Scope for load development, yeh or ney?

A

AWS

Retired PM Staff
Years ago I had a couple high-powered scopes for load development. Over the years I found that while the high power scope would let me shoot a smaller group it didn't let me develope a better load. Putting the 1-4 or 1.5-6 back on the rifle and the group opened a little. I have found that doing the load development with the low power scope usually ends up with the best load for that rifle anyway. Saving time and components.
 
I'm looking for the best hunting load for that particular rifle. I'm not looking for the smallest group the RIFLE will shoot but the best it will shoot in hunting mode..Quite often the same thing or very close.

I usually develope at 100 yards and then shoot it out to the max range I expect to use it at to know drop correction needed.
 
As my eyesight has diminished, I find the higher power helps, but, I really prefer a variable so I can match the reticle to the aiming point, if that makes sense. Also helpful (to me) is using a square paster or aiming point and framing one of the lower corners with the crosshairs for a more precise aiming point than I can get w/center hold.
The variable power is even more important when using a center hold.
With macular degeneration, I am finding a ghost cross hair (especially the horizontal) now that sure opens up groups and unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a remedy for that. Sometimes it helps to cock head so that I am looking at the reticle out of the corner of my eye, but sure hard to get exact spot weld that way.
Oh well, just gotta let 'em get closer or pick bigger targets; its all good!
 
I have floaters and some times one will line up with the cross hairs, I have to bend over or lie down and hope it moves a little.

One of the secrets of shooting small groups with low power scopes is setting a square aiming point in a quadrant of the cross hairs.

One of the egg shoots I shot a FFP scope and the cross hairs would cover enough of the egg that I couldn't get a good hold and set the scope up to place the egg in one of the quadrants just touching the vertical and horizontal crosshair. I didn't win but made it to the final round.
 
I toyed with it some many years ago. Pretty quickly abandoned it. I just use a different target for a 6x than a 20x. I found only the slightest of difference in group size if using a target that the lower power scope could index on repeatably. If the rifle is going to wear a 6x, or a 4x, it's not meant for extreme precision anyway.

- DAA
 
AWS said:
One of the egg shoots I shot a FFP scope and the cross hairs would cover enough of the egg that I couldn't get a good hold and set the scope up to place the egg in one of the quadrants just touching the vertical and horizontal crosshair. I didn't win but made it to the final round.
Click to expand...
That works great on round targets, too. W/my eyesight, the square works best but on anything other than square the bracketing works better than center hold for sure.
DAA said:
I toyed with it some many years ago. Pretty quickly abandoned it. I just use a different target for a 6x than a 20x. I found only the slightest of difference in group size if using a target that the lower power scope could index on repeatably. If the rifle is going to wear a 6x, or a 4x, it's not meant for extreme precision anyway.
Click to expand...
That's why all my hunting rifle wear 3-9s or better yet 4.5-14. You'll get there one of these days, Dave. :ROFLMAO:
 
I use the Nightforce SHV 5-20. With the 20X I don't have to use a spotting scope. After I get the load I want, I also shoot between 5 & 10 power. Most of my shots are used in the 5 power range seldom going over 10.
 
The only "hunting" rifle I own that has a fixed power scope on it is the Garand and the only scope I could get at the time that gave port clearance and (barely) sufficient eye relief was the 3x Primary arms prism scope. I was really surprised how well 3x with the reticle in that scope works out to 200 yards or so. I very seldom shoot beyond that, but the 4.5-14's take me out to my 300 or so max.
1731787401242.jpeg
1731787474573.jpeg

The 3x red dot does pretty darn well on paper @ 100, too.
1731787647166.jpeg
 
I used an Leupold VX3 4.5-14 for years for load development, but I bought an Sightron 4-20 for the task now as it helps me see the 22 cal holes at 100 yds without the use of a spotting scope.
 
I forgot to mention that I use the scope at the highest mag because it shows every little movement I make including my heartbeat which I learn to control the best I can. Of course, I'm a 1/2" MOA shooter at best but I'm a consistent 1/2"shooter. It takes many groups from 100-500 yds on various days under various conditions (weather, bench, tripod, prone, sitting, etc) with different loads and will pick the most consistent/repeatable combo which I will use for hunting.

I'm just an average man that has an above average addiction to hunting and I've come to accept that my guns can outshoot me.
 
Back
Top