutes to do the ranging with the MIL DOT. Scope was calibrated 10X and 3.6"/mil. May have done better if I'd of went to 18 power where 1 mil = 2" but I doubt it. This was a real animal and I wasn't pricisely sure of its real breadth.

Any way, you see I said it was 595yds.

I did most of the ranging when he was ontop of tha little knol just to the left of him.

Got the range finder and guess what 395yrds! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] BTW this is in my backyard, and prime yote hunting area. Just across the Blackfoot river from the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. (had bull tag but for another area [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img])

This was the bull a couple of days later, on the res.[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]