Saving Money when zeroing/plinking

[Lid7486]

All the rifles I plan to use for hunting (Rem 700, POF ReVolt, M4E1 in 300 Blackout) are topped with CDS capable optics. I know that Leupold's CDS system is calibrated to a specific type of ammo (specifically Winchester Deer Season), and that using anything else will produce slightly different results. What I'm wondering is if there's a way to tell how far off a different brand would be. With ammo prices being what they are, I don't want to have to go out and get expensive deer hunting ammo just to be able to confirm zero or have some fun at the range. In my mind, the hot setup would be to buy ammo that's similar, get roughly on target, and then hopefully use less rounds to hit bullseye than I would otherwise.
Is this even possible? What characteristics in the ammo would I look for? I'm assuming I'd want the grain as close as possible, perhaps muzzle velocity as well? Anyone do anything like this?

 

[Carlos Hathcock]

My personal opinion, and this is just my $.02, is that this type of scope setup is a hugantic ginormous endless waste of money and time. I'm not a long range "expert", but I do shoot out to 1000 routinely. I also reload all my match(and hunting)
ammo.

Ballistic calculations are based upon numerous factors. Point of impact is affected by half a dozen variables before that bullet even leaves the barrel. For reloaders, this is what they try to control. The rest are the other variables that you have little to no control over.

Without getting too deep in the weeds, my elevation and windage data is produced by entering certain known variables, and allowing the calculator to do the hard math to put me within a reasonable expected point of impact.

My hunting rifle is topped with a Vortex Venom with an EBR-7C reticle. I developed a load that proved repeatable. I then tested that load at various distances out to my known max range. I recorded the bullet drop data for each distance. Granted, my range for that hunting area was 250 yards. I wrote that data inside the scope cap, and memorized them. When a doe stepped out I had already been ranging landmarks in my field of view. I had an acceptable range within a glance. I held my reticle at the corresponding elevation and had a round on her in under 10 seconds. I saw the impact exactly where I aimed. Never touched the turret.

The problem I see with this type of optic system is that when you change ammo, you change half the variables. It appears that scope setup is tailored to one "brand" of ammo. Change the ammo, the scope has to be changed. Leupold's system requires you to order new turrets....free of charge I'm sure. How many people shoot the EXACT same ammo during the life of a rifle?

I believe you'll far exceed the cost of any "wasted" ammo by buying into a custom tailored optic. If I shot boxed ammo in my rifle, I'd fire 2 shots at each distance to establish my dope. Maybe 3 shots just for further verification. If your max range is 300-400 yards, you're only looking at a half dozen or so points on the reticle.

Anything overly complicated (fancy setups, batteries, electronics) tends to lead to potential problems....in my opinion. Guess that was long winded but tried to answer your question.

 

[Tisto]

If you're going to photoshop your gun into a picture, couldn't you use a bigger deer ? Maybe one with a huge rack ?

 

[Carlos Hathcock]

View attachment 207910

If you're going to photoshop your gun into a picture, couldn't you use a bigger deer ? Maybe one with a huge rack ?

It was a big gun.....making the deer look small. She actually weighed in at 263 lbs.

 

[Lid7486]

My personal opinion, and this is just my $.02, is that this type of scope setup is a hugantic ginormous endless waste of money and time. I'm not a long range "expert", but I do shoot out to 1000 routinely. I also reload all my match(and hunting)
ammo.

Ballistic calculations are based upon numerous factors. Point of impact is affected by half a dozen variables before that bullet even leaves the barrel. For reloaders, this is what they try to control. The rest are the other variables that you have little to no control over.

Without getting too deep in the weeds, my elevation and windage data is produced by entering certain known variables, and allowing the calculator to do the hard math to put me within a reasonable expected point of impact.

My hunting rifle is topped with a Vortex Venom with an EBR-7C reticle. I developed a load that proved repeatable. I then tested that load at various distances out to my known max range. I recorded the bullet drop data for each distance. Granted, my range for that hunting area was 250 yards. I wrote that data inside the scope cap, and memorized them. When a doe stepped out I had already been ranging landmarks in my field of view. I had an acceptable range within a glance. I held my reticle at the corresponding elevation and had a round on her in under 10 seconds. I saw the impact exactly where I aimed. Never touched the turret.

The problem I see with this type of optic system is that when you change ammo, you change half the variables. It appears that scope setup is tailored to one "brand" of ammo. Change the ammo, the scope has to be changed. Leupold's system requires you to order new turrets....free of charge I'm sure. How many people shoot the EXACT same ammo during the life of a rifle?

I believe you'll far exceed the cost of any "wasted" ammo by buying into a custom tailored optic. If I shot boxed ammo in my rifle, I'd fire 2 shots at each distance to establish my dope. Maybe 3 shots just for further verification. If your max range is 300-400 yards, you're only looking at a half dozen or so points on the reticle.

Anything overly complicated (fancy setups, batteries, electronics) tends to lead to potential problems....in my opinion. Guess that was long winded but tried to answer your question.

View attachment 207904 View attachment 207905

Well I certainly understand your thinking on the matter... While I agree that the better solution probably is reloading and utilizing an optic based on that is probably the better option, the CDS, even if I have to use the same ammo for as long as I utilize those turrets, is the one that allows me to put something on top of my rifles right now.

 

[Drinkthekoolaid]

My personal opinion, and this is just my $.02, is that this type of scope setup is a hugantic ginormous endless waste of money and time. I'm not a long range "expert", but I do shoot out to 1000 routinely. I also reload all my match(and hunting)
ammo.

Ballistic calculations are based upon numerous factors. Point of impact is affected by half a dozen variables before that bullet even leaves the barrel. For reloaders, this is what they try to control. The rest are the other variables that you have little to no control over.

Without getting too deep in the weeds, my elevation and windage data is produced by entering certain known variables, and allowing the calculator to do the hard math to put me within a reasonable expected point of impact.

My hunting rifle is topped with a Vortex Venom with an EBR-7C reticle. I developed a load that proved repeatable. I then tested that load at various distances out to my known max range. I recorded the bullet drop data for each distance. Granted, my range for that hunting area was 250 yards. I wrote that data inside the scope cap, and memorized them. When a doe stepped out I had already been ranging landmarks in my field of view. I had an acceptable range within a glance. I held my reticle at the corresponding elevation and had a round on her in under 10 seconds. I saw the impact exactly where I aimed. Never touched the turret.

The problem I see with this type of optic system is that when you change ammo, you change half the variables. It appears that scope setup is tailored to one "brand" of ammo. Change the ammo, the scope has to be changed. Leupold's system requires you to order new turrets....free of charge I'm sure. How many people shoot the EXACT same ammo during the life of a rifle?

I believe you'll far exceed the cost of any "wasted" ammo by buying into a custom tailored optic. If I shot boxed ammo in my rifle, I'd fire 2 shots at each distance to establish my dope. Maybe 3 shots just for further verification. If your max range is 300-400 yards, you're only looking at a half dozen or so points on the reticle.

Anything overly complicated (fancy setups, batteries, electronics) tends to lead to potential problems....in my opinion. Guess that was long winded but tried to answer your question.

View attachment 207904 View attachment 207905

This is internet lore. Obviously it's AI generated because we all know it's a myth to hunt with an AR-10 or AR-15.