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Question for the long range target shooters

Snellstrom
I haven't posted here in a couple years so first off hello again to everyone!
I may go to a Sporting Rifle shoot pretty soon where the shots are from 175 yards to 700 yards. 60 targets total and one shot a piece at each target.
I am not a competitive target shooter so I need some schooling.
I shoot regularly at 100 and 200 yards and sometimes at 300-400yards and my method up to this point has been to estimate holdover which actually has worked excellent at all hunting distances I've encountered ( I don't feel compelled to take shots on game any further than 400 yards) but the 600-700 yard targets in this shoot have me concerned. In a course like this do you crank the elevation on your scope for the correct elevation (based on your bullet drop chart) or do you estimate holdover?
If you crank up elevation what scope would you use that has that many clicks of elevation?
For instance the load I'm shooting if zeroed at 200 yards requires 115" of elevation at 700 yards, I'm pretty sure I don't own a scope with that much adjustment. What do you long range shooters do?
Sorry if this question sounds like a New B but I am not a competitive target shooter, I have years of experience as a reloader and paper puncher to prepare my hunting rifles for hunting situations so please bear with me.
Thanks in advance.
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Comments

8 comments

Date Votes
  • swearengine
    What load are you shooting that requires that 115" of elevation over the last 500 yards?
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  • JustC
    OK,..you have one of two options. 1, a scope with holdover points or 2, a scope with target turrets. I prefer both, so I use scopes with both the target turrets AND holdover points.

    You can zero your rifle at 100yds, then use holdover points to determine which hash mark coincides to each distance. Remember, on most scopes, the scope will need to be kept on one single power setting for all of this, since the distance between the hash marks changes as magnification is changed (second focal plane reticle). This can bite you if mirage gets high and you need to turn down the magnification to resolve the mirage.

    Alternately, you can run your drop chart, and use the clicks to determine how many you need to get to each distance, from your "zero". Then as the targets are produced, you click to the target rather than hold over with the hash marks.

    115" at 700yds, is only 16.43" at 100yds,...which is where your 1/4" clicks are calibrated. Soooooo, 1/4" is 1/2"@200yds, 3/4"@300yds, 1"@400yds etc. Therefore a 1/4"@100yd click equals 1 3/4"@700yds. Trajectory clicks work in angles or what we call MOA (minute of angle) when you change an angle at 100yds by 1/4", it will be changed by 1 3/4"@700yds,.....making sense?? If not, try this, take two pencils or straws or whatever,...and hold them at one end. Now, make them point slightly different angles at the front, while holding the read together,...as you can see,..the difference in distance between the two front ends, will increase as the objects get longer. This is the same concept as scope adjustment changes.

    You are certain to be dissapointed by guessing holdover at those distances. 400yds CAN BE done,..as I have taken game hunting with an estimate at 400yds,...but it sure isn't the right way or even very scientific. Kinda like a hope and see thing,..which will soon humble you at extended range.
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  • Snellstrom
    Swearengine the load I'm shooting is fairly irrelevant as a lot of my rifles shoot very similar at that distance. The 3 rifles I've considered taking on this shoot are a .257 Roberts with 117 grain bullets, a 30/06 with 180 grain bullets, a 6.5 Swede with 120's. The 115" was for the .257 Bob but the other two are within a few inches of that drop at 700 yards even a 7 mag will drop 100 inches at 700 yards if sighted "on" at 200.

    Thanks Justc I appreciate the wisdom. I understand the math and had already computed the amount of clicks needed to make the adjustment but my Leupolds and Nikons I don't believe will click that much I'll have to try them. I really needed to know the standard so to speak that other shooters use in this type of competition. All my scopes are "hunting" scopes and one Nikon Varmint scope 5.5-15 but none have yardage dots or hashmarks etc. I was wondering how to go to this shoot have fun and not spend money on a new scope!
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  • carbine100
    If your current scopes do not have the adjustability "as mounted" to accomidate that amount of drop, you may be able to shim the front scope ring up a little to allow for use of more of the overall adjustability in the scope. (use of the scopes adjustability below your 200 yard zero) Personally I would do this with Burris Signature rings and an offset insert kit.
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  • Tailgunner1954
    quote:Originally posted by carbine100
    If your current scopes do not have the adjustability "as mounted" to accomidate that amount of drop, you may be able to shim the front scope ring up a little to allow for use of more of the overall adjustability in the scope. (use of the scopes adjustability below your 200 yard zero) Personally I would do this with Burris Signature rings and an offset insert kit.


    Close, but not quite right. Raising the front ring, lowers the impact point, raising the rear raises the impact point. If your sight bases are 3.6" apart, than .001 of shim will change your impact point by 1 MOA
    Using JustC's pencil example, the top pencil represents your "line of sight", the lower one your barrels centerline. As your trying to get the barrel inclined "more up" relitive to the line of sight, you can see that the rear mount would need to be higher (same thing is true with long range iron sights, ever notice how tall those are?)
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  • swearengine
    For instance the load I'm shooting if zeroed at 200 yards requires 115" of elevation at 700 yards, I'm pretty sure I don't own a scope with that much adjustment


    My mistake, what I understood you to say was that you needed 115" of elevation in your scope. Now I realize what you meant was you needed the 16.5 inches (66 clicks) of elevation adjustment in your scope to adjust for the 115" of drop at 700 yards. I apologize for the confusion.
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  • JustC
    any scope will give you the 16.5" of elevation if it is anywhere near the center of it's adjustments. The lower amounts of travel are usually around 40moa,..which means 20moa up and 20moa down from center.

    Now, the easy fix is either burris signature rings with offsets to make elevation or a 20moa scope base. Either way greatly increases your elevation travel since to be zero'd at close range, you will have to dial the scope down to almost the bottom of it's adjustments and the total amount of travel will be left for you to click "up" to the long range targets.
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  • Snellstrom
    Thanks guys I always enjoy the information available on this site!
    Swearengine glad we are on the same page now I couldn't tell if we misunderstood or you were giving me a hard time about my puny loads and calibers!
    I think I'll end up using my Nikon scope (5.5-15) and crank in the elevation, I'll see if I've got enough travel in that scope if not I'll use the Burris rings to help.
    Thanks again everyone who posted.
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