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Ill admit itIm a fudd. A riflescope fudd. I hunt with my scopes set for the old-school Maximum Point-Blank Range system. Young hunters might be experts at manipulating, reading, and applying laser rangefinders, anemometers, smartphone ballistic computers, scope dialing turrets and ballistic drop compensating reticles, but I am not.
So, call me Elmer for sticking with my old Maximum Point Blank Range (MPBR) system. I dont mind because this fuddy duddy zeroing system has delivered plenty of big-game animals over the years, including seven wild sheep as far as 480 yards. No batteries required.
If you do want to reject my antiquated method, however, Ill admit that turret dialing and ballistic reticles work beautifully. They just require a bit more time and calculating.
The benefits of MPBR are versatility, simplicity, and speed. You dont need support tools other than sound judgement. Just make a rough estimate that game is within your MPBR before aiming center chest and shooting. Drawbacks include limited range (if you call 300 to 400 yards limiting) and the need to hold the reticle over the target for longer shots.
Ballistic reticles let you place your reticle directly where you want to hit without taking your eye off the sight picture. Challenges include time to make a laser range reading, visually selecting the correct reticle, and not getting lost amid any number of reticle lines.
Turret dialing helps you put your shots spot on while maintaining a familiar, comforting center hold with a simple, clean reticle. Challenges include time to operate the rangefinder plus, usually, taking your eye out of the scope to adjust the turret to its proper setting.
Lets dive a bit deeper into each system so you can decide which one will work best for your western big-game hunt.
MPBR takes advantage of the flat trajectory of your bullets. The faster they launch and the more efficiently they resist drag, the flatter they shoot and the longer your potential MPBR. MPBR might be 195 yards for a .30-30, or 296 yards for a .270 Winchester. The 6.8 Western Im hunting with spits a 165-grain bullet about 2,970 fps out of my Browning X-Bolt Mountain Pro, as recorded on my chronograph. It has an MPBR of about 320 yards.
To set up for MPBR on a 6-inch diameter target zone, you zero at whatever distance results in your trajectory peaking 3-inches high. This is usually around 150 to 180 yards. Once youve clarified this, you shoot at more distant targets to determine at what distance your bullets drop 3-inches below your point-of aim. In short, your bullets trajectory fits within that 6-inch circle from the muzzle to your MPBR, so dead-center holds should put you in pay dirt.
Why a 6-inch target? Most game carries a vital zone (chest, broadside) of at least 10 inches of lungs/heart/spine, so why not set MPBR for the larger target zone? Insurance. Use the smaller 6-inch target to offset poor shooting and any inaccuracy in your rifle. If you pull a shot an inch or two off-center, youre still in the vital zone. Obviously rifle accuracy matters, too. An MOA rifle means any shot could land one-half MOA off point of aim. At 400 yards this could be 2 inches. Add that to your 6-inch zone and youre realistically looking at hitting an 8-inch vital zone, still safe out to about 400 yards with another two inches or so to accommodate poor shooting.
MPBR lets you take quick shots at any game you judge to be within your MPRB. But if you have time to make a laser measurement and discover your game is beyond MPBR, you have the option for hold over aiming. This is essentially like using a ballistic reticle without the confusing series of sub-reticles. So, if you know your deers chest spans about 18-inches brisket-to-withers and you know your bullet drops 13 inches at 400 yards, you just elevate until your reticle is just above the bucks backline (leaving just an inch of daylight). If your bullet drops 13 inches from that point of aim, it should land 6 inches above the brisket, i.e. in or over the heart. If drop is 24 inches at whatever range (about 470 yards in this case), hold a deer over (18 inches high) and you should hit six inches below the bucks back, i.e. a lung shot.
Practitioners of MPBR can wield this technique with remarkable efficiency, making vital zone hits reliably from as far as 500 yards. But if you really intend to shoot at 400 to 500 yards regularly, youll likely prefer a bit more precision. That means youll want to check out ballistic reticles.
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I include here any reticle that provides multiple aiming points corresponding to different ranges. These could be MOA, Mil-Radian, or numbered yardage distances. You might zero so the center reticle is dead on for 100 yards, the first one below that 200 yards, then 300 yards, 350 yards, etc. These provide precise hold on target aiming points that boost confidence. Some ballistic reticles include enough hash marks to provide precise aiming points at 25-yard distances out to 600 yards. Some include horizontal markers for wind corrections, too.
Using these BRs requires laser distance readings and often a solid wind speed and direction reading, too, if using windage marks. This takes time, but for long shots, thats necessary. Once you know the distance, you can keep your eye in the scope until your game presents the perfect shot, but if it moves significantly closer or farther, youll need to take another range reading and select another aiming reticle.
Shooters skilled at using ballistic reticles can deliver bullets on target quickly to 600, sometimes 800 yards, but reticles for distances beyond that get pretty cluttered because bullets begin dropping radically at those ranges. You could see 10 inches more drop between 700 and 725 yards. The more sub-reticles a scope includes, the easier it is to select the wrong one, too. You can order custom reticles to match your bullets trajectory curve, but then youll have to stick with the same load. If you move up or down more than about 5,000 feet in elevation your trajectory curve might change enough to make the long range reticles imprecise.
If reticle clutter isnt your idea of fun, check out turret dialing.
Turret dialing involves adjusting a scopes elevation or windage turrets to position the center reticle aiming point to match where the bullet should land. Obviously, you must know the distance to target, your trajectory curve, and any windage information if you dial for wind. Many turret dialers prefer windage marks on the horizontal reticle for quick holds without dialing. This is the much faster, safer method because you dont worry about forgetting to reset your windage turret.
Resetting the elevation turret must become habit, too, lest you end up shooting over a 200-yard target because you left your turret dialed for a 600-yard shot. One downside to dialing is that you must usually take your eye off the target to see and dial the turret. In the meantime, your game could move enough that you lose track of it.
Turrets can be marked in MOA, Mils, or (with a custom turret) specific distances. Unless you memorize MOAs or Mils until theyre second nature, distance marks on a turret tailored to your bullets trajectory curve are faster to use. If your rangefinder indicates a buck at 468 yards, you turn your turret to the 475-yard mark and youre more than close enough for a center zone hold. Between 800 and 825 yards, however, you could suffer a 10 to 12-inch drop, so intermediate settings become less precise.
A quality bullet is important for quartering shots on big game. Pictured: Winchester's 6.8 Western Copper Impact. Ron SpomerIn order to provide enough room for extreme range dialing, scope main tubes must be oversized (30 to 34mm) and turrets will be fairly tall. You need a long screw (under the turret cap) to push the internal erector tube far enough for 1,000-yard adjustments and beyond. Expect to carry a heavier, bulkier scope for long range dialing.
Long range is different for different shooters. I believe that time of flight largely determines responsible shooting distances for game. When a bullet takes a half second or more to arrive at the target, it becomes too easy for that target to turn or step and convert a precise heart shot into a gut or lower leg hit. This suggests 500 yards as the end of the line. Hunters can and should take pride in being able to stalk well inside that distance. Its all part of the game.
If you opt for turret dialing, be sure to get a high-quality scope. Adjustments must be not only precise, but repeatable. Poor quality scopes might not dial accurately and could lose accuracy with use. Mechanical parts wear out.
Regardless of what sighting system you choose, test it on the range and in the field. Extensively. Be certain it puts bullets where its supposed to at each distance. Then practice shooting to varied distances. More on this topic in our next installment.
I'm similar to you in that I don't really have plans to hunt the really long range stuff. I've taken game out to 400 yards and could see myself taking shots out to about 600 yards under the right conditions but I honestly can't see myself shooting beyond those ranges. I've found for a big game rifle I don't want anything over about 12 power magnification. There are others here with a lot more experience than me and some may disagree with my view but for me, anything over 12 power gets harder and harder to hold steady in field conditions. I can't always lay prone, I don't usually pack shooting sticks or a bipod, so for me anything above that magnification is a waste. As far as reticles go, you kind of have to look through some scopes and see what you like. I personally don't care too much for the Nikon BDC 'bubbles' for the same reason you don't like the idea of aiming a shot over an animal's back. I want cross hairs on the animal and the Nikon bubbles leave a little to be desired in that department. I do own one scope like that and it can work for big game (I've gotten pretty good with it) but I prefer the dead hold reticle on my Vortex. Again, you really can't know unless you personally look through the reticle but you can get an idea. I like the reticles with multiple aiming points as it can make for really quick field adjustments. Turrets may be slightly more precise but to me they aren't worth the time in a big game hunting scenario. With some field time I can dial in a particular load with my gun and know where each hash on the scope hits at the yardages I'll be hunting. I print that out for quick reference and tape it to my stock (even though I practice enough to know it, I can sometimes lose my whits with a big elk in the cross hairs so it's a nice backup...
I've never wanted to get into mil dots as I'm familiar with MOA and don't want to learn another system but that's just my take. If I was looking at extreme long range shooting my opinion on that might change. Good luck.
We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More
Ill admit itIm a fudd. A riflescope fudd. I hunt with my scopes set for the old-school Maximum Point-Blank Range system. Young hunters might be experts at manipulating, reading, and applying laser rangefinders, anemometers, smartphone ballistic computers, scope dialing turrets and ballistic drop compensating reticles, but I am not.
So, call me Elmer for sticking with my old Maximum Point Blank Range (MPBR) system. I dont mind because this fuddy duddy zeroing system has delivered plenty of big-game animals over the years, including seven wild sheep as far as 480 yards. No batteries required.
If you do want to reject my antiquated method, however, Ill admit that turret dialing and ballistic reticles work beautifully. They just require a bit more time and calculating.
The benefits of MPBR are versatility, simplicity, and speed. You dont need support tools other than sound judgement. Just make a rough estimate that game is within your MPBR before aiming center chest and shooting. Drawbacks include limited range (if you call 300 to 400 yards limiting) and the need to hold the reticle over the target for longer shots.
Ballistic reticles let you place your reticle directly where you want to hit without taking your eye off the sight picture. Challenges include time to make a laser range reading, visually selecting the correct reticle, and not getting lost amid any number of reticle lines.
Turret dialing helps you put your shots spot on while maintaining a familiar, comforting center hold with a simple, clean reticle. Challenges include time to operate the rangefinder plus, usually, taking your eye out of the scope to adjust the turret to its proper setting.
Lets dive a bit deeper into each system so you can decide which one will work best for your western big-game hunt.
MPBR takes advantage of the flat trajectory of your bullets. The faster they launch and the more efficiently they resist drag, the flatter they shoot and the longer your potential MPBR. MPBR might be 195 yards for a .30-30, or 296 yards for a .270 Winchester. The 6.8 Western Im hunting with spits a 165-grain bullet about 2,970 fps out of my Browning X-Bolt Mountain Pro, as recorded on my chronograph. It has an MPBR of about 320 yards.
To set up for MPBR on a 6-inch diameter target zone, you zero at whatever distance results in your trajectory peaking 3-inches high. This is usually around 150 to 180 yards. Once youve clarified this, you shoot at more distant targets to determine at what distance your bullets drop 3-inches below your point-of aim. In short, your bullets trajectory fits within that 6-inch circle from the muzzle to your MPBR, so dead-center holds should put you in pay dirt.
Why a 6-inch target? Most game carries a vital zone (chest, broadside) of at least 10 inches of lungs/heart/spine, so why not set MPBR for the larger target zone? Insurance. Use the smaller 6-inch target to offset poor shooting and any inaccuracy in your rifle. If you pull a shot an inch or two off-center, youre still in the vital zone. Obviously rifle accuracy matters, too. An MOA rifle means any shot could land one-half MOA off point of aim. At 400 yards this could be 2 inches. Add that to your 6-inch zone and youre realistically looking at hitting an 8-inch vital zone, still safe out to about 400 yards with another two inches or so to accommodate poor shooting.
MPBR lets you take quick shots at any game you judge to be within your MPRB. But if you have time to make a laser measurement and discover your game is beyond MPBR, you have the option for hold over aiming. This is essentially like using a ballistic reticle without the confusing series of sub-reticles. So, if you know your deers chest spans about 18-inches brisket-to-withers and you know your bullet drops 13 inches at 400 yards, you just elevate until your reticle is just above the bucks backline (leaving just an inch of daylight). If your bullet drops 13 inches from that point of aim, it should land 6 inches above the brisket, i.e. in or over the heart. If drop is 24 inches at whatever range (about 470 yards in this case), hold a deer over (18 inches high) and you should hit six inches below the bucks back, i.e. a lung shot.
Practitioners of MPBR can wield this technique with remarkable efficiency, making vital zone hits reliably from as far as 500 yards. But if you really intend to shoot at 400 to 500 yards regularly, youll likely prefer a bit more precision. That means youll want to check out ballistic reticles.
I include here any reticle that provides multiple aiming points corresponding to different ranges. These could be MOA, Mil-Radian, or numbered yardage distances. You might zero so the center reticle is dead on for 100 yards, the first one below that 200 yards, then 300 yards, 350 yards, etc. These provide precise hold on target aiming points that boost confidence. Some ballistic reticles include enough hash marks to provide precise aiming points at 25-yard distances out to 600 yards. Some include horizontal markers for wind corrections, too.
Using these BRs requires laser distance readings and often a solid wind speed and direction reading, too, if using windage marks. This takes time, but for long shots, thats necessary. Once you know the distance, you can keep your eye in the scope until your game presents the perfect shot, but if it moves significantly closer or farther, youll need to take another range reading and select another aiming reticle.
Shooters skilled at using ballistic reticles can deliver bullets on target quickly to 600, sometimes 800 yards, but reticles for distances beyond that get pretty cluttered because bullets begin dropping radically at those ranges. You could see 10 inches more drop between 700 and 725 yards. The more sub-reticles a scope includes, the easier it is to select the wrong one, too. You can order custom reticlescustom reticles to match your bullets trajectory curve, but then youll have to stick with the same load. If you move up or down more than about 5,000 feet in elevation your trajectory curve might change enough to make the long range reticles imprecise.
If reticle clutter isnt your idea of fun, check out turret dialing.
Turret dialing involves adjusting a scopes elevation or windage turrets to position the center reticle aiming point to match where the bullet should land. Obviously, you must know the distance to target, your trajectory curve, and any windage information if you dial for wind. Many turret dialers prefer windage marks on the horizontal reticle for quick holds without dialing. This is the much faster, safer method because you dont worry about forgetting to reset your windage turret.
Resetting the elevation turret must become habit, too, lest you end up shooting over a 200-yard target because you left your turret dialed for a 600-yard shot. One downside to dialing is that you must usually take your eye off the target to see and dial the turret. In the meantime, your game could move enough that you lose track of it.
Turrets can be marked in MOA, Mils, or (with a custom turret) specific distances. Unless you memorize MOAs or Mils until theyre second nature, distance marks on a turret tailored to your bullets trajectory curve are faster to use. If your rangefinder indicates a buck at 468 yards, you turn your turret to the 475-yard mark and youre more than close enough for a center zone hold. Between 800 and 825 yards, however, you could suffer a 10 to 12-inch drop, so intermediate settings become less precise.
A quality bullet is important for quartering shots on big game. Pictured: Winchester's 6.8 Western Copper Impact. Ron SpomerIn order to provide enough room for extreme range dialing, scope main tubes must be oversized (30 to 34mm) and turrets will be fairly tall. You need a long screw (under the turret cap) to push the internal erector tube far enough for 1,000-yard adjustments and beyond. Expect to carry a heavier, bulkier scope for long range dialing.
Long range is different for different shooters. I believe that time of flight largely determines responsible shooting distances for game. When a bullet takes a half second or more to arrive at the target, it becomes too easy for that target to turn or step and convert a precise heart shot into a gut or lower leg hit. This suggests 500 yards as the end of the line. Hunters can and should take pride in being able to stalk well inside that distance. Its all part of the game.
If you opt for turret dialing, be sure to get a high-quality scope. Adjustments must be not only precise, but repeatable. Poor quality scopes might not dial accurately and could lose accuracy with use. Mechanical parts wear out.
Regardless of what sighting system you choose, test it on the range and in the field. Extensively. Be certain it puts bullets where its supposed to at each distance. Then practice shooting to varied distances. More on this topic in our next installment.
I'm similar to you in that I don't really have plans to hunt the really long range stuff. I've taken game out to 400 yards and could see myself taking shots out to about 600 yards under the right conditions but I honestly can't see myself shooting beyond those ranges. I've found for a big game rifle I don't want anything over about 12 power magnification. There are others here with a lot more experience than me and some may disagree with my view but for me, anything over 12 power gets harder and harder to hold steady in field conditions. I can't always lay prone, I don't usually pack shooting sticks or a bipod, so for me anything above that magnification is a waste. As far as reticles go, you kind of have to look through some scopes and see what you like. I personally don't care too much for the Nikon BDC 'bubbles' for the same reason you don't like the idea of aiming a shot over an animal's back. I want cross hairs on the animal and the Nikon bubbles leave a little to be desired in that department. I do own one scope like that and it can work for big game (I've gotten pretty good with it) but I prefer the dead hold reticle on my Vortex. Again, you really can't know unless you personally look through the reticle but you can get an idea. I like the reticles with multiple aiming points as it can make for really quick field adjustments. Turrets may be slightly more precise but to me they aren't worth the time in a big game hunting scenario. With some field time I can dial in a particular load with my gun and know where each hash on the scope hits at the yardages I'll be hunting. I print that out for quick reference and tape it to my stock (even though I practice enough to know it, I can sometimes lose my whits with a big elk in the cross hairs so it's a nice backup...
I've never wanted to get into mil dots as I'm familiar with MOA and don't want to learn another system but that's just my take. If I was looking at extreme long range shooting my opinion on that might change. Good luck.