Im sure I could google it and find more info than I care to sort through. Looking for a new scope to put on top of a 270wsm with the intention to shoot out to 400-500 yards.

I see all sorts of different reticles. what is my best option for hunting mostly but at times making some long shots? or can someone give me the cliff notes version of each and the benefits.

This is a good read with a lot of info.

http://www.texashuntingforum.com/forum/u...the#Post3714106

Reticles will help. But I would recommend a scope where you can dial for your elevation in MOA or mils. Once you learn how to use mils or MOA, you will understand that the reticle holdovers are not near as accurate or consistant. And it's not that difficult to figure out.

What's going to be the best reticle then? All the scopes I'm looking at offer more than one just don't see what makes one better than the next

Leaning heavily towards the vortex

how much are you willing to spend?

Are you talking targets or game out to 4-500?

Game I'm comfortable out to 350 would like to extend that out to 500. I'm looking to spend 5-600 or less on the scope

Developing the skill set to shoot 400-500 yards includes intimate knowledge of quality glass. There is no shame in asking but it does indicate a lack of experience.
For hunting I prefer duplex crosshair. I dont like looking at a bunch of noise when I am focusing on game. I do like an illuminated reticle in case I stay after dark to shoot hogs. I have a Vortex with a V-brite reticle that is standard crosshairs with an illuminated dot in the center. It is fabulous for shooting game but the dot covers about .75MOA so it is not the best target scope.

just make sure that if your reticle is in MIL, then your turrets are also MIL (or MOA/MOA, etc). Gets real confusing when you have mil reticle and adjustments are MOA or vice-versa.

I've always just bought a scope to use never really bought good glass with multiple options on the reticle. I know my ability and my guns ability just trying to make it easier on myself.

I'm glad you posed the question as I need some optics understanding as well!

I can read all day and only make my understandings more confusing. I may just order a couple of scopes and try them out.

Maybe I'm just old school, but the idea of twisting knobs when I have a target in sight just doesn't appeal to me. If it was me I'd mount a Leupold VX-3 4.5x14 on it and call it good. If I can't see an animal well enough with optics like that, I'm hunting something too small or I'm not close enough. That's just me.

I think that if you're primary purpose is hunting, you want a German #4 reticle (or other fine duplex crosshair) and you want a quality rangefinder. There is a lot of room for error in reticle ranging. If you're talking about killing animals beyond MPBR, I think you need to KNOW.

FWIW, the Vortex glass will be plenty adequate for shooting out to 500, but much beyond that and you really start to see where the extra money goes...

Do scope makers actually do this? Why?

Old habit. The end product sucks. I've explained it this way before; measure bse boards for your living room with an inch tape measure, leave the tape there go to the saw to measure the base board but use a metric tape, same thing. You have to do a conversion. When you see a round miss in Mils you have to convert the correction to MOA to move the turrets.

Bushnell Elite, Vortex Viper PST, SWFA Super Sniper.

I'm a First Focal Plane fan and each one of those manufactuerers offer it. And I own two Bushy Elites and one SS.

Jhenderson, I can have you hitting 500 yards after an hour of instruction and within ten rounds from your rifle. Hit 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700. No big deal once you learn how to make the scope work for you and how to drive the rifle.

Fine duplex is one of the worst reticles to try to make solid hits outside your zero. The guys that make a living shooting distance use MOA/MOA or Mil/Mil.

A TDS reticle will give you what you want. It will give you ranging, windage and is very fast, especially in the field and for hunting. You don't have to know know the mil system. If you have a front focal plane scope you can shoot at any power. It's about as good a system you can get in the field for 500 yards, which I consider about a hundred yards beyond ethical range for game animals. However you're looking at Swarovski to get one easily though other scope makers can provide them. I like front focal plane scopes and there's an easy trick to using them without the thick reticle bothering you.

Disagree regarding fine duplex for the OP's stated purpose. If you are shooting for groups or steel at long distance or you are shooting for combat arms, that's one thing. Long range hunting is not making a living shooting distance. No ethical considerations in gut shooting a steel silhouette.

Exactly why you need a Mil or MOA reticle.

How else do you precisely compenasate for the 45" to 58" (aka 2.5 to 3.2 Mil)? You don't, with a duplex, you're guessing. And guessing is wrong on an animal.

With a Mil or MOA reticle one can practice shooting learning trajectory in Texas, with a density altitude between -600 feet up to +4000 feet, take the same rifle /ammo/ scope system on the mountain in Colorado or Wyoming where the DA may be well above 10,000 feet and still make an ethical shot. Because ballistic calculators speak in Mils, MOA, or IPHY, not fine duplex or BDC.

He's talking about 500 yards with a 270 WSM not a 7.62. Besides anything over 400 is in the guessing category in a lot of field conditions, especially if you're humping hills, out of breath or just plain tired. He can master a TDS system in a day with a minimal expenditure of ammunition. In the 600+ range I'd agree completely with you. He's not sniping or even target shooting, he hunting and there's a huge difference.

Ok 270 WSM still has a trajectory, still begins to fall once fired. I could compare it to my .260 and I bet it has close to the same elevation correction up to and including 500 yards.

And there is not a difference. I've talked to many guys that have told me they wanted to be able to hit vitals. Well what to you call vitals 8", 10"? Why not try to hit smaller than that? Aim small miss small. Then you have a much better hit probability when you are trying to hit a specific muscle crease instead of just trying to hit the animal somewhere on the body.

Within the last two months I've killed 3 coyotes at 400, 355, and 437 yards, a bobcat at 195 yards, and a doe at 115 yards all with the same Mil/Mil scope. So you can't tell me the Mil/Mil scope isn't good for hunting.

You're obviously very knowledgeable about this and I understand the point you're making, but I think you would compensate for a 45" drop by getting 150 yards closer. FWIW, I wouldn't take a shot in Colorado based on my sea-level charts (regardless of what my calculator was telling me) until I had confirmed an impact on range. I still think a fine duplex with 1/8 MOA turret adjustments is exactly what you need for this style of hunting.

I personally consider an ethical "vital" group to be about 4-6" (max)

My main hunting rifle is a 280 Ackley, which is about identical to a 270WSM in trajectory out to 500 with a 140g bullet.
My brother runs one so I have compared the two a bunch.

Running a 250 yard zero I am +2 at 100 and -3 at 300
I feel confident with a point blank hold out to 3 and holding a little high at 350.

Past that, I much prefer to dial than hold, even with a mildot or a reticle with hash marks for hold over. (HATE BDC RETICLES)

I just mounted a Premier Reticles LT 3-15 this morning..
I also just realized it was a MOA version..
I am mil/mil guy but they sent a MOA version, I can live with it for a review.. But I didn't realize the reticle and turrets were mismatched. Mil reticle and MOA turret.
ARG!

I may not even bother sighting it in.
We have our last deer hunt this weekend and I was going to run it.

Getting closer is a very good plan. I will when I can. I got into long range shooting via predator hunting. Coyotes are one of, if not the, smartest critters in Texas. Movement will get you busted since they are sight hunters. I wanted to learn how to hit one anywhere I have line of sight. The coyotes I mentioned from the last two months would've busted me had I tried to close the distance. Ain't much forgiveness coming out of the tree line and crossing a field with only 3" tall wheat for cover. I was covered enough I could bounce a laser off the coyote, dial elevation on the turret, build my position and fire a non-rushed shot. 6.5mm 140gr A-max is hell on a coyote BTW.

Now had I missed due to a bad wind hold and since I spot my own shots I could've measured the windage miss in the reticle (in Mils) cycled the bolt, corrected the wind hold, and fired another. Only if the coyote didnt get some gone after the first shot. They rarely give you two chances. But I've had a doe give me two chances, last year, and it was her demise.

Run a duplex if you like, but I believe there's a better way. To each his own.