SmallCaliberCentral

Just sighted in my 204 with the new Leupold VXL 6.5 - 20 x 56 extreme varmint reticle.

A bit confused in regards to using the additional aiming points at different power settings. As per the instructions, I am supposed to have a 200 yd zero and because I am using the extreme varmint, I am supposed to have it set all the way to 20x when sighting in. Then I should have aiming points for 3, 4, 5, and 600 yds (roughly).

My question is if I try to sight in on a sod poodle out at 400 yds and I get mirage at 20 power and have to crank back down to probably 10 to 15 (which is very realistic), will the additional aiming points still be the same. It does not appear that way to me. Is there a chart available that can be used for the different power settings for use of the extra aiming points?
I know Rick emphasizes and likes to use "come up" charts and just dial them little buggers in. I would like the option of using both systems. In a busy field full of sod poodles, I don't want to have to continuously crank up and down on the elevation knob.

Gube: You have to choose one system or the other. If you want to use the VH reticle, you have to keep the power setting on the large triangle and keep it there while using the reticle. If the power setting is not set on the triangle, the reticle won't work for the dead-on aiming point on whatever hash mark you're using.

Most of my newer varmint scopes have that reticle, and it works for quickie shots when no time to dial up. But when I'm out after Skippy, I almost 99% of the time dial to get the range/drop exact.

Nice system, but you can't change the power setting for mirage, as if you do, it won't work they way it's designed.

Thanks for the reply Rick. At the back of the instruction booklet they list another way to sight it in. Set up a large target and shoot a group at it from 500 yds away using the main crosshairs (200 yd zero) on the target. Impact will be signifacantly lower. Take a black marker and make a circle around the group of bullet holes and fill in the circle. Go back to the 500 yd mark and place the reticle back on the initial target spot. Now adjust the magnification untill the 500 yd hold over is in the center of the black dot that you made with the felt marker.
This can be checked at all of the hold over distances.
I would imagine that by looking through the scope at the two reference points and changing the power, one could get a pretty good feel of where those hold over points will be at at the lower magnifications. I have a lot of testing to do.

Gube: Hummm, this is new twist they've put into the instructions since I purchased my VHR Lupy's. Makes sense, and should work for calibers that do not coincide with the hash marks precisely.

I'll stick to 'Dial-A-Rat'. Been doing it for so long, it just comes natural. BUT...it sure is nice to have the ability to use that reticle for quick shots when time does not permit dinking around with turrets.

Rick, how do you keep track of how many clicks/minutes when you go from range to range? Do you go back to a "base" (sight in) point each time or what? Do you use a 'range book' or do you have the minutes memorized?
Thanks

Gube: I use the base reference of the 100 yard zero setting on the elevation adjustment. Every time I dial up, it is from the base refeence of 100 yard zero. Once the rifle has been sighted in dead-on at 100 yards, the elevation turret is set to "zero". Then you only need to glance at the turret to know how high the settng is adjusted.

When finished shooting, even for a cleaning sesssion, I always reset the turret to zero so there is no confusion when I start shooting again. This is especially important if you're done for the day, and take the rifle home. The next time you take her out, you know exactly where she's set.

Gordy Gritters wrote a pretty good article on long range shooting in the latest issue of The Varmint Hunter Magazine, and his method mirrors my own system. You may want to check it out.

Once you get this system in use, and get familiar with it, it's really a no-brainer, and you'll be comfortably making very long range hits that you never thought possible on a consistent basis.

I am a big fan of the "dial a dog" school of thought myself after trying a number of different reticles. The beauty of this system is that once you dope things out for a particular cartridge and write it down you have it nailed for that set up from there on out. It is important to get a scope that re-settable zero on the turrets so that once you find your hundred yard zero (or whatever you use), you can zero the turret out there and make it easy to get back to zero. I used to try to dial for wind as well, but found that to be a pain, so now I like mil-dot reticles where I can dial in elevation and use the mil-dots on the horizontal stadia for windage hold off reference points. I have also found the following web link very useful:

http://www.eskimo.com/~jbm/calculations ... _card.html

Enter in your bullet type, chrono the speed, enter scope height etc. and it will kick out a chart for you that can reference for MOA, clicks (1/8, 1/4, etc.), mil's, inches, etc. for drop and wind. I personally kick out a chart with MOA and mils' and use the MOA for dialing in drop and the mils for wind. If my actual experience turns out to be different I can tweak it and record the real numbers, but this system will get you real close out of the gate.

Good luck-