Anybody hunted with the Rapid-Z 800 reticle

[rhouser]

I went to this forum rather than the Optics because I am looking for shooters that have hunted the Rapid-Z's.

I have been using a Sightron SIII 6x24 LRMD and love the accuracy but swore that someday I was going to buy a scope that was range calibrated.

I am 65 years old this year and need all the edges I can get. I have used a laser for the last few years and don't have to guess the range to target. Now I want to lose the time it takes to adjust my turrets.

If there are some hunters that like the reticle then I am going to buy the HD5 3-15x42mm with an 800 reticle.

I recognize that the dog is going to have to be pretty big for me to get by with a 15x at 800, but, I am going for a lower profile on the scope height to lose some cant issues (I hope). I like the 3x end because sometimes things just walk out in front of you and there you are.

Ok, I am rambling. Anybody ever found the Rapid Z reticles to be worth owning?

thanks in advance
rch

 

[Lpart]

I used one on a 300 win mag for about 3 years. I shot several animals at 300-500 yards and found it very helpful. It can take some time to tailor a load for your rifle that truly fits the stadia but it can be done. More critical the farther you shoot. At 400 yards and it wasn't much of an issue.

 

[br45zy]

I used that reticle for several years on a 300 RUM with pretty good results. I was lucky enough that the reticle matched the ballistics of the load I was shooting almost spot on to 800 yards at max magnification . One of the disadvantages to the rapid z reticle is getting consistent wind holds for longer shots.

 

[lilharcher]

I currently use the 3x15x42 Z-600 on my 300WM and like the glass quality and reticle. Tracks well from 300 - 600 yrds based on the recommended setting.

 

[feelinducky]

I have 2 and like them both. One on a 300 RUM and I've never had to adjust it. Each year I take it out and the zero is the same hunt all year and trust that it is going to be on.

 

[Laelkhunter]

I had the 800 on my .340 Weatherby. It seemed accurate and the concept is good. Variables that affect POI (altitude, temp, etc), play into it. Zeiss recommends confirming the accuracy at the different distances, which is great advice, and that can be done at home, but not really practical once you relocate to your hunting area. A confirm of zero at 100 or 200 yards is a good idea to make sure your rifle hasn't changed POI for some reason.
You have to go on the Zeiss website, and put in all the variables, and it will advise which power the power ring needs to be set at to make the range stadia wires in the scope to be accurate. If you go through all of that, and then have it set at a different power when you are shooting at game or target (say 9X instead of the recommended 13.5X), then the bullet won't hit where the stadia wires are. Sounds confusing, and I probably didn't explain it perfectly- Maybe someone else can add their .02
Bottom line, if you have all of the variables entered in the Zeiss computer, and it advises you what power to set the scope on, make sure the scope is on that power when you shoot.
This applies to ranges past 200 yards, as the main crosshair is dead on at 200, and you don't have to worry about a different rangeing crosshair up to 200.
Clear as mud, right???

 

[yobuck]

As an option, you could check out having a custom multi dot reticle installed.
Years back even into the 80s there were essentialy no good scopes having target
knobs including Leupold. As a result many l/r hunters i knew in PA sent their leupold
scopes to Dick Thomas at Premier reticles for a custom dot system.
Since Dick died and his son took over they no longer perform that service unless things have recently changed.
Others like T K LEE still do however. Anyway i still have and use 3 of those scopes.
Dick would set it up anyway you wished with as many dots as you wished including
windage dots. He needed your velocity and the bullet information you used along with the altitude.
My typical setup was 1 minit dot for the 100 yd zero. No 200 yd dot. then @ every
100 yds a 1/2 min dot to 1000 yds. On his reccomendation there is a second fine
cross hair at 600 just to minimise confusion when counting down. That would also
be where windage dots or addittional windage dots could go. Since the Leupolds
were 2nd focal plane scopes, you needed to choose what power you wanted them set on if you were using a variable scope.
These things were spot on at all distances. Ive had numerous first round hits with them at rocks all the way to 1000 yds. Ive also had first round hits on deer and my
only PA black bear at 700 yds. The difference is they are custom made for your gun, load and bullet bc.

 

[dmj]

I have a couple of these scopes and they seem to be nice scopes and work fairly well. As Laelkhunter advise you have to go to Zeiss web site and use their calculator. You enter the info they ask for and it tells you the the power to set the scope on to make the reticle work. One of the scopes I have, is mounted on a 7mm rum. It works quite well out to about 600 yards. Further than that it doesn't seem to be as accurate. Now please understand it could be me and not the scope. My take is sorta like this: When hunting I usually carry the rifle with the scope set on a low power, so if I see something out there at long range I would have to turn the scope power up to the particular power Zeiss advises or your confirmed power. So if I'm going to do this why not just dial for range plus I've had better results at ranges past the 600 yard mark by dialing the range. Now with all this said, if you were setting up in a certain spot and going to shoot at some type of squirrels and just wanted to set your scope up once for long distant shots, this might be the scope for you. Good luck and have fun.

 

[rhouser]

Thanks to all who answered. I bought the HD-5 3X15 with the Z800 reticle. I have found the Zeiss calculator and have found some of my loads line up very nicely. I will verify the stadia marked ranges. I agree about the observation that the windage hold may be tough to spot. I will need to shoot it. I probably could have gotten by with the Z600 but the Z800 just seems right.

I have a little buyers remorse, but, if it works one time, I will be over that quickly. Thanks to all who answered.

rch

 

[Laelkhunter]

It should work fine for you. Just remember what power the computer suggests for the range you will be shooting.
I sold my Zeiss that had the Z-800 reticle, and moved up to the Swarovski Z5 3.5-18 X 44 that has a similar reticle, called the BRH
With that rerticle the ballistic computer recommends using 18x (max power), and the range crosshairs work really well with my .340 Weatherby with the 210 factory loads. I am guessing that if the Elk is at the distance that I need to use the ranging crosshairs, I would probably be at max power anyway.