Dial or not to dial

Joined
Jul 13, 2019
Messages
417
Location
Commifornia
So I’ve never dialed my scope. Always just held higher. With that said I have a 2017 vortex viper hslr 4x16 44mm scope. Top turret is 1/2 moa adjustment. Do any of you ever have any problems dialing and returning to zero or this is something you check during practice?
 
Is this a zero stop scope? I have a couple of the newer viper PST gen 2 and have no problem dialing and returning to zero. Mine are MIL which are .1 adjustments. And the MOA version of my scope has 1/4 MOA adjustments which is pretty much the standard on scopes now days.
 
Yes it has shims to make it to where it can’t go beyond zero. It’s not exact stop at zero but it won’t go a full rotation. Maybe a couple clicks past zero. Ok maybe I’ll use it to dial in if I get a shot past 350 on an elk in Colorado
 
I always dial past 200. The return past zero on that scope will work, just go past then back to zero.
 
I've had a couple of those scopes, now my son uses them. The two samples have dialed reliably in our practice and hunting. They haven't been dropped, so I'm not sure would happen if that occurred.
 
I’m developing the habit of always dialing for elevation. It’s hard to break a lifetime spent using Kentucky methods, but having a mechanically reliable scope that operates just as well as the aperture sight on my battle rifle makes a world of difference.

I believe in having a rock solid 100-yard zero. From there, I feel the need to practice dialing at the range so I know how much to dial, but it’s also good to know the easy holds (200 and 300 yards). My goal is to be quick about dialing when I have the opportunity, but to be able to take the quick shot with a hold if I need to do that. My dope cards include the hold and the dialing on them.
 
Chrono your rifle, use a ballistics calculator for your exact bullet and speed from barrel. That will give you the drop at distance intervals and test that at the range to verify the info. Keep in mind that your velocity will change at elevation. Always good to recheck zero at altitude if there’s a large variance from the elevation you zero vs the elevation you hunt. If you change bullets or loads that will also reset all of the previous information you have.

There’s a couple good ballistics calculator you can use on an app on your phone. The Hornady one has been reliable for me. I verify all my distances at the range then make a card at 50 yard intervals. And set that as the background on my phone for the lock screen.
 
I establish a 100 yard zero and then make sure that I have dope for dialing to every 50 yard increment out to 600 yards (the farthest range distance near me). I practice 50/50 dialing and holds with mil or moa using this information. I really believe that you need to be comfortable and practice both though you could get away with being proficient at one or the other.
 
I’m developing the habit of always dialing for elevation. It’s hard to break a lifetime spent using Kentucky methods, but having a mechanically reliable scope that operates just as well as the aperture sight on my battle rifle makes a world of difference.

I believe in having a rock solid 100-yard zero. From there, I feel the need to practice dialing at the range so I know how much to dial, but it’s also good to know the easy holds (200 and 300 yards). My goal is to be quick about dialing when I have the opportunity, but to be able to take the quick shot with a hold if I need to do that. My dope cards include the hold and the dialing on them.
Damn... ya know what? That's a darn good idea, including the number of clicks by which to adj on the dope card as well, as opposed to just the MOA number.
 
Damn... ya know what? That's a darn good idea, including the number of clicks by which to adj on the dope card as well, as opposed to just the MOA number.
Counting all the clicks is not the way. Too complex and slow. Dialing to the whole number and then counting clicks is much simpler and quicker. And that's where mrad is helpful over MOA, the number after the decimal is simply the number of clicks to count after dialing to the whole number.
 
I would add do a tall target test to make sure your scope does indeed track correctly and return to zero. Targets can be found online for cheap and it’s pretty easy to do. People make blanket statements which is ok but you need to actually test your gear to ensure that it works correctly.
 
Wow this has gotten complicated. Keep it simple man..
1. There is a scope eval on here that shows what scopes will return to zero and what scopes wont. https://rokslide.com/forums/attachments/drop-test-results-update-92725-pdf.942053/
2. Switch to mil, use quickdrop out to about 600 yards (this works with MOST cartridges, is extremely simple and fast.
3. When you do dial follow this sequence and do it until you build a subconscious habit of performing it.
3A. (This us after you have fired a shot and re rack the bolt) FINGER, SAFETY, TURRET, POWER Take your finger off the trigger, Engage the Safety, Return turret back to zero, Adjust power back to "low."
 
I started off long range hunting in the 1990s. I held elevation a bit, but generally preferred to dial. Back then I didnt trust my scope too well and dialled every click. Since getting better scopes available, I have dialed elevation exclusively, though I still hold for wind.

Modern scopes make this pretty easy, and since switching to FFP/MIL its easier still. I just dial to whatever amount of MIL elevation my data tells me and its good. But as already stated, you need to verify that your data and scope actually match up and get a good bit of practice with it before you go hunting with the scope.
 
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