It is important to understand the "long-range lingo," (and concepts) because this is typically how guys, and ballistics programs communicate windage and elevation correction. Counting clicks is OK, but suppose u want to use a long-range ballistic reticle, or rangefinding reticle (like the mil-dot) for downrange zeroing and/or rangefinding. This is where familiarization with these concepts comes in handy. It's also extremely rewarding to go out and make 1st shot connections on long-range tgts. just by using ballistic program calcs. matched to a reticle or turret comeups/holdoffs. It doesn't always work that way, but it does most of the time.
Here's 1 example of how it can help. I was out with my mom 1 day couple years ago, and we were shooting a big old monster gun a buddy had built, and i was elected to test it at long-range. It was a long/heavy-barreled 270 WSM built up on a Nesika Bay action with a 8.5-25X Leupold. I'd just zeroed the rig on a 200 yd. pr. dog a day before so it was "sort of" zeroed. When we got to the edge of a low ridge we were gonna be shooting off we stopped for a little just to glass for coyotes. I wasn't hunting seriously at all, and howled once before we started shooting long-range rocks and stuff. An old mange dog stood up about 500 yds. away, and started to come in at a tangent to us, Some antelop spooked him off, and when he got way out there i started ranging him. He finally stopped quartering my way at a lasered 775. I checked the drop chart i'd printed off, and quickly ran in the turret clicks for that range--maybe 14 MOA--can't remember now. I reacquired the dog in the optic, and shot. The gun recoiled a little but settled back into the same spot, and i watched that unlucky dog fall over dead right there. Couldn't believe it myself, but sometimes some pretty amazing things can happen just by understanding the "system."
