BDC Reticle

[Brian in Montana]

I've been browsing around for a new scope to put on a .270, I prefer a 10x or 12x but most everything in that magnification range is either tacti-cool or mil-dot, or BDC. I had a BDC scope once and really didn't like it, or mess with using it the its advertised. It actually seems a little gimmicky. I'm a believer in the simple MPBR method anyway.

So I was thinking. There sure seem to be a pile of scopes on the market these days with the BDC reticle. Any of you actually use them, and like them?

 

[Brian in Montana]

Oops. I actually meant to put this on Optics.

 

[zpooch]

I have a BDC scope on one of my rifles. I don't see what the gimmick is? I got the holdovers from measured Chrono speeds with my preferred hunting round and a ballistics app. Verified the distances, tweaked the app numbers and practice out to about 550 yards. I didn't think it got much simpler with a 200 yard zero

 

[brnsvllyjohn]

I have 2 with BDC and as long as you verify the actual ballistics they work well. At least on paper they do and we have shot to 500 yards to verify. People get all worked up over the fact that the hash marks probably don't represent even yardages so they don't like them. On my main gun the yardages are just over 300, 400 and 500. I can deal with the fact that the hash mark represents 315 yards and not an even 300.
With that being said in the last 5 years I have not needed to use any of those hash marks. All of my deer have been shot at 200 or less so no need to even think about anything but the center crosshair.

 

[Millsworks]

I was a mill dot guy.
The BDC type reticle is the only way I go now.
It's much easier to practice at various ranges to verify the range that the hold over marks are, and then just hold with the closest one that is to the targets range.
In real world hunting situations, I find it fast and simple.
Out to 600yrds. with a 200yrd zero with my 300 win mag. , with close enough to hit inside of 8" circle to 500yrds all day.
I have found them to be exceptionally close to 400yds on all the rifles I have them on.
Close enough to take prairie dogs with.

 

[golfer]

Which brand of BDC are you referring too?

 

[bowhuntmontana]

I have bdc scopes on two of my guns and really like them. Had to do my homework with verified velocities and all bullet info to plug into the bdc calculator. They are quite accurate for me.

 

[VikingsGuy]

I have historically used Nikon Monarch BCDs (which by the way I will have several on sale on HT in the coming week) and with their little app it was easy to make a dope card. Just plug in the velocities and altitude and mark down the proper resulting value for each subtenet. Way more accurate that trying to do the math converting the supposed “standard .308” ballistics they list in the BDC manual. Nice for a longer shot w/ 25-06 on last years ‘lope or longer than initially desired 30-30 shot (those bullets drop in a hurry) on white tails that wandered out of the woods into the adjoining field.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I've learned that I don't like a cluttered reticle, either. I'd rather have a plain, wide duplex.

 

[p_ham]

I prefer them over the cds system for hunting. The only knob I have to worry about is the guy pulling the trigger. I'm fine with a duplex also, I dont shoot at fur far enough to really need either.
Target shooting, I like both dials and BDC reticles.

 

[stealthy_bowman]

I have 3 rifles with scopes that have the BDC reticle and I quite like them.
Like anything else though, it took a bit of experimenting, with different rounds, to get them just right.

 

[Don Fischer]

I have one BDC scope and am a MPBR shooter. Got the scope because I got a great price on it figuring Nikon could change it for me. No way! I don't like gimmicks in the scope, BDC is bull shite! Reminds me of the old Herter range finder scope, garbage. I think people would be much better off learning to shoot!

 

[golfer]

I do not like the Nikon bdc circles. I think there is more room for errors compared to say vortex deadhold bdc. So if any one is interested in a Nikon prostaff 5 3.5-14 bdc scope I have one i no longer use

 

[Brian in Montana]

The one I had was a Vortex, I don't recall what model. It was the little circles and it did seem to make the sight picture cluttered. I had it on a .308 some years back and wound up selling it with the rifle. To me it just seemed like something to mess with so guys could think they're being real snipery or something. Vortex had this deal at the time, maybe they still do, where you could go on their website and tell them what ammo you're using and they'd tell you exactly where the compensations were. That's the part I thought was kind of gimmicky. I'm probably going to just stick with duplexes, been using them my whole life. Just seems there's so many BDCs anymore, thought I'd ask.

 

[NMGuy]

I have a Nikon BDC on my muzzle loader and one on my 30-06. I really like both scopes, but as others have mentioned you can't trust the website yardages 100%. On my muzzle loader I plugged all my load data into Nikon's program and the results were way off. So, I did my own testing out to 200 yards and verified where things were. Served me well last season.

 

[cahunter805]

Some of the BDC reticles aren’t bad if you verify your info.
Just curious which scopes are you looking at? For a 10x and easy MPBR I’d just get a Leupold vx3i 3.5-10 with duplex from Schmalts.

 

[PA deer hunter]

I have a Nikon Monarch on my 7mag. I’m a big follower of the KISS principle. Works as advertised, for me, using their SpotOn system.Made several shots on game out to 380,have no problem using the circles. Sighted in at 200, my circles are 300,400,and 500. Pretty simple.

 

[VikingsGuy]

I have a Nikon BDC on my muzzle loader and one on my 30-06. I really like both scopes, but as others have mentioned you can't trust the website yardages 100%. On my muzzle loader I plugged all my load data into Nikon's program and the results were way off. So, I did my own testing out to 200 yards and verified where things were. Served me well last season.

In my experience, the Nikon app was spot on with modern centerfire rounds with accurate velocity data and directionally correct BCs - matched almost identically with the well regarded JBM and Hornady 4D calculators. But I nave never used any of those programs with muzzle loaders.

 

[zpooch]

Mine is a Vortex Diamondback 4-12x40

 

[Cav1]

The Leupold BDC worked very well for me. I clock all loads with a chrony, still zero the actual crosshairs for maximum point blank range, then calculate what the exact yardage is for each hold-over. They're not nice even numbers so I print them out and tape a small cheat sheet to the scope. Now I'm trying out a Nikon and their Spot-On program is pretty slick too. It allows you to factor in exact muzzle velocity, altitude, humidity, etc. I very seldom take hunting shots beyond 300 yards, but it's nice to know you can reach out farther if you really need to.