BDC or Not?

[RiverRob]

Well I am in the market for another Nikon. This one is going on top of a Browning A-bolt Hunter .243. Im going to use it with 58 grain Vmax or 55 grain winchesters for praire dogs then load up with some heavies for the wife to hunt deer with. After this summer it wont be used for praire dogs again. For praire dogs shots will be taken out to 300+ yards. For deer the shots wont be much more then 150. Is worth the BDC reticle, how hard is it to sight in the BDC's with different loads. They say zero at 100 2nd is 200 ect, id figure its more like 1st zeroed at 100 2nd might be 147 or 3rd 233 or something, unless your shooting a certain load, is this so? Im thinking it might be easier to just go with the standard reticle. Whats the deal?

I see some scopes set up so if you use a certain ammo the scope is set up for bullet drop compensation. although with these, how do you get ammo to hit at 200 yards where the 200 yard circle is and so on? what if you scope is zeroed at 100 yards and the 200 yard shot hits in the ring of the BDC or something like that. i am going to use this rifle with 55-58 grain loads to varmint hunt and 85-100 grainers for deer, i wouldnt really need the BDC for deer because the ol lady would be keeping shots with 150 yards, although if need be the BDC would make a shot not taken into a kill shot. i dont want to spend alot of time dickin with the scope with differing loads and adjusting, so would it be worth while, i would love to take some long shots at praire dogs, would be it be easier to zero at 200 yards and hold over for bullet drop?

[DIXIEDOG]

I think most manufactures include a cheat sheet to help you determine dots for yardage. Burris include one and they list the caliber, weight of bullet in grains, and velocity then they tell you approx where each dot lies with that catridge. (Example 100 yd zero , 2nd dot is 200yd, 3rd is 250yd This is just an example not an actual from their paperwork included with scopes)

[freakshow10mm]

I sight in all my rifles for maximum point blank range. Put the crosshairs in the middle of the target and squeeze the trigger. Done. Now get out your knife and get skinning.

[ginshun]

I have to agree with Freakshow. My 22-250 has mil-dots and target turrets that I play with when target shooting and probably will if I ever get out and shoot some varmints, but for all my deer rifles or anything that I might want to take a quick shot with, its not worth putzing with that stuff IMO. Sight in for maximum point blank range. Unless you do a lot of long range shooting and are shooting from a well supported shooting position, you probably shouln't be shooting at anything farther away than that anyway.

There are good explanations for sighting in this way on a few different sights, but basically it means that you figure out your kill zone, say 6" for deer, then you sight in so that wherever your cross hairs are, the bullet never travels more than 3" above that point, and then it will drop to 3" below that point at its maximum point blank range. That way you never need to "hold over" from 0 out to that range, just aim dead on and shoot. With a 6" kill zone your max point blank range with a 243 and 100grain bullets is going to be in the 280yard range.

There are better explanations out there, but that is it in a nutshell.

[skinewmexico]

Nope. The elevation knob is there for a reason, just laser the target and crank it. The JBM ballistics calculator is great for printing your own cards for come ups. You can input your actual bullet, and the distances you use the most.

For deer, if you're zeroed at 100, you gonna be close enough to hit.

[HOGGHEAD]

I have used and own the Nikon BDC, Burris Ballistic Plex, and both the Leupod VH and B&C reticles.

Of the 4 listed the Leupold reticles are the best and easiest to use. The Burris comes in second, and the Nikon BDC comes in last. I actually dislike the BDC. I prefer to use a crosshair, and not a circle. I prefer to pick a spot when I shoot, and with the BDC you are looking through a circle.

To answer your question as to how it works. The power selector ring is basically your adjustment. The scope tells you what power to set the scope at for specific drops. You can then play with the power to fine tune your own rig. Tom.

[RiverRob]

Thanks for the input, the main reason i wanted something like the BDC reticle is for trying to shoot praire dogs at ranges from 100 yards out to 500 yards. I have a standard reticle on my Tikka ought 6 and does the job. I was thinking adjustable turret or a bullet drop compensator scope to have fun going the distance. A long range scope is not needed I guess, since ill only go out a couple times for dak rats anyhow, then it will be soley a deer rifle for the ol lady.

[RiverRob]

Went with the standard reticle.