[ekaphoto]

You can use your duplex reticle scope to estimate range. Here is how. first of all you need duplex reticle and a variable power scope.

Put up the width of what you are going to shoot at intervols of 100 yards (or 50 etc). A B27 target would probably work for snipers.

Put your scope at the lowest power.

Starting at your nearest target adjust the power setting until the width is between the duplex. Mark that range on your scope.

Go to the next one and do the same thing.

You could also use the width between the verticle line and the duplex part.

Also knowing the of a given object and where it sits in your duplex can be used as well.

Another variation is using the height of a given object and using the duplex in that manner.

I'm not claming this is a perfict system or that it is as good as a mil dot, but its about knowing how to use the equiptment you have. Not wishing for equiptment you don't have. Hope this helps, and I didn't confuse you too much.

 

[Crazdgunman]

Yep, that is a good trick.

It's a variation of the system that Tasco used to use on it's varmint scopes, with thier two stadia lines. (I had a shooting buddy who just loves his.)


Another method I use involves my Leupold Vari-X III 6.5-20x40AO, a very popular varminting scope. It just happens that a ground squirrels head is about 1.3 inches, measured vertically. On 20 power, from the cross-hairs intersection to the thick point of the duplex section is....1.3 inches at 100 yards. A squirrels head that takes up half of that span is at 200 yards, and a quarter of it is at 300 yards. Since I use a 200 yard zero on my favorite .223 varminter, ranging this way is fast and easy.

My 200-zero point of impact for my favorite varmint load is also 1.3 inches high at 100 yards, so I can use the piont of the thick vertical cross hair as an aiming point at that range.

It can be really tough to estimate ranges in a bare dirt, perfectly flat farmers field without a few tricks, believe me!

 

[spade]

Leupold actually makes a reticle called the Duplex RE..... has a small space on the bottom line that is so many mil's tall. I've never used it so i wouldnt know, but it seems like a good idea.

 

[Crazdgunman]

Hmm, thats pretty cool. Haven't seen those before.

 

[Scatch Maroo]

Hmm, thats pretty cool. Haven't seen those before.

Is there a purpose of using a duplex over a ranging reticle?

Scatch Maroo

 

[ekaphoto]

Price mostly. If you can't afford or don't have a ranging reticle that is how to use a duplex. For most hunting applicatins a ranging reticle is not needed so most peole don't have one.

 

[Crazdgunman]

Thats true about most hunting scopes not having a facility for ranging.

I don't know why scope makers don't address this more commonly, especially with varmint scopes. Laser rangefinders don't work very well on featureless fields.

 

[jc71corvette]

lool I dont get it

 

[muzzleblast]

lol no worries man...which part?

 

[jc71corvette]

Heh
I don't get about the intervals. And fitting the target in between the reticle. How do you know its like 50, 100, 200 yds away that way

 

[muzzleblast]

Ah, I think you have to measure out the intervals yourself to know they are truly 100 and 200 meters, or what have ya. Then you know how much of the reticle your target takes up at those ranges and what power its fills the reticle completely at.

I just tried to look at the Leupold site but it was down...They have a PDF chart there with the reticle subtensions listed...like, how much area each reticle covers at X range and X power.

 

[jc71corvette]

That makes sense. Hey thats what I use for my pellet rifle too. I have this kind of reticle and thats how I hold off for wind and elavation. I cant adjust the scope accuratly because its a cheapy, it came with the $55 gun. The nobs don't even click, so its guess n check. I even have a data book for my pellet rifle. One page looks like image one and the other pages tell me the time of impact and others tell me how much I need to hold off for. Variables such as clock, wind MPH, etc. I ofcourse enter all this data my self by guess and check.

This picture is like one of my pages. I use it as a reference. I get distance to target, clock, and MPH. Look on my charts and match the field data with the charts and it says like D3 1/2 - A3. So I look on the next page and it says to do XXXX. So I look in my scope, hold off for D3 1/2 - A3 and shoot. Boom its a hit.

Anyway, so about the range estimation. All I do is measure from my point to the target. Then look through scope, if it fits between the target I have XX yards. But another variable is the target has to be the same size.Yeah I think I am squared away I'll ask if anything else pops up.

 

[muzzleblast]

You got it bro.

Thats awesome practice for going big bore long range too, you know just about everything you need to I bet. Last year I put together a book for my 300 win mag using this site and a few others and its all the same as what you have for the airgun. Only, it showed me you can't really shoot long range with a sporter unless your motto is "one shot, one 6 foot plywood board" lol.


If ya wanna get tricky you can vary the size of your target but keep it easy to do the math...say, a target half its size or twice its size. Just half or double your range.

 

[jc71corvette]

Lol one shot one 6 ft plywood board. 8)

Actually im trying to nail a target 100 yards away with hollow point. Im gonna REALLY need to hold off heh. I should try super point ammo though, sharp point.

Yeah thinking about this, the only thing that would screw you up is the target size. You need to know it or a pretty damm good estimate.

If point A to target is 55 yards and it takes up only one thin line, what happens if im further behind and the target does not take one one thin line. It takes up less. This way you konw it is ATLEAST XX yards, in this example 55 yards. So either way its helpfull. You just need to practice it first and record the data. That remindes me, I need to set up a few pages for this then... So in other words this method requires "presets" so to speak. Nice analogy? Heh :wink: Should sticky this for future reference to other new comers.

 

[jc71corvette]

Here is something I just made.

 

[muzzleblast]

Yeah, lol, first time I ever connected with something at 700 m it was a 6 foot plywood board. (Only time I ever connected with something at 700 m so "shhhh...")

Yep, your analogy makes sense and you're using the duplex in a good way.

Is there any way to "spot" the pellets when they fall short?

In any case, when you rig up your rifle, you gotta know exactly the distance, exactly the target size, exactly the mils it takes up and exactly the zero...Then it gets hard! lol.

Think I'll finally buy a laser...At least use it to help learn Mils

 

[ekaphoto]

Lol one shot one 6 ft plywood board. 8)

Actually im trying to nail a target 100 yards away with hollow point. Im gonna REALLY need to hold off heh. I should try super point ammo though, sharp point.

Yeah thinking about this, the only thing that would screw you up is the target size. You need to know it or a pretty damm good estimate.

If point A to target is 55 yards and it takes up only one thin line, what happens if im further behind and the target does not take one one thin line. It takes up less. This way you konw it is ATLEAST XX yards, in this example 55 yards. So either way its helpfull. You just need to practice it first and record the data. That remindes me, I need to set up a few pages for this then... So in other words this method requires "presets" so to speak. Nice analogy? Heh :wink: Should sticky this for future reference to other new comers.

Another way to do it is look at your marks on your adjuster ring for your power setting. If it sets 1/2 between say 300 and 400 yard mark you are at 350. At 3/4 way between 375 etc. Yes target size is important.

 

[jc71corvette]

Rite guys.

Spotting a pellet when it falls short. Hmm I have no idea off top of my head. Well you could havelike a metal object every 5 yd infront of target. So if it hits one of those instead, you will hear the cling. Then you get out of prone and check for a dent. Heh and I just thought of that in 30 secs. Sounds logical, might just work.

I already have my charts set up in my data book. All I need now is data. Hopefully its warmer (40ish ) and little or no snow so I can confrotably estimate. Man can't wait for spring/summer.

YEah about target size. If I look at my data -to be and say, target is 6 in wide, uses all of thin reticle in right corner (in my case I will use my system as I said above) it says it is 75 yds away. But the target out in the field is 4 inches wide. I dont have a 4 in target in my data book. All I do is give or take.

 

[muzzleblast]

Sounds good...Or ya could just use a biiiig piece of paper...couple pizza boxes maybe?

 

[jc71corvette]

True but the sound of a .177 lead hitting metal is more noticable than cardboard. But then again, metal dents are hard to notice if your looking through binocs or spotting scope. So thats where its good to have cardboard. Well how about we combine them. Pizza box for external and then internal is like a steel plate. You will get both: holes and sound.

Glad you brought that up man, didn't think of that.

I am thinking... Target 100 yd away. From 50 yards to the target I line it with boxes. That way I can see where it actually drops.

Targets before the 100 yard Target (OBJ target) are half the size of obj target. This way they dont get in the way. That image is just what I assume would happen.