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Vortex Razor HD BDC reticle vs ammo


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anyone know of any factory ammo that comes close to the JM BDC reticle on this scope, out of an 18" 1-8 twist barrel (eg, jp ctr)?  i zero at 200, it's close at 300 but then way off at 4, 5 & 600.  and if you roll your own, what bullet and muzzle velocity combo comes close and i'll try to find a similar factory load.  thanks!

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Chasing the perfect BDC/load alignment is a losing game, a waste of time and very disappointing when none of the targets you see are set in perfect 100 yard increments. BDC reticles are just rough reference points designed to be close-ish to common loads. Get an app like Strelok, come to terms with the fact that your 500 yard hash correlates to 469 yards then get out there and start practicing and maybe even memorizing your holds.

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Try 68 or 69 gr going around 2700-2750. I don't use that scope, but that seems pretty close to what most people do. The hold on my midas are perfect in 50 yard increments starting from 200 on out using that combo. I use 55gr's inside those distances. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I chronoed Geco 55gr FMJ out of my 18" 1-8 barrel. 

 

3045 FPS at 75 degrees F

 

With that load I get this for my subtensions with a 200 yard zero:

 

297

397

492

591

 

 

Doesn't get much better than that.

 

 

 

If you find an accurate ammo that you like, it is a faily simple matter to shift your curve a bit by zeroing at a slightly different distance than 200.

 

You may find that a 185, or 225 yard zero will give you better reticle alignment at 500 and 600 yards.

 

EVERYONE should have Strelok+ or Pro on their phone.  The math is correct, and if you put good data in you will get good data out. 

 

This necessitates either truing or a chrono. 

Edited by Vespid_Wasp
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  • 4 weeks later...

I agree with Vespid.  I have run XM-193 out of one of my 18" guns that chronoed about 3200 fps.  It was pretty much spot on with the bdc.  It was also 2.5 moa ammo.  The same gun will shoot heavies under 1 moa.  So there are positives and negatives.  At my next match I'll be using 69's zeroed at the 300 hashmark.  My 55's fall in line pretty close for anything out to 300.  I know my holds exactly out to 500 confirmed on paper.  I've even started a stage with 8 or 10 55 grain bullets in the top of the mag just to hose a few papers before I shoot longer steel.  I have no idea why that $1.50 of savings is important to me.....OCD?:lol:

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it'd be cool to have some accurate (ie heavy match) ammo that matched up with the reticle drops, but guess it ain't in the cards.  i know my needed holds, was just hoping this reticle would make it a little easier (less to remember) vs a non-bdc (ie pure MOA) reticle.  i also top load my match ammo mags with 55g hoser ammo if there are near targets and then far targets, why throw $$ down the drain.

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I used to get very frustrated chasing the BDC on my Razor and trying to do what you are (find perfect ammo). What I found was much more effective was zeroing the 300 hash mark at 300 instead of zeroing the dot at 200. It meant that my 200 yd zero was slightly off, but it was negligible and the accuracy I gained at long range from the holdovers being closer was well worth it.

The other benefit is that it helped the longer holdovers with every ammo type as long as she zeroed the 300 hash mark with whatever ammo I was using (55gr, 69gr, etc.).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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MK262 or equivalent (77SMK @ 2700-2800 fps) will be really close to the reticle. Your and my ideas of close and way off may be different though. If you look at Vortex website they will give the MOA spacing of the reticle and you can play with numbers in your ballistic app from there. I like the heavy bullets because they tend to move the reactive targets more which helps the ROs call hits. They are also nice when shooting spinners.

 

Past 300 atmospheric data becomes much more critical so what works at 2000 feet density altitude may not work at 6000 feet. I know I my data changed at Raton vs home. Then again the targets at 500 yards were so big it didn't really matter. 

Edited by ziebart
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I run Black Hills 69gr with 18" JP light profile barrel. I am zeroed at 200. It is close enough in my gun to be able to hit out to 450 with minimum make ups. I was at the range yesterday, hitting 8" plate at 300 consistently. I also tried Freedom & Hornady 55gr V-Max for s&gs. Also consistent with these. YMMV

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 7/22/2017 at 0:34 AM, TonytheTiger said:

Chasing the perfect BDC/load alignment is a losing game, a waste of time and very disappointing when none of the targets you see are set in perfect 100 yard increments. BDC reticles are just rough reference points designed to be close-ish to common loads. Get an app like Strelok, come to terms with the fact that your 500 yard hash correlates to 469 yards then get out there and start practicing and maybe even memorizing your holds.

Agreed.

 

Strelok has been a life saver for me since the most I can shoot at is 300y, but matches often stretch out to beyond 500.

 

I purchased the app for both iphone and android and the developer was very easy to deal with when I had an issue.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 9/2/2017 at 4:55 PM, Huch said:

I used to get very frustrated chasing the BDC on my Razor and trying to do what you are (find perfect ammo). What I found was much more effective was zeroing the 300 hash mark at 300 instead of zeroing the dot at 200. It meant that my 200 yd zero was slightly off, but it was negligible and the accuracy I gained at long range from the holdovers being closer was well worth it.

The other benefit is that it helped the longer holdovers with every ammo type as long as she zeroed the 300 hash mark with whatever ammo I was using (55gr, 69gr, etc.).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I agree with this method, it is how I zero’d my rifle.  I found I was shooting high at 200 and obviously higher at 100, but I just knew to hold the bottom of the target at 100 and low of center at 200, no big deal.  It was never enough to mess with close-in paper, clays, etc...  At least no more than the usual height-over-bore brainfarts.

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