Some questions from a rifle newb

[Dimitri A.]

RE: DOPE cards, I think what they meant was "holdovers", DOPE is a bit more involved. Holdovers are fine within a certain range as predicated by equipment, caliber, skill and ethical boundaries.

RE: Windplex - no holds but it appears it does have 1 MOA hashmarks, so even better if you get a Kestrel with AB software or, spend less money, and get a ballistic app on your phone. A little more work to learn the equipment and terminology (e.g Density Altitude) but not as complicated as it might look, and it's fun and satisfying once you get comfortable with it.

RE: Zero at 200 - if you have already taken a previous posters' advice and have read up on Maximum Point Blank Range, you probably figured this out for yourself. If not, it simply extends your MPBR https://www.longrangehunting.com/thr...d-zero.196860/

RE: Mid-weight barrel & 300-350 yards - I wasn't as precise as I could have been when I wrote that. A mid-weight barrel can be just as precise at 1,000 yards (just using that yardage as an example) as a heavy profile barrel. It probably won't be on the second, third, etc., shot in a string though (thermal mass, harmonics, science, blah blah). Besides thermal mass and harmonic damping, a heavier barrel (aka cantilevered weight) also has a greater stabilization affect on the entire weapon platform. The downside of the heavier barrel is increased inertia/momentum when you need to snap/swing the barrel quickly, as in a hog hauling bacon at 60 yards. And of course, it's heavier to hump all day.

What I really meant to say is...that barrel and that stock are not optimal for consistent long-range accuracy/precision, and given your newness to hunting at longer distances, you should probably (by my standards and hunting ethics, not necessarily yours) limit yourself to a 350-yard (or less) envelope.

RE: MOA vs MILS: You made the right choice, they are both different languages for the same thing (units for angular measurement) https://www.longrangeshooting.org/ar...mils-explained

I use Milradians because that's what the guys I learned with used, and we all had a common language of Mils. The outcome is the same whether you use Milradian or Minute of Angle, and since you are used to the Imperial/US Customary system of measurement, MOA is familiar ground. What I would advise is to stick with MOA turrets if you have an MOA reticle. I don't know if anyone still mixes reticles and turrets but they used to, and it's unnecessarily complicated.

Here's a link to a product I've found useful on straight-comb rifles: https://bradleycheekrest.com

Note: Not a PhD, so please excuse any butchering of scientific principles/terminology.

I ended up downloading Hornady's ballistic app on my phone, and entered data for various types of ammo I used at the range yesterday; Hornady Outfitter 120 gr(my chosen hunting load, and the one for which I've zeroed my scope), Federal American Eagle OTM 120 gr (performs very similar to Outfitter, so good as a hunting practice round, and a helluva lot cheaper, and surprisingly clean compared to their pistol ammo), and WWB 125 gr OT Range. I was shocked at how accurate the app is for adjusting your MOA to correct for bullet drop, particularly with their own ammo. I used it for the other two brands as well, and while it wasn't dead on, I was on target within a click or two, hitting steel out to 400 yards. I was pretty amazed.

Thanks for the link to the cheek piece, I may consider it. I put one of those fabric cheek pieces for now, and it seems to be holding my eye perfectly inline with the my scope, so we'll see how it goes for now.

[Stumpfenhammer]

Dimitri - If you've got the budget and time I think you'd enjoy training with Caylen Wojcik: https://guideriteadventures.com/back...unters-course/. https://moderndaysniper.com/about/

[NorCalFocus]

When hunting here's the setup I use...

Sig Kilo 1400 BDX range finder. After you link the range finder to the app on your phone all your ballistic info is saved on the range finder. I set the wind on the app to 10mph and 90*. So now when my range finder gives me a wind put out, I can easily convert the call in my head. Only a 5mph 90* wind, use half value. Got a 10mph 45* wind, use a half value. Again simple and a bit more accurate than just plain old Kentucky windage.

The Sig reads trees and bushes out to 1000 yards and give very quick return on data. For animals it works out to 750 yards which is plenty for me. IThe 1400 is the lowest in their line, but its also only $250. So far I've found the data the range finder gives to be very accurate. Just as good as the Hornady 4DOF.

As for guys saying they've never had time to use a range finder on game, well there are other uses for them. Glass up an animal at 1000 yards, okay how far is that ridge between the animal and myself. 600 yards. Ok cool, so now when I stalk the game and crest that ridge, I shuold be close to 400 yards. Also if guys bow hunting have time to pull out their range finder at 100 yards and closer, you have time to pull it out while rifle hunting.

Also I'm not putting down any old timers or guys that have used the sight in 2" high at 100 yards method for years. But technology has gotten better, cheaper, and easier to use. Why wouldn't someone use this technology is beyond me. Remember when your hunting highly pressured public lands, you want every advantage over your fellow hunter, not just the animal.

[JagerDog]

Few people and few cartridges are capable of ethical shots on game beyond 300 yards. Inside 300 yards wind (within reason) really doesn't matter. Sight in a couple inches high at 100 (or max point blank range preferred). As mentioned above, spend your time on perfecting field shooting position(s) vs. dope. In field conditions, using available time (should you actually have any) is better spent improving your position/rest than trying to dial in dope.

But then everyone on CG shoots 1/4 MOA.

[JagerDog]

When hunting here's the setup I use...

Sig Kilo 1400 BDX range finder. After you link the range finder to the app on your phone all your ballistic info is saved on the range finder. I set the wind on the app to 10mph and 90*. So now when my range finder gives me a wind put out, I can easily convert the call in my head. Only a 5mph 90* wind, use half value. Got a 10mph 45* wind, use a half value. Again simple and a bit more accurate than just plain old Kentucky windage.

The Sig reads trees and bushes out to 1000 yards and give very quick return on data. For animals it works out to 750 yards which is plenty for me. IThe 1400 is the lowest in their line, but its also only $250. So far I've found the data the range finder gives to be very accurate. Just as good as the Hornady 4DOF.

As for guys saying they've never had time to use a range finder on game, well there are other uses for them. Glass up an animal at 1000 yards, okay how far is that ridge between the animal and myself. 600 yards. Ok cool, so now when I stalk the game and crest that ridge, I shuold be close to 400 yards. Also if guys bow hunting have time to pull out their range finder at 100 yards and closer, you have time to pull it out while rifle hunting.

Also I'm not putting down any old timers or guys that have used the sight in 2" high at 100 yards method for years. But technology has gotten better, cheaper, and easier to use. Why wouldn't someone use this technology is beyond me. Remember when your hunting highly pressured public lands, you want every advantage over your fellow hunter, not just the animal.

FWIW, 45* is X0.7.

And I agree that a range finder is more valuable when evaluating a stalk or ranging landmarks from a stand before there's any deer on the scene. That's what archers typically do. With practice, they also help one "calibrate" their own eye.