Picking a Fighting Optic

Eotech 557.AR223 HWS Rifle Sight

Whether mounting it on your home defense weapon, outfitting a SHTF rifle, or building a duty gun, choosing the right optic can make a difference in the effectiveness of your long gun. There is no room for compromise when it comes to purchasing an optic that your life or the lives of your loved ones may be dependant upon. If an optic is out of reach of your budget, it may be time to rethink your budget priorities (or time to get a job delivering pizzas). There are basically two choices when it comes to picking an optic: magnified traditional scopes or red dot sights (RDS).

To Magnify or Not

The ability to make precision hits on small or moving targets several hundred yards away will probably not be needed by most people. But if the need is there, nothing beats a variable power scope with an illuminated reticle. These scopes are usually compact and on the low end of the magnification as close to one power as possible. Most have a mil-dot or a reticle designed for close in engagements. These scopes allow the shooter to dial the scope up to the higher magnification needed for long range shooting and dial the scope back to engage nearby targets using the illuminated reticle as a RDS. Scopes such as these include the Leupold Mark 4 MR/T M2 Riflescope and the Leupold Mark 4 CQ/T Riflescope. Another option is a fixed power scope with an miniature RDS mounted on it. This provides the shooter with the option of quick acquisition close range sighting with the RDS, and the precision for longer range shooting with the fixed-power scope, although it does add bulk and weight to your weapon system.

The Aimpoint CompM4

The Ubiquitous RDS

Professionals know that the red dot sight (RDS) almost universally lets the shooter engage targets faster and with more precision. The RDS is also easier to learn to shoot with when compared to the traditional iron sights. When you speak of quality red dot sights, the industry standard is Aimpoint. Adopted by the U.S. Army as the M68 CCO the Aimpoint CompM2 is rugged and features a 10,000 hour extended battery life. Replacing the CompM2 as the M68 CCO is the Aimpoint CompM4which adds improved energy efficiency with 80,000 hours battery life and the integral mount base screws directly into the sight – no separate sight ring is required. The newest RDS that is causing a stir is the Aimpoint Micro H-1. With typical Aimpoint strength and battery life while weighing in at only three ounces the Micro series is light enough to be used anywhere you might need an RDS.

3X magnifier made by Aimpoint

The Magnified RDS

As was mentioned earlier the option of having a traditional magnified scope with an attached mini red dot sight (MRDS) has been field and battle tested with very positive results. Another application developed from battle is mounting a magnifier behind an RDS. This magnifier is simply that, devoid of reticles or adjustments, its only job to increase the usable distance of the RDS. The most efficient way to mount this to the weapon behind the RDS is some sort of quick detach mount to allow the use of the RDS by itself. There is the Aimpoint Twist Mount and EOTech and others make flip to side mounts (FTS).

Mounts

Your weapons system is only as good as its weakest link, weather that is magazines, ammunition, or you, the shooter. When it comes to your fighting rifle do not let your weakest link become the mount for your optics. Skimping on this would completely undermine the idea of a solid optic for your fighting gun. For magnified optics some of the best scope mounts are the one piece mounts from companies like GG&G such as the AC-30. The other option for mounting a traditional or tactical magnified scope on your fighting gun is simple quality rings from companies like Leupold and Warne. For attaching a 30mm RDS the Aimpoint QRP is hard to beat and GG&G is one of many manufacturers that offer an Aimpoint Cantilever Ring mount for those that need to mount a 30mm RDS further forward.

Conclusion

No matter which optic you choose, remember to practice, practice, and practice some more with your entire weapons system. This practice will ensure your ability to deliver shots on targets and determine any weaknesses with your weapons system, not to mention the benefits that practice has on your confidence, confidence that you may find useful some dark day.

Installing a Scout Style Scope on a Mosin Nagant

One of the most common questions customers have after purchasing a Mosin Nagant is, "How do I mount a scope on there without altering my receiver?" Generally, scopes are installed on to a receiver that is drilled and tapped to take scope rings. This presents a problem on the Mosin Nagant, as the straight handle bolt would interfere with the scope's eye piece. The only viable alternative is to install a scout style scope, but the wooden stock and fore grip of the Mosin make such a proposition a bit complicated to properly execute.

S&K Manufacturing stepped up to the plate with their Mosin 91/30 scope mount. It utilizes existing hardware on the rifle and replaces the original iron sight with a Picatinny style rail to which virtually any scout style scope can be attached.

The most difficult part of installing the scope mount is driving out the pin that holds the rear sight in place. You'll need a few simple and inexpensive tools that aren't included with the scope mount to accomplish this: a punch and a brass hammer. If you use a steel punch (which we recommend, as brass punches are too soft and may bend or break) be very careful to make sure that it is perfectly lined up with the pin before striking it so as to avoid marring the sight. On most Mosin Nagant rifles, this pin is held very tightly in place and takes a while to carefully drive out.

Once the pin is most of the way out, the spring pressure on the leaf sight will push the sight up and partially trap your punch. Carefully remove the punch and then the leaf sight and spring before continuing to drive the pin out. With the pin completely driven out and the spring and leaf sight removed, carefully place the flange nut into the rear of the sight holder. Placed properly, it should appear as shown in the image to the right.

Next, place the actual rail in place into the sight box and place one of the screws through the hole where the pin once was and gently thread it into place but do not tighten it. Using your punch, ensure that the flange nut is lined up with the countersunk hole in the top of the rail and then screw it into place with the countersunk screw and an Allen wrench until it is just snug and then loosen it 1/4 turn. Then go ahead and screw in the other screw through the other side of the pin hole until both sides are snug and then back those out 1/4 turn.

At this point the rail should have some play and be able to be wiggled ever so slightly. Remove the bolt and place your scope on the rifle and gently snug the rail mount rings onto your rail. Bore sight the rifle by and adjust the set screws on the rail until the scope's cross hairs are near the center of the bore. For this process, you may need to remove the scope, adjust the set screws, and then place the scope back on the rail. Once you have a decent bore sight, tighten up the counter sunk screw into the flange nut and then the pivot screws where the pin used to be. With the rail tightened up, reinstall your scope and continue to sight it in as you would normally.

Pistol Lasers

Mention pistol lasers to three different shooters, and you’re sure to get three differing opinions. Some traditionalists insist that lasers have no place on a pistol. Others swear by them, insisting that every pistol be outfitted with a laser system. Some find them an interesting tool for training or use only in low-light situations, but maintain that their overall usefulness is limited.

Laser sighting systems have long been a staple in Hollywood movies. Scenes where a bad guy suddenly looks down to see a red dot on his chest, or a phalanx of lasers from a Special Operations team shine in through the windows of a building are standard fare in your typical action movie. But how useful are they in real life? The first thing many people new to laser systems notice is the fact that you can’t actually see the laser beam itself, only the red dot. In the movies, beams are digitally added, or atmospheric contaminants such as smoke and dust are used to illuminate the laser beam.

Still, anyone looking towards the user of a laser system will be able to quickly see the bright red light of a laser being aimed at them. While they allow you to illuminate your target and quickly see where the point of impact is going to be, one of the primary drawbacks of a laser sighting system is that they can quickly give your position away to a possible bad guy. Of course, some will point out that muzzle flash will also give your position away in a low-light situation.

Many people believe that a flashlight held in your non-shooting hand is a better tool for low-light shooting, since the intense beam can blind an attacker, and it can be held off line of your body so that anyone shooting at the light source has a minimal chance of landing a critical hit. While this is true, a flashlight still doesn’t help you when you need a low-light aiming solution.

Laser Aiming Systems:
Crimson Trace
Many different types of laser systems are available on the market today. Crimson Trace manufactures laser grips for a wide variety of semiautomatic pistols and revolvers. Originally designed as replacement grips with a built in laser system, Crimson Trace’s lineup has expanded to include piggy-back models, such as the one pictured to the right, for polymer pistols without replaceable grips. Most of these laser grip systems use a master switch to turn the system on and off, as well as a pressure switch that is positioned for quick and easy momentary laser activation. I’ve installed a Crimson Trace system on my Sig Sauer P220, and found it very easy and intuitive to use.

The primary advantage of the laser grip is that it doesn’t require a specialized holster. Many of the aftermarket pistol lasers attach to the rail found just forward of the trigger guard on most modern semiautomatics. The problem with these rail mounted lasers is that a custom holster must be used in order to accommodate the laser. Custom molded kydex holsters are available for some rail mounted lasers, and these are the best choice for many due to the enhanced retention they have. But the holster usually must match the exact model of laser and pistol you have, so finding the exact size can be difficult. Universal nylon holsters are available to fit your pistol/laser combo, but while they can fit almost any setup, they fit none of them well.

LaserMax
Another alternative to the rail mounted pistol laser that doesn’t change the shape of your pistol is the aiming system manufactured by LaserMax. They produce an innovative system for autoloaders that replaces the stock guide rod with one designed by Laser Max with an integral laser aiming system. On most of these models, the takedown lever is usually refitted to function as an on/off switch.

The LaserMax system is not without its drawbacks. It is not adjustable for windage and elevation, but since it replaces the guide rod of the pistol it should be naturally aligned by the mechanical lock-up of the pistol. The thought that an optic system has to play a structural role in the operation of the pistol makes some shooters nervous, but there have been very few instances where the pistol has failed or jammed from the failure of a LaserMax guide rod laser aiming system. My Para 14.45 double-stack 1911 pistol can’t be fitted with the Crimson Trace laser grip, so I’ve installed a LaserMax guide rod. While it does not provide pin point accuracy like the windage and elevation adjustable Crimson Trace, it is definitely “minute of bad guy” accurate. I was able to shoot groups that are nice and tight out all the way out to 25 yards.

Installation of the LaserMax is fairly straightforward, requiring only that the pistol be field stripped and the guide rod and takedown pin/slide lock replaced. No fitting was required, it simply dropped right in as a replacement for the original parts. With the unit installed, the takedown pin/slide lock lever function as an on/off switch, allowing the system to be activated without disturbing your grip on the firearm.

LaserLyte
A unique system by LaserLyte replaces the rear sight of the pistol with one that includes a laser. This little aiming system is nothing short of an engineering marvel. The unit itself is quite small, one of the smallest on the market, and it endures enormous G-forces as it reciprocates with the slide. In addition to being able to fit in any standard holster, another advantage of the LaserLyte system is that it keeps the beam very close to the bore axis, ensuring that there are little or no offset error at varying distances.

The LaserLyte unit actually replaces the factory rear sight on your pistol, integrating a notch style sight with the laser unit in a small tube on one side and the battery system on the other. Some gunsmithing may be required to install the unit, although it’s a fairly simple process on most pistols with a dovetail or Novak sight cut. Using a drift, simply tap out the original factory sight and tap in the LaserLyte unit. That’s it! The unit is activated with a small button on the rear of the slide, and a tiny LED light lets the shooter know the unit is activated (assuming the red laser dot on their target doesn’t clue them in).

ArmaLaser
The laser systems from ArmaLaser serve a another purpose in addition to providing a convenient aiming device for your pocket pistol: they also break up the outline of the gun, helping to eliminate issues with the shape of the gun “printing” through a pocket. While the original Armalaser systems were designed solely for pocket pistols such as the Kel-Tec P3AT and the Kahr PM9, their new “Reactive Sighting System” or “RSS” is a slim rail mounted system that should avoid most holster fitment issues.

Activating the trigger guard mounted ArmaLaser is easy: simply placing your finger inside the trigger guard causes the device to come to life. No buttons, no switches, it automatically detects your finger being inserted through the trigger guard and turns itself on. The other way to activate the device is by touching a small metal ribbon with your supporting hand. Again, the unit senses the contact and activates. There is also a kill switch on the bottom of the laser aiming system to allow you to turn off the laser to keep from giving your position away.

Pistol Training
Regardless of whether or not you feel that lasers belong on pistols as a sighting device, there is one role in which they can be incredibly valuable. Laser systems are enormously effective as a training aid.

For dry fire practice, the LaserLyte Pistol Trainer laser is a great training tool. Activated by the hammer or striker, the Pistol Trainer unit projects a beam for 100 milliseconds, giving you a clear indication of where your point of impact would have been. This gives you instant positive feedback during dry fire practice enabling to adjust your technique as necessary.

When giving demonstrations on pistol handling to an advanced group of students, it’s sometimes difficult for them to see what is happening during complex and rapid drills. Using the Pistol Trainer unit from Laserlyte, the students instantly see each shot as it is pulled off. This, combined with an “always on” laser such as one of the ones mentioned above, allows each movement to be followed clearly and helps the students to see the movement and position of the pistol.

For an instructor training a new shooter, using a laser sighting system is incredibly helpful when diagnosing sighting or trigger problems. Almost any of the laser systems described above will work for training purposes. They can help a trainer quickly determine if a new shooter is having problems with sighting or trigger pull. Typical problems such as anticipating recoil and milking the trigger can be easily seen by observing the laser dot from a laser aiming system as it moves on the target.

Proper sight alignment can also be diagnosed using a laser aiming system. Teaching students how to acquire a good sight picture is much easier with a laser aiming system. By turning the system on (if necessary) but not activating it, you can have new shooters draw and push the pistol out to the target and acquire their sight picture, then turn activate the laser to get a visual confirmation. This gives instant feedback to both the student as well as the instructor, allowing for quick and easy diagnosis and correction.

Do you need a laser?
The answer to that question will vary from shooter to shooter. Some people are perfectly happy with a pistol as it comes from the factory floor. Others like to be prepared for every possible contingency and have their firearms outfitted appropriately. For low light situations, or any scenario where you are unable to get behind the rear sight such as firing from retention, a laser is a valuable tool that allows you to visually see that you are on target. If you’re a new shooter, an instructor, or even an advanced shooter looking to improve your shooting skills, it’s useful to have a laser equipped pistol for diagnosing and correcting basic shooting errors, or just to verify that you’re on target. Whatever your experience is, adding a laser to your pistol is a thought worth some consideration.

Mounting a Scope

Sometimes it seems that nothing is more confusing to a new gun owner, and even some old hats, as installing a scope on a firearm. The sheer number of choices and options in optics alone are enough to write books about, and the ways to actually put the scope on the gun are even more complicated.

This article will attempt to clarify choices and make the novice gun owner’s job in choosing a way to mount a scope easier, while at the same time illuminate the myriad of options for any gun owner.

What You Need to Know (or Find Out)
When you start looking to mount a particular scope on your firearm you need to know certain things before you start shopping for mounting options. To begin with, you’ll need to know your scope’s objective diameter, usually the last and largest number in a scope’s specifications. This will be used to determine the clearance needed for your scope. The next important measurement you’ll need is the scope tube, and thus what ring diameter is required by your scope, usually 1″ or 30mm.

You need to know what mounting system your rifle is equipped with; receiver grooves, Picatinny rail, Weaver dovetail base, or nothing at all. The type of firearm you have and in some cases, what barrel type and contour, will also impact what mounting system you will need to use. A flat-top AR-15 has vastly different ring requirements than a Remington 700 with a tapered barrel.

The Basics
The most common setup used, and inquired about, for putting optics on a long gun is mounting a traditional magnified rifle scope to a traditional bolt action rifle. Let’s use this setup to explore the basics of putting a scope on a rifle. Traditionally the scope is held onto the rifle by “rings” which are clamped around the body of the scope. In turn the rings are attached to some sort of “base”, which are normally then attached to the rifles receiver or action.

To add to the confusion, there are many variations of all of these components. There are ways mount a scope that combine some or even all of these individual components. (An example would be mounting an EOtech HWS to an AR-15 rifle, where the scope has an integral mount that does not require rings, and the rifle has an integral rail that does not require a base.)

Bases
The base is the part of the system that allows the attachment of the scope rings to the rifle itself. Traditionally bases are attached to the receiver of a firearm by some sort of screw or bolt. Some rifles have built-in bases that are integral to the firearm.

Bases are usually specific to the make and model of firearm for which they are designed, and most are specific to the type of rings that can be used with them.

Rings
The Ring you select must be the same inner diameter of your scope’s tube diameter, which makes sense. The rings clamp onto the main tube of the scope, so they must be the same size. Most scopes are 1 inch in diameter and so are most rings, but there are many 30mm scopes and rings, and a smattering of other choices, such as 34mm. The other end of the ring attaches to the rifle’s base, so it too must be compatible with that particular base.

The important thing to remember is to match the rings with the scope and the base.

Ring Height
Scope rings come in varying heights to vary the distance from the scope’s centerline to the firearm’s base or receiver. The different ring heights allow you to mount scopes with different objective sizes and also to mount the scope in the proper place for a quick and proper cheekweld. Rings normally come in low, medium and high heights. There are extra low and extra high variations from some manufactures. Ring height is one of the most confusing options for new gun owners.

The traditional mantra is that scopes should be mounted as low as possible without the front of the scope, the objective bell housing, touching the barrel. Also bearing in mind the need to the back of the scope, the ocular bell or eyepiece, to clear the bolt handle. The thing most often ignored in this choosing scope ring height is the need for the scope’s height to match the shooter. When the rifle is shouldered quickly, the scope should be at the correct height to look through it, without any additional movement on the stock up or down to get a good view through the scope.

Remember though that there is no “perfect” ring height that would suit every person, as each person’s physiology is a little bit different. There is a standard ring height worth noting, as it gives an excellent starting point for 90% of gun owners.

In this illustration from UTG, Ring height is measured with “C”

Ring Height According to Leupold

• 50mm objectives will almost always use HIGH rings in a given style. In certain instances, such as with extremely heavy barrels or some makes of firearm, EXTRA HIGH rings may be necessary.
• 42-45mm objectives will almost always use MEDIUM rings in a given style. In certain instances, 45mm scopes may require HIGH rings.
• 40mm objectives will almost always have enough clearance with LOW rings in a given style, though MEDIUM rings will give slightly more clearance, particularly when using a barrel with a thicker shank portion or a heavier contour.
• 28-36mm objectives will almost always use LOW rings in a given style. Again, in certain instances of a heavy barrel or heavy shank portion of a custom barrel, MEDUIM rings may have to be used, but LOW rings will almost always suffice.
• 20-24mm objectives will almost always be able to use LOW rings, but in some cases may also use EXTRA LOW rings. In this instance, bolt handle clearance of the eyepiecel will come into play more so than objective / barrel clearance and should be carefully considered.

No Leupold riflescope will fit into EXTRA LOW rings if using a one-piece base.

Ring Height According to Weaver

• Use low 1″ Rings for up to a 38mm Scope Objective
• Use medium 1″ Rings for up to a 40mm Scope Objective
• Use high 1″ Rings for up to a 44mm Scope Objective
• Use extra high 1″ Rings for up to a 50mm Scope Objective
• Use 30mm Low Rings for up to a 33mm Scope Objective
• Use 30mm high Rings for up to a 44mm Scope Objective

For a more in depth look at ring height click here to refer to our ring height article.

Now that we have discussed ring height standards, there are some notable exceptions: for the AR-15 and M-4 series of rifles with “flat top” receivers extra-high rings are the rule of thumb, but some applications use high rings. Also, for mounting a scope on a Harrington and Richardson Handi-Rifle or the NEF Pardner you will need at least medium and perhaps high rings clearance between the scope’s eyepiece and the rifle’s hammer.

Mounting Systems
Weaver
The most common scope mounting system is the Weaver system. The weaver system utilizes flat dovetail rails with crosswise slots found on everything from rifles to shotguns to handguns. The Weaver style bases are 7/8 inch wide and are designed to accept Weaver style rings. Most rings manufacturers make a Weaver style ring and/or rail. On Weaver style rings the bolt used to secure the ring runs underneath the web of the ring and fits into a corresponding crosswise slot in the Weaver base. This prevents any scope movement fore and aft under recoil or abuse. The bases can be found in one or two piece configurations and can be made of steel or aluminum. The Weaver style system allow the Weaver ring to be detached from the base with the scope still in the rings and reattached without any major loss of zero. The optic can be removed from the gun for maintenance, transportation or storage. The weaver system also allows for using different optics on one weapon or one optic on different weapons.

Picatinny and MIL-STD-1913
Picatinny rails are very similar to Weaver rails. The difference is a published military standard. The physical difference between Weaver rails and Picatinny rails are the width of the slots that are cut crosswise in the base, and the spacing of these slots. The slots in Picatinny bases are wider than slots in a Weaver base, and the spacing of these slots in a Picatinny rail is consistent and standardized. The Weaver style rail’s spacing of the cross slots are not standardized and the spacing is left up to the manufacturer. The recoil lugs on Picatinny rings are thicker to fit in the corresponding wider slots in the Picatinny bases. Weaver rings will fit on Picatinny bases, but Picatinny rings won’t fit on Weaver bases.

22 Rimfire Rings, Tip-Off Rings and 3/8″ Dovetail Rings
Most .22 rimfire rifles and airguns produced today have cuts running lengthwise in the top of the receiver to mount rings on. Some European .22s and air rifles have grooves that measure 11mm or 13mm. 3/8″ dovetail rings are clamped into the groove of these grooved receivers, these rings are also referred to as rimfire rings, .22 rings, and Weaver brands them Tip-Off rings. There are also rifle found with 3/8″ bases attached to the receiver with screws as a normal base would be, and you can buy 3/8″ bases to add to most firearms without them. Some rifles with a grooved receiver are drilled and tapped for Weaver style bases. We recommend using a Weaver style base in these cases as they offer more area for the rings to grab and are more secure and stable.

Redfield Style
The second most common mount type is the Redfield style. This type of mounting system, like the Weaver, has many clones and manufactures of bases and rings. The bases can be one or two pieces, and are known for their sleekness, and strength. Unlike Weaver style rings, Redfield style rings are not detachable from the rails system. The top half of the rings must be separated from the bottom half to remove your scope. The front ring in the Redfield system has a dovetail that turns into a corresponding slot in the front base, allowing the scope to pivot around this point. The rear ring in the Redfield system sits on the base and is held by two opposing windage screws tightened into the ring. The windage screws have a leading edge that fit a corresponding slot in the ring. By loosening out one screw and tightening the other, the ring moves right and left on the base, acting as an external adjustment. This adjustment allows you to zero the windage of your scope without using its internal adjustments.

Dual Dovetail (DD) Systems
Dual dovetail bases are the same as Redfield style, but instead of the windage screws holding the rear ring to the base, the rear ring is turned in just like the front. This system does not offer the windage adjustments that the standard Redfield style bases offer. This system is secure and a very strong system for heavy recoiling rifles and handguns.

Clamp-on Mounts
Clamp on mount such as made by B-Square, S&K, ATI and other manufacturers allow easy scope mounting on guns that aren’t drilled and tapped for scope mounts. These mounts typically do not require gunsmithing, and are easily removed without any modifications to the firearm. Older and military surplus firearms often benefit greatly with these style mounts.

Choosing the Right Scope For Your Hunting Rifle

Click here to read more.

The first question many people ask when they buy their first rifle is "What kind of scope do I want to mount?" Not that there is anything wrong with iron sights. Many rifles come factory equipped with iron sights that work quite well with little or no sighting in required. But not all of us are blessed with 20/20 vision, and it can be troublesome for older shooters to keep the front sight in focus. Some rifles, particularly bolt action models, are not equipped with iron sights at all and are intended to have some sort of optics system installed.

So for whatever reason, you've made the decision that you want to install optics on your hunting rifle. But what type of scope should be installed? First, you will need to determine the primary role that you intend to use the firearm for. For the purposed of this article, we're assuming you'll be using it for hunting, but what type of game will you be using it for? Medium game such as deer taken at less than 200 yards? Small game such as prairie dogs, or squirrels? Or maybe bighorn sheep or pronghorn taken over 600 yards away? Whatever the purpose, there is an optic that is right for your firearm.

When shopping for a scope, there are three main things you really want to look for: ruggedness, light transmission, and optical quality. The most important of these is ruggedness. No matter how good your scope is, if it cannot hold up to the recoil of your firearm, it will soon be nothing more than an expensive and useless paperweight. The best scopes are rated for impacts of up to 1,000 Gs (1,000 times the force of gravity) meaning that they can be dropped or hit without losing their zero or damaging the internal assembly. Recoil isn't the only thing your optic must endure. Hunting scopes may be subject to a wide range of temperatures from well below freezing to scorching summer blazes. Additionally, the presence of rain, snow, ice, and other moisture means that these scopes must be waterproof and fog proof.

Light gathering and optical quality are very closely related. A scope with poor optical quality will not usually have excellent light transmission. Optical quality is determined by the precision with which the glass is ground into the various lens shapes, as well as by the actual internal clarity and flawlessness of the glass itself. Most glass used for optical lenses comes from either Germany or Japan. Zeiss brand scopes are an example of high quality well built scopes using the finest German glass available. Nikon scopes on the other hand use high quality Japanese optical glass. The best optical glass has superior clarity and almost zero distortion, even near the edges of the lens. Look through a cheaply manufactured scope and you'll see significant distortion around the edges of the image, especially at higher magnifications.

A good scope, even a low-cost quality scope, will have multicoated lenses. Don't be fooled by manufacturers who claim their lenses are "fully coated". Of course the lenses are fully coated, but more important is what they don't say: these cheap scopes have lenses that are only single coated. This reduces the manufacturing costs, but it also reduces light transmission. Multicoated optics enhance light transmission with many top end scopes boasting light transmission rates over 95%.

Top end scopes with excellent optical quality and 95% or better light transmission will give you the brightest clearest image of your target. Many shooters believe that a larger objective gives them a brighter clearer picture and, all things being equal, this is true. But the increased light transmission from the amount of light gathered by a larger objective pales in comparison next to the internals of the scope. While scopes with larger objectives have better light gathering ability at low magnification settings, if they are not multicoated and utilize high-quality glass the actual light transmission will be lower than a scope with a smaller objective but superior glass and coatings. No matter how big your objective is, if the scope is built using low-quality single coated glass it will not have very good light transmission.

For hunting most medium and large game, a variable magnification scope is usually the way to go. Adjustable magnification enables hunters to keep the scope set to low power zoom for fast target acquisition and then transition to a higher power magnification for pinpoint accuracy over hundreds of yards. Large and medium game are most active around dusk and dawn, when lighting is poor. A larger objective enables the optic to gather more light, giving a hunter a clearer brighter image even under low light conditions, but be aware that the quality of the glass and the magnification of the scope will have a much greater effect on the brightness of the image. At higher magnifications less light is gathered, resulting in a darker image. If the game you are hunting is most active in low-light conditions spending your money on a high magnification scope is probably not money well spent.

Many scopes are now available with green or red illuminated reticles. During low light conditions the reticle is also often difficult to see clearly. When the target is in deep cover and long shadows make it difficult to find the crosshairs, an illuminated reticle makes it much easier to see in such conditions. If you want a scope with an illuminated reticle, pay close attention to the levels of intensity available. A reticle that is too bright will bloom and cause glare in low light conditions, but a reticle that is not bright enough will be washed out and difficult to see in full sunlight. Whenever possible, check out the scope before finalizing your purchase. If you are in a retail store, find the darkest corner you can and look through the scope at that area to determine how much detail you can see. Ask the salesperson if you can take it outside to view the illuminated reticle under full sun. Even most online retailers have generous "No-Hassle" return policies that will allow you to test your scope under a variety of lighting conditions before determining whether or not it will meet your needs.

Pay attention to the eye relief that the scope has. For most shooters, 3.5" of eye relief is the minimum you need to keep from getting hit by the scope under recoil. 4" of eye relief is a fairly comfortable distance that allows you to mount the scope a bit forward on the receiver and get a good cheek weld. Be wary when a variable magnification scope has a wide range of eye relief listed. This does not necessarily mean that you can comfortably view the scope at any distance in that range, but rather that the optimum eye relief changes over that distance depending on the magnification the scope is set at. A comfortable 4" eye relief at 3x may turn into an awkward 3" at 9x magnification. This change in optimal eye relief forces the shooter to break their form to accommodate the variations in eye relief distance at differing magnifications. When considering proper eye relief while mounting a scope you should also be aware of what you will be wearing when shouldering your rifle. Bulky clothing and insulated jackets in cold weather can make the eye relief much longer than you need. Before securing the scope in the rings, rest it lightly in place and shoulder the rifle while wearing the clothing you will be wearing while out hunting. You can then move the scope forward or rearward before securing it in place by tightening down the rings.

What magnification should you get for a hunting scope? The answer is "it depends", but you probably don't need as much magnification as you think you do. I've seen many hunters take their 3-9x scope out to the field with the zoom cranked all the way up to 9x, only to find that they can't get the rifle onto the target in time. Even if you do have a deer smack dab in the middle of your crosshairs, at ranges closer than 100 yards all that deer has to do is take a step or two and he's moved completely out of the field of view. Instead of focusing on the magnification of a scope, pay attention instead to the field of view. Consider the size of your quarry and their movement. For example, tf you are hunting deer and know that most of the encounters will be at distances around 100 yards, you'll be best served by finding a scope with a field of view around 20' at that range (generally 3x-5x). This will provide you with a wide enough field of view to be able to easily acquire your target and follow it when it moves, while still giving you enough magnification for extremely accurate shot placement.

When shopping for optics, you truly do get what you pay for. I've seen many many shooters speak with disgust about the poor quality of the scope they just bought. But when I ask them what their budget is for a replacement scope, they often don't want to spend more than $100 or so. I'm not going to lie, I've been that person before. It didn't take me long to learn that money spent on a high-quality scope with a lifetime guarantee from a reputable company is money well spent. You will want to spend as much as you can afford on a name-brand high-quality optical system. It's not unusual to spend as much or more on a high quality scope as you spent on the rifle it rests on. Many people will argue that bargains can be found, and it's true that they are out there, but they are few and far between. You can get by with a less expensive lower quality piece of glass, but until you've peered through a nice (and probably expensive!) multicoated lens system, you'll never know what you're missing. Spend a little bit extra to get the better scope and you won't be left wondering what you could have had if you'd spent a bit more.

Don't get me wrong here, low cost entry-level scopes definitely have their place. Not everyone can afford to spend over $500 on a nice Leupold, Nikon or Zeiss manufactured scope, and there are some good quality budget model scopes out there. If you're looking for a quality optic at a bargain price, you can't go wrong with Redfield scopes. Redfield is Leupold's economy brand of scopes. The optical quality of these scopes rivals the Leupold line, but they are able to keep costs down by keeping the design simple. There are only eight models in the Redfield line to choose from, but this small lineup helps Leupold to keep costs down by reducing design and tooling expenses while allowing them to focus on quality and consistency. Like Redfield, Bushnell brand scopes has a line of budget model scopes sold under the Simmons line. Though definitely entry level scopes, the Simmons brand still has some scopes that are more than adequate for a target shooter and occasional deer hunter.

You've spent good hard earned money on your scope, don't get stingy when it comes to the mounts. You can get cheap aluminum scope mounts for very little money, but again, you get what you pay for. It doesn't matter how good your scope is, if your mounts flex and move you'll never be able to get a good group out of your scope. Steel mounts may be slightly heavier than aluminum mounts, but they are much stronger and more durable. Leupold, Warne, and Weaver solid steel rings and bases are generally accepted as some of the best on the market.

You don't need to spend thousands of dollars on a scope that will be resting atop your $400 rifle. But at the same time, there's nothing worse than finding out that your $100 scope didn't hold a zero when your shot misses that trophy buck. Invest some time and money in finding the right scope for your rifle. Talk to other hunters and shooters and find out what brands they like and which ones they don't. You'll find that many of them have been burned when inferior optics let them down. Learn from their mistakes. When you have a quality scope on your favorite hunting rifle you'll soon find that the money you spent was well worth the trouble and heartbreak you avoid by not having inferior optics ruin the hunt of a lifetime.

Maximum Point Blank Range and the Battlesight Zero

The MPBR is the maximum range at which the bullet rise and drop stays within the vital area of your target. Anyone who has been in the U.S. Army or Marine Corps is familiar with a battlesight zero or improved battlesight zero (BZ0 or IBZ0). The concept for an MPBR or battlesight zero is pretty much the same: zero the rifle so that you get a point of aim that is effective over the longest range. The battlesight zero used by Marines when shooting the iron sight M16A2 is the 36/300 zero, meaning that the bullet will be on the sight line at 36 yards and again at 300 yards. The US Army uses what is referred to as an improved battlesight zero, which calibrates the rifle to be dead on at 50 and at 225 yards. The USMC also uses the 50/225 IBZ0 for M16A3 rifles equipped with Trijicon ACOG scopes.


The illustration above demonstrates how a battlesight zero works. The bullet is fired from the barrel and rises up to be exactly on the line of sight at 36 yards. It then continues to rise, topping out at 6"-7" depending on the round used and the barrel length of the rifle. It then descends until it is again exactly on the line of sight at 300 yards. This gives the Marine a good aiming point for a man sized target at any distance between 0 and just over 300 yards.

From the USMC manual:

If a rifle is zeroed for 300 yards, the bullet crosses the line of sight twice. It first crosses the line of sight on its upward path of trajectory at 36 yards, and again farther down range at 300 yards. Since a bullet crosses the line of sight at 36 yards and again at 300 yards when a rifle is zeroed, a rifle's zero may be established at a distance of 36 yards and the same zero will be effective at 300 yards. It is critical that a Marine fires tightly grouped shots directly on the point of aim when establishing a BZO at 36 yards because any error in shot placement at 36 yards will magnify as the bullet travels down range.

If the rifle is properly zeroed for 300 yards/meters, the trajectory (path of the bullet) will rise approximately 7 1/2 inches above the line of sight at a distance of approximately 175 yards/meters. At other distances, the strike of the bullet will be less than 7 1/2 inches above the point of aim. Only at 36 yards/30 meters and 300 yards/meters does the point of impact coincide with the point of aim. If only a portion of the target is visible (e.g., the head of an enemy soldier), the trajectory of the bullet may have to be taken into consideration when firing at a distance other than 300 yards/meters. If a Marine does not consider trajectory, he may shoot over the top of the target if the target is small and at a distance other than 300 yards/meters.

The 50/225 IBZ0 is useful as the bullet has much less rise at the midpoint of the trajectory. Its shorter effective range is more suited to urban and jungle warfare where visibility is limited and most engagements are at close range. The fact that the bullet rise is lower means that shots taken at ranges between 0 and 250 yards are much more accurate, with a bullet rise less than 2 inches at the midpoint of the trajectory.

The battlesight zero as a concept is very useful to hunters as well. When hunting deer, or any medium sized game, it is rare to know the exact distance that the quarry will be encountered at. Luckily, if your rifle is properly sighted in for its maximum point blank range (MPBR) you don't need to know the exact distance. While the ballistics vary from rifle to rifle, it is generally a simple matter using any number of online ballistic calculators to work out what the ideal zero for your rifle should be. The most critical calculation is your second zero. Based off of the size of the vital area of your target, you can compute the maximum rise and drop tolerable for your cartridge. Most white tail deer for example have a vital area that is generally 10 inches in diameter. Mule deer, elk, and moose have vital areas that are significantly larger. A large mule deer has a vital area around 12" in diameter, an average elk around 15", and a good sized moose nearly 21". A hit from a medium caliber rifle to this area will result in a quick kill. Therefore, if we are hunting white tailed deer, we can tolerate a maximum rise and drop of 5". Using this value, it is simple to calculate that the MPBR for a 180 grain Remington Core-Lokt .308 roundnose soft point cartridge in my trusty Remington 700 is 293 yards, with our second zero at 252 yards. With our rifle zeroed for these distances, we can be assured that a perfectly centered aim on a deer at any distance between 0 and nearly 300 yards will result in a hit in the vital area of our target.

The problem with zeroing your rifle for 293 yards in this case is that not many people have access to a 300 yard range. Not to worry, there are other ways to achieve the same zero for your hunting rifle. As it mentions in the USMC manual we referenced above, you can sight in your rifle at a closer range for the same result. In fact, if you have a good bench rest and a gridded target you can, with a little math, perfectly achieve a MPBR zero on your rifle at any range. Lets assume for this example that our range only has a 50 yard rifle range. We're shooting a Remington 700 chambered in .308 and plan to use the 180 grain Remington Core-Lokt mentioned above. By plugging in the information for that load, we can see that the bullet should hit 2.2" high at 50 yards (if you were at a 100 yard range, it would hit 4.45" high). Our first zero for this rifle and cartridge combination is actually just shy of 20 yards, and you can use that distance if that is the only range available at your local shooting gallery, but be aware that minute errors in measurement which may not be apparent at that close range will be magnified at longer distances, possibly throwing your shot off.

Remember: The Battlesight Zero and Improved Battlesight Zero discussed here only work on 5.56 M16 and AR-15 style rifles. You will need to find the maximum point blank range for your unique rifle, optic, and cartridge combination. Even differences such as the scope you have mounted on your particular rifle will change the MPBR and subsequent zero. Find the manufacturers information on your favorite rifle load, google up a ballistics calculator, and in just a few minutes after plugging in your date you'll have a good MPBR zero for your setup.

Curtis Stone Responds to Our Article on Compensating For Wind

Blogger Curtis Stone from Captain of a Crew of One made some recent comments concerning our recently published article on Reading Wind and Mirage. He mentions the fact that wind will more greatly affect the trajectory of bullets as they continue down range.

One thing they weren't very clear about: Wind effects on bullets over varying distances is not linear because the flight times are not linear.

Due to the drag of the atmosphere through which the bullet is traveling, the velocity of a bullet is constantly decreasing throughout its flight.

Therefore, on a 600 yard shot, the bullet is moving faster during the first 100 yards of travel than during the final 100 yards. Because it takes longer for the bullet to travel that last 100 yards than it does the first, the wind has a longer time to act upon the bullet's path during the final 100 yards.

This is especially true under strong wind conditions.

What that means is you can't just take your 100 yard correction for the prevailing winds and multiply by 6 to get an accurate 600 yard correction.

Curtis is absolutely right. We weren't very clear on this topic in our earlier article, but there is a very good reason we multiply by wind speed and not distance in the examples we use. The effect of a full value wind increases as the bullet slows down. This is part of the reason why it is important to have a chart that calculates the drift at a given distance.

You can multiply by the wind speed, but you can't multiply by the distance. For example, a 5 mph breeze might move a .223 bullet only a half inch at 100 yards. But you cannot multiply that by 6 to get 3 inches at 600 yards. That same 5 mph breeze will blow our little .223 round more than 45 inches at 600 yards. How much of a difference does that make? Curtis breaks it down in his example:

Using the match ammo that I generally prefer: 77gr Sierra Match King HPBT at 2750 fps at the muzzle, the correction for a "full value" 20mph wind at 100 yards is 1.75moa. If I just multiply by six, I get 10.5moa correction at 600 yards. In reality the correction at 600 yards should be 14.5moa. If I just tried to multiply the 100 yard correction by 6, my point of impact at 600 yards would be off by a full 4 minutes of angle or 24". That would take a perfect center "X" hit out to the 6 ring on a standard NRA target. If you were shooting for a bad guy at that range, it would mean a clean miss...unless the bad guy was unusually hefty in which case you might wing him. [Emphasis ours]

The best way to prepare to compensate for wind at varying distances is to have the drift for your load already calculated for various distances (I like to use 50 yard increments) with a 1 mph breeze. In this manner, all you'll need to do is select the appropriate distance, note the drift for a 1mph wind, and multiply by your measured wind speed and value.

This gets more complicated if you have wind breaks or shifting winds. Camp Swift, for example, is notoriously difficult to shoot due to the sometimes inconsistent and shifting winds there. You may have a 5 mph wind blowing one way near the shooting line, and an 8 mph wind blowing the opposite direction near the target. This seems like impossible conditions, but once you realize that it is the wind speed and direction in the final 200 yards leading up to your target that will have the greatest effect on your round, it's not difficult to dial in your wind dope.

We'll have more on this topic later when we address reading wind and mirage during rifle competitions.

Reading Wind and Mirage

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Last week we discussed how to bore sight and zero your scoped bolt action rifle. In that article, we touched on reading or "doping" the wind, as well as reading mirage. Reading wind and mirage is sometimes mentioned in the same breath as black magic and astrology. But taking cues from the wind and mirage is not so much hocus-pocus. There are some simple techniques for accurately reading the wind and mirage that you can use to determine how these conditions will affect your point of impact.

There are two primary atmospheric conditions that can affect the point of impact of your fired round. The first, and most obvious, is the wind. The wind pushes your bullet as it flies downrange, changing the point of impact. Mirage on the other hand can cause your target to appear blurry and distorted, or even have it appear to be where it is not, such that firing at the apparent image of your target will result in your bullet hitting somewhere other than the intended point of impact. Compensating for wind is fairly easy, even for novice shooters. Mirage on the other hand can be a bit tricky. Almost everyone has seen a mirage before. Look out across a blacktop road on a hot summer day and you'll see the watery mirage caused by hot air rising off of the sun baked asphalt. This same phenomenon can plague shooters who are engaging targets at long-ranges, even on overcast or mild days. Mirage is caused by differing air densities between the shooter and the target. For an easy example of what mirage does, examine a spoon setting in a tall clear glass of water. When you look at the spoon, you will notice that the handle above the water appears to be in a different place than the handle below the water. This is caused by light being bent as it passes through the boundary between the denser water and the less dense air. In much the same fashion, light reflected off of your target is bent as it passes between dense cool air and less dense hot air. Still, mirage can be your friend, as we'll discuss later you can use the mirage to your advantage by reading it to get very accurate wind speed estimations.

Wind

The first step in negotiating atmospheric conditions is knowing the wind direction and how much value to assign it. Assessing the direction of the wind is a fairly easy task. Wind flags are used at most long range rifle competitions, and are generally a permanent fixture at established rifle ranges. If your range doesn't have wind flags you can make some easily and inexpensively using some wooden stakes and fluorescent orange engineers tape. The most basic measurement that a flag is good for is determining actual wind direction. This essential measurement will help you to determine what value to give to the wind; full, three quarters, half, or no value. Wind direction is determined relative to the shooter's position using the clock face method, or using the angle measured in degrees. When the wind is blowing at 90 degrees (3 o'clock) or 270 degrees (9 o'clock) relative to your shooting position, we assign it a full value of 1. Wind blowing at 45 degrees, 135 degrees, 225 degrees, or 315 degrees relative to your position is given three quarters value. When the wind is blowing at 0 degrees or 180 degrees (12 o'clock or 6 o'clock) relative to your position it is disregarded and given no value. See the diagram to the right for more details on assigning wind value.

Some shooters try to compensate for bullet drop or rise caused by the wind blowing directly away or directly towards the target. In this writer's opinion, a head or tail wind simply will not affect the bullet flight enough to warrant compensating for. Yes, it is true that a bullet fired into a head wind will drop due to additional aerodynamic drag, but the amount it will drop is almost negligible. At 600 yards, a 150 grain .30-06 bullet will only drop by a half-inch with a 10 mph head wind, a margin of error so small it must be measured in hundredths of a minute of angle (for those doing the math, that's 1/12th or 0.083 MOA). Only a handful of the most accurate shooters in the world can shoot well enough to be bothered compensating for that small of a drop. If you're reading this you're probably not one of them, so don't worry about it.

Once wind direction and value is determined, it's time to measure or estimate the wind speed. An anemometer is probably the most accurate device for measuring wind speed, but there are other methods that you can learn. If you find yourself without an anemometer, you can use the guidelines set forth in the Service Rifle Pamphlet produced in 1931 by the US Army Infantry Team. While the information is old, the guideline is as valid today as it was 79 years ago.

0-3 mph Wind hardly felt, but smoke drifts
3-5 mph Wind felt lightly on the face
5-8 mph Leaves are kept in constant movement
8-12 mph Raises dust and loose paper
12-15 mph Causes small trees to sway

Flags can also be used as a rough estimate of wind speed. When observing a normal rectangular flag, estimate the angle between the flag and the pole and divide that number by 4 to get the approximate wind speed. For example, if a flag is flying straight out at a 90 degree angle, the approximate wind speed is 22.5 mph or greater (90/4). If the flag is limp and flapping in a breeze at a 45 degree angle to the pole, the approximate wind speed is 11 to 12 mph. This same estimation method can also be used for streamers and pennants.

As important as knowing how to read the wind is knowing your cartridge and how your load will be affected by various wind speeds. Many novice shooters simply do not understand, or do not believe, how much of an effect a cross wind can have on even the speediest of bullets. Consider a 55 grain .223 round fired down range at over 3,250 FPS for example. With only a modest 5mph cross wind that little .223 bullet will be pushed over 1/2" off target at only 100 yards. While that might not seem like much, consider that a 10mph wind will result in the same round being pushed more than 1 MOA at any range. Experienced shooters, having been frustrated by wind before, often have the opposite problem and tend to overestimate the effect wind will have on their bullet.

All bullets have a ballistic coefficient that is usually computed by the manufacturer. This number, combined with the flight time of the bullet, can help you determine how much your bullet will be affected by a given wind. By combining the wind direction and value, speed, flight time and the ballistic coefficient of your bullet, you can determine how much to hold over or how much to adjust the windage on your sights. Because of the fact that bullets with differing ballistic coefficients are affected to differing degrees by the wind, there is no hard and fast rule for calculating wind drift. I won't get into the mathematics of computing wind drift using the ballistic coefficient and flight time of your bullet; wind drift charts and calculators are readily available for almost every cartridge load. Use a wind drift chart for your specific load to determine how much holdover or windage adjustment is necessary.

With the information from the appropriate wind drift chart, apply the wind value to determine the actual drift. For example: Our chart shows that M2 match ammunition for an M1 Garand from American Eagle will drift approximately 5.8 inches at 600 yards with a full value wind at 1 mph. If we actually have a 10 mph wind blowing in at a 45 degree angle (1:30 o'clock) we assign it a value of 3/4 and do the math (5.8 inches X 10 mph X .75) to arrive at 43.5 inches of drift. If the wind shifts to be 30 degrees (1 o'clock) we would assign it a value of 1/2, resulting in 29 inches of drift. Doing the math, we correct approximately 5 MOA for wind at 1/2 value and 6.9 MOA for 3/4 value.

Example of a mirage created by a hot blacktop road; image courtesy of BrentDanley licensed under Creative Commons.

Mirage

Hot air rising up from ground that is warmed by the sun distorts the image of your target, causing it to appear blurry, or even appear to be in a location that it actually is not. This is referred to as mirage. To some degree, heat from the barrel of your rifle can also affect your target image. Eliminating mirage from barrel heat is relatively easy. Many benchrest shooters use extended scope tubes so that the hot air rises around the line of sight, eliminating any blurriness caused by the hot air. Another way to divert the hot air is to tape a light colored piece of cardboard or paper along the top of your barrel.

Mirage caused by hot ground baking in the sun is not possible to eliminate, but it can be understood and worked around. Like the spoon in a glass of water, mirage can cause the image of your target to be higher or lower, but luckily this shift is generally not significant enough to need compensation. For the most part, mirage is only problematic due to the blurriness it imparts to your sight picture. It is in this case that the wind can sometimes be your friend. When looking through your scope across a hot field in calm air the mirage appears to be "boiling" as if peering at your target through a puddle of water. When the wind is blowing however, the mirage will "follow" the wind, in some cases blowing away so that you can get a clear sight picture. Of course, as we mentioned in the section above, you will still need to compensate for the wind. That is where "reading" the mirage comes in. When observing mirage, it often appears as waves running in the direction of the wind. Many people find that reading mirage in this fashion gives a very accurate indication of wind speed. You can actually watch the waves from the mirage as they follow the wind, and estimate the actual wind speed from the speed of the waves.

Reading the mirage in this fashion can be difficult with a headwind or tailwind as those wind conditions can cause the mirage to appear be "boiling" when in actuality it is running with the wind directly away from or towards you. As we stated above however, headwinds and tailwinds generally have only a minimal effect on the overall bullet rise or drop, and for all but the most skilled shooters can be disregarded. Some shooters will even adjust for a boiling mirage in calm conditions as the hot air rising off of the ground can impart a small amount of lift or rise to the bullet. Again, for all but the most skilled shooters this adjustment is not necessary. Any lift from hot air is easily and quickly negated by the force of gravity tugging the bullet downwards at 32 feet per second squared.

When reading mirage to get an idea of wind speed and direction it is important to remember that the mirage you are seeing through your scope is only the first couple of feet in front of your target, as that is the only area that is in focus. The mirage existing the rest of the distance between you and the target is not visible because it is outside the shallow depth of field of your scope. To increase your depth of field, you can narrow the aperture of your scope by placing a lens cover with a tiny hole punched in the middle, effectively stopping down your scope and increasing your depth of field to near infinity. Another method for reducing your aperture size is taping over the objective until there is a small hole between 1/8" and 1/2" in diameter. Increasing your field depth in this manner allows you to see shifting winds indicted by the mirage over the total distance between you and the target.

An alternative to this is to change the focus of your scope so that the middle of the distance between you and the target is in focus. By examining the mirage over the total distance between you and the target, small variations in wind direction and speed can be noted and accommodated. While unusual, it is possible to have eddies and even countervailing winds between your firing position and the target. These variances in wind speed and direction will be easy to pick up with a bit of practice studying the mirage at varying distances between you and your target.

Practice Negotiating Wind and Mirage

It is difficult to explain the visual differences between a boil, a mirage running away, or a mirage running towards you. Wind drift is a simple concept to grasp, but it still takes practice to know just how much your particular load will drift. There is really no substitute for actual time spent on the range practicing. You will need to train and practice in order to properly read wind and mirage. On a hot sunny day when the wind is blowing, observe the effect this has on your mirage. With a rifle and scope that have already been zeroed in optimal conditions, take aim at the center of your target and call your shot. Sketch the target in your shooting log and mark the area where you called your shot. When marking your target sketch, be sure to make a note of the conditions in as much detail as possible. Once the range is cold, check your target and compare the point of impact to the called shot on your sketch. Note the differences between the point of aim and the point of impact that the atmospheric conditions have caused. By examining the conditions and the difference between your point of aim and the actual point of impact, you can learn how to best accommodate those situations.

At this point, do not adjust your scope to compensate for the wind or mirage. Instead, hold over the appropriate amount to bring your point of impact to the bullseye of your target. Changing atmospheric conditions can cause you to "chase the wind", adjusting your scope for conditions that may vary from shot to shot. Take aim at the center of the target. Again, call your shot, mark your target sketch and note where the round actually impacted your target, as well as the observed conditions at the moment of the shot. Repeat this procedure and continue to record information. By taking good notes, you will be able to review your information while not at the range and possibly see things that you might otherwise miss while sitting at the bench.

Repeat this procedure for differing conditions whenever possible. The more information you have, the more you will know how to adjust your point of aim for various conditions.

As with most things in life, there is no replacement for experience when it comes to reading wind and mirage. No amount of explanation can substitute for sitting at a bench and observing how differing atmospheric conditions affect the flight of your bullet. Take what you've learned, head out to the range, and see for yourself how long range rifle shooting is affected by wind and mirage. Every range is different and has its own peculiarities, so talk to other shooters and see what you can learn from them about handling wind and mirage.

Keep an eye out next week for our article on compensating for wind and mirage in rifle competitions, where we'll discuss the tips and tricks used by the pros to keep all of their shots in the X ring under even the most demanding atmospheric conditions.

Understanding and Correcting Parallax

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You see the term often used when describing scopes, but what exactly is parallax, and do you need to concern yourself with the parallax settings of a scope? Parallax describes a situation where the focal plane of the object in the scope is offset from the reticle. If you have parallax, you have an optical illusion that must be corrected. Parallax should not be confused with focus. Parallax compensation changes neither the focus of the reticle nor the focus of the image, but simply moves the planes at which these two objects are in focus so that they are coincident (sharing the same plane).

When looking through a high power scope you can identify parallax by adjusting your gaze slightly. If the reticle changes it's position on the target when you shift your gaze, your parallax is not properly compensated for at that range. The reticle appears to move in relation to the target image because the focal planes are not coincident, making it appear to be a 3D image. Properly adjusted, the reticle should appear to be locked in place as if it were painted onto the target so that no matter how your gaze is shifted the reticle position never changes relative to the target.

Consider the image below:



In this illustration, the point where the focal lines cross and form an X is the location of the focal plane for the target image. Note that it is behind the reticle. When the angle at which you are viewing the image through the eyepiece changes, the reticle position relative to the target image will also change.



In this illustration, the focal plane for the target image and the reticle are the same, so no parallax adjustment is necessary. It is possible to have an accurately placed reticle in the first image only if you are looking at through the scope with your line of sight exactly lined up with the reticle and target image. The problem occurs when your line of sight is not exactly lined up, as the point of aim indicated by the reticle is now incorrect. By eliminating parallax and having the target image and reticle on the same plane, you no longer have to have a precise line of sight: no matter what angle you are looking through the scope at the reticle will still accurately indicate the correct point of aim.

Parallax is usually negligible or not present at all in most low-magnification tactical style scopes, as the scope is too short or the range is not long enough. 1x red-dot style scopes generally are parallax free at any range. Even mid-power hunting scopes have very little parallax, and many tactical models such as the UTG 1.5-6x40 illuminated reticle scope do not have parallax compensation, as it is impossible to quickly and accurately determine range in a dynamic tactical situation.

In high-power scopes used over long distances it is necessary to compensate for parallax. High power scopes are usually equipped with a side-mount turret, or adjustment ring located on the objective bell, so that the shooter can move the focal plane of the target and reticle and eliminate parallax. Some of these rings or turrets are marked with various distances, generally ranging from 50 yards to infinity, to indicate the proper setting to eliminate parallax. While helpful as a general starting place, these factory set markings are not always accurate. I find it helpful to manually determine the proper setting at 50 yard increments and scribe or mark those settings on the scope.

Why is it so critical to get a precise parallax compensation setting? The reason is that the amount of parallax increases with magnification, giving you a larger margin of error at higher powers if your parallax is not precisely corrected. On a high-power variable 6-20x magnification scope for example, parallax appears easy to compensate for at the lower 6x magnification setting. Once the zoom is increased to 20x however, it takes a very fine adjustment to completely eliminate parallax.

To measure the actual parallax compensation needed for a given distance and zoom, you will need to head out to a range with known distances and calibrate your parallax adjustment mechanism. Some parallax adjustment systems such as a side-mounted turret have knobs that can be adjusted to "rezero" the mechanism. In order to get consistent parallax compensation, start with the adjustment knob or ring set on the stop past "infinity".

Starting with a scope that has already been zeroed to your rifle, set up the firearm in a stable configuration aimed downrange at your target using sandbags or a machine rest. Your target should be at the maximum distance possible at your shooting range- preferably 1,000 yards, though shorter distances will suffice. With the magnification set to maximum, sight through your scope and slowly shift your gaze while looking for movement of the reticle in relation to the target. Use the parallax compensation turret or objective ring to adjust the focal planes until there is no movement of the reticle when you shift your gaze. Then, using a fine paint marker mark the point on your ring or turret for this range.

You can continue this process at various distances by moving the target closer and repeating the process. If you wish to do so, you can permanently scribe the positions on your ring or turret so that it is easy to consistently return to that point time and again. Remember, when adjusting parallax using a side-mount turret, always start with the turret set against the stop past infinity and then turn it to the appropriate setting. This ensures that there is no slack or backlash that can throw off your adjustment.

Estimating Range With A Mil-Dot Reticle

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It's a common feature found on many scopes and other optics, but what exactly is a Mil-Dot reticle, and how do you use it?

It's important to make clear the distinction between Minutes of Angle and Mils. A Mil, or milliradian is equal to about 3.44 MOA. Most reticles are marked in milliradians using Mil-Dots, while adjustments through the turrets are usually made in fractions of an MOA.

Variable magnification scopes come in two types: First Focal Plane (FFP) or Second Focal Plane (SFP) reticles. Most American scopes have the reticle on the second or rear focal plane, so that the reticle stays the same size as the zoom is changed. European style scopes have the reticle on the first or front focal plane, such that as the magnification on the scope is increased the reticle increases in size. European Mil-Dot reticles are accurate for range estimation at any zoom level. For American style rear focal plane reticles on variable magnification scopes, the Mil-Dot size estimation is only accurate at a certain zoom level. For most variable scopes with a second focal plane reticle the proper magnification is 10x, though this does vary depending on the manufacturer. Consult your owner's manual to determine what zoom level your Mil-Dot reticle is designed for.

Based on a presumed chest height of 15 inches, this deer would range at approximately 1,389 yards.

The first step in using a Mil-Dot reticle is accurately measuring the size of a target in Mils. Once a target of known size is measured in Mils in the scope, a simple calculation is used to estimate range to the target and compensate for bullet drop. Accurately measuring the target in Mils is not easy, and it is necessary to get an approximation down to around one tenth of a Mil. In the photo shown to the left, the chest of the deer reads at approximately 0.3 Mils. Shown here on the internet, this measurement is fairly easy to see, but when staring down a scope that you are struggling to hold steady at a target that may not be holding still, it becomes much more difficult to get an accurate Mil read.

The formula for computing the estimated range is accomplished by taking the target size in yards, multiplying that by 1000 and then dividing the result by the target measurement in Mils. The result is the approximate distance in yards to the target. The formula for meters is the same, with the target size in meters multiplied by 1000 and divided by the target measurement in Mils giving the approximate range in meters.

So, if you have a man sized target that is six feet tall, you would compute Target size in yards (2) multiplied by 1000 and divided by the measurement in Mils. If a six foot tall target, for example, measures 3 Mils, the formula would be 2 X 1000 / 3= 667 yards.

Size of Target In Yards X 1000 / Mils read = Range to Target (in yards)

The formula is the same for meters:

Size of Target In Meters X 1000 / Mils read = Range to Target (in meters)

There are two ways to compensate for bullet drop. One is to use hold-over. This involves changing the point of aim to be somewhere other than the center of the cross hairs of a scope. The other is to adjust the turrets the appropriate number of clicks until the target can be centered in the cross hairs. Once the range is known, the shooter can then make the necessary adjustments to the elevation using the scope turrets, or hold over the proper amount using the Mil-Dots as an aiming system. If you know your rifle is zeroed at 300 yards for example, your target is an estimated 400 yards and your bullet drop at 400 yards is 15 inches, then you would hold just slightly less than 1 Mil high (1 Mil-Dot is 14.4" at 400 yards).

Click to download our free Mil-Dot Range Guide (*.PDF

There are numerous tools on the market that make range estimation using a Mil-Dot system fast and easy. Some use a slide rule type setup where the target size and measurement in Mils is input to the tool, and the range estimate is then shown. Others use a spreadsheet to allow the shooter to quickly find the range estimate. You can download your own "cheat sheet" by clicking on the image shown to the right. Simply save the *.PDF file to your computer and print it out on a plain sheet of 8.5x11 paper. Fold the paper into thirds and cut or tear carefully along the creases and you will have three copies of our Mil-Dot Range Estimation guide you can laminate or simply fold up and take with you.

Here are a few more quick references to help you quickly and easily estimate range using a Mil-Dot reticle: The average adult deer chest is around 18 inches tall. At 100 yards, that deer chest will take measure 5 Mil-Dots, 2.5 dots at 200 yards, 1.6 dots at 300 yards, and 1.25 dots at 400 yards. For calculating holdover, remember that 1 Mil is about 3.44 MOA, so 1 Mil at 100 yards is about 3.5 inches. At 200 yards, that same Mil is about 7 inches, at 300 a single Mil is 12 inches, and at 400 yards is just over 14 inches.

The only way to get good at using your Mil-Dot reticle to estimate range is to practice. Take a hike and set up multiple targets of known size (1 yard/3 foot squares of poster board on stakes work great) at various distances from your shooting bench. Head back and get out your estimation guide, calculator, or pencil and paper and find your measurements and estimated range. Confirm your estimated range figures with a laser range finder, GPS, or other device. Soon you'll be able to quickly and easily estimate the range to nearly any target.

Picking a Fighting Optic

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Whether mounting it on your home defense weapon, outfitting a SHTF rifle, or building a duty gun, choosing the right optic can make a difference in the effectiveness of your long gun. There is no room for compromise when it comes to purchasing an optic that your life or the lives of your loved ones may be dependant upon. If an optic is out of reach of your budget, it may be time to rethink your budget priorities (or time to get a job delivering pizzas). There are basically two choices when it comes to picking an optic: magnified traditional scopes or red dot sights (RDS).

To Magnify or Not

The ability to make precision hits on small or moving targets several hundred yards away will probably not be needed by most people. But if the need is there, nothing beats a variable power scope with an illuminated reticle. These scopes are usually compact and on the low end of the magnification as close to one power as possible. Most have a mil-dot or a reticle designed for close in engagements. These scopes allow the shooter to dial the scope up to the higher magnification needed for long range shooting and dial the scope back to engage nearby targets using the illuminated reticle as a RDS. Scopes such as these include the Leupold Mark 4 MR/T M2 Riflescope and the Leupold Mark 4 CQ/T Riflescope. Another option is a fixed power scope with an miniature RDS mounted on it. This provides the shooter with the option of quick acquisition close range sighting with the RDS, and the precision for longer range shooting with the fixed-power scope, although it does add bulk and weight to your weapon system.

The Ubiquitous RDS

Professionals know that the red dot sight (RDS) almost universally lets the shooter engage targets faster and with more precision. The RDS is also easier to learn to shoot with when compared to the traditional iron sights. When you speak of quality red dot sights, the industry standard is Aimpoint. Adopted by the U.S. Army as the M68 CCO the Aimpoint CompM2 is rugged and features a 10,000 hour extended battery life. Replacing the CompM2 as the M68 CCO is the Aimpoint CompM4 which adds improved energy efficiency with 80,000 hours battery life and the integral mount base screws directly into the sight – no separate sight ring is required. The newest RDS that is causing a stir is the Aimpoint Micro H-1. With typical Aimpoint strength and battery life while weighing in at only three ounces the Micro series is light enough to be used anywhere you might need an RDS.

The Magnified RDS

As was mentioned earlier the option of having a traditional magnified scope with an attached mini red dot sight (MRDS) has been field and battle tested with very positive results. Another application developed from battle is mounting a magnifier behind an RDS. This magnifier is simply that, devoid of reticles or adjustments, its only job to increase the usable distance of the RDS. The most efficient way to mount this to the weapon behind the RDS is some sort of quick detach mount to allow the use of the RDS by itself. There is the Aimpoint Twist Mount and EOTech and others make flip to side mounts (FTS).

Mounts

Your weapons system is only as good as its weakest link, weather that is magazines, ammunition, or you, the shooter. When it comes to your fighting rifle do not let your weakest link become the mount for your optics. Skimping on this would completely undermine the idea of a solid optic for your fighting gun. For magnified optics some of the best scope mounts are the one piece mounts from companies like GG&G such as the AC-30. The other option for mounting a traditional or tactical magnified scope on your fighting gun is simple quality rings from companies like Leupold and Warne. For attaching a 30mm RDS the Aimpoint QRP is hard to beat and GG&G is one of many manufacturers that offer an Aimpoint Cantilever Ring mount for those that need to mount a 30mm RDS further forward.

Conclusion

No matter which optic you choose, remember to practice, practice, and practice some more with your entire weapons system. This practice will ensure your ability to deliver shots on targets and determine any weaknesses with your weapons system, not to mention the benefits that practice has on your confidence, confidence that you may find useful some dark day.