Scope Adjustments

B

Bucksnort1

New member
Gents,

I'm seeking a simple answer to a situation with scopes.

Most of us buy scopes for hunting and not for driving tacks at 1,000 yards so we keep things as simple as possible without arguing about the theory of evolution or the theory of everything or quantum mechanics or the general theory of relativity; therefore, I put these questions to you. Please remember, I am a math phobic.

When we buy our scopes, we mount them to our rifles, leave our abacus and slide rule at home then head for the range for zeroing. Scope instructions tell us that one click with the elevation or windage will move the strike of the bullet 1/4" at 100yards. My first question is, what effect will one click have at 50, 150 and 200 yards? My second question is, have I been reading my scope instructions correctly, all these years in saying one click equates to 1/4" for windage and elevation?
 
If it is 1/4" a 100 yard adjustments, 1 click at 200 will be 1/2". As you move closer the adjustments get smaller, 50 yards would be 1/8"
 
MOST scopes are 1/4" @ 100 yards. That means your POI will move 1/2" @ 200 yards, 3/4" @ 300 yards and 1" @ 400 yards for each click.

Some scopes are set up differently. I know of some with 1/2" adjustments @ 100 yards.
 
Scopes

Rob228, your response is just as I thought. Thanks.

Now, without going into the theory of relativity, will someone explain why it is 1/8" at 50 yards and so on.
 
Pretty simple, 50 yards is 1/2 of 100 yards, 1/8th" is 1/2 of 1/4".

To simplify it as much as possible, adjustments are angular. The farther away the target is the larger the adjustment will be when you make it at the rifle, as in the angle stays the same, however the farther out you go the larger the distance is. Look at the image below, picture the rifle at A. The angle (A) does not change, however the farther away from A you get, the larger the gap between the adjacent side and the hypotenuse. (there are much better and more accurate descriptions, but this should cover what you're looking for)

hypotenuse_zps8edbbb27.png
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Now, without going into the theory of relativity, will someone explain why it is 1/8" at 50 yards and so on.
Click to expand...

Please remember, I am a math phobic.
Click to expand...

The answer you requested requires the math you also requested to live without.:D

Simple math though, so this shouldn't hurt. For distances beyond 100 multiply both the yardage and the size of the change in POA by the same number. 200 yards = multiplier of 2. For distances under 100 you must divide by the same number. 50 yards = divide by 2. This is because of the triangle Rob228 talked about.
 
Scope adjustments are in fractions of a minute of angle, normally 1/4 minute, but occasionally 1/2 or even 1/8. Conveniently, one minute of angle is almost exactly 1 inch at 100 yards (why this is the case is that math you didn't want to be bothered with). So at 100 yards, one 1/4 Minute click equals 1/4" on the target.

If you cut the distance in half, to 50 yards, you cut the distance of the adjustment in half as well. One click still moves the cross-hairs 1/4 Minute of angle, just that at half the distance, 1/4 minute is half as much.

It works the other way too, if the distance to the target is doubled, the length of one minute is doubled as well, so at 400 yards, one 1/4 minute click is an inch on the target.

Clear as mud?
 
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