help me understand how to use my scope.

[henry1]

:)well i feel like a butt but, am tired of trying to figure this out.... i have watched a couple vids on you tube and thought i understood it good enough but went to the range the other day (in 20 mph gusts) and couldnt hit my gallon jug of water at 422 yds. Rifle is 26'' fact varmint bbl chamberd in 220 swift. load is accurate, under 1'' @ 100. Scope! Haha scope is a Vortex 6.5X20X40 with target knobs for ele and wind. on turret it says, 1 click = 1/4 MOA. As i understand it, at 400 yds each click is = to 1 MOA? Right? I use JBM calculations for my ballistics and it has an option for drop in MOA.... Surely that doesnt mean i can just dial to what the drop in MOA says on the paper? It has got to be less simple than that. lol I am really good at making simple things way to difficult so i guess it could be that easy... was goin to try to hit the range today but seems wind has already picked up so i guess well see how desperate i get. Thanks in advance! I look forward to your help!
Henry.

[Stockrex]

use the tables for caliber to dial in approx drop and drift, then walk the poi to your water jug
dial back on magnification so you can see each shot hit the back stop.

[Jamie]

No, that is 1/4 MOA at 100 yards. At 400 yards 1 MOA is 4 inches. One click on your scope equals 1 inch at 400 yards.

[hafejd30]

As i understand it, at 400 yds each click is = to 1 MOA? Right?

WRONG

At 400 yds each click (1/4) moa is equal to 1 inch at 400. 1/4 moa at 100 is the same as 1/4 moa at 400. The only thing that changes is the value of the 1/4 moa click. Il try to explain it better

1/4 moa =

.25" at 100 yds
.50" at 200
.75" at 300
1" at 400
1.25" at 500
1.50" at 600
etc,etc,etc

If you want an easy was to know what the value of 1/4 moa is at long ranges just do this.

Example: range is 422 yards. take 1/4 moa which is equal to about 1/4 inch at 100. Now multiply that by the yardage with a decimal in the tenth place. (.25 X 4.22)

This will work for any ranges

567 yards = (.25 X 5.67)
650 yards= (.25 X 6.50)
720 yards= (.25 X 7.20)

I hope you are able to understand this. Kinda hard to explain on paper.

This video may help http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mz9geZYY9SI&feature=relmfu

I do not own this video

Your data will only get you so close on wind. The value, speed, humidity etc etc will change your bullets flight. So even if you get this correct it may still not be 100% accuracte according to any ballistics program.

If your data says to adjust the scope 5.7 moa at 400 then you would turn the dial to 5.75 and start there. It will move the impact 23" at 400 but only 5.75" at 100

[82boy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA2PZBD5Tjg

[henry1]

Ok, so i havent watched the video yet due to my haste, but i am liking the info so far! ;) So just for a round numbered reference, at 400yds (.25X4.00=1.00) Soooo that would mean go to the number "1" on my turret right? This is coming from "0". Thanks so much!!!!!!
Henry.

Ok wait, haha bare with me, i can be slow some times! So .25X4.00 is equal to 1, this is what each click represents at 400 yds. so .25X6.50 (650yds) is moving the point of impact 1.625'' or MOA with each click.... ok i think i get that part now


at 400 yds my bullet drops 14.6 inch, so since each click is worth 1'' then i should come up 14.6 clicks, or divide that number by 4 (since we are in quarter inch increments on the turret) that no is 3.65, or the no 3 on the turret plus two clicks, this will put me relatively close to hitting my jug? I am hoping that i understand it. lol

and say at 525 yds, .25X5.25=1.31 inches or MOA per click at that yardage, so since my bullet drops 32.7'' at 525 yds, so i take 32.7/1.31=24.96....this is the number of clicks to come up....divide that by 4 and you get 6.24....so i should dial to the no 6 on my turret and add one click, to get the last quarter (.24)

82 boy! I love that vid you posted, I have watched that one in the past....maybe i should re-watch it though! Thanks!

Henry.

[henry1]

hafejd30, watched your vid as well! Great info thank you for sharing
H

[CharlieNC]

I have not used JBM, but if the output is available in MOA then that is doing all the math for you and that should be the direct adjustment you need to make. It is the ANGLE by which the point of impact is raised for compensation; it is not a LENGTH (like the inches of drop). So if JBM says adjust 2.6MOA then round this off to the nearest 1/4 (0.25) which corresponds to your turret graduations and make 2 1/2 MOA. It is also easier to keep track of MOA (which is what the turrets are graduated in) instead of counting number of clicks, especially if you are making frequent adjustments for various distances.

[hafejd30]

Ok, so i havent watched the video yet due to my haste, but i am liking the info so far! ;) So just for a round numbered reference, at 400yds (.25X4.00=1.00) Soooo that would mean go to the number "1" on my turret right? This is coming from "0". Thanks so much!!!!!!
Henry.

* The number 1 on your turret at 400 yards =1moa or 4 inches at 400. The number I gave you is in value of inches not moa (.25X4.00=1.00 inch). 1/4 moa will move the bullet impact 1 inch at 400.

Ok wait, haha bare with me, i can be slow some times! So .25X4.00 is equal to 1, this is what each click represents at 400 yds. so .25X6.50 (650yds) is moving the point of impact 1.625'' or MOA with each click.... ok i think i get that part now

*You got the math down but I think your considering the 1.625 as inches or moa. The 1.625 is how many inches the bullet impact will move with 1 click (1/4 moa) at 650 yards. At 650 the 1.625 is equal to 1/4 moa for that range.


at 400 yds my bullet drops 14.6 inch, so since each click is worth 1'' then i should come up 14.6 clicks, or divide that number by 4 (since we are in quarter inch increments on the turret) that no is 3.65, or the no 3 on the turret plus two clicks, this will put me relatively close to hitting my jug? I am hoping that i understand it. lol

*You got it here.

and say at 525 yds, .25X5.25=1.31 inches or MOA per click at that yardage, so since my bullet drops 32.7'' at 525 yds, so i take 32.7/1.31=24.96....this is the number of clicks to come up....divide that by 4 and you get 6.24....so i should dial to the no 6 on my turret and add one click, to get the last quarter (.24)

*You got it here to. If you replace the (or MOA) with (or 1/4 MOA) in your 1st sentence you'll have it down.

82 boy! I love that vid you posted, I have watched that one in the past....maybe i should re-watch it though! Thanks!

Henry.

[henry1]

Charlie NC I see! Haha I will give it a try next time i am out and see how it operates! Thanks for your input!
H.

[henry1]

hafejd30, alright! ;D Got it i think! haha so you figure windage the same way? 20mph wind pushes my bullet 23.9'' at 400 since each click(1/4moa @100 yds) is worth an inch at 400 yds it would just be 23.9/4=5.9 or 6. so i would rotate my windage turret to 6 and be relatively close. right?

so at say 550 yds....my wind is coming from a 90 degree angle at 20 mph

.25X5.50=1.375 1.37 is how much each click will move my impact at 550yds
at 550 yds my bullet will drop 37.5'' 37.5''/1.37''=27.37 this is what i can account for using the turrets on my scope. so 27.37/4=6.85 so i have the option to turn my turret to 6 and 3/4 or 7 and be ok on my ele....

my windage turret is in the same increments as the elevation turret so 1.37 still applies. my bullet drifts 48.3'' @550yds so 48.3/1.37=35.25 then divide this number by 4. so 35.25/4=8.81.....then i would turn my windage turret to 8 and 3/4. correct? :D

Thanks again for all of your help! It is so appreciated!


on to my next question, what do you do if its gusting? its not 20mph all the time. sometimes 10 then hitting 20... sounds like half luck to me/guessing...
H.

[hafejd30]

Yup you got'er now.

on to my next question, what do you do if its gusting? its not 20mph all the time. sometimes 10 then hitting 20... sounds like half luck to me/guessing...

Pray ;D

The variables change all the time. Some shoot between gusts. Depending on the terrain of the area you could experience winds in both direction. Only thing that corrects past the data on a piece of paper is experience.

[henry1]

Haha nice! Well now i will have to convince myself that throwing lead out there instead of shooting prairie dogs, is not a waste! Thanks for all your help!
Henry

[barrel-nut]

on to my next question, what do you do if its gusting? its not 20mph all the time. sometimes 10 then hitting 20... sounds like half luck to me/guessing...
H.


Get a ballistic calculator app like BulletFlight for your smart phone and it will account for all these variables, and more. (except the gusting part- that's still up to you;)

[Corprin]

Yup you got'er now.

on to my next question, what do you do if its gusting? its not 20mph all the time. sometimes 10 then hitting 20... sounds like half luck to me/guessing...

Pray ;D

The variables change all the time. Some shoot between gusts. Depending on the terrain of the area you could experience winds in both direction. Only thing that corrects past the data on a piece of paper is experience.


This is where experience and luck come into play. Get out on the range and practice practice practice.

As for having a ballistics program, you should know how to do tings without them. The day you are going to need to dope in the field, you batteries are going to die, or your smart phone is going to take a crap.