The Practical Marksman

Ok guys here we go. Go get your thinking caps on and come on back to read this.

What you need to have and know first off.
1. A calculator
2. A understanding of MOA
3. A understanding of the English unit of measure " inches, feet, yards"
4. A open mind and the ability to comprehend what you read.
5. A 100yd range
6. A computer printer
7. My e-mail address

Well here we go, A milradian is a unit of measure. To understand this unit of measure, and how it helps you is simple. All you need to do is know how big a MILRAD is at each 100yd lines you plan on ranging or shooting a target at.



To do this at home, all you need to do is take the yard line value as in the 4 from 4 00yds an times it by 3.6" and you get the value for that distance. So now we know how big a Mil is at each distance. This information will inform you the shooter to the danger space, under shot, over shot, and point blank ranges of each ZERO you use. For more info on that, come see me

Using the reticule for unknown distance target ranging, or hold overs/unders is the same skill set. To range a target you need to know target size in width or height or mil size for advanced MILRAD usage.

How does this work?

Very simply, to find an unknown you need two pieces of the puzzle that are known correct? So for you to find an unknown distance to a target you need the following.

Mil size + Target size = distance to target.

Very simple.

So all you do is this.

Target size x 27.778 = a number / mil reading in the reticule = Target distance. That's it.

Let's work on this. I have a 20" x 40" target.



Now since I know how big a target is, all I need to do is line the target up in my reticle to get the Milrad reading.



The target to the right reads 1.2 Mil tall and .6 Mil wide. So lets use these numbers to get the range

Height:
40 inches x 27.778 = 1111.12
1111.12 / 1.2 Mil = 925.933 or 926yds

Width:
20 inches x 27.778 = 555.56
555.56 / .6 Mil = 925.933 or 926yds

WOW HOW DID THAT HAPPEN???????????????????????????????????

So tell me the range to the target on the left.

You should get a range of 555.56yds on both height and width.

Holds for Elevation, Windage

Now that we have covered the basic information and usage of the Mil-Dot reticle lets look at more advanced applications. We now know that a Mil-Dot reticle is a unit of angular measurement as is minute of angle. You can now use the ammunition ballistics that you have in MOA for hold-over's, hold-under's and windage to hit a target.

This is simple to do. Lets use the Federal Gold Metal Match .308 win Ammunition (FGMM) with the 175 grain bullet as an example.



Since we now have the ballistics that our rifle shoots. You need to pick a ZERO range for your scope. Then get the adjustment-ups or adjustment-downs from that MOA drop at that range to all the ranges you plan on using the Mil-Dots for hold-over's and hold-under's for.

The easiest way I have found to get the best ZERO setting on the scope is to look at your MOA from the closest range you will shoot at to the farthest. Most of us will use a 100 yard to 1000 yard ballistic sheet. For the Federal Gold Metal Match .308 win Ammunition our chart lists 37.37 MOA as the total drop. We take the 37.35 and divide it by3.43775. This gives us 10.86 Mils of total drop. Most reticules have 8 Mil-Dots with a 10 Milliradian over all size reticule. I have found that a ZERO SETTING between 600 yards and 700 yards works best for the FGMM .308win ammunition to cover 100yards to 1000 yards.

With that in mind, we will use the 675 yard data as the ZERO but you can use any MOA ZERO you would like. Some use a 400yd ZERO also to engage targets from 100 yards to 800 yards. The 675 yard data is at 18.75 MOA setting on the optic's turrets from the 100yd ZERO. Now I need to find out what my adjustment-ups and adjustment -downs are from each range to 675 yards. If you subtract 675 yard MOA from 700 to 1000 yards you get your adjustment-ups. Then subtract the MOA at 100 to 500yds from the 675yd MOA for adjustment-downs.

You're adjustment-up / down chart will look like this:



Ok the fun part. We have the entire math we could ever want now. To make a hold-over / under we must take the adjustment-up/ down and divide it by 3.438 to get is value in Mil so we can use it with our reticule. Using the same data charts this is how it’s done.

I have my adjustment-downs and ups. All I have to do is take the adjustment-up or down number and divide it by 3.438 to get my mil-hold.

EXAMPLE:
400yard adjustment down from 675 yards = 11.21 MOA
11.21 / 3.438 = 3.26 Mil-Hold under 675yd ZERO
800yard adjustment up = 6.48 MOA
6.48 / 3.438 = 1.88 Mil-Hold over 675yd ZERO

To do the windage holds. All we have to do is take the true minute of angle wind drift and divide it by 3.438 and you get the wind hold in Mil.



This is how your holds will look like when you need to use them.

Elevation Holds


Windage Holds


Hope this very short explanation helps. If you need any help, ask away.

John

GREAT post John!

John:

How does it work with a metric scope - ala S&B PMII with a P4 reticle (metric)?

Timberwolf,

The idea of metric as a riflescope is old school bad marketing. Do to this, people have looked at the European made riflescopes and see the word metric.

The word metric has nothing to do with how the riflescope works. Its just bad press from the riflescope maker.

So wrap your mind around this.

The MilRad adjusted optics are in a value of 10 same as the metric system. Since the first MilRad riflescope makers where from Europe they labeled them metric since they did not use inches and yards.

The truth is this. 1 mil @ 100yds is 3.6" that is 1/10th of a yard

At 100m 1 Mil is 10cm or 1/10th of a meter @ 100m.

See how this works?

Now lets replace the word metric with MilRad.

A MilRad adjusted optic is very simple to use.

If you look at my first chart above, you see the value of a single Mil per 100yds. well the optic you are talking about adjusts in 1/10th of that value at that distance.

so @ 100yds 1 click = .36"
@ 200yds 1 click = .72"
@ 300yds 1 click = 1.08"

So on it goes.

hope this cleared up your question.

The whole idea of metric adjusted scopes is not true, its just a simple way for European scope makers to sale scopes to European buyers.

If this adjustment value would of started in the U.S. and had the same marketing team it would of been 1/10th yard adjusted.

See my point here?

John

Understanding the metric system isn't the problem, it's me forgetting that the scope is 10cm and my range is in yards.

Thankis for the explanation.

Sir,

the 10cm and a yard range has nothing to do with anything.


John

Thanks John.

Don't call me Sir, I was an NCO and had to work for a living.

Peter.

Nice work John very informative! Thanks