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Leupold Varmint Hunter?s Reticle sync

oldflintoldflint Member Posts: 40 ✭✭
edited November 2007 in Ask the Experts
Hi everyone,

Each Leupold scope with Varmint Hunter's reticle has 2 special markers on the power "dial":
Small Bullet Drop [SBD] and Large Bullet Drop [LBD].

What they mean is quite obvious from the scope manual.

On 4.5-14x scopes the [LBD] marker is on the maximum magnification.
It means on 14x (or to be precise on 14.4 according to the scope specs).

The ratio in numbers between [SBD] and [LBD] is 1.25.
It means that [SBD] is on 11.5x power.

What I'm trying to accomplish is to recalculate the drops (in MOA)
on the maximum power on my 6.5-20x scope, knowing that
the actual maximum power is 19.6.

It means that the ratio between LBD marker and the maximum power
would be 19.6/14.4 = 1.361.

Using this ratio I can recalculate the drops for each horisontal bar on the
reticle at maximum power...

You probably wonder, what exactly the question is ;)

My question is if my assumption that
[SBD] and [LBD] markers are on 14.4x and 11.5x power
is actually correct.

Thank you so much in advance!

Comments

  • Guns & GlassGuns & Glass Member Posts: 864 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Your premise is pretty close, and workable. Just keep in mind that the reticle subtensions, and factors are linear. You still need to shot a drop chart for you rig & load. You can then 'bump' (change) magnification to match your results.

    That's one thing I still liked about Shepherd scopes. It's already done per cartridge, and it's more accurate.
  • HighballHighball Member Posts: 15,755
    edited November -1
    I 'wasted' an entire summer, working up a round for the .308 that would shoot the 178 gr. Amax to the yardage markings in the Shepard.

    Great fun. I found that I could shoot that bullet nearly 200 fps faster then required for the markings. I loaded it down.

    Finally realized that far preferable is to take whatever load you wish to shoot, range test to the various markings, and make a range card.
    Deer hardly ever step out at 300 yards, anyway...278 yards, perhaps, or 325 yards...
  • oldflintoldflint Member Posts: 40 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Gentlemen,

    Thank you for your replies!

    I ended up learning that my assumption as a matter of fact was wrong.

    Just a day or two before I posted this question here I sent it to Leupold guys.
    They didn't reply immediately and I decided to ask here.

    But eventually their reply has arrived.

    Here it goes.
    ...the large triangle on a 4.5-14 is on 14 power and the small triangle is on 12 power,
    for the 6.5-20 the large is on 16 power and the small triangle is on 12 power...

    But then

    SBD/LBD ratio = 1.25, that you can calculate from their drop numbers in the manual, doesn't make much sense, does it?

    14/12 = 1.17
    16/12 = 1.33

    The calculated from the drop numbers 1.25 is in between.

    Well, it just convinces me once again to make my own measures and forget about what they and manual say.
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