Simple BDC or MIL Recticle Out to 500 Yards?

[BCD]

I'm looking for a simple MIL or BDC reticle to get to about 500 yards for an old Rem 700 BDL 30-06. This rifle will primarily be used for hunting brushy areas in WI (almost all shots less than 100 Y) but I would like to be able to also use it as a backup rifle for western hunts. Any suggestions here?

Thank You!

 

[gr8fuldoug]

It would be our pleasure to discuss different options with you. Please feel free to give us a call, 516-217-1000.
Your timing is perfect as we are in the middle of our Store Wide 4th of July Sale Now through July 5th

A few options:

Burris Fullfield IV 3-12x56mm - E3 MOA Illuminated

Burris Fullfield IV 2.5-10x42mm - E3 MOA

Meopta Optika6 3-18x50 RD SFP - Z-Plus

Athlon Midas HMR 2.5-15x50

 

[Wapiti1]

Swarovski Z3 3-10 with BRH. Trijicon Accupoint 3-9 or 2.5-10 Mil-Dot.

Jeremy

 

[OXN939]

I'm looking for a simple MIL or BDC reticle to get to about 500 yards for an old Rem 700 BDL 30-06. This rifle will primarily be used for hunting brushy areas in WI (almost all shots less than 100 Y) but I would like to be able to also use it as a backup rifle for western hunts. Any suggestions here?

Thank You!

The role you're describing is best filled by a BDC type scope. It doesn't really make sense to spend as much as you will on a quality exposed turret optic unless you plan on doing load development, dope verification and lots of practice. The Burris optics Doug lists above would all be great choices.

I'll also observe that while there is a lot online about people shooting over a fourth of a mile by "holding over," that is actually not easy to do with an ethical level of accuracy for hunting game. I'd encourage anyone who hasn't shot a lot of long range before to set up an 8" gong at 500 yards and see how it goes. Even hitting that same target at 300 yards requires a lot going right all at once.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

BDC scopes are the worst invention ever, rarely do yardage markers line up with the ammo/rifle combo and they are a guesstimate when shooting uneven distances like 535 yards. No way to hold that with a BDC. Get a MIL or MOA reticle with matching turrets. A 34mm tub, 56mm objective in the first focal plane for all around western hunting. Once you create a ballistics card in 25 yard increments, you're deadly in the field and can often use the scope in BDC fashion but with complete accuracy. JMO...might be worth exactly what it cost ya.

 

[stevevan]

BDC scopes are the worst invention ever, rarely do yardage markers line up with the ammo/rifle combo and they are a guesstimate when shooting uneven distances like 535 yards. No way to hold that with a BDC. Get a MIL or MOA reticle with matching turrets. A 34mm tub, 56mm objective in the first focal plane for all around western hunting. Once you create a ballistics card in 25 yard increments, you're deadly in the field and can often use the scope in BDC fashion but with complete accuracy. JMO...might be worth exactly what it cost ya.

Forget about shooting to 500 yds. Use good hunting skills and close the distance where you can "hold on hair" and make the shot. I believe alot of this distance shooting at game is more that guys think they can while it's usually a situation where the distance can be closed if they tried. It's called hunting and not just shooting. I've taken 4 North American wild sheep, Slam of caribou, moose and lord knows how many elk, deer, antelope, etc. along with other game on 3 Continents. Never with a range finding reticle. I only mention my success not to boost but as a testimony from one who has done it. Leave the ultra long range stuff for targets and the steel. Practice better hunting skills for a high percentage shot and a clean kill. We owe it to the game we pursue.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Forget about shooting to 500 yds. Use good hunting skills and close the distance where you can "hold on hair" and make the shot. I believe alot of this distance shooting at game is more that guys think they can while it's usually a situation where the distance can be closed if they tried. It's called hunting and not just shooting. I've taken 4 North American wild sheep, Slam of caribou, moose and lord knows how many elk, deer, antelope, etc. along with other game on 3 Continents. Never with a range finding reticle. I only mention my success not to boost but as a testimony from one who has done it. Leave the ultra long range stuff for targets and the steel. Practice better hunting skills for a high percentage shot and a clean kill. We owe it to the game we pursue.

My post was in reply to the OP's inquiry...I hunt with a stick bow & wooden arrows.

 

[BCD]

I already have a rifle setup with a scope to dial for hunting out west. I just wanted to use this rifle mostly in WI but also for a backup for western hunts. I think a MIL reticle scope without exposed turrets might fit the bill but I'm really not sure what's out there.

 

[Newtosavage]

All comes down to your budget and how much time and ammo you are willing to invest in practice.

I've ditched all the BDC reticles and just have my holdovers noted on the side of my rifle. I know my distance in MOA from the center crosshair to the lower post and select scopes that have a distance (either 6 or 8 MOA) that I find useful for holdover. Generally speaking, if you zero for 200 then a 6 MOA gap will get you to 500 yards (which is as far as I'm willing to even consider shooting at game). My current load and scope (6 MOA) works out to 2 MOA at 300 yards, 4 MOA at 400 yards and 6 MOA at 500 yards. That's easy for me to remember in the field.

Fact is I almost never expect to take a shot beyond 300 yards, so knowing I have a 2 MOA holdover at that range is pretty easy and I'm "holding on hair" which gives me confidence and speeds up the process.

Some guys are holdover guys and some guys are dialers. For me, I prefer to hold over and finally decided all those BDC reticles do is get in my way and confuse me. I like to keep it very simple.

 

[ElPollo]

I would love to see more 'standard' hunting scopes come with simple MIL or MOA reticles. Not everyone needs to dial but everyone eventually deals with holdovers and wind. Guestimating 25 or 30 inches of hold over based on average chest depth with a standard Plex reticle is always a little dicey when under stress. Same with wind. It can mean the difference between dropping a critter and losing it.

Like others here, I am not a fan of BDC reticle because they tend to make the math more complex and mean you have to remember the offset distances to correct for your specific load and rifle. Honestly I can't see why scope manufacturers don't put MIL-dot/hash or similar MOA reticles like SWFA uses in every scope.

The best BDC reticle I can think of is the SRH from Maven. It has simple five MOA increments for wind and hold over. I've become a MIL person in recent years and don't know of a similar metric example. Here's a link to the MOA subtensions on the Maven SHR reticle in their 2-10x scope.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0494/7185/files/RS2_SHR.svg?v=1591210075

 

[TxxAgg]

Meopta and Swaro both have accurate phone apps that make their BDC scopes super easy to use under 500yds.

 

[riversidejeep]

I like my Nikon BDC but I also shoot a LOT at longer ranges ( out to 650) with an assortment of rifle/ scope combos. For me it works great but I also hardly ever us it as most of the game I shoot is from 50- 250 yards.

 

[Newtosavage]

I wanted to like the Nikon BDC but it just covered too much of the target for me to get comfortable with it.

 

[Wrench]

What's the desired accuracy at 500?

Let's say +/- 4". Any scope with any bdc will work. I personally like the mildot and mil range with it. Quite honestly any typical duplex scope will work to 500. Zero at 200, 400-450 impacts at the transition point on the hair, 500 is a fuzz below that.

I personally think mils are easier. Dial one mil or zero at one mil to be zeroed at 300...then add .75 per 100yds and you're on to at least 600.

What it really boils down to is shooting a bunch and knowing what your bullet is doing on it's voyage. You don't need to have anything but experience to dangerous at 500 yards.

Fwiw, the nikon reticle is the only one I truly dispise. It has too much going on around the point of hold and yet nothing where you need it.

For 300 bucks I'd take a bushnell elite. For 400 a zeiss conquest. 500 swfa 3-9HD.

 

[BCD]

I wanted to like the Nikon BDC but it just covered too much of the target for me to get comfortable with it.

Yeah my dad has one and I could never use that system.

 

[BCD]

What's the desired accuracy at 500?

Let's say +/- 4". Any scope with any bdc will work. I personally like the mildot and mil range with it. Quite honestly any typical duplex scope will work to 500. Zero at 200, 400-450 impacts at the transition point on the hair, 500 is a fuzz below that.

I personally think mils are easier. Dial one mil or zero at one mil to be zeroed at 300...then add .75 per 100yds and you're on to at least 600.

What it really boils down to is shooting a bunch and knowing what your bullet is doing on it's voyage. You don't need to have anything but experience to dangerous at 500 yards.

Fwiw, the nikon reticle is the only one I truly dispise. It has too much going on around the point of hold and yet nothing where you need it.

For 300 bucks I'd take a bushnell elite. For 400 a zeiss conquest. 500 swfa 3-9HD.

I did some searching and it looks like they discontinued the elite and conquest with the mil-dot reticles. Any other suggestions?

Thank You!

 

[Wrench]

I did some searching and it looks like they discontinued the elite and conquest with the mil-dot reticles. Any other suggestions?

Thank You!

They are discontinued but they're for sale all the time. 24hr almost always has them. The zeiss was actually built by Meopta and sold under the cabelas euro hd lne as well. I have several that came from the used market. I'd be confident buying zeiss/Meopta/cabelas euro hd or the 4200/4500/elite scopes used.

 

[BCD]

They are discontinued but they're for sale all the time. 24hr almost always has them. The zeiss was actually built by Meopta and sold under the cabelas euro hd lne as well. I have several that came from the used market. I'd be confident buying zeiss/Meopta/cabelas euro hd or the 4200/4500/elite scopes used.

Great info! And you are talking with a Mil-Dot reticle correct? You don't have any for sale do you? Thanks SO much!

 

[tnbillyearl]

I have the same 700 and have done the same thing. I put a Burris FF2 on first with the Ballistic Plex. I then put an older Buckmaster on with Nikon's BDC. Neither the Burris or Nikon calculator got exact with the drops out to 500 - but I was surprised that they were not off by more than an inch or two. One advantage I have found with mildot reticles is windage. Rarely have I hunted the plains without a decent wind blowing. And at 500 yards that can cause a pure miss. Every time I can practice in wind I do...

 

[Blue72]

Using 165 grains at 2940 FPS with a 25 yard zero. Your pretty flat all the way to 300 yards