BDC vs Dialing for new hunter.

[J.C.S]

If you could go back and start over which would you go with? Should I learn to dial from the start?

I got the fever this year after going hunting this whitetail season. I just used an AR with a 1-6 lpvo.

Now I want a proper setup. I bought a Ruger American Gen 2 in 6.5 creedmoor but scopes are overwhelming. I would appreciate some guidance. I like simple but also believe in buy once cry once. I’d like to spend $600 or less but I’ll go more if it means less regrets.

I’d say most of my shots are 200 yds or less. Can’t imagine one being over 400.

I got a vortex viper hd 3-15 BDC on the cheap but I’m wondering if I should return it and go with something I can dial. But again I’m all new and don’t know anything.

I’ve read enough of the forum to prepare myself that the answer is the maven 1.2 lol

 

[WyoBC_99]

ohman If you can't imagine shooting past 400 anyway set up that viper and go. Figure out your maximum point blank range and set that up for the primary crosshair and then you can work up to using the BDC holdovers.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

I tried to like dialing and just don't care for it. A reticle with MOA hash marks does everything I need without monkeying with turrets. Most will tell you MOA is gay and if you're just starting out MIL is probably better but my brain works with MOA so that's what I use. 400 yards you don't need to dial anyway. I would however recommend a higher quality scope, see what you can get from Trijicon for example. edit: We have some BDC scopes as well and they work fine as long as you get used to them and the subtensions, shoot to verify where you're hitting.

 

[hereinaz]

You can use hold overs out to 400

 

[RWT]

Agree with statements above. I used holdover and BDC style retitles for 30’years of hunting. I am very comfortable to 400 using this method. That being said. Once I wanted to shoot further and at smaller targets I realized dialing is more accurate of a method.

At this point in your journey go holdover with a marked reticle. Mil or moa. Doesn’t matter. But MIL will be easier if you want to go last 400 and start dialing.

A suggestion that I took to heart was actually figuring out exactly what distance the hash marks on the reticle corresponds with that rifle and the ammo. I did this and would walk my shots in on clay pigeons. I found that the hash marks were close but varied enough from published/assumed data that the difference would cause a miss. Then I made a dope card that was taped on that rifle. When you do have the distance figured out. Don’t consider it factual until you hit 4 out of 4. (Or however many your rifle holds) clays.

 

[J.C.S]

Agree with statements above. I used holdover and BDC style retitles for 30’years of hunting. I am very comfortable to 400 using this method. That being said. Once I wanted to shoot further and at smaller targets I realized dialing is more accurate of a method.

At this point in your journey go holdover with a marked reticle. Mil or moa. Doesn’t matter. But MIL will be easier if you want to go last 400 and start dialing.

A suggestion that I took to heart was actually figuring out exactly what distance the hash marks on the reticle corresponds with that rifle and the ammo. I did this and would walk my shots in on clay pigeons. I found that the hash marks were close but varied enough from published/assumed data that the difference would cause a miss. Then I made a dope card that was taped on that rifle. When you do have the distance figured out. Don’t consider it factual until you hit 4 out of 4. (Or however many your rifle holds) clays.

Thank you. Could you give an example of what you mean by a marked reticle?

 

[LongWayAround]

I think BDC reticles are retarded. Get a regular mil (better) or moa reticle and figure out your holds.

 

[LongWayAround]

Thank you. Could you give an example of what you mean by a marked reticle?

He means a reticle with known subtensions.

Your BDC reticle is roughly calibrated to sort of match up with most-ish center-fire rifles.

Your holds end up being random distances.

It probably has you zero at 200 so the marks are supposed to be 300,400, 500... Your numbers might be 316, 435, 548. Whatever...

If you get a reticle with usable hashmarks, you have to learn how your actual impacts correlate. At 400 yards my 6.5cm is a 2.2 mil correction.

It's a vastly better system, if your willing to think about it a little.

Your current scope would be just fine for short range whitetail hunting though too.

 

[lefthandedasian]

As stated above a good mil or moa reticle will be easier to find tune the shot yardage if you know your holds rather than guessing "eh I'll hold in-between the 2 marks on my BDC reticle and hope I'm right."

That being said most rifle maximum point blank ranges are between 250 and 300 yards ish... So if you don't anticipate shooting much over 200 then just aim center of vitals and pull the trigger and you'll hit vitals regardless of a BDC reticle or dialing.

I went through a similar conundrum and I've settle on a good mil reticle and dialing. I figured if my rifle has a maximum point blank range of 300 yards I don't have to do anything but point and shoot if they're with in that range. If they're past 300 yards I'm most likely not even on the deers radar so I can range, use a ballistic app, dial and shoot without it knowing I was there. The last hunt I did we sat across from a clearing and I ranged all the areas I thought I'd see deer and memorized the dials. When the deer popped out at 380 I already knew my dial for that and was able to dial and shoot fairly quickly.

 

[liv3mind]

Learn a system. Bdc is decent for quick engagement at semi known distance, not precision, unless your shooting at exactly its calibration spots your holding anyway. Bdc seems cool till you want More.

 

[TaperPin]

I agree with everything said above.

If dialing sounds fun, by all means do it. If you enjoy shooting smaller targets than deer size stuff, dialing is the only way to go.

If you get a dialable scope and don’t like using exact numbers (I naturally transpose or otherwise do stupid stuff when a big buck is in the scope) an alternative is figuring out what the dope is every 100 yards and marking the dial with big white numbers. I’ve even used a white tape to cover the dial so only the yardages I write down can be seen.

With a dialable scope you don’t absolutely have to dial - in that case something with capped turret knobs or no knobs makes sense.

There are hybrid ways that can speed up your shots and simplify the thought process so under pressure there’s less chance of making a mistake. The charts show a creedmoor with a 100 yard zero and you definitely need help to either dial or use the reticle - no amount of Kentucky windage will be reliable to 400 yards. The other is a 300 yard zero, which doesn’t mean the gun is necessarily fired at 300, but for walking around 300 yards is dead on.

A typical average size man’s fist is about 4” wide - with the thumb brought up to the side of the fist, that’s 5” ish. With a 300 yard zero simply hold a hand width low for 100 and 200 yards - bang, bang. 350 is a hand width and extra thumb high. Beyond 350 most folks should dial or use the reticle for the holdover. At 400 I’d hold one or two flat squirrels over the back.

 

[fwafwow]

If you could go back and start over which would you go with? Should I learn to dial from the start?

I got the fever this year after going hunting this whitetail season. I just used an AR with a 1-6 lpvo.

Now I want a proper setup. I bought a Ruger American Gen 2 in 6.5 creedmoor but scopes are overwhelming. I would appreciate some guidance. I like simple but also believe in buy once cry once. I’d like to spend $600 or less but I’ll go more if it means less regrets.

I’d say most of my shots are 200 yds or less. Can’t imagine one being over 400.

I got a vortex viper hd 3-15 BDC on the cheap but I’m wondering if I should return it and go with something I can dial. But again I’m all new and don’t know anything.

I’ve read enough of the forum to prepare myself that the answer is the maven 1.2 lol

One thing to consider is that things may change. A few years ago you may not have seen yourself buying any of the above items that you already have. A few years from now you might have more than one rifle and/or more than one scope. You may want to shoot past 200 yards. IMHO there is very little downside to getting a scope that dials, and as a convert to MILS, that to me is easier to learn. And if you have a MILS reticle scope, you don't *need* to dial if you don't want to dial. But you can later if you change your mind.

 

[liv3mind]

One thing to consider is that things may change. A few years ago you may not have seen yourself buying any of the above items that you already have. A few years from now you might have more than one rifle and/or more than one scope. You may want to shoot past 200 yards. IMHO there is very little downside to getting a scope that dials, and as a convert to MILS, that to me is easier to learn. And if you have a MILS reticle scope, you don't *need* to dial if you don't want to dial. But you can later if you change your mind.

This is the way