My Nemesis

[cavedweller]

scenario is straightforward:
Black crow target see picture at corner of building
1” KZ
30 yards out
My scopes illuminated reticle is ON
But
I still play hell finding the reticle for proper holdover against a black field target
Especially tough in darker lanes
Suggestions?

 

[Oddhawk]

I would like to be able to offer suggestions but!!? I am curious what others have as I have kind of a similar ordeal! I shoot at night due to my yard being in the middle of a small village, I shoot at little pill bottles and have a hard time finding the cross hairs and the Ir reticle drowns out the pill bottles. Usually I try to find it with the outside thicker lines I can see and do it by feel, sometimes it works good and others well!!!?

 

[Uglyjohn]

I do the target maintenance at our club in Minnesota where most of the lanes are dark (oak woods). I like to use light colors on the face plates and light but still contrasting colors on the KZ paddles. As the KZ gets shot up the contrast improves. Uj

 

[beerthief]

HAHAHA my wife said "Glitter spray paint on KZ's

 

[Franklink]

Find your holdover point on the reticle while off to the side, where it's more visibly seen. Then swing over while focusing your eyes on that holdover point of the crosshairs.

For my eyes I've found that it's easier to visually keep the crosshair than it is to FIND the crosshair on a dark target.

 

[Ranchibi]

Paint the crow a gray color light enough to see.....or most any other color than black? You could also point an LED flashlight on it.....

 

[ToddGeddes63]

You could put a piece of white cardboard behind the crow targets and that should give you contrast against the black?

 

[steve123]

Easy - a mil tree reticle with .2 mil hashes and daylight bright illume.

 

[cavedweller]

Paint the crow a gray color light enough to see.....or most any other color than black? You could also point an LED flashlight on it.....

Part of the point of the black crow is simulation of a dark target in a dark woodland hft setting

 

[cavedweller]

Easy - a mil tree reticle with .2 mil hashes and daylight bright illume.

Any chance you have a scope in mind with this feature? @steve123

 

[carey54]

Any chance you have a scope in mind with this feature? @steve123

Nightforce- NX8- MilC reticle FFP

 

[Ranchibi]

Part of the point of the black crow is simulation of a dark target in a dark woodland hft setting

Totally understand! Crows even though they are black in color have a sheen to them even in low light, maybe use a dark gray spray on parts of it so you can guesstimate where to take a shot. I shoot rats in my back yard and their underbelly is a lighter color that makes them more visible even though the top part blends in with the dark back ground and I can safely take a humane shot.

 

[cavedweller]

Nightforce- NX8- MilC reticle FFP

Well damn, but but but…I’ve considered maybe I need to have my eyes checked for cataract issues

 

[Solo1]

Have you tried adjusting your ocular while looking at the crow? Perhaps you can get it clearer thatway

 

[cavedweller]

Have you tried adjusting your ocular while looking at the crow? Perhaps you can get it clearer thatway

occular is spot on - pun intended.

 

[scotton]

Totally understand! Crows even though they are black in color have a sheen to them even in low light, maybe use a dark gray spray on parts of it so you can guesstimate where to take a shot. I shoot rats in my back yard and their underbelly is a lighter color that makes them more visible even though the top part blends in with the dark back ground and I can safely take a humane shot.

I don't think he's trying to practice shooting actual crows, he practicing for field target. Match directors aren't going to put an artificial sheen on a crow target after they went through the trouble of putting the target in a dark place.

I've had issues range finding dark targets in a dark spot, but I've never had an issue with seeing the reticle. Maybe your reticle is too thin? My biggest issue is finding the kill zone on a short 3/8" kz target that is shot up. Figuring out which piece of bare metal to shoot at can be a challenge.

 

[cavedweller]

Yep as Ranchibi suggests... it's a field target issue and at 16 X for HFT the reticle of a FFP scope is small/thinnish.
Black on Black is tough and in a way i like it when the center is more shot up because i can at least find the faceplate and take a guess at the KZ.
I usually paint my KZ paddles bright yellow or White for maximum contrast but a shot or two later things dark out.

 

[Frank in Fairfield]

scenario is straightforward:
Black crow target see picture at corner of building
1” KZ
30 yards out
My scopes illuminated reticle is ON
But
I still play hell finding the reticle for proper holdover against a black field target
Especially tough in darker lanes
Suggestions?
View attachment 466718

I thought your rifle was shooting flat from 27-43?? You said so in an other post. But, you hav learned NO rifle shoots flat from any distance. Gravity is a constant and the pellet drops immediately when leaving the barrel.

 

[steve123]

Nightforce- NX8- MilC reticle FFP

Yep or ATACR.

Cave, I'd pick the Athlon Ares ETR 3-18x50. It focuses down to 10Y and has daylight bright illume.

March has a few with .2's but only illumed to .4 mil out from center.

The center dot in the Athlon Ares ETR 15-60 is daylight bright but it's in MOA. I've been shooting FT for 24 years so I kinda know how far off to aim from center without hashes but picking a spot on the target to aim at with the bright dot helps when a target is in a darker area.

The one that wouldn't work for FT but great for UFT or EFT at night is the Cronus G2. The Helos G2 6-24 I also use for night matches and it focuses down to 10Y. The Helos G2 is barely daylight bright and the Cronus is very bright, almost red dot bright.

 

[cavedweller]

I thought your rifle was shooting flat from 27-43?? You said so in an other post. But, you hav learned NO rifle shoots flat from any distance. Gravity is a constant and the pellet drops immediately when leaving the barrel.

this nemesis thing is about being able to see my scopes reticle to create / find my holdover point within the KZ on a field target - not guessing where the bullseye is. And yes my Alphawolf shoots "essentially" flat but as learned it is characteristic of the "scope height" center of barrel to center of scope thing. Refer to the picture at corner of building i posted earlier in this thread.