Who makes the “Best” BDC reticle for hunting?

[TimberHunter]

I like how simple and user friendly Vortex’s BDC and Leupold’s Boon and Crockett are but I’m really looking for a dot or hash mark in between the 100 yard marks.

The ultralight SWFA has almost exactly the BDC I’m looking for but had min eye relief of approx 2.5”s

I currently have a Leupold VX-2 CDS 4-12x40 AO but all the bad stuff I’ve read on here has me slightly concerned about its longevity for dialing


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[4ester]

BDC reticles rarely line up with your guns ballistics. Id recommend you buy a scope with a MOA reticle and learn your holdovers and/or dial the turret.

 

[KHNC]

Yes, a custom Turret for your Vortex scope is a great way to go. Leupold has a custom shop as well. I have both and they are spot on with the load data i supplied them.

 

[jhm2023]

The Swarovski BRX and BRH reticle is pretty nice. I had a Leupold VX3 with a CDS dial that had always been reliable, but my last sheep hunt it took a crap on me and stopped tracking correctly and wouldn't return to zero. So now all my CDS scopes are getting rehomes with the exception of my VX5 and switching to Swaro with BRH reticles. The Sig BDX scope and range finding bino combo seems somewhat appealing as well.

 

[TimberHunter]

Yes, a custom Turret for your Vortex scope is a great way to go. Leupold has a custom shop as well. I have both and they are spot on with the load data i supplied them.

I have a Leupold Vx-2 AO 4-12x40 CDS with a custom display for the facorey ammo I use. But from all the reading I’ve done in rokslide, the CDS often fails and it’s got me slightly worried


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[rodney482]

My Meopta set for my 28 nosler

 

[Lawnboi]

The best bdc reticle is a solid mil, or moa reticle and a decent understanding of how it all works.

Chances that a reticle is going to work for your gun, at your altitude, including environmental perfectly at 100 yard increments is slim. That’s before playing with any wind. Imo a decent mil or moa based reticle allows you to adjust if needed. Just find one you can easily wrap your head around.

 

[BluMtn]

My favorite reticle is on the Sig Sauers, called a milling hunter reticle.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

BDC reticles are terrible, they dont line up with your actual balistics and they change every time you change the zoom.

 

[rodney482]

BDC reticles are terrible, they dont line up with your actual balistics and they change every time you change the zoom.

You just have to put some time in from the bench then only use on max X

 

[Nate_Beres]

BDC reticles are terrible, they dont line up with your actual balistics and they change every time you change the zoom.

Only in second focal plane right?

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[ghost338]

Another option to utilize a BDC you might already have is to calculate MOA or drop of the reticle based on scope power and equate that to a distance.

For example, I have BDC reticle that at 15x has the 4th holdover mark at 398 yards for my ammo. At 14x it's 414yds, 13x is 433yds, 12x is 453yds, and so on. I have a small chart that I carry which gives me the power, holdover option, and distance. Range find the distance and select the combination of power and holdover that best fits the situation.

 

[KHNC]

Only in second focal plane right?

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Correct. On FFP that is not an issue.

 

[Ridge Ghost]

I don't understand everyone complaining that BDC reticles rarely line up with the ballistics of your gun. There are plenty of ballistics calculators and apps available to solve this. I use the Strelok app, enter my load data (weight, BC, muzzle velocity), select my scope's reticle (Leupold LR duplex), and it gives me the holdover yardage for each hash mark. Not for super long-range shooting, and you will still want to verify at the range, but so far this has been proven accurate out to 450 yards for me (farthest out that I've tested).

Yes, this only works when fully zoomed on max power, but with a 3x9 scope I'm going to be on max power anyway when shooting 300-400+yards. With anything closer than that I can use the main crosshairs at any power, since I'm zero'd at 200y.

 

[Piscatory_4]

Keep shots to 300yds and you won't need a bdc reticle, unless you are trying to shoot them in the eye.

 

[TimberHunter]

My Meopta set for my 28 nosler View attachment 126016

Put in my ballistics (verified with chrono), environmental info and changed the zero to 220 yards and the numbers lined up well.... and close shots at 100 yards are only 1.7” high at 100 yard

Probably my favorite BDC as of now... because it would be easy to hold on a deer at say 419 yards because it would essentially be half way between the 444 yard mark and the 393 dot

I would of course verify this info at the range but this seems like more of a set it, Patrice it and forget it approach. My Leupold CDS in theory is similar but all the failure stories on here has me wondering how dependable it is the more I click.

Just FYI, I shoot maybe 100 or so rounds a year (only 3-5 rounds a year for hunting). 270 win browning western hunter x bolt, Hornady whitetail 130 grain interlock at 2970 FPS from the 22” barrel. This whitetail ammo will easily kill an elk despite the ammo being called whitetail. The interlock is a great bullet but may eventually move onto the ELDX by hornady or I have a .8 MOA load worked up for a 130 nosler ballistic tip at approx 2950 FPS

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[thinhorn_AK]

Only in second focal plane right?

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Yes but does anybody actually make a first focal plane scope with a generic BDC reticle??? All my FFP scopes are mil dot.

 

[Smithb9841]

Yes but does anybody actually make a first focal plane scope with a generic BDC reticle??? All my FFP scopes are mil dot.

yes Nikon makes one. Nikon also has an app that you plug in your caliber, ammo, and muzzle velocity and it shows where each recticle mark will hit. Here is what mine looks like for my 300wsm. And this is a FFP scope does no matter the magnification it will be the same

 

[mechengr]

Yes but does anybody actually make a first focal plane scope with a generic BDC reticle??? All my FFP scopes are mil dot.

Burris has a few FFP Veracity models with BDC reticles

 

[Mike Islander]

Nikon of course. Their "Spot On" web or phone app calculates all your BDC values for each zoom, with hundreds of reference loads. You can do graphic charts for each zoom or a field table.