Hunting: do you dial or for elevation or??

[Brad Quarnberg]

My brother loves his elevation dials and has several Leupold scopes with CDS dials specific for his handloads.

I usually have the chest measurements and my load data on the stock but also hold over memorized out to 600 yards which is what I'm confidant shooting with my rifle/scope/ammo combination without dialing elevation.

I've seldom found myself in a situation where I had time to range, then dial elevation on my hunts, but when I have the animals have usually been 200 yards or less so no need.

Don't get me wrong, I have no issue with dialing elevation and as I said, I have several scopes with elevation turrets I could dial if I chose to: I just haven't.

What is your preferred method of hunting at distance: dialing elevation or hold over? Do you find yourself with the time to range, dial and shoot?

Interested what the groups experiences have been, and what they prefer to do.

 

[Rick Richard]

Dial for elevation and hold off for wind.

 

[memtb]

Dial for elevation and hold off for wind.

Same! But, try to resist longer shots in a stiff crosswind ! memtb

 

[Wyo37]

Dial, in mils for elevation

 

[Sockeye66]

I do dial on a few rifles but I prefer to use the range finding binoculars with the app that gives the dope and shoot using the FFP reticle hashmarks, fast and easy.

 

[The Oregonian]

My brother loves his elevation dials and has several Leupold scopes with CDS dials specific for his handloads.

I usually have the chest measurements and my load data on the stock but also hold over memorized out to 600 yards which is what I'm confidant shooting with my rifle/scope/ammo combination without dialing elevation.

I've seldom found myself in a situation where I had time to range, then dial elevation on my hunts, but when I have the animals have usually been 200 yards or less so no need.

Don't get me wrong, I have no issue with dialing elevation and as I said, I have several scopes with elevation turrets I could dial if I chose to: I just haven't.

What is your preferred method of hunting at distance: dialing elevation or hold over? Do you find yourself with the time to range, dial and shoot?

Interested what the groups experiences have been, and what they prefer to do.

If you have time to range you have time to dial, and I'm guessing you are ranging if you are shooting up to 600 yards. The dialing part is only a few seconds. You can have your drop chart on your stock or somewhere handy, or you can get a LRF with an integrated ballistics solver which will save time and be more precise.

 

[bultinkle]

There have been a lot of these threads in the past 6 months, so you may get limited engagement but you should be able to search and find them on here

 

[AZShooter]

I set up a rifle with a useable trajectory based on the game being hunted and the cartridge being used. I prefer to use the crosshairs and not consult a chart and twist turrets or use stadia. If the shot is longer than that and there is time, then I will twist the turret.

The exception might be the use of stadia with a FFP scope. While I haven't had to do it, I think stadia would be faster than dialing.

As you stated Brad, often there is no time to twist turrets. Last year on a cow elk muzzleloader hunt, we spotted a small band at 225 yds. Individuals were slowing walking out of the brush. The first one went into a small opening stopped then moved ahead. Second one did the same and I nailed her. I only had time to put the rifle on crossed sticks while standing and make the shot. If I had to twist I may not have gotten my cow.

With some animals like coues wt it is often difficult to get close. Cross canyon shots are common. I chose a flat shooting 257 Weatherby. It is set it up 3.3" high at 100 to use the crosshairs out to 500 yds -7". If the shot is longer and crosswinds are mild, then a turret is used.

This year marks my 30th elk I hope to take. In all those years only two were taken at distances past 300 yds. Most of my elk rifles, including a muzzleloader, are zeroed for 200 yds. I have only twisted one turret in decades, and that was for one shot at 280 yds with the muzzleloader.

 

[xsn10s]

I look at it this way. I cannot predict all situations so I train for as many that I can think of. So that calls for using both holdovers and dialing. I dial much more than I use holdovers these days. We all grew up using holdovers, or at least us older dogs did.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

For shooting at 400yds and under, the regular Boone & Cockett style multi-crosshair scopes work very well and are easier and faster to use. Anything over 400yds and a dial-up system is all but mandatory.

I've used both for years and they both have their place.

 

[memtb]

I set up a rifle with a useable trajectory based on the game being hunted and the cartridge being used. I prefer to use the crosshairs and not consult a chart and twist turrets or use stadia. If the shot is longer than that and there is time, then I will twist the turret.

The exception might be the use of stadia with a FFP scope. While I haven't had to do it, I think stadia would be faster than dialing.

As you stated Brad, often there is no time to twist turrets. Last year on a cow elk muzzleloader hunt, we spotted a small band at 225 yds. Individuals were slowing walking out of the brush. The first one went into a small opening stopped then moved ahead. Second one did the same and I nailed her. I only had time to put the rifle on crossed sticks while standing and make the shot. If I had to twist I may not have gotten my cow.

With some animals like coues wt it is often difficult to get close. Cross canyon shots are common. I chose a flat shooting 257 Weatherby. It is set it up 3.3" high at 100 to use the crosshairs out to 500 yds -7". If the shot is longer and crosswinds are mild, then a turret is used.

This year marks my 30th elk I hope to take. In all those years only two were taken at distances past 300 yds. Most of my elk rifles, including a muzzleloader, are zeroed for 200 yds. I have only twisted one turret in decades, and that was for one shot at 280 yds with the muzzleloader.

While our rifles doesn't shoot as flat as yours…..I use a similar plan! We've (wife and I) have used a 300 yard zero for almost 30 years. Even at the peak of trajectory (around 180 yards) it would be very difficult to shoot over a big game animal, and we're only 9 inches low @ 400 yards…..making for "hold on hair" sighting from the muzzle to 400 yards. Beyond 400, it's time to get accurate ranging and make adjustments. At extended ranges…..if you don't have time to range the target, you don't have time to set-up for an accurate shot. The animals deserve nothing less! memtb

 

[marksman1941]

All depends on the time. I shot my bear this year at 350 as he was ambling through the brush. I ranged him at 300, then he stepped into the brush. I ranged where I thought he'd come out, checked my dope card taped on my stock, and got 12" or 3.4 moa. I got in the scope where the bear was expected to appear, and before I had time to dial he popped out. I had a FFP 3-15 so holdover was just as fast and easy and it worked out great.

If he was grazing across the hill and not moving at all and I had all the time in the world, I would have dialed. But sometimes it isn't needed or doesn't make sense given time constraints. Assuming your scope is quality, both should be equally accurate

 

[Reelamin]

Stopped holding with any air between aiming point and animal a long time ago. All my edible animal hunting scopes are sighted in for MPBR zero. I hold for elevation as long as rifles aiming point is on the animal. Hold for wind. Some newer scopes (that have measured hold reticles) I can hold pretty much to the distance I can shoot accurately and kill it first shot. Other scopes (Standard Duplex) I hold and if air is needed I then dial the needed elevation amount. I have several older (80-90's) Leupolds I had them install target turrets on (Remember when they had a custom shop and did things like that?)

 

[idcwby]

Stopped holding with any air between aiming point and animal a long time ago. All my edible animal hunting scopes are sighted in for MPBR zero. I hold for elevation as long as rifles aiming point is on the animal. Hold for wind. Some newer scopes (that have measured hold reticles) I can hold pretty much to the distance I can shoot accurately and kill it first shot. Other scopes (Standard Duplex) I hold and if air is needed I then dial the needed elevation amount. I have several older (80-90's) Leupolds I had them install target turrets on (Remember when they had a custom shop and did things like that?)

Not to derail the thread, but I heard from leupold they were going to try to get the custom work going again, once the back orders were caught up, they were thinking this fall.

I've done hold over and dial. If you got time to range most times you got time to dial. For hold over, depending on reticle, you should be plenty accurate to 5-600yds. Anything beyond that, I believe dialing will be more accurate and then you can either dial for wind or push your reticle. Depending on the reticle, you may be holding off your bars/dots for wind and that seems to give more chances for errors to happen.