Rifle Scopes Advice On Variable Optic Reticle for My AR

[Centuriator]

I've had a chance now to get my KAC SR-15 out several times and use it with the Trijicon VCOG. Without a doubt it does what it was made to do: get you on target quickly and with "minute of man" accuracy. I had it out at a rifle range that allowed me to get out to 600 yards, on steel plates. I was able to get good hits on 400 yard steel small torso targets, but due to wind, the 500 and 600 yard plates posed a challenge.

But...after using the VCOG several times in several ways I'm just not that thrilled with the reticle.

The crosshair is literally 1 MOA and fully covers a 1" dot at 100 yards. I'd prefer to have a more precise sub-MOA dot at 100, etc.

I'm now looking at a VORTEX Razor Gen II-E 1-6 and am pondering reticles, either between the MOA reticle or the BDC reticle.

What appeals to me about the BDC system is the simplicity of zeroing at 100 and then just setting the hash mark at the distance you are shooting.

The MOA reticle however has more options, apparently, but I've got to be honest here and say, I don't understand my scope reticles well enough to understand precisely what the hash marks in this MOA reticle mean.

Am I correct in understanding those MOA hash marks represent MOA from the center dot and so I can not use it as if they are BDC markings?

Sorry for the ignorance here.

 

[skatz11]

I’ve been using a Razor 1-6 with JM-1 on my SR15. The BDC works great with both 55gr and 77gr ammo. It based on 200 yard zero, so you just have to remember to hold a touch low at 100 depending on target size.

I don’t see any reason to get more precise with a low power optic. The JM reticle is clean and easy to use. Most of your you will either hold dead center, high, low or bracket a plate at a the distance needed. Check out the strelok app it has a nice feature that shows the reticle hold for the distance input.

 

[Centuriator]

Thanks @skatz11 you are definitely tracking with my thinking on this, you say it based on a 200 yard zero, stupid question: but do you literally use a 200 yard target to zero it, or can you zero at 100 and just calculate the POI at 200 yards on the target and zero accordingly?

I'll check out the STRELOK App, I'm not familiar with it.

 

[spife7980]

What appeals to me about the BDC system is the simplicity of zeroing at 100 and then just setting the hash mark at the distance you are shooting.

The MOA reticle however has more options, apparently, but I've got to be honest here and say, I don't understand my scope reticles well enough to understand precisely what the hash marks in this MOA reticle mean.

Am I correct in understanding those MOA hash marks represent MOA from the center dot and so I can not use it as if they are BDC markings?

MOA is an angular measurement. It never changes. 1 circle = 360 degrees= 21,600 minutes of angle. There are 60 minutes in 1 degree.

When you shoot your bullet falls with gravity but it isnt linear. The further out your shooting the longer the bullet is in flight slowing down and the longer gravity has to effect its trajectory. To hit further out you need to tip your rifle up to compensate for that drop. The further out the more you need to angle it upward.

In this image you can see that to hit at 200 you need to angle the rifle up.

Here you can see how to hit at further distances you need to lob the bullet higher and to do that you have to point the barrel up higher.

And this is probably the best. The line of sight is how you have your scope adjusted, the line of departure is where your barrel is pointing and the trajectory is where the bullet actually goes.

Now, each different bullet and loading will have its own trajectory and thus require its own dope (data on prior engagement). A normal reticle in moa (minute of angle) or mil (1 circle = 2π radians, 1 radian ÷ 1000=1 miliradian) will allow you to measure your trajectory and dope as if it were a normal ruler inside the scope.

BDC is just a best guess at what moa might be required for your load to correspond to a certain yardage, its not a ruler with standard graduations, its like your shorthand where you just marked the important lengths, it may be fine for the one thing you made it for but its not much help on anything else. Zeroed is 100 yards, 200 yards could be .6 moa, 300 yards could be 2.4 moa, 400 could be 3.7 moa etc. So instead of just knowing where you need to aim you have to know that in addition to what the reticle is saying.



Now, for short range 1-6 its not nearly as big of a deal because you cant as easily refine your aim point, its just tougher to be precise with less zoom so holding 1/4 moa is a lot tougher at distance.


So this is the vortex bdc reticle, you can see that the dashes are actually zeroed at 200 yards, 300= 2.4 moa, 400=5.6 moa, 500=9.5 moa and 600=14.6 moa, the lines arent in an even graduated stadia, the space between them isnt consistent. If your rifles dope matches up with it it is pretty handy for quick target engagement. If it doesnt then you have to figure out what those lines really mean could be 285, 376, 458, 540 yards etc, no way to tell other than shoot it and gather the data.

This is the moa version, the first dash down is 4 moa, the second 8, the third 12 etc. 4 moa in between each one. If you figure out your dope through this scope you could easily swap on another scope and have the same hold over points.

 

[diverdon]

https://www.eurooptic.com/vortex-razor-hd-gen-ii-1-6x24-riflescope.aspx

On sale today for 949

 

[CSTactical]

We're a huge fan of the Vortex Razor Gen II-E 1-6 JM-1, I'm glad they were able to shave some weight off without losing durability.
@Centuriator give us a call and we'd be happy to answer any questions

 

[skatz11]

Thanks @skatz11 you are definitely tracking with my thinking on this, you say it based on a 200 yard zero, stupid question: but do you literally use a 200 yard target to zero it, or can you zero at 100 and just calculate the POI at 200 yards on the target and zero accordingly?

I'll check out the STRELOK App, I'm not familiar with it.

I zero on with a 200 yard target then check offset to see if the 100 zero offset matches the calculator.

Here’s a screen shot of how my dope lines up with reticle from strelok. Target is 10” plate.

Pretty close to a center old on the first hash for 300.


Here’s the table of data. This is 55gr FMJ @2900 FPS

 

[Rob01]

I’ve been using a Razor 1-6 with JM-1 on my SR15. The BDC works great with both 55gr and 77gr ammo. It based on 200 yard zero, so you just have to remember to hold a touch low at 100 depending on target size.

I don’t see any reason to get more precise with a low power optic. The JM reticle is clean and easy to use. Most of your you will either hold dead center, high, low or bracket a plate at a the distance needed. Check out the strelok app it has a nice feature that shows the reticle hold for the distance input.

Feel the same way. Been using the Razor 1-6 with JM-1 for years on my 3 gun AR. Great, fast reticle. They give you the MOA difference between lines so you can take any load and figure what each line will be. With the 55grn the lines are right on for me as set to 600. With my 75 grn load the first line off the center is supposed to be 300 but it's 275, next is 375, 475 and last which is supposed to be 600 is 575. Simple. I have the above reticle printed and labeled so I know which load hits where. Works great for fast hits at 3 gun.