Thread: Capped or exposed turrets for open ground hunting and why ???

This scope is not perfect for rugged hunting tahr and red stags but it will be pretty good and if you got it for a good price you can afford to take it out and thrash it. Check the warranty, if necessary email Leupold, and I'd be surprised if they don't guarantee its waterproof while using exposed dial turrets (maybe not with the caps off though). If its a copy then you've still got little to lose by taking it out and using it hard.

I wouldn't sell it on. It will always be excellent for testing loads, trajectory and rifle accuracy and of course for target shooting. It would also be ideal for longer range small game shooting like for hares or wallabies on a .223. I wish i had a good quality, reliable, high power scope like that.

Regarding capped or dial: I've always found it difficult to use holdover - there's a lot that can go wrong. "top of shoulder" can mean from 10 to 30cm yet more often you will be aiming for "bottom of shoulder" when the range is closer to 100m and you don't have a definite aim point to focus on... So, unless its under 200m, dialing is much more reliable for me. Since you've chosen the way of adjustable turrets to start with, you should back yourself and use them.

Rest assured it's genuine, sighting in tomorrow have up to 500m to play with at the range so will have a play

First, Sight in spot on at 200m, then get where the shots print at 100 and 300 without dialling.

If you get out to 500m, start by firing a group with the sights set to 200 and note where they fall on the reticle at a good hunting power like 10x 0r 12x then you'll have a baseline for holdover. Measure the drop in inches and use that to calibrate any ballistic program you use (adjust the muzzle velocity to fit observed real drop). Next if you've got enough ammo dial the sights up and trial and error till they are hitting center elevation (don't worry about wind - thats just learning) Write down at the time or photograph how many minutes show on the dial. That is what you'll refer to when hunting. It will also test whether the scope really moves MOA, inch per hundred yards or what. I don't bother to count clicks (can only count to 5 under pressure) just look at the dial.

If you've got heaps of ammo, one day make up a life size tahr silhouette from corrugated cardboard and try holding over on it to see if you can get killing shots. The 7mm Rem Mag is the best commercial calibre for doing this.

This general advice is good but saying " note where they fall on the reticle.." won't work with this particular scope as it has a simple dot reticle.

Yeah you won't be doing any (precise) holdovers with that reticle. I would be leaving the cap off and dial. Put a neoprene cover over the lot to protect it.

Can you zero the turrets? Does it have a zero stop?

Originally Posted by chalkeye

Yeah you won't be doing any (precise) holdovers with that reticle. I would be leaving the cap off and dial. Put a neoprene cover over the lot to protect it.

Can you zero the turrets? Does it have a zero stop?

I am not sure still learning I will ask one of my more experienced friends if I can't figure it out from the manual

You can zero the turrets, still trying to figure out what "zero stop" is @chalkeye

Looks like not zero stop from what I can tell, also apparently waterproof without the caps on so I may well mount the elevation turret for ease. Obviously keeping in mind that need to keep an eye on it making sure it is zeroed before making adjustments in the field

I use both capped and uncapped, cant say i have a preference. With the capped a stock pac is handy to drop the cap into when you take it off, I prefer the forward closing zip, access is good by opening only an inch or so and if I forget to close it I dont loose stuff when I sling it on the shoulder.

Originally Posted by dannyb

You can zero the turrets, still trying to figure out what "zero stop" is @chalkeye

I’ve got lost a few times with my turrets dialing long range say 38 MOA on goats and then after shooting not returning to the 100m zero, later on that day setting up to shoot on another animal and forgetting what I previously dialed to? Was it 18moa 28moa or 38moa? I have even had my turrets mover carry it on my pack and not know which way to return it up down left right. A zero stop sorts that out on the elevation turret.

Here’s a vid of the basic idea of zero stop.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=O4rqWoW3wR8

Originally Posted by tikka

I’ve got lost a few times with my turrets dialing long range say 38 MOA on goats and then after shooting not returning to the 100m zero, later on that day setting up to shoot on another animal and forgetting what I previously dialed to? Was it 18moa 28moa or 38moa? I have even had my turrets mover carry it on my pack and not know which way to return it up down left right. A zero stop sorts that out on the elevation turret.

Here’s a vid of the basic idea of zero stop.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=O4rqWoW3wR8

Thanks, yup I figured out the zero stop and pretty sure my scope is not equipped with zero stop bugger would've been nice gonna have to be vigilant on that for sure....

Originally Posted by dannyb

Thanks, yup I figured out the zero stop and pretty sure my scope is not equipped with zero stop bugger would've been nice gonna have to be vigilant on that for sure....

Once scope zeroed and the turret zeroed count the number of turns to the bottom and put a label on somewhere.

or get your mate with a lathe to make a Scotsman's version ( a custom spacer under the elev cap)

Exposed, readily available adjustments on the go. But if your gonna go bush, capped would be fine. But long range requires adjustments and exposed I find are more accurate than capped, personal experience....... plus exposed look cooler

The turrets won’t matter unless they are 1/8 th which they probably are and you will have to count revolutions and remember to dial back down the same amount The reticle on the other hand may be not ideal for all round hunting. But that’s personal preference. But you can make anything work if you learn it.