Читать книгу Marksmanship Fundamentals - Pseudonym Sniper - Страница 9

All too often I see guys blow their budget on a rifle with a low “factory guaranteed” accuracy claim like sub .5MOA accuracy or .25MOA who then immediately go and mount a cheap (and usually poor quality) optic/scope on it because they blew all their money on the rifle.

Madness!

A stock Remington 700 with a quality optic/scope will outshoot a custom rifle with a poor quality scope.

Personally, I run quality optics such as Nightforce’s ATACR, Nightforce’s BEAST or Schmidt and Bender’s PMII.

Schmidt & Bender scopes are top of the line and are Europe’s answer to NightForce Optics.

I do this because they are quality items and you get what you pay for.

If I WERE on a budget, a Bushnell HDMR or ERS would likely be my optic of choice.

The Bushnell HDMR with the Horus H59 reticle is a great optic at a reasonable price.

What you are looking for in a scope is quality glass/lenses with great clarity and light transmission, a parallax adjustment knob, accurate adjustments from the turrets with plenty of elevation, and a useful reticle that ideally matches your turrets (i.e. a Mil reticle with .1 Mil adjustments or an MOA reticle with MOA adjustments as this keeps things simple).

To achieve this, I always buy from reputable manufacturers, hence my willingness to spend money on NF and S&B products.

With regards to reticle choice, I prefer the Horus H59 reticle because it is great for ranging targets (unknown distance shooting), measuring objects, shooting using elevation and wind “holds”.

It is also great for making follow up shots because if you do miss (and see the “splash”), you can quickly make a correction to make a successful follow up shot.

This makes it an ideal choice for Military, Law Enforcement, and Hunting applications, however it is still just as capable in F Class.

Now…a lot of people are “haters” of reticles like the H59, TReMoR2, and TReMoR3 claiming that they are too “busy” or obstructive.

I have to admit that when you first look through them it can be pretty intimidating with a whole lot “going on” in there but, if you use the reticle as it was designed for several days in a row (for example while attending a “practical” Long Range Shooting course), you will soon see the benefits.

While on the subject of Optics, it is also crucial that you mount the scope to your rifle with a quality mount or ring set up.

I like to use QD (Quick Detach) mounts on a picatinny rail, as this gives me the option of quickly removing my scope and mounting it to another rifle should I need to or, if I’m at work, I can protect my optic by putting it inside my ruck when parachuting with my rifle : )

As long as the QD mount “holds zero” (often manufacturer guaranteed) when it is removed and then replaced (as long as it is placed on the same position on the rail), and you know the “zero correction” requirement for the new rifle (you’ve shot it before and measured the required “zero correction and noted the rail placement), you can immediately go out and shoot effectively with either rifle.

If the scope is going to be on a rifle for some time, I will zero it properly but, if I’m just taking it off my 6.5mm and putting it on my .308 for a quick hunt, I’ll just put it on the previously noted rail position on my .308, make my “zero correction” adjustments and I’m good to go.

There are several manufacturers that offer quality QD mounts. Personally I use LaRue Tactical mounts but they aren’t the only ones out there.

Something else to think about, if you use “inline” Night Vision or Thermal Imaging equipment, you need to ensure that the scope mount you choose allows you to achieve “co-witness” (i.e. the “inline” equipment and your scope are perfectly aligned).

If mounting NV/TI equipment is not something you intend to do, you are pretty much free to mount it as low as you want to in order to reduce the bore height (distance between center of the barrel and the center of the scope).

Well…I think I’ve covered off the basics and given you a basic understanding of some of the factors that influence accuracy and precision.