Hi, thanks for the link (I'm the author of the linked printable targets)

There seems to be some confusion so perhaps I can help to explain.

The original post by Clive mentioned using the targets to accurately calibrate the magnification on your scope to find the correct setting where your mildot spacing is said to be 'true'. Contrary to popular belief the definition of a mildot isn't that it subtends to 1 milliradian at 10x magnification, many scopes use a different magnification and not all of them are correct. So these targets will allow you to calibrate your Second Focal Plane scope to find out which magnification your scopes mildot reticle is set at.

The distance you set a target out at is irrelevant for this purpose so long as you set out the target at the marked distance (every distance in both yards and metres from 8 yards to 55 yards are available from the link). It doesn't matter what range you claim to shoot over, be it 50m or 500m, you can still use these targets to accurately calibrate your mildot reticle.

The targets can also be used to accurately plot your holdover / holdunders for all the distances between 8 yards and 55 yards. This may not be of use to you if you aren't an air rifle target shooter/hunter.

Mildot reticles aren't a gimmick for fools! - they're a very useful tool for rangefinding, holdover/holdunder and windage estimation - still used extensively to this day by military snipers - who are able to take shots far in excess of 290 yards.

'Milling' is very important. If its used properly it can ascertain range to a known sized target or the size of the target over a known range.

A simpler way is to go out with someone who knows their mil magnification already or who has a scope with the reticule in the 2nd focal plane.

Otherwise you could take a known object (say a 4 inch clay pigeon) and put it at a known distance (100 meters) and it should be 1 mil. (2 mil at 50 meters)

A fence post (wooden stake type) in a field is about four inches as well.

Proper use of mils can massively increase your knowledge and understanding of your fall of shot, corrections on second shot as well as ranging.

Anyone who doesn't understand the use mills properly should look into it and try and apply the fundamentals next time you're out and about. A great knowledge will make you a better shot.

Head to these guys so.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKP5hg-B1N8

I'd give my left nut to be there. :-)

I do both myself. I hunt fox with a .22 and a .223 but target shoot with them as well.

With a bit of theory and plenty of practice you can use both. Knowing your point of aim at different ranges and understanding the importance of the different elements of a reticule brings a bit more to shooting. I would have previously thought that a .22lr was limited to about the 100 meters +/- depending on the shooter. But now i'm hitting up to 300 meters on a scope zeroed to 60 with out adjusting any clicks due to understanding the effects changing the magnification has on the reticule as well as how mil dots can be used effectively.

But if you have the natural ability to do so then fair deuce. I'd trade all the gadgets for that. Just don't forget to put the snow in your mouth Vasily :-)

No time at all.

With a good ballistic calculator that's trued to the actual product from the barrell its easy to call drop.

I use istrelok on the iPhone but I've seen it on android as well.

Just imput your range to target, angle and windage and it'll give you your drop and clicks or at the touch of a button it will show your point of aim on your reticule. On Second focal plane scopes this will change depending on your magnification. So by changing your magnification setting on the calculator you can find a suitable one (say 4 mil dots down on 5x), adjust your scope to read the same and squeeeze!!! All in about 5 seconds from lazing the range to having your round heading down range.

Its great, cos the flight time for my 32 gr stingers is just over a second at 300 yards. So when shooting at 12 inch steel plate the time to ping makes you feel you're shooting 338 out to a thousand :-)

The hardest part is getting your initial information correct. Mussel velocity, ballistic co-efficient, barometric pressure etc. It sounds complicated and i would have shyed away from it before. But knowing how to use it now I'd never go back.

The hardest shots are those not taken.

Just a quick word of warning.. if you are going to use a standard clay to calibrate your mildots, then you should be aware that a standard clay isn't 4 inches, it's 110mm which would mean it would be 1 mildot at 110m or 2 mildots at 55m.

If you're going to go to the trouble of calibrating, then you might as well be as accurate as you can.

You can do your own calculations - if working in yards, 1 mildot is 3.6 inches at 100 yards, or 100mm is 1 mildot at 100m.

If you are going to calibrate and you want to be as accurate as possible, then I would recommend using a tape measure to measure out the distance rather than a laser rangefinder. Obviously, measuring out 100m using a tape is going to be a pain, so go for a shorter distance and either do the calculations yourself or print out one of the originally linked targets for the distance you're going to use. I normally find around the 25-30 yard mark works well.

Very good thread guys :cool:.
Regards,Tomcat.