Help With Target Turrets

S

Swifty Morgan

New member
I decided to look into a long distance rifle shooting class. I mentioned my scopes in an email, and the guy who teaches the class says they won't work. I'm pretty bummed. The course requires a scope with target turrets. I can rent a scope, but then I would spend two days learning how to set up and use a piece of equipment I would then have to remove and give back.

I told him about some rifles I have, and he said my DPMS LR-308B with a varmint barrel will work, as will a Thompson Center Venture in .204 Ruger.

I have a Leupold VX-3 6.5-20x with a varmint reticle, and I have a Burris Fullfield II 4-14x with a ballistic plex reticle. I just picked up a Vortex Diamondback 4-12x.

I don't know anything about target turrets that I didn't learn by Googling during the last 15 minutes. Apparently, you can buy target turrets from a company called Kenton. Of course, they have multiple varieties, and I have no idea which one is appropriate.

Is it possible for a person to buy and install his own turrets? Is there a particular type I should want? I see "Military," "Speed dial," and "LR hunter."

I was thinking the Leupold should get the upgrade. I only bought it to learn long-distance shooting.
 
I would recommend asking the instructor what exactly is needed for the class.
My thoughts is that they probably want dials where you can quickly and easily adjust to a certain number of increments (e.g. "dial 14.5 moa of elevation"). If your scope does not have numbered dials, that would be a major distraction ("well, I started at 0, dialed up 15 clicks, then down 2, then up 27...and these are 1/4moa clicks...so, uh....I think I wrote all those down right?)
 
You can use almost any scope, even a hunting scope with traditional adjustment knobs. I do so all the time. Most target shooters use scopes with mil adjustments, but when working up data it is usually also given in MOA. It ain't rocket science. If your cheat sheet says come up 4.3 Mils or 14.8 MOA for a 600 yard target you can make either scope work. Just take the cap off the elevation knob and move it up 14.8 MOA if you don't have turrets.

But it sounds like the instructor either isn't aware of, or doesn't want to accommodate another way of accomplishing the same thing with the equipment at hand.

If I were buying an entry level long range target scope I'd buy one of these. They will do a GREAT job.

https://www.swfa.com/swfa-ss-10x42-tactical-30mm-riflescope-3.html?___SID=U

They make this in fixed 6X, 10X, 12X, 16X, and 20X. As well as a 3-9X42. The variable is $650 though. I have the 6X and have shot out to 600 yards with it with zero issues. I also have one of the 3-9X's. It is a good scope, but I wish I'd saved my money and just bought another one in 10X for 1/2 the cost.

I would NOT recommend the 16X or 20X. Too much of a good thing, the 6X and 10X are excellent optically. Above 10X and they lose some clarity. Especially the 16X and 20X versions.
 
What distance will you be shooting?

I’m not the instructor, but I believe his issue is related to having enough travel to get on target at #### distance.

I forget, but I think 308 is gonna need 12-15 Mils elevation at 1000 yds and up to 3.5 Mils wind.....
 
If you have the time, you can send your Leupold scope back to the factory and they will install target turrets for you.

I've done this in the past, think it was about $100 for them to do it. Call them or send an email and ask if they still offer this service. That and how much time it will take for it to get done and back to you.
 
The reason target turrets are required is they're easier and faster to use making adjustments using your fingers. You can feel the clicks as you make them. Clockwise turns moves bullet impact left and down respectively. Don't need to watch the knobs.

Competition rifle sights used for USA NRA bullseye targets with scoring rings sizes in inches have used MOA adjustments forever. All based on the 1 inch per hundred yard National Shooting Sports of America standard.

Nobody I know of makes target rear aperture sights with MIL adjustments. The USA standard for decades has been 40 tpi adjustment screws with 12 clicks per turn so a 30 inch sight radius gives exactly 1 inch change per 100 yards of range across 4 clicks.
 
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First question to answer is, What is long range to you?
For medium range even, i'd leave the 204 Ruger at home.
While flat shooting the wind will push the heck out of it.

You can twiddle the knobs on a scope all you want. If it doesn't track right, you'll be chasing your tail. Hence the more target oriented scope recommendation.

If your going to be stretching over 600 yards (medium range) you may want a 20 MOA base.
 
I think they may help as they have Knob for VX scope.
Click to expand...

Is this something I can install? It looks simple, but for all I know, the nitrogen would fly out of the scope.

It's hard to tell which of their products is right, and I don't understand why they need to know the altitude and temperature. I know these things affect trajectory, but I don't plan to buy new knobs every time I shoot in a different environment.

I don't even know if I want MIL or MOA. The course accepts either.

Far as I know, the course involves 1000-yard shooting.
 
Don't mix and match MOA and MIL in the same scope! It just causes a lot of extra math. If your reticle and turret (adjustments and markings) match, you get to do fewer conversions.
 
You might also want to make sure you don't need some sort of ranging reticle like a mil dot or something similar. The long range classes I've done, using the reticle to range or do hold overs was part of the course.

I'd call leupold and see about just having them put turets on and if need be a new reticle.
While mil/mil or moa/moa adjustments are common now it was only a few years ago that mixed scopes were still the norm. It's extra math but IMO it's really not that big a deal. Just learn to use whatever it is you have. I'm sure the majority of shooters on this forum cut their teeth on mil reticle with moa adjustments.
 
Swifty Morgan said:
It's hard to tell which of their products is right, and I don't understand why they need to know the altitude and temperature. I know these things affect trajectory, but I don't plan to buy new knobs every time I shoot in a different environment.

Far as I know, the course involves 1000-yard shooting.
Click to expand...
The reason altitude and temperature are needed is bullets slow down more at lower elevations and colder temperatures. Air is more dense in those environments. Enough to cause a 6 MOA different sight elevation zeros at 1000 yards.

I've seen folks using their 1000 yard zeros for 6600 feet elevation at 95 degrees F shoot at 580 feet above sea level at 40 degrees F and their 308 Win bullets hit the dirt 5 feet below point of aim on the 6 foot square target.

I think it's best to get knobs graduated in MOA then record the sight settings for each distance and range location then use what's required for each. It's easy to calibrate them to zero so dialing them in to a range setting is easy. If desired, I'll put instructions in another thread.
 
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Check out Huskemaw turrets for your scope if you're looking for something other than Leupold turrets.

These guys custom make the turrets for your rifle. All you need to do is follow the directions on their website.

www.huskemawoptics.com
 
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