Do I Need to Use Scope Turrets?

[JW@TRACT]

Do you guys feel that having a turret system on your rifle scope is beneficial for hunting out west? I grew up in the southeastern deer woods where the 3-9x40 was about as much glass as you needed. Now, living in an area where longer shots may be necessary at times, I’m considering moving up but wanted to see how it may benefit me having a rifle scope capable of dialing the distance.

Thanks for any feedback.

 

[Geewhiz]

Turrets can be very helpful if you're practiced and versed in the ways of shooting longer distances. Turrets don't buy you a single thing though if you think you can shoot a grand just cause you have a cool scope.

 

[ChrisAU]

Turrets can be very helpful if you're practiced and versed in the ways of shooting longer distances. Turrets don't buy you a single thing though if you think you can shoot a grand just cause you have a cool scope.

This. I started practicing dialing because I was planning to hunt out west. I did dial for the elk in my avatar. However, the practice and knowledge gained has translated to my eastern hunting. I have dialed for a few whitetail does now here in AL from 250-450 yards. It has made me a better shooter. Typically I wont hunt here where there are shot longer than 150 yards at most, but its nice to know I can do it confidently.

 

[Geewhiz]

I have been working on putting together a capable long range setup for quite some time now. At this point the rifle and optic that I have is more than capable of any distance that I could ever want to shoot. I am in the process of load development and dope validation now but I am personally a long way from being able to use this setup to its full potential. But at least I can practice and cant blame it on my equipment.

 

[Fatcamp]

I really like shooting to my crosshairs. That's all it does for me.

 

[6mm Remington]

I personally do not care for Turrets and dialing. I just see too many things that can go potentially wrong such as the scope adjustments suddenly giving up, forgetting to dial back the turret after shooting, adjusting incorrectly. On the one rifle of my "own" that has a variable power scope on it which is a 4.5-14x40mm Leupold with the B&C reticle. I really like this type of compensation and several scope makers have something similar. It's designed to work in the 0-500 range and that it certainly does for me.

 

[MidGAHunter]

Dial elevation,, hold wind. Gonna need turrets to do that.

 

[5MilesBack]

I hunted elk and deer with a 3x9 scope without turrets for 25 years without any issues or any need for them. I think the longest shot I ever took on an elk was about 225, and about 350 for deer. So......are they needed? No. Are they fun to play with? Sure. I have a couple dial scopes that I play with.......now that I'm strictly a bowhunter.

 

[6mm Remington]

I hunted elk and deer with a 3x9 scope without turrets for 25 years without any issues or any need for them. I think the longest shot I ever took on an elk was about 225, and about 350 for deer. So......are they needed? No.

The standard Duplex reticle that Leupold has in their scopes is all I used for many years and have also never felt hampered by using them. I love the fixed power 6x42mm and 6x36mm, also the 4x fixed power. That's all I ever used until I finally broke down and got a variable scope. I still don't feel compromised by that reticle or power range.

 

[willfrye027]

IMO for hunting, not necessary until you are beyond 400 yards. Holdover is pretty easy to that distance with not a whole lot of practice needed. Adding a turret I feel adds some complication and potential for error. But if you want to be consistent at distance it’s the way to go. Expect to spend a few grand between scope, competent RF, and of course hundreds of rounds to feel comfortable in a little wind. Then, by the end of it you will questions whether or not it was worth it to add 200 yards to your max range..

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

It is a personal preference.

Some folks swear that using hash marks is best. FFP is better suited for this as the hashmarks are consistent across magnifications. With SFP, the hashmarks and associated distance will vary depending on magnification.

Some folks swear that using turrets is best.

Some folks swear holding over is best.

Use whichever combination makes the most sense for you in general and then under certain circumstances. No matter what, validate everything before you go no matter which method(s) you use.

I personally prefer dialing. I dial when I have time to take a shot at whatever distance. Within a certain radius, I may use the hashmarks for those instances where I do not have a lot of time but it is not a split second decision either. I normally range around me and know that I need to use hashmark X out to here and hashmark Y out to there. For those "oh crap, he's right there and we're about to be busted" shots, I may use the good ole' holdover.

 

[MeatMissile]

I’ve lived and hunted in the western states my whole life. I think the need for any piece of equipment is based totally on the hunter. If they prefer to spot and stalk, as I do, a standard rifle in a standard caliber with a 3-9x scope is just fine.

If they prefer to find a vantage point and shoot from farther out, they might have a rifle built for that purpose.

The great thing about hunting the western states is you have the choice. It’s open enough to shoot far if you want. The terrain has lots of feature that makes stalking, even over an open area, doable.

 

[SummitsCalling]

Get something that shoots flat, zero for 200-250yds. Know your drop out to what you are comfortable shooting at. Could also go the BTC reticle route, as with some scope turrets not designed to be cranked on non stop can have issues at the worst time(Leupold for example). Higher end scopes, think NightForce, also are heavy, do not have issues with repeatability.

If all else fails, get closer

 

[JW@TRACT]

Thanks for all the helpful feedback, as always.

 

[Wags]

Whatever you choose or decide make sure you are practicing that method at the range. I grew up holding over because the optics I had were limited. When I got into the military that experience helped but I also learned to use dials. I practice both but prefer to dial past 300.

If you are going the dial route buy a scope that's capable of maintaining it's zero and tracking true. This is part of what makes higher end scopes expensive. Yes you usually get better glass but the tolerances and materials in the dial system usually improves as well. You can test your optic using a tracking test at the range to confirm it's dialing is accurate and it's return to 0 is solid.