Only target shooting, do you re-zero for shooting each distance?

Tumblinginflight said:

I would dial. Many people disregard it, but it is a skill and a science worth learning, understanding, and practicing. In the past is was acceptable for scope manufacturers to produce optics that did not track worth a darn, and “set it and forget it” was the name of the game. Fortunately as manufacturing and consumer standards have improved, largely so too has scope tracking.

I also suggest shooting grid targets if possible. It allows you to align the entire reticle to the grid, making precise alignment easier. A bonus is that it’s virtually unaffected by magnification, so you can use whatever you like. Note, I got somewhat close holding a phone, but my degree is not in photography! Hopefully you get the idea..

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Bedrock Bob said:

I feel that clicking your scope to zero at various yardages is problematic unless you are target shooting at known ranges.

It deprives you of learning the trajectory of your rifle. The POI is always near the dot and you don't instinctively learn the arc of the pellet. If you use the dots to follow the POI down you learn your drop visually over a few thousand shots and have a very good idea where to aim with no clicking, dope cards or calculations. You just verify it by anchoring your POA in relation to a dot.

Guys who shoot duplex reticles and open sights learn the mystical flight of the pellet and aim accordingly. They adjust a bit if they miss the first shot. Guys who click or shoot off dots do exactly the same thing. If they toss one in the corn they adjust for their error. They just arrive at their initial POA (best guess) differently.

Shooting targets is a static affair. Knowing how many clicks to give it to get you close is an art and science in itself. Some guys are very efficient at it. For targets clicking to zero may be the best way to place your first shot. And first shots may often be closer.

Same with the dots. You don't really need a dot shooting 25-50 but it may help some guys with reference. It confuses me. I often line up on the wrong dot at long ranges. But that's how I shoot a rifle with a mil dot scope... using holdover as an aiming point and knowing where each yardage falls along the vertical crosshair.

I have a scope with target turrets and a wide adjustment range. I've never used those features. For me it makes more sense to estimate yardage with my naked eye, visualize the drop of the pellet in my mind and cross check that with a dot on the vertical crosshair. Then toss one out there and see how close it is. Then adjust a little if needed.

I'm a big believer in "feeling" them in there by visualizing the arc of the pellet. So I use one magnification (4-6x) and learn the arc instinctively. Some folks have brains that work with measurements and numbers and prefer following a mathematical arc by adjusting the scope. Both are a great way to place that first shot on a range transition. Both will get that first shot close.

That first shot may or may not go on the spot with either method. At that point you decide whether to make another scope adjustment or use a little Kentucky windage (or Wyoming elevation). If your clicking the scope you may as well zero it on the dot. Otherwise you just hold a little differently.

I shoot open sights a lot. With a peep you HAVE to click your elevation on transitions so you automatically learn to click on zero. Again it deprives you of learning the arc. You are effectively shooting off the crosshair with a peep sight. Transitions are slow and laborious. You can't shoot at 10 yards and then engage a target at 65 without cranking on the sights. Lots of guys that shoot peeps dial the turrets on a scope. That's how they learned elevation.

Open sights are great for instant range transitions. Like shooting off the dots in the scope. You just estimate range, visualize the arc of the pellet and aim accordingly. I think most guys who learned to shoot with open sights use the mill dots in the scope. It corresponds with the way they have learned to handle trajectory.

Shooting targets you have fewer transitions so lots of guys use peep sights and adjustable turrets. Plinking or hunting you will find very few guys using peep sights or clicking turrets because every shot is a range transition. IMHO it's much better to make your transitions instinctively rather than re adjusting your scope (or peep) every shot. That's probably because I learned to shoot instinctively with open sights in field conditions rather than at a bench at a target at a given range with a peep sight. Others may find it better to get that first shot close mathematically and go from there.

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BeMeUp said:

In Wftf and open class most click one shot per target and you move to next target correct ranging is imperative,I disagree about not learning the arc of the pellet to click properly if like myself I don’t use a ballistic chart I zero at 27 yds, then move my target to ten yards shoot see the holdover,record that, click up to bull record that, move to 11 yards repeat do that till I hit zero usually 18-20 yards,move target to 35 ydssee how close to zero then go every yard to 55, I get the holdover and turret click numbers, clicking helps me when light conditions make it hard to see hold overs its easier to see the center cross hairs

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Bedrock Bob said:

That works great in a match where every shot counts. It sucks when plinking shotgun shells from 20-75 yards. You have to learn your transitions instinctively or you wind up spending more time estimating range and adjusting your scope.

Once again you do your best and learn from your misses. Pretty soon your instinctive hold over becomes mighty close. The best shot in the field is the guy that can learn from his misses quickly.

Imagine hunting jackrabbits and having to dial a scope! Or shotgun shells that jump 5-20 yards with each hit. You just aren't going to dial every shot. Your going to have to learn to hold over instinctively and then know how to correct for error whether it be elevation or windage.

What makes sense in the rarified air of competition shooting is often contrary to how you shoot in practical applications.

There is no way I could compete in a match with guys who dialed every shot. That's precision. On the flip side a guy that can't make instinctive transitions is going to come up short when plinking or hunting. I'll hit a shotgun shell 6-8 times and knock it completely off the range by the time you could click for your second shot. Yes I'll miss a couple times. But I can hit more times in a shorter amount of time. Instinctive accuracy will trump precision every time in most shooting situations outside of a target range.

So I suppose it's all just a matter of what works best in your situation. If you have the time and a stationary target clicking may be the best way to make every shot count. Shooting a target that repositions itself every few seconds is a completely different ball game.

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