How do you adjust your rifle scope on the move for longer shots ?

Question

I SIGHT MY RIFLE IN AT 2IN. HIGH AT A HUNDRED YARDS SO THAT I AM DEAD ON AT TWO HUNDRED YARDS.HOW DO YOU NOW WHAT ADJUSTMENT TO MAKE IN THE FIELD WHEN YOU HAVE A 3,4,OR 5 HUNDRED YARD SHOT IN THE FIELD AND YOU DONT HAVE A SPOTTER?

Answer 1

if you are willing to take these long range shots you should practice them before hand. see how low you hit for each yardage and adjust the gun by AIMING higher not by changing the scopes elevation. So practice practice practice man, thats what it takes to give you that confindence in the field. Hope I was of some help.

Answer 2

Well if you are dead nuts at 200 yards you'll be alright aiming at the top of the deers shoulder at 325. After that if you don't have a range finder or a scope with hash marks to compensate for distance and windage I would really stay away from shots that far (Over 325 yards). Plus anyways if you told all your friends you shot a deer at 300 yards they would be really impressed. 400 - 500 yards you are just a liar because without a rangefinder you are talking about an average of 14" of drop from 325 - 500 yards and a huge risk. Its possible. Not saying that it isn't but you have to get out there and burn a bunch of powder to get comfortable with your rifle.

Be safe and make sure you know what is behind your target. Don't shoot up hills and the other obvious stuff. As far as the MOA adjustment. 1/4" per click @ 100 yards. 4 clicks = 1 MOA. 1 MOA = 1" @ 100 yards. 2 MOA = 2" @ 100 yards. 3 MOA = 3" @ 300 yards and so on. But take into consideration that this is only the measurement of realativity from scope to target and trajectory isn't factored into this. Say you are wanting to take a shot at 400 yards and your rifle is set at 2 MOA (2" high at 100 yards or dead nuts at 200 yards for whatever caliber you are using) even if you made another adjustment of 2 MOA to compensate making it 4 MOA which = 4" at 100 yards you know that the bullet isn't going to stay constant trajectory wise. All .30 cal guns shoot pretty much the same and have around 5" difference at 300 yards. Not really that much. Basically just try and guesstimate the distance and aim high depending on range and trajectory of the bullet. I think I read somewhere a rifle zeroed at 100 yards will drop 21" at 600 yards with a .30 caliber rifle with 140 grain bullet. Before you make in the field adjustments remember what your original settings are. I was looking at the scopes with the built in rangefinder and they are pretty cool but not practical. How can I justify having a $1400 scope on a $350 gun lol. I feel you buddy. Practice, practice, practice.

Answer 3

If the scope is toast, its toast. However there is the possibility that the scope ring or mount was tweaked. So I would remove scope and the scope base and reinstall them. Make sure all is fastened tight then sight it in and see if it still won’t adjust. I have seen a scope survive such and impact but the base moved or the scope ring was bent. That said, dropping a rifle on concrete and the scope hits first can destroy the scope. They just aren’t made to handle that sort of impact. I have a feeling the scope is damaged.

Answer 4

This is actually very simple and I think everyone is making things too complicated...and the marketing by companies doesn't help.

Look at the basic trajectory chart from a company like winchester, remington, and federal --- they're close enough.
If you're 2" at 100, you're using something in the 270/30-06 ballpark.
When shooting at a deer sized target that means you aim
100: dead on
200: dead on
300: 3/4 up on the animal
400: at the top of the animal

You don't aim over the animal
You're max distance stops when you find you are missing the target low when you are aiming on the back.
That ussually happens right at 400-425. Most of the time on long shots you are above the animal so you gain a little bit more long range trajectory advantage.

Answer 5

Before trying a shot at 300 yards or more, you need to be able to put the bullet, where you are aiming. the reason that i say this, because a 1" off center shot at 100 yards, makes a 4" miss, at 400 yards. this is allowing that you can be within 1 ", at the 100 yard mark.
most hunters, can only make that close of shot, from bench rest shooting, but it gets a lot more difficult to do in the field, when you don't have a really stable platform to shoot from.

Answer 6

If you have to ask the question then you should not be shooting beyond 100 yards.

This is not rocket science we are dealing with. You need to read and acquire knowledge just like the rest of us.

By the way are you screaming?

>>>EDIT<<<
The range finding scopes are not going to do any good. and Hold over is not the right answer either. You need to find an exterior balistics program you have to know velociety, ballistic coefficent of the bullet you are shooting scope mounting height above bore and many other factors you plug these all in to the calulator and it spits out your drop in inches and your adjustments in MOA. Then In the field you see that monster buck and range it with your fancy Laser range finder it is 410 yards. You consult your drop chart and it tells you that your bullet will drop 19" and you need to come up on your scope so many clicks to hold right on.

Answer 7

if you think this might happen there are scopes out there that are made for this event such as drop compensators with ranging circles built in out to 500 yds,Nikon has one and there are others.I use a bushnell with ajustable AO that when you sight the rifle dead on at 100 yds you can turn the elevation by hand to 550.I have killed a deer at 440 but never tried 550.Most scopes are not going to do what you ask but if you got the $$$$ they are available but you'll still need to practice a lot at all ranges and you didn't say what your firing?some rifles just don't need to be shooting that far at game.

Answer 8

I wouldn't suggest making adjustments in the field, you'll just end up wounding a few animals and that's just not the way it's done. Fire your gun a lot at different ranges (or consult a ballistics chart and fire it somewhat less) to find were YOU are hitting. Learn how to read signs of wind, game speed (if it's running) and rangefinding techniques. Then you can choose YOUR aim points. You don't need fancy equipment when you learn the basics. You'll probably only need it if you want to cut playing cards in half.

Answer 9

I work up a good handload, figure its point blank range, sight in accordingly, and have no problems. Anything over a quarter mile away I want to shoot, I leave the safety on and go hunt it. Two inches high may be right for your rifle/load, but I'd bet you're guessing at PBR instead of figuring it. It takes a deal of range work using your chronograph, and some math, and more range work, but it's the best system overall.

Answer 10

You want to adjust your rifle scope on the move? THAT only happens in the movies. Uofcincy is right. You adjust by holding higher not by messing with the elevation on your scope. Or like Fuzz says, get a scope with a built in range finder and... Practice, practice, practice...

Best.

H