Who makes the “Best” BDC reticle for hunting?

[Rmauch20]

I took Form’s advice and looked at SWFA 3x9. It is a FFP mil scope. I am not a long range guy and don’t plan on shooting at a animal that is over 400yards. After learning how simple the mil system is, I plan on buying two more on the Black Friday sale. They are truly easier to use. You don’t have to dial with them, you can use the mil reticle the same as you would a BDC reticle.

 

[ebubedike]

I have BDC on several of my scopes as well as mil dot. I don't trust that zero at 100 = 2,3 4 and 5 will be one. I shoot to test, that makes the BDC for that bullet for that rifle more accurate than I'm going to be.

They're not for everybody but they do have a place in the hunting world.

 

[NevadaZielmeister]

Love these threads! The fact is most people should not be shooting passed 400 yards at animals. This it proven to me ever week at the range.


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Agreed. While I compete I can shoot head shots on steel Coyotes at 650 yards, no problems. However, it is a completely different game when the game are moving. I still believe it is best to get closer and make a quick clean kill. I would never brag about taking game at distance, instead try a different stalk/plan/strategy the next time. There are plenty of game out there. Rewards to the patient hunter.

 

[TimberHunter]

I took Form’s advice and looked at SWFA 3x9. It is a FFP mil scope. I am not a long range guy and don’t plan on shooting at a animal that is over 400yards. After learning how simple the mil system is, I plan on buying two more on the Black Friday sale. They are truly easier to use. You don’t have to dial with them, you can use the mil reticle the same as you would a BDC reticle.

The SWFA are great scopes from what I read. My main question would be how much parallax effect is there going to be on 500 and under shots (my hunting range) and will the wind age turrets move on accident while hunting?

There should be enough time to check both windage and elevation turner to make sure you’re still zero but what about when you’re hunting thick timber and quick shots under 100 yards are needed?


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[Piscatory_4]

What FFP scopes and reticles are you talking about? There are thousands of 4x and 6x FFP scopes being used every day.

The vortex pst ffp 6-24x50 comes to mind since I just looked through it a couple days ago and was shooting it a couple years ago. Lots of small print at low power.

 

[Formidilosus]

My main question would be how much parallax effect is there going to be on 500 and under shots (my hunting range) and will the wind age turrets move on accident while hunting?
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Parallax is not an issue with the 3-9x SS, and if you are only shooting to 500 parallax would have to be absolutely stupid to be a problem. All the other SWFA’s have PA.
The turrets are quite stiff and in a decade of using them strapped to packs and crawling through brush neither I, nor anyone I know has ever had a turret accidentally spin.


As a 3-9x hunting optic that is good from muzzle to 800’ish yards on big game, the 3-9x42mm SWFA has no competition at any price.

The vortex pst ffp 6-24x50 comes to mind since I just looked through it a couple days ago and was shooting it a couple years ago. Lots of small print at low power.

That is not in anyway a scope with reticles that are designed for hunting, or even using at lower powers. The good FFP scopes with decent mil reticles- NF, SWFA SS, Bushnell LRHS/LRTS/etc- can all be used starting at around 5-6x for the hashes. Below that, most look like duplex’s.

 

[Eric4]

That is not in anyway a scope with reticles that are designed for hunting, or even using at lower powers. The good FFP scopes with decent mil reticles- NF, SWFA SS, Bushnell LRHS/LRTS/etc- can all be used starting at around 5-6x for the hashes. Below that, most look like duplex’s.

Do you rate the LRTS/LRHS equal in durability/reliability as the SWFA scopes?

Thanks for your insight

 

[Piscatory_4]

Parallax is not an issue with the 3-9x SS, and if you are only shooting to 500 parallax would have to be absolutely stupid to be a problem. All the other SWFA’s have PA.
The turrets are quite stiff and in a decade of using them strapped to packs and crawling through brush neither I, nor anyone I know has ever had a turret accidentally spin.


As a 3-9x hunting optic that is good from muzzle to 800’ish yards on big game, the 3-9x42mm SWFA has no competition at any price.









That is not in anyway a scope with reticles that are designed for hunting, or even using at lower powers. The good FFP scopes with decent mil reticles- NF, SWFA SS, Bushnell LRHS/LRTS/etc- can all be used starting at around 5-6x for the hashes. Below that, most look like duplex’s.

Whatever

 

[Formidilosus]

Do you rate the LRTS/LRHS equal in durability/reliability as the SWFA scopes?

Thanks for your insight

No sir. The originals from the first couple of years were very good- we never saw any issues with them. However, Bushnell got rid of all of the people in the division that were responsible for their good scopes. Since then there has been a few with issues. In general they are still good, but I can’t fully give a thumbs up for them. They are at the level that I’d the scope fit my needs, I wouldn’t hesitate to get one- just making sure to test it thoroughly.

Whatever

Haha. Talk about burying ones head when given facts that one doesn’t want to hear...

 

[JDM270WSM]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Zeiss Z600 and Z800 scopes. My son has a conquest hd 4.5-14x50 Z800 on his Tikka 270wsm and c an make 1st round hits on milk jugs at 800 yards . I use a conquest 3-9x40 Z600 on my
6.5 creed Tikka and have no trouble stretching it out to 600 yards. I have a tikka 270 wsm with a zeiss conquest with target turrets and I find its much quicker to use the Zeiss Z reticle to make a long range shot.

 

[TimberHunter]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Zeiss Z600 and Z800 scopes. My son has a conquest hd 4.5-14x50 Z800 on his Tikka 270wsm and c an make 1st round hits on milk jugs at 800 yards . I use a conquest 3-9x40 Z600 on my
6.5 creed Tikka and have no trouble stretching it out to 600 yards. I have a tikka 270 wsm with a zeiss conquest with target turrets and I find its much quicker to use the Zeiss Z reticle to make a long range shot.

Those seem to be exactly what I’m looking for! But they seem to be discontinued... bummer


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[TimberHunter]

*UPDATE*

After many hours of searching I elected to buy one of the few remaining new. ZEISS HD5 3-15x42 with the RZ-600 reticle.

Selling features to me was how well the reticle matched with any number of 270 win loads, the 5mph and 10 mph wind holds on the BDC and that there are BDC marks between the 100 yard hash marks (marks at 300,400,450,500,525,550,575,600)

Should be getting it in a few days in time for a cow elk hunt in late November. Will follow up with how well I like it


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[BCD]

I bought an SWFA 3-9 and am just learning to dial. It seems a lot simpler than using a BDC reticle that will rarely match your ballistics to be usable in 50 yard increments.

 

[roadrunner]

I use the Strelok app to show what the hash marks are on BDC recticles. It lays them out based on sight in data, muzzle vel of your load, and shooting conditions.

So far, it has been spot on. I can count on one hand how many times I could have doped my scope prior to shooting an animal at distance. Dialing turrets is a non issue and pointless in the many encounters I have shot animald in. But that's just me.

 

[BCD]

I use the Strelok app to show what the hash marks are on BDC recticles. It lays them out based on sight in data, muzzle vel of your load, and shooting conditions.

So far, it has been spot on. I can count on one hand how many times I could have doped my scope prior to shooting an animal at distance. Dialing turrets is a non issue and pointless in the many encounters I have shot animald in. But that's just me.

It literally takes seconds to glance at a pre-printed drop chart and dial (and I am new at it). and then you can hold dead on. Unless all of your shots are super quick (which I wouldn't be taking anyway at distances I would dial for), I can't imagine this being an issue. Just as quick if not quicker than estimating the hold between two lines on a BDC scope. Dialing just seems so much more precise than guessing based on your gaps

 

[roadrunner]

It literally takes seconds to glance at a pre-printed drop chart and dial (and I am new at it). and then you can hold dead on. Unless all of your shots are super quick (which I wouldn't be taking anyway at distances I would dial for), I can't imagine this being an issue. Just as quick if not quicker than estimating the hold between two lines on a BDC scope. Dialing just seems so much more precise than guessing based on your gaps

Glad I just found out what I'm doing that works well is wrong, especially when the subject matter of the thread is about a BDC recticle...

 

[prm]

Dialing the right number is actually much simpler, and ultimately faster, than a BDC for me. It’s using those few remaining brain cells to figure out where to place reticle for all those in between ranges that makes a BDC not quite as practical. And we haven’t even begun to sort wind out..

But to the OP’s question; my favorite BDC reticle is the Vortex G4 BDC

 

[TimberHunter]

Dialing the right number is actually much simpler, and ultimately faster, than a BDC for me. It’s using those few remaining brain cells to figure out where to place reticle for all those in between ranges that makes a BDC not quite as practical. And we haven’t even begun to sort wind out..

But to the OP’s question; my favorite BDC reticle is the Vortex G4 BDC

The ZEISS rapid z 600 and 800 reticles address those concerns. Has 5 and 10 mph hold overs.

The reason I did not want to dial is because to me it’s just another think to think about and hope that your scope is tracking. In the end, if I decide I want to go back to dialing and trust the ZEISS HD5 to track true, I can easily buy a dial from Kenton industries


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[BCD]

Glad I just found out what I'm doing that works well is wrong, especially when the subject matter of the thread is about a BDC recticle...

No one said you were doing it wrong. BDC reticles have accounted for a ton of successful hunts. I was only saying dialing is nearly as quick if not faster and much more precise . It’s all about what works. If it works for you then that’s all that really matters

 

[roadrunner]

No one said you were doing it wrong. BDC reticles have accounted for a ton of successful hunts. I was only saying dialing is nearly as quick if not faster and much more precise . It’s all about what works. If it works for you then that’s all that really matters

I get why dialing a scope is beneficial, especially when your target is oblivious to anything around it. The scenario I am well acquainted with is you range the animal at 273 yds, then before you touch off he moves another 142 yds for some reason or another, maybe because he is running up a canyon or something. You can shoot, but only after you reset your crosshair.

Problem is, he's about to crest over a ridge now and stops just long enough for you to shoot, but can only do so after you range and rezero. With a BDC, you know all you have to do is put your 400 yd mark just below his back and let it fly. The additional 3 to 5 seconds to rezero may very well cost you that 195" muley.

Same principle as a slider sight in archery. It has cost me too many animals in the past...