Last week I compared the new 3x9 Trophy with the Bushnell 3200. I could not see any improvement over my old Banner and purchased the Elite 3200 3x9. My comparison was very limited but each scope was mounted in one of those in store scope stocks I ran each scope from 3 to 9 power. The Elite 3200 maintained a better focus and view than the Trophy. Was it a good test? No but it was enough for me to order the 3200.
I did like the DOA crosshairs over the ballistic crosshairs in my Nikon scope. BUT decided that I would go with standard crosshairs. After the Nikon experience I am thinking standard crosshairs maybe the best option. The DOA system appears similar to the Ballistic Plex that I have in two Burris scopes. I like the Burris setup.
The one thing in favor of the Nikon system is there online ballistic program that matches the users load. The key ingredient to making a ballistic crosshair work is a Chrony and a ballistic program. In most cases using factory ballistics is wishful thinking.
A rangefinder is handy. I have used different methods of determining range but was shocked at how many times I am off. This morning I took a walk just after sunrise. The rangefinder gave me ranges out to 593 yards. The majority of them were 200 yards or less. I would spot a target guess the range and then use the rangefinder. Twenty-five and thirty yard errors were common in different cover from brush, oak, and pine canopy.
About a year ago I took my sixty plus year old brother out to estimate range. He has been hunting for over fifty years and was confident in his ability to estimate range. There is a distant deer crossing that can be seen from our back deck. He estimated it as being over 200 yards. The rangefinder said 145 yards. We walked out to over look an open area just before dark. There were deer feeding in there and he put them at 100 yards. The range finder put them at sixty yards. When he got home he ordered a rangefinder.
According to my ballistic program if I hold on a deer’s spine at 400 yards the bullet should hit the heart. The 140-grain bullet from my rifle drops 13-inches at 400 yards. The 160-grain bullet from my 7MM Magnum drops -13.71 inches at 400 yards.
I had the Weaver scope with the dual crosshairs fifty years ago. One of the problems was the data was based on the 130-grain bullet from a 270 Winchester at 3140 fps from muzzle. My 270 with a 22-inch barrel never came close to it. According to the Chrony my rifle gets about 3050 fps. I missed a number of deer.
A question that comes to mind is the extra cost of these ballistic crosshairs better invested in the next higher grade of scope?
I have been bitten by the bug a few times, I believe I currently have four scopes with ballistic crosshairs, and in the past 2-years I have given two others away. Recently I almost bought a scope with MIL DOT. I consider that a near miss.
