Thread: Holdover Reticles

I use a dial scope and a couple of hold over scopes. One holdover is a burris plex reticle on a .223, it works well enough out to 250 which is the furthest I have used it, basically only use it on 9x and have worked out where the projectile crosses the hash marks, in between these distances, just sort of hold in between, but don't try anything too precision. At distances where 3x or 4x are what I am using, the drop is irrelevant.

The other holdover is a CDS TriMOA on a 17hmr, again just use it on 12x and can count down the hash marks for MOA holdover. I hardly ever dial this one but more because I usually keep it inside distances where I only have to count down 2-3 hashmarks maximum.

The Dial scope is great for subsonics and long stuff, I just have a little chart on the side of the scope, underneath some clear sellotape, with distances and dial numbers for the two different loads.

My conclusions:
Dial is great but not fool proof, BDC is good but also not fool proof.

Dial is more accurate but takes a bit longer to use. Great for sitting on the side of a hill and shooting at animals that don't know you are there. Or for swapping between different loads.

BDC is a blunter instrument, but it doesn't slow you down as much. Takes a bit more practice to get it useful, but it is then useful.

Ultimately personal preference probably has more to do with it than anything else.

Greetings All,
Hold over or dial? You can actually have both as some above have suggested. Hold over scopes can be dialled as long as the adjustments are not capped. Fixed power (thanks @Micky Duck) or FFP scopes make things easier as they do not have to be set on one power for the reticle to be useful. The reticle can also be used as a rough rangefinder to tell us when the real rangefinder is needed. I think @longshot above has summed it up well although I would prefer a mil based reticle rather than MoA. Either would be preferable to a scope that pretends to show actual ranges.
Regards Grandpamac.

One issue not mentioned with hold over reticles, is they fall apart when shooting at angles. With the rifleman's rule lets say you're shooting at 300m 30°. Your drop hold will be at the 260m point, and your windage hold will be on the 300m point.

Originally Posted by Magnetite

One issue not mentioned with hold over reticles, is they fall apart when shooting at angles. With the rifleman's rule lets say you're shooting at 300m 30°. Your drop hold will be at the 260m point, and your windage hold will be on the 300m point.

That's no different to any other sight/system (iron sights, dialup etc).

Originally Posted by vulcannz

That's no different to any other sight/system (iron sights, dialup etc).

I think what Magnetite is getting at is that if you are using a ballistic reticle that isn’t a Christmas tree or a grid that looks like a street map of Palmy Nth, when you have windage and distance you end up holding out of the reticle. Say two marks to the left and three down, this puts you out in space. With a windplex and dial you can at least dial to distance and hold off with markings for wind.

Not if you range it with a tbr range finder. That would allow for angle and give you the corrected distance. Then use what ever mark is close on the reticle . Having one that's close is the biggest problem as distance increases. A bit out at close range , is a lot out at distance.

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Originally Posted by r87mm

Not if you range it with a tbr range finder. That would allow for angle and give you the corrected distance. Then use what ever mark is close on the reticle . Having one that's close is the biggest problem as distance increases. A bit out at close range , is a lot out at distance.

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That's why a straight Mil reticle is better than BDC in many cases IMO.
At closer distances 100-300m the BDC lines are close enough, but it also so happens that .5mil and 1mil usually line up with 200m and 300m respectively.

If you are going to have BDC lines that don't actually line up at the distances they are "calibrated" for then you have as well have a straight Mil reticle and just work out what distances the Mil lines line up.
Or if you want to go full hog you can do the speed drop thing like Tikka mentioned.

Once upon a time if man was thumb height he was X far away.half a thumb Y far..thumb width high Z far away.... We have come a long way since then.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

Once upon a time if man was thumb height he was X far away.half a thumb Y far..thumb width high Z far away.... We have come a long way since then.

To be fair we aren't shooting at people these days - we are supposed to be enlightened now. But I get your point, we have moved on haha.

I have a Burris veracity 2.5x10 ffp which works ok ish for hold over.
The other one is a pride Fowler. Initially designed for the 22 lr drop, it is ffp and I m using it on my 300 bo. I have all the distances up to 220yrds marked on the reticle and it works whatever the magnification.
The Burris reticle is really one of the better design .it is still being very visible at lower magnification.

Iv got both dials are easier it can be overwhelming going down the hold over hash’s especially in the wind but they are very reliable I have a brh reticle swarovoski and a MOAR night force both 10 powers so the sfp doesn’t matter as only going to be holding over on full zoom anyhow