Preferred reticles for competition

B

broadside

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OK you experts. I'm preparing to get a new Leupold Competition scope for my VFS 30BR. My question is: Should I go with the fine crosshairs only or get the target dot. I think the ones with the dots are easier to aim with, but doesn't it defeat the purpose of having fine crosshairs? I am a relatively newbe to official benchrest competition. I shot my first sanctioned match about a week ago.
Rick
 
broadside said:
OK you experts. I'm preparing to get a new Leupold Competition scope for my VFS 30BR. My question is: Should I go with the fine crosshairs only or get the target dot. I think the ones with the dots are easier to aim with, but doesn't it defeat the purpose of having fine crosshairs? I am a relatively newbe to official benchrest competition. I shot my first sanctioned match about a week ago. Rick
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I decided long ago that if I was using the larger dot I would always be wondering where the crosshairs merged in the center of that dot. It's all personal preference. Look at both before you decide.

The Leupold 45 on my 30BR has fine crosshairs, although if you look very closely, it also has a very very fine dot in the center, where the crosshairs converge. ;)
 
I use fine crosshairs on my score shoot rifle with 40x comp. Leupold. I use a dot on my long range rifle with a 45x comp. Leupold. I like the fine crosshairs on the score because I can actually see where I have the center of the X-hairs instead of guessing with the dot. Look through both ,your preference may be different than mine.
 
Modesty. A fine quality in a man.;)

I like the 1/8th min dot that leupold puts in their comp scopes. I found myself "aiming" too much with the fine crosshairs in my score gun. i can acquire my POA much more quickly with the dot and hold off accordingly.

I believe much of this boils down to personal preference.
Mike
 
Who changes the reticles in the LCS scopes to the 1/16?

I have the "1/8" dot in my 45x, and it is quite a bit bigger that 1/8", or MOA, or whatever it is suposed to be.
 
reticle

I guess I'm just going to have to look at them somewhere. Most of the guys at the competition a couple of weeks ago had the older Leupold 36x and Nighforce scopes. I didn't see any of the Leupold Compettion scopes. I probably didn't look close enough. I think I would find myself "aiming" to much if I had the fine crosshairs. I'm a good shot on a calm day, but still trying to learn to read my flags during normal conditions.

Does the Leupold Custom Shop install 1/16 dot reticles?
 
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If going custom, you might consider a raised cross hair. It'll allow a better view of the flags in the scope.
 
broadside said:
...I think I would find myself "aiming" to much if I had the fine crosshairs.
Click to expand...

"Aim small, miss small."

Unless you are aiming at the center of the bull, the dot gets in the way, at least for me. Let's say you want to aim at the edge of the nine ring. How can you tell if the center of the dot is on the edge of the ring if the dot is covering the ring? Sure, you can get close by imagining where the curve of the ring intersects the center of the dot, but it's more accurate and depends a lot less on judgement to place the crosshair (without dot) directly on the ring.

On the other hand, if you can't see the crosshairs, you've got a problem, and may need a dot. Otherwise, shoot what you've got for a while. There are more important things to shooting Benchrest than the reticle.

Cheers,
Keith
 
Thanks

Thanks guys.

You've provided me with some great information. I still haven't made up my mind though. My eyesite is not 20/20, but when looking through the scope, I can correct my vision pretty well. I still think I'm going to find somebody with a 45x scope with fine crosshairs so I can look through it to make sure that I can see them well. If I can't see the crosshairs very well, I'll go to the dot. I once tried a Weaver 36x dot with a custom raised reticle. I used it with my Anschutz rimfire rilfe. I never could get used to the reticle being in the "wrong place". I do realize that the perfect scope is not going to make me a good benchrest shooter! I've got to learn how to read the wind! Wyoming is a windy state, and that's where I'll be doing the most of shooting. I do travel as far as Billings, MT to shoot, but I don't like driving that far. I used to love to drive, but the older I get the less I like it.
Rick
 
broadside said:
Thanks guys.

You've provided me with some great information. I still haven't made up my mind though. My eyesite is not 20/20, but when looking through the scope, I can correct my vision pretty well. I still think I'm going to find somebody with a 45x scope with fine crosshairs so I can look through it to make sure that I can see them well. If I can't see the crosshairs very well, I'll go to the dot. I once tried a Weaver 36x dot with a custom raised reticle. I used it with my Anschutz rimfire rilfe. I never could get used to the reticle being in the "wrong place". I do realize that the perfect scope is not going to make me a good benchrest shooter! I've got to learn how to read the wind! Wyoming is a windy state, and that's where I'll be doing the most of shooting. I do travel as far as Billings, MT to shoot, but I don't like driving that far. I used to love to drive, but the older I get the less I like it.
Rick
Click to expand...

I used fine crosshair for some time, but my eye sight is not good, and I have worn glasses for years.
About 20 years ago I had Wally Siebert put dots in my Leupolds and I really believed that it helped.
The finer the dot the better I think - my March scopes have the 3/32nd dots, as the 1/8th was too big, and the March 1/16th almost non existent to my eyes.

At age 65, I am a lot more comfortable with a dot reticule.

Brendan Atkinson
 
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