mildot vs duplex

[Hendrix's rifle]

Hello, I was having a think yesterday and was curious to the pros and cons of each scope above? What is the duplex reticle for?? Is it for calibers that are flat and fast? Or do most tend to 'dial' in with it? I use a mildot and find it handy having hold over/under dots as I've always used a mildot. I have never used a duplex ret hence the questions cheers

[Stonepark]

mildot every time

[figgy]

I started off using a duplex reticle and still prefer the very fine crosshairs but your either dialling the holdover or if like me estimating holdover at the target.

Mildots are easier to use.

[TONY R]

Duplex for me.

[Savhmr]

Duplex and dial. More accurate than milldot, Drawback is that the wind can change very quickly and this is where using milldots for windage estimation is handy as you can use MOA dot/hash marks or milldot/hash marks to account for windage. For range estimation, modern tech means that milldots are rarely used except as a back-up and laser rangefinders are more the norm. I am happier using a duplex, and knowing the size of my quarry, can hold off for windage if it's very variable. For target, I dial.

[Hendrix's rifle]

The reason I cant see myself using one is because most of my shooting is done at night. How do you dial in the dark?? Thanks for reply's

[CharlieT]

The reason I cant see myself using one is because most of my shooting is done at night. How do you dial in the dark?? Thanks for reply's

 

Same as in the day, count the clicks.

[LeadWasp]

Well beware mildot reticles and MOA turrets to start with.

 

I'm all for a simple reticle (make use of that expensive light that you've gathered).

 

Also if your shooting is done at night you shouldn't need to dial - it's not going to be many hundred of yards away? A couple of hundred at most is a long way at night. I'd adjust your zero for mean point blank shooting.

Edited May 17, 2016 by LeadWasp

[FalconFN]

I prefer duplex for my air rifle shooting as I find it quicker to use but I have an NV rig which I have added a extra mark to show 45 yard zero - although so far I've not used it on quarry.

 

There's no right or wrong, it's whatever works for you.

[kent]

Mildot was developed for range finding and an emergency battle dope. Not accurate long range shooting

 

I find it confusing and inaccurate. If I need to take a shot without dialing ( as I never now do with 22 lr) I know the dope in inches wind estimate and drop so I just aim off that amount.

 

Shooting long range centrefire I always dial in or hold if it's a quick fix situation

 

My mate shoots with am over complex and different reticule on each of his rifles and misses ( a lot on longer shots) he doesn't know the dope so cannot adjust for 1/2 and 1/4 allowances etc.

 

Most of all Christmas tree reticules confuse and distract the shooter focusing his mind on the point of aim so well imo

I don't like them

[Savhmr]

+1

 

Christmas tree rets may have their fans amongst some LR target shooters but I find them too distracting plus they take up too much of the sight picture, which is not what you want with a hunting scope.

 

Some ballistic drop rets are fine (eg the Leupold LR varmint ret) as they are not overly complex or cluttered and I have used these to good effect in the field. Most mildots are also too crude for precision at long range. Milhash are much better imho.

 

Ballistic apps have made dialling easy-peasy these days providing that you crony test a representative sample (10 shot string) and use that MV to calibrate your app. The results are generally pretty accurate providing that the correct BC is entered. For longer range, I prefer to calibrate to actual bullet drop since BC varies with velocity.

 

Estimating for the wind drift value is the hardest part of longer range shooting as it is so variable. Having a fancy ret makes that estimation no easier.

 

One thing not mentioned so far is that if you choose to use the dialling method, you'd better have a pretty decent scope as most budget scopes (with few exceptions) just do not have precise enough turrets and may not track as precisely (or return to zero) as you'll find that mid to upper tier scopes do. Having decent, repeatable turrets is a must if longer range shooting. Ones that can be operated without removing caps (lower profile target turrets or full on target turrets) make this easier. There's a trend with resettable hunting turrets (low profile with positive click-stops and you lift the caps to disengage and reset zero) which is a welcome change from the fiddly business of unscrewing and carefully storing caps and then fiddling with turrets where the clicks may feel imprecise or are too closely spaced.

[Dougy]

Mill dot wont be any good if its vary focal and your up and down with the mag, OK for fixed or 1st focal plain. But you need space in your head to hold the info, and be able to pull it out when you need it.

For simple shooting Deer stalking or for Fox, Rabbit while out lamping or general pest control then then either are more that suitable.

 

If your intention is to just shoot then keep it simple, if you feel like you need to be a little Einstein when your out in the field,then its your choice to make it as complicated and as time consuming as you like.

 

I know what I prefer.

[kent]

For deer stalking or lamping I agree with point and shoot if it needs correction your shooting too far for 1 sporting reasons on the deer 2 for safety and humane reasons lamping

 

200 yards is a real long shot at night, if you can't see wind you can't shoot it

[Hendrix's rifle]

Cheers for the reply's, I'm looking for a new scope for the hmr and was thinking duplex, I do find the mildot scope a bit much, crosshairs too thick and the like. Think I might get the duplex ret Thanks again

[LeadWasp]

A Nikon Monarch 3 will do what you want for an HMR. I think it's the 3-10x50 (or is it 2.5-10x50) that I have on my HMR. It has excellent light gathering for it's class - far superior to a Vortex for example. 1/4MOA clicks, zero reset and turns indicators on the capped turrets. It's been a brilliant scope whether on the crows by day or lamping at night. Nikon are often over looked but it is excellent glass for the money and mechanically well made.

 

Your holdover on a 17 at 200yds is only going to be 8" or so.

[kent]

What's the point in talking moa dial in and then switching to inches?

[Dougy]

Probably what's commonly called "figure of speech"

 

No need to have a pop is there Kent?

Like allot of folk it's allot easier to visualise inches than it is moa, milrad or anything else you care to guess at.

[Dekers]

Whatever you prefer, but I'm struggling to see what you can't do with a Mil-dot that you can with a Duplex, but the Mil-dot does things the Duplex doesn't, so the Mil-dot seems favourite for the field.

 

Remember of course, there are numerous variations of Duplex and Mil-dot

 

Whatever you like, just like the scopes themselves, magnification, objective size, etc.; reticles seem to get very personal!

 

[Alycidon]

First dot on most Mil Dots is 4 MOA, thats around 350 yards for a half decent centerfire. Certainly thats a very rare occasion that it would be used in anything I pull a trigger on.

 

A

[Dekers]

First dot on most Mil Dots is 4 MOA, thats around 350 yards for a half decent centerfire. Certainly thats a very rare occasion that it would be used in anything I pull a trigger on.

 

A

 

 

So what, and what calibre/ammo/rifle/barrel/moderator/etc?

 

I think you will find there are an awful lot of air rifles and rimfires and some centrefires out there that may well experience a little more drop than that!

 

Regardless of that, many find it easier to calibrate between dots (and many are now fine and half mil-dots) than they do with a solid straight line.

 

Like I said above..... reticles seem to get very personal

 

[Guest]

If you want to unlock the potential of your rifle beyond max point blank shooting then you'll need a ranging reticle (MOA or MIL).

Steer clear of second focal plane scopes, mismatched reticle and adjustments (Mil scale ret with MOA drums), and personally I wouldn't entertain a bullet drop compensator type reticle.

MILDOT or MOA rets allow you to measure things properly and put the bullet exactly where you want it - it's proper shooting.

Guessing an inch above a rabbit's head may work for you, but only because you're used to that particular target on that particular piece of ground. And that's fine, but it's hardly precision shot placement.

Edited May 27, 2016 by Guest

[Guest]

Mildot was developed for range finding and an emergency battle dope. Not accurate long range shooting

 

I find it confusing and inaccurate. If I need to take a shot without dialing ( as I never now do with 22 lr) I know the dope in inches wind estimate and drop so I just aim off that amount.

 

Shooting long range centrefire I always dial in or hold if it's a quick fix situation

 

My mate shoots with am over complex and different reticule on each of his rifles and misses ( a lot on longer shots) he doesn't know the dope so cannot adjust for 1/2 and 1/4 allowances etc.

 

Most of all Christmas tree reticules confuse and distract the shooter focusing his mind on the point of aim so well imo

I don't like them

Any inaccuracy will have come from you unfortunately, not the reticle.

[LeadWasp]

What's the point in talking moa dial in and then switching to inches?

alas some people think in inches but fail to realise that what they are looking at is mere millimeters....................

 

Probably what's commonly called "figure of speech"

 

No need to have a pop is there Kent?

Like allot of folk it's allot easier to visualise inches than it is moa, milrad or anything else you care to guess at.

...wouldn't be so bad/predictable/boring if he was actually right.....and had read what he was commenting on.

Edited May 28, 2016 by LeadWasp

[welshwarrior]

Does my head in why do people keep saying an inch when it obviously isn't it's 25.4mm

[Savhmr]

If you want to unlock the potential of your rifle beyond max point blank shooting then you'll need a ranging reticle (MOA or MIL).

Steer clear of second focal plane scopes, mismatched reticle and adjustments (Mil scale ret with MOA drums), and personally I wouldn't entertain a bullet drop compensator type reticle.

MILDOT or MOA rets allow you to measure things properly and put the bullet exactly where you want it - it's proper shooting.

Guessing an inch above a rabbit's head may work for you, but only because you're used to that particular target on that particular piece of ground. And that's fine, but it's hardly precision shot placement.

 

Sorry but a straight forward duplex and dialling once you have your bullet's measured MV is way more accurate than any ranging ret and SFP scopes are fine (a decent quality SFP scope and Duplex which holds zero at any mag). Too many people watching too many you tube videos LoL! People forget that even with ranging rests YOU STILL NEED TO KNOW your bullets POI at all ranges, something that is overlooked time and time again and winds me up no end when talking about ranging rets. There's absolutely nothing wrong with BDC scopes either, and absolutely nothing wrong with the precision that a decent SFP scope will give you. You just use the mag suited to your bullet/rifle combo IF using a ranging ret. At most ranges UK shooters deal with, BDC is probably more useful than mildot as is duplex/dial. Practised, it can be rapid enough. The arguments for and against are, though, less important than what you behind the trigger are most practised with and most effective with.