Interesting reticle ranging tests

[sscoyote]

Just got back from the Bower Long-Range Handgun Shoot Marc Sheehan, Ernie Bishop, and I put on in Springview NE. last week. Got my 8.5-25X Leup. Mk 4 with TMR reticle, and mounted it on a 6.5 WSM XP-100. We had a shooting lane set up with tgts. out to 1000 yds. We used 15, 24, and 36" discs at various 50 yd. intervals, so i set up off the bench to check the system. As far as i can see the reticle can be interpolated to an accuracy of about .01 mil (twentieth of each .2 mil line stadia) maybe with some practice, which should be pretty accurate. OK, here's some of the calcs.

lasered range/tgt. size/subtension occupied/ calc'd range

500/24"/1.29 mil/ 517
550/24/1.21/551
600/24/1.15/580
700/24/.95/702
800/24/.825(optimistically)/808
pretty good considering midday mirage was present.

One 450 yd. 17.2" plate was reticle-ranged using what i refer to as the modified mil-ranging formula using the 2nd stadia of the Varmint Hunter reticle (4.32 IPHY) as follows--

17.2 x 100/4.32/.9 = 442

 

[Michael Eichele]

Thats not bad!

I typically get within 25 yards at 750 yards. Most guys anymore think that miling for targets instead of LRFing targets is a waste of time. I wonder how much of a waste they think it will be when their LRF goes "Tango Uniform" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[green 788]

Plus, there are situations where you just can't get a reading on an LRF (too far, conditions not right, etc.)

Ranging animals (which vary in size more than we might expect), however, is another ball of wax (or hair, as it were). /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Without a precise number on the size of the target, the range estimation error can be egregious... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif But if that's all ya got, it's better than nothing. Watch for the bullet impact in the scope's field of view and correct quickly with a follow up. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Dan