Limited with irons at long range: use come-ups or twist the dial?

[DCS]

My first match is this weekend, I'm shooting Limited with a dissy with A2 sights. My long-range load is 68gr Hrndy BTHP at 2750fps.

Yesterday I did the revised improved battlesight mod and zeroed the gun at 100yd with 8/3 minus 3clicks on the elevation dial. I then shot benchrest at 100, 50, 300, 400, and 500 yards.

At 50 yards, I turned the elevation dial to 8/3 minus 2 clicks and it was on zero.

At 300 yards, I turned the dial to 8/3 + 1 to achieve zero.

At 400 yards, it required dial #4 + 3 clicks to achieve zero.

At 500 yards, it required dial #5 + 3 clicks to achieve zero.

Generally, the results were exceptional. Better than 4 moa at all ranges.

I marked the dial with a white paint pen at each yardage so I can dial right to the desired mark.

The long targets at our matches are all big gongs; up to 40" at the longer ranges. We shoot to 500 yards.

With a 100yd zero, my come-ups are 4, 16, 36, and 67" at 2, 3, 4 and 500 yards.

My questions:

For long stages in 3-gun, do you guys leave the dial alone and shoot come-ups, or do you twist the dial as you progress through the stage short to long, aiming dead-on?

Do you adjust the windage dial for wind correction, or do you use kentucky windage and blast till you hit it?

If the range has a steady 12mph cross wind and you adjust 3 clicks on the windage dial to hit 300 yard targets, will the same windage adjustment be on target at 500 yards if the wind does not change, or will you need more clicks? (noob)

Thanks!

Edited April 12, 2012 by DCS

[kellyn]

I typically would not dial especially if using a 300 y zero if shooting out to 400 yards which is a hold over of about 13 inches (about 3 MOA) with your load. If presented with a shot at 500 I would consider dialing the sight but I would try to make it the 1st or last shot on my array.

Your wind value which is good for 300 would not be good for 500. My program shows 10 in (3.2 MOA) of wind drift at 300 and 30.6 in (5.9 MOA) of wind drift at 500 with your load. Almost twice the value.. If you have a good idea of the windage, I would dial windage compatible for the majority of presented targets and then use Kentucky windage for the rest. I would NOT dial windage between shots, it simply takes too long. But keep an eye out for wind shifts.

The targets that you are shooting at sound pretty big so you can get away with some slop.

A lot of this depends on the stage description, if you simply had to shoot targets from 100, 200, 300, 400 and then 500, I would consider dialing for the last 2 but if you have to reengage targets in different orders from different positions, dialing and keeping track of where your sight is becomes pretty difficult.

[DCS]

Thanks kellyn. We'll take your advice!

[Ragnar]

I zero at 300 and hold out to 500. I tend to make a quick and dirty sight adjustment for targets further than 500. I practice turning the elevation knob one complete finger roll at a time to get an idea how much elevation I can add with one roll. A few clicks off wont make or break me. If there are a lot of long range targets, I will adjust the sights for 4-500 and hold low for the targets closer in.

I always use KY windage, even at 600. It helps to know your front sight width (in MOA).

If your targets are really 40" aiming at the top of the target with a 300 yard zero, should put you on the bottom of the plate at 500.