Ask the experts: How should I deal with long-range scope adjustments

Q I’m most comfortable with a .243 for red deer stalking. But, when training at longer ranges, I tend to run out of adjustment on my scope – leaving me less confident when it comes to the real thing. What scope should I buy to counter this?

A Mark says: The .243 is a capable round, and with the right bullet weight, performs well at long range. You don’t say what scope you have but to gain extra elevation on your scope, simply put an angled base rail on your rifle. A set-up such as a Nightforce 5.5-22×50 with a 20MOA base rail, which angles the scope down more towards the barrel, causing your point of impact to be 20MOA (20 inches at 100 yards) higher than it was, will allow you to click your scope back and gain extra adjustment on your elevation.

If you have hash marks or mil dots on your scope’s reticle, you can also use these for additional aiming points. If you look at your scope’s user guide or on the internet, you should be able to find what value in MOA the distance between the hash marks on a certain magnification setting is. Once you reach the extent of your elevation on your turret, you can then start to use these reference marks to increase your range.

I have managed a shot out to a mile using this method, and with a good quality scope the hash marks can be surprisingly accurate aiming points.

Mark Ripley YouTube star and extreme-range shooter

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