Thread: BDC or build a DOPE?

Thought you lot would be the best people to ask this,

I'm looking the stretch the legs on my AR with the purchase of a Nikon M223 4-12X42 scope which is offered in two variants.

First in a BDC graduated to 600m so zero at 100? and use the scale to engage from there, second is a standard Nikoplex reticle with a target turret.

On the second variant I guess its zero at what distance you prefer and use the turret to adjust range from there.

Ok so those are the options and now the main question is how many of you use BDCs and how many build whats known as a DOPE for your rifle?

From what I've been told it's better to build a DOPE and adjust to the range to give a dead on hold instead of using the holdover on the BDC.

Thoughts and opinions (from experience) would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Dan.

do you have a rangefinder?

Not at this stage but I have use of a known distance range to build the DOPE if thats the road I go down which is likely.

Rangefinder is on the list to purchase.

Go the Dope. Those hold over reticles are really only any good for shooting silhouettes. Depends what you are wanting to shoot at really.

Will be used on deer and wallaby inside 300m where I can guarantee a vital hit and of course plates out to as far as I can consistently hit them.

BDC will work well enough at shorter ranges. A verified drop chart is best for longer distance.

the best thing you can do is get a rangefinder.
even 300 for a 223 without pinpoint accuraccy on a deer will be awefull, assuming that you are using factory ammo

I use both, BCD for quick shots when time is short, and dial in when I have that little bit extra time.
both you need to know the distance, so require a rangefinder

Thanks for the info Bill much appreciated, ammo is handloaded 80gr AMAX will be trying a few lighter pills also (necksized which is running suprisingly well semi auto and grouping nicely)

Will do some research on a suitable rangefinder.

Is the BDC one first or second focal plane? If it's 2nd then the holdover marks will change depending on zoom.

They'll also probably be slightly different to advertised due to your exact load.

If you're talking about dials and not the reticle then disregard the first part of what I said !

I find holdovers useful, can save a lot of time when needed.

I Presume you single load the A max's?

Originally Posted by MattyP

Is the BDC one first or second focal plane? If it's 2nd then the holdover marks will change depending on zoom.

They'll also probably be slightly different to advertised due to your exact load.

If you're talking about dials and not the reticle then disregard the first part of what I said !

I find holdovers useful, can save a lot of time when needed.

Yeah it says on the Nikon site theres a calculator to use with a certain load but I'm leaning further and further towards the plex and turret combo.

Polymer mags seems to be thicker walled as the steel mags I have tried can be filled with the AMAXs.

Originally Posted by EK9132

Yeah it says on the Nikon site theres a calculator to use with a certain load but I'm leaning further and further towards the plex and turret combo.

Polymer mags seems to be thicker walled as the steel mags I have tried can be filled with the AMAXs.

I'd also recommend the Strelok app for holdovers if you go that way. After you enter your load data it'll show you what the various holdovers are on your reticle, depending on the zoom, etc. It also has basically every single reticle. Has worked well for the holdovers on my VX6 with my 308.

As mentioned by Bill, with a 223 it's probably better to dial rather than holdover. At the ranges you'd be using holdovers you won't have as much margin for error as a larger cal. And if it's for varmints then you'll probably want to dial anyway.

It just depends how accurate you want to be, a guess is usually not good enough to get a rabbit at 210m where as with a rangefinder you are deadly.
you can start out without one but you soon struggle when the targets arent exactly 100, 200 and 300m

You can always sight your scope in at the 300m mark, with the 300m hold over on the reticle.
That way you know you are going to be bang on at longer ranges, and if you are slightly out at your 100 and 200m hold overs, it wont be as bad.

Also the slight in accuracies you get from the hold overs being off will be a lot less than your range estimations without a range finder.
The 1 inch too high you are shooting will be nothing in comparison to the extra drop due to the wallaby being 264 meters away than your guess of 225 meters.

You're both right but I don't think anyone said anything about guessing ranges. You're going to need a rangefinder either way.

I don't use my holdovers for guesstimating. I know that on 15x zoom with my load they are at 300yds, 400yds, 450yds and 500yds. With different zooms they change and I'd imagine that this can be a lot faster than dialing once you know enough zoom ratios for your load (I don't). Lot faster to simply adjust your zoom than to get out the ballistics app and then dial.

They are nice to have though, and the only deer I've shot I used my 400yd holdover. I don't know if I'd bother with 223 though, prob go for turret for varminting.