Nightforce MLR Reticle

[wildcat]

Hey guys, I've been hearing a lot about the Nightforce MLR reticle. I am thinking about going with this reticle, however, I would like to hear from those who have used it. I will be going with a 8x32x56mm NXS. I will be using it on a 300-WSM, and I will be shooting out to 1000 yards.

I will be using this setup for long range squirrel hunting. I will be using a 125grn Nosler Ballistic Tip traveling at 4000+fps, so I will need a good reticle for quick windage adjustment if the wind should pick up. I am using this bullet because it has a pretty good BC for a poly tiped bullet and it will anchor the varmints out to 1000 yards.

Wildcat

 

[eshell]

I have an MLR in a 5.5-22x50 and like it. I use it to solve UKDs, and for holdovers and wind hold offs. Looks like this:

FWIW, we do a LOT of long range shooting, 1k and a little further, and I'd be completely amazed if a .30 125 BT was satisfactory beyond 500 yards, let alone to 1k. My experience with even 165 and 180 Ballistic Tips is that their published BC is quite "generous", and at 600 and beyond, they drop dramatically worse than their BC's would predict. Wind deflection at 1k is going to be of Biblical proportions . . .

In any event, good luck!!

 

[Jimm]

[ QUOTE ]
FWIW, we do a LOT of long range shooting, 1k and a little further, and I'd be completely amazed if a .30 125 BT was satisfactory beyond 500 yards, let alone to 1k. My experience with even 165 and 180 Ballistic Tips is that their published BC is quite "generous", and at 600 and beyond, they drop dramatically worse than their BC's would predict. Wind deflection at 1k is going to be of Biblical proportions

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes to that times two , no make that ten , no twenty /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Jim B.

 

[wildcat]

Well that's pretty funny, I 've seen the bullet in action out to 1000 yards and it performed very very well. I know a higher BC bullet will cut through the wind better, however, where we shoot the wind never gets that bad.

I've used a 223 with a 50grn V-max for shots out to 600 yards on squirrels and cotton tails with good results. I am positive the 125grn BT traveling at 4000+fps well work well out to 1000 yards.

I think to many people get hung up on the BC thing and try to tell people a rifle well not shoot well unless it uses the highest BC bullet. I know BC is important, however, so is killing power. I've hit so many squirrels with the high BC bullets, and they just end up getting back to their hole. Most of the shots we take, out here, are from 100 to 1000 yards, so a high BC bullet is really not an issue. However, when I start shooting past 1000 yards, I will switch to the higher BC bullets.

Now before some of you start lecturing me about BC, I know all about it. I know BC is very important for long range shooting. However, I've had good luck with the high BC Ballistic Tip and V-Max bullets. I use high BC bullets too, however, I like to use the V-max and Ballistic Tips as well.

The bullet I will be using for my project will be the 125grn Ballistic Tip (BC of .366) at a very high velocity of 4000+fps. I gaurantee you it will be an awesome shooting combination out to 1000 yards. When I had my 6x284 built, I had it designed around the 87grn V-max, being pushed out of a 1-12 Twist 30" Krieger at 3750-fps. Many told me I should design it around the 105 and 107grn A-Max and Matchking bullets. I decided to go against the norm, and I designed the rifle around the 87grn V-max. I was very happy with my decision, because that rifle and bullet combination worked awesome out to 1000 yards. During a squirrel hunt with my buddies, who were using a 22-250 and 6mm Remington with high BC A-max bullets, I out shot them all day long with this combo. Granted, we were only shooting out to around 850 yards, but I knew than that the high BC Ballistic Tip and V-Max bullets work very well out to the 1000 yard mark. So, I know these bullets will work fine espicially when they are being pushed very fast.

So, please!!! stop telling me Ballsitic Tip and V-max bullets will not perform well past 500 yards. This is a bunch of non sence, because I've used these bullets out to 1000 yards with great results.

Wildcat

 

[eshell]

LOL, sorry to pluck your nerves there Wildcat . . . but for someone to call one paragraph a "lecture" and take a half a page of text (a "sermon") to do it seems a bit of an overreaction. . .

My point above about wind is sound, even if it's not exactly what you want to hear, but hey, it's your nickle. . . . /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[lerch]

No one is telling you B Tips and V Max or A Max bullets wont shoot good at 1k. We are all saying that the 125gr ballistic tip is not a 1k bullet and that is coming from a guy who used to shoot them out of a 300 RUM, and the only velo we could get was 3940fps in a factory bbl.

Bud no one is trying to fight ya or **** you off, but there are better bullets from 500-1000yd shooting, hell just a heavier BT Tip is better, thats just he way in works man.

Take it easy
steve

 

[lerch]

As for the reticle, as long as you either no how to use mil's or get a program to give your drop and windage conversion to you in mil's you will love it. Otherwise i would tell ya to go with the NPR-1 or 2 reticle simply because their is no real conversion since they are already in MOA's.

The 8-32 power should work good especially for the small targets you are wanting to thump. You lose some adjustment range over the 5.5-22 but not as much as if you went with the 12-42

take it easy
steve

 

[Takman]

Not to steal this thread but hopefully add, Lerch, what are your thoughts on the NP-R1 vs 2 for mule deer and elk out to a 1000 or so?

 

[dbhostler]

I have a MLR reticle in a 8-32X56 and for long range hold over shooting an R1 would be more precise. It's the old Milliradian vs Minute of Angle arguement, and that being 1 mil equals 3.6" @ 100yds whereas 1 moa equals 1" @ 100. The adjustments on all Nightfoce scopes are in MOA reguardless of what reticle you have and dialing in will give you 1/4 MOA vs 1 MOA even with the R1.....Makes a greater difference the farther out you go. Personally I range it and dial in rather than hold over. By the way, 1 mil @ 1k equals about 36", 1 /4 MOA @ 1k equals 2 1/2".
db

 

[daj]

[ QUOTE ]
The adjustments on all Nightfoce scopes are in MOA reguardless of what reticle you have......

[/ QUOTE ]

Not so. Mil adjustments are also available. I have the MLR reticle, mil adjustments with 0.1 mil clicks.

 

[dbhostler]

Yeah, I believe you are right now that I think about it. When I began using my new MLR Nightforce scope, the adjustments on paper just didn't make since if I had a mil scope. I called the factory and Frank, I believe that was his name, told me the scope was set up for MOA even though it had a mil reticle. He recommended I send the scope in and have the reticle changed to an R1 or they could set it up to adjust in mils. He made a good argument for MOA in that it's easier to think in MOA than in mils. But for $120, I'll just keep what I have.
db

 

[jwp475]

[ QUOTE ]
I have a MLR reticle in a 8-32X56 and for long range hold over shooting an R1 would be more precise. It's the old Milliradian vs Minute of Angle arguement, and that being 1 mil equals 3.6" @ 100yds whereas 1 moa equals 1" @ 100. The adjustments on all Nightfoce scopes are in MOA reguardless of what reticle you have and dialing in will give you 1/4 MOA vs 1 MOA even with the R1.....Makes a greater difference the farther out you go. Personally I range it and dial in rather than hold over. By the way, 1 mil @ 1k equals about 36", 1 /4 MOA @ 1k equals 2 1/2".
db

[/ QUOTE ]

1/4 MOA at 1K is 2.618 inches not 2.5....One Minute of angle at 100 yards is 1.0472 inches. This is important to remember,because as you dial correction at a distance these difference add up. Example a 20 Minute of angle corection with 1/4 Moa adjustment needs 80 cliks the difference in 80 clicks in MOA and one in IPHY's is 9.44 inches at 1K. The difference between one MOA at 1K and One quarter is .118 inches per click times 80 clicks equals an aiming error at 1k of 9.44 inches

 

[dbhostler]

Yea, you're right, I stand corrected again. In nontechnical terms, MOA is generally spoken as 1" @ 100 yards. And that's usually the way many of us view it. It's like the speed of light, the distance to the Sun or the weight of the Earth, usually rounded up or down. When target shooting at 1K you are usually given time to sight in. Good thing for me at least. When long distance hunting, I like the idea that some have, range the distance, make the adjustments and take a sighting shot. Tells you weather you're on or not. Lots of variables, but when you're on, 1K really isn't too far away.
db