MIL-DOT Recticle - Huh?

I

illinoisboy

New member
Got one of them fancy pants mil dot scopes.
The first line of the directions says, "The mil dot recticle takes the guesswork out of long shots". While I don't doubt this statement (and hope it's the truth) the guesswork of figuring this out the directions remains - for me, anyway!
How in tarnation do ya' make sense o' the directions. (Translation for my California friends - "Yo' - 'sup with the dot, homefry"?)
smile.gif

The instructions include the measurements of the recticle, broken down into M.O.A. and mils. Uhhhh... what does this all mean? Or, would I be better off not fooling with all this mess - just zero and shoot!
Your patience and expertise with this "hillbilly" would be appreciated.



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illinoisboy

Home of the fried 'possum fritter"
 
Maybe you can send it back? In all seriousness, I don't know a single legit predator hunter that uses a mildot reticle. Perhaps "snipers" have a use for it, but the consensus among all the top people is ...too much clutter, and no time to use it.
 
Dang it Leonard...
There ya' go - a' call'n me an "illegitimate" predator hunter...
smile.gif

(I'd prefer - rebellious!!)
If no one else has any suggestions, I'll just zero and shoot... long as the crosshairs are pinned to their ribs, they may not find out that I'm "illegite" !!!

(This was a birthday gift from my wife - sending it back is not an option!!!!)

[This message has been edited by illinoisboy (edited 12-15-2001).]

[This message has been edited by illinoisboy (edited 12-15-2001).]
 
Leonard - and all...
My thought was to put this scope on a Mod 700 in 257 Roberts an poke holes in the local groundhog population next season. (Seems to be a whole passle o' them critters that has show'd up lately in my
neck-o-the-woods) Ever-body knows there aint noth'n better'n groundhog pudd'n with a
big-o-wad o' whupp'n cream on top of it!
smile.gif

I just can't figure out the directions to use the mid-dot system... (No wonder - look at the way I speak!!) Surley someone out there is smart'rn me... If not - we're in trouble!!
 
Theres a few places on the net that explain them in a easy to understand way..Once you get the hang of it, it gets pretty easy. You need to know the height of the target, then the mil dot system will calculate the distance.....
wink.gif
..doo dah...
biggrin.gif
They do make calculators that do all that for you, but that takes time. Snipers do this all the time so it's second nature to them. Using something like a mil-dot for predators is like Leonard said, impractical. But for varmints like GH's and PD's, they can work pretty good, if they stay in one spot for awhile.

www.swfa.com/mildot/
www.snipersparadise.com
www.snipercountry.com
http://webarmory.ixworld.com/faqs/Optics/Optics3.html

Those links have areas for mil-dot scopes

Good Luck!
Bob
 
Big Jerk... "I Love You - Man!!
By the way, you speak as though you may own one of these scopes... making you an...
"Illegitimate Predator Hunter"
smile.gif

A couple more and we could start our own organization.
smile.gif

Thanks for the links and info guys...
This thing looks like it's more trouble than it's worth!! Of course, don't tell my wife as she is purty darn good with her S&W...
I guess I could stick it on my old single shot shotgun and tell her it's for those "special hunts"!!

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illinoisboy

"Home of the fried 'possum fritter"
 
Big Jerk and Leonard...
I went to the links BJ posted. Here's the scenario...

It was a warm morning... when I notice Mr GH out in my neighbor's bean field, jest-a munch'n away. I fired up my laptop and brought up the M.O.A. / MIL calculations program. The distance was a cool 400 yds, judging by my new "MIL-DOT Scope". The processor whired as yardage and windage calculations were made - wait a minute, he moved a row to the lima - got to add a yard!!
That's it!!! I sight in and slowly squeeze the trigger... POW... off he runs to his hole!!! I could miss the same shot with open sights... Boys - this ain't worth it!!

Oh yeah - if any of this gets back to my wife, I will bang you on the head with my new MIL-DOT Scope!!!

[This message has been edited by illinoisboy (edited 12-15-2001).]
 
I'm sorry if it sounds disrespectful, but I am being completely candid, none of these local guys, most of which are hardcore...none of them bother with trick reticles. Factoid: there may be more serious predator hunters in Los Angeles County than in the whole State of Illinois.

A simple duplex or a heavy duplex is all you need, especially at night. You mention PD and 'chucks; there's your application, not predator hunting. But that's just my personal opinion.

Good luck, hope you have much success with your new scope. LB
 
Leonard is right, mil-dot is for LONG RANGE shooting like for PD"s etc.

Most coyotes are taken well under 100 yards. Once in awhile I shoot alittle over 100 and my farthest is 182 yards in 4 years of doing this.

They are nice scopes though.............
 
Guys...
No offense taken at all. I appreciate the "truth". I'm just 'fun'n with ya'.
I'm ordering a B-Square scope mount for that single shot shotgun... I don't have the patience for all the gizmo stuff...
 
How the hell did you know I was illegitimate?.....wait a sec....Dad?
biggrin.gif
I'm still waiting on that bike I never got!!!


Actually Illinoisboy, it's like anything else...it's all good. I'd take a mil-dot if it was givin to me...damn right..I'd have fun with it too. Just like if someone gave me a .17...cliques be damn...I'd have a blast with it. You're lucky your wife even thought of getting you something like that...you could have gotten socks!
biggrin.gif


I have one of those fancy pants Springfield Armory Range Finding Lit Recticle Slap My Butt and Call me Nancy scopes perched on my M1A....the damn recticle looks like a HUD display on an F-16...pretty damn useless......but it's pretty and I got it for practically nothing..what the hell. The NM M1A will shoot better off of iron anyway.

Have fun!!

One of the Bastid Boys...
Bob
 
ILLINIOSBOY,
I CURRENTLY USE THE MILDOT RETICLE AND I LIKE IT VERY MUCH HOWEVER, YOU MUST HAVE SOME IDEA OF YOUR TARGET SIZE TO EFFECTIVELY USE THIS PARTICULAR RETICLE. ITS MORE OF A SNIPER RETICLE BUT, YOU CAN USE IT FOR LONG RANGE HUNTING SITUATIONS PROVIDED THAT TIME PERMITS. THE WAY I WAS INITAILLY TAUGHT WAS BY DOING THE MATH BASED ON THE 3.6 INCHES AT 100 YARDS ETC. THIS IS TOO TIME CONSUMING FOR MOST HUNTING APPLICATIONS. WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND TO YOU IS A PRODUCT THAT I USE CALLED A MILDOT MASTER. WITH THIS IT WILL GIVE YOU READINGS FOR YOUR COME UPS ETC. YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CALCULATE TARGET DISTANCE, READ YOUR MILS AND ALSO FIGURE OUT ANGLED SHOTS (UPHILL/DOWNHILL). ITS A NICE FEATURE BECAUSE THE STEEPER THE DEGREE OF ANGLE THE MORE IT WILL FACTOR IN WITH YOUR FIGURING OUT YOUR TARGET DISTANCE. I WILL BE HONEST WITH YOU THOUGH IN MOST HUNTING SITUATIONS THAT I HAVE ENCOUNTERED THIS RETICLE HAS NOT BEEN USED DUE TO THE RANGES BEING ALL UNDER 250 YARDS. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR SCOPE. ITS NOT HARD TO DO BUT, CAN BE ALITTLE INTIMIDATING AT FIRST.
 
illinois boy
I just got a 4.5x14-40mm AO scope. It is a Leopold VariXIII. What Brand is your mildot scope and what is the power factor installed on it? Because if you really dont like it, or dont feel that we might be able to work something out in terms of a trade. I am a Burris and Leopold man myself.

I am not going to get into HOW to use your mildot (There are actually a couple variations out there, and you did not say which one you have), there is an article on www.snipercountry.com that explains it better than I ever could.

Mildots work best on flat-trajectory rounds.
Also they replace guesswork with science, but for many science can be timeconsuming and tedious. Basically you have to memorize things with mildots. Myself I like science.

Anyhoo, the scope above has the "Leopold dot" rectile, which is why I got it so cheap. It will not work at night, of that I am sure, so I was going to have the recticle changed. But I will hold off until you let me know if the above interests you, and if it also appeals to me. I surely would not want to change the rectile to something you would not like.

TFC..some on the board will give you a sound chastizing for typing in all caps. Not I, but certainly others. Around here it means you are screaming at us. So hit the release pard. Just a little piece of advise from a person whose gentlemanly side is firmly in control today.



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Safety,Ethics, Accuracy, Velocity, Energy
 
tackdriver thanks for the advice. i am aware of some who think that caps is yelling. on my job its how i was trained to do things so i do it out of force of habit. its ridiculous to me that people get hung up on this but, whatever. just for the record because i am use to it i prefer reading all caps. people are individuals this is a message board not a grammar/typing course. people need to lighten up. my advice is for people to ignore my posts should they not be able to read the way i was taught to type.
 
I have to agree with what several have said. The Mil-Dot has no real practical use in predator hunting. I own a couple Mil-Dots. One is a Leupold on a .308 Rem PSS. It sits in the closet. The other is on a AR I use for calling sometimes. Main reason I bought the one for the AR is 1. It was cheap. 2. The crosshairs were very fine. 3. Came with a free pair of binos!
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This scope has worked great for a cheap scope and the binos are really decent too. But I have yet to use the Mil-Dot in the field. It would be pointless of course with a .223. I think MD recticles are for 400+yd work. When calling the target should be a fraction of that. I have used it a couple times on groundhog shoots but I still did not use the MD recticle the way it is supposed to be used. I used it more as reference marks for holdover. Having said all that, I have used a Duplex recticle many times to estimate range on deer and coyotes. A much faster and simpler process for my peanut brain. LOL

Later, Curt
 
Curt

Im like yourself. I have one on a .22 Hornet and i dont use it as it is intended but i do use the dots as a referance for holdover.

But as you also mentioned when i call fox's in i dont intend on shooting them out at 200 300 yards anyway its more like 50 or so.
 
YO Yo Rightcoaster,Homeboy learned how to shoot by a mean SOB in a Smokey Bear Hat. The basic psycology was used, If you miss Smokey puts the hurt on you.You learn Geometry & Physics easily. Self preservation being ruler of all, Shoot straight=No Pain.Me and everyone was called all kinds of names-that don't mean nothin' - But ILLEGITIMATE Man, thats deep.
 
Yo illinoisboy, My buddy has a MIL-DOT on his AR15, he can hit the flea on a dogs ass at 500 yrds, but he's one of those speacial forces syco types, as for myself, I'd go with the zero it in and shoot, it works for me anyways. My brain and my pocket book can't handle all that fancy shmancy stuff.Good Luck

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Thonzberry
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Hunting, There's nothing better!

[This message has been edited by Thonzberry (edited 01-02-2002).]
 
the mil-dot reticle is made for the military sniper the mil actually stands for miliran it is a unit of measurement to put it simply is a 6 ft man standing at 100 meters not yards you must also know wether or not it is for the 7.62 or 5.56 because they do make both and they are ballisticlly calculated for those calibers and if you don't have it one one of those good luck you probaly would be better off zeroing and just shooting it hope this help also try a search for the "mil-dot master" it will explain it better
Originally posted by illinoisboy:
Got one of them fancy pants mil dot scopes.
The first line of the directions says, "The mil dot recticle takes the guesswork out of long shots". While I don't doubt this statement (and hope it's the truth) the guesswork of figuring this out the directions remains - for me, anyway!
How in tarnation do ya' make sense o' the directions. (Translation for my California friends - "Yo' - 'sup with the dot, homefry"?)
smile.gif

The instructions include the measurements of the recticle, broken down into M.O.A. and mils. Uhhhh... what does this all mean? Or, would I be better off not fooling with all this mess - just zero and shoot!
Your patience and expertise with this "hillbilly" would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
 


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