The Nikon BDC Reticle...your thoughts?

huntinaz

huntinaz

New member
I'm trying to pick a new scope for my 243. I have it between a Burris Fullfield, Nikon Buckmaster, or Leupold vx-II. I think I want th 4.5-14x with some sort of bullet drop compensating reticle. The price is about the same between the three. I haven't yet looked thru a Leupold yet but the Burris and Nikon side-by-side, I like the Nikon. What I'm NOT used to are the circles on the BDC. It just seems like circles would be inherently less accurate than a dash. Plus, the circles in a 4.5-14x are noticeable bigger than in a 3-9x. However, I think in low light or other less than perfect conditions the circles may show up better. For overall clarity and target acquisition I liked the Nikon, but inside of a store is not the best place to judge real world shooting situations.

The main reason I'm getting this scope is to shoot coues deer at longer ranges, though I will use it for coyotes too. So, it needs to be accurate, I want to extend my range out to at least 350 yards, maybe 400. I want to be able to hit stuff at 350 yards all the time, not just sometimes. With a standard duplex I'm only good out to 250 yards, after that I'm just holding over and hoping. Thanks for any imput.
 
I just had the same decision to make 2 weeks ago. What I will tell you that completely surprised me is side by side the Nikon was brighter an clearer than the Leupy. I bought the 4X12X40 with BDC to put on my new 7 mag. I think you will like the Nikon. The disadvantage of buying Nikon over Leupold is Leupy's are American made. I also found Nikon to be about $50 or so cheaper than the Leupy I was looking at for the 3X9. They both carry lifetime warranties.

I so far very much enjoy the BDC. Good luck with the decision.
 
While I do own one Monarch BDC, I wish that I would have purchased one of the newer fine reticles instead, but this is a few years ago now. The glass on the Nikon's is very good vs anything else in the sub $500.00 market, IMO too. It compares well to my Vortex Viper in terms of glass quality. I have no favorite in terms of clarity and contrast.

Eye box is a little constricted, but not terrible vs others scopes in this price range. Eye relief is excellent IMO.

You should be pleased with the Nikon. Mine have been trouble free, except for a repair that was my own fault, and it was handles quickly and professionally. I only have one, but it has served me well and it sits on a 300WM that has been shot a fair amount. Never mistracked or failed to return to zero when dialing dope.
 
I have the Nikon buckmasters 4.5-14 with BDC on my winchester model 70 in .325WSM. I shoot a 200 grain bullet and for me, once I got sighted in for 100 I used the bdc reticle for 200 and it hit well and the same for the 300 yard distance but you have to shoot it and figure out what it will do with your setup, I have no complaints it is accurate and worked well for me and held its zero from day one and has aided in harvesting 2 bull elk and 2 bucks in its four hunting trips so far. Hope this helps.
 
I wouldn't run a Nikon BDC if it was free.

If you want to hit stuff at 350 yards all the time, practice and you will.

Spin turrets whenever possible and aim at hair, not at air......
 
If you chrono your loads, Nikon offers the Spot On ballistics software that will give you very accurate ranging distances for differing points on the BDC reticle. It works pretty good in my experience, but you do have to have your actual measured velocity and bullet info to make it work. It is not as accurate as the PDA/ballistics software options and spinning the turrets, but it does work.
Nothing beats range time with your pet loads and trigger time though.
 
Thanks for the replies so far.

Quote:If you want to hit stuff at 350 yards all the time, practice and you will.

Spin turrets whenever possible and aim at hair, not at air......
See this is what I can't do with my current scope, it doesn't have turrets, hand-turn adjustments, or a balistic plex. So to practice at 350 yards I'm aiming at air, not hair. The Nikon will have hand-turnable adjustment so I can mark the knob and turn the dial. I think the others do too though...

Quote:Nothing beats range time with your pet loads and trigger time though.
Yeah I'm not trying to skimp on trigger time, even with the software I'll have to check and see where she hits. I don't have a chrony so there will be some legwork involved on my part.

So then would it be just as good or better to just buy a normal duplex and mark my adjustment knobs for yardage that I've tested?
 
I just got the new Nikon M223 3x12x42 with the BDC reticle. It was a toss up between that and the Nikon Coyote Special. I opted for the M223 due to simplicity of the reticle design and it being set up for the AR platform. The AR it is mounted on is a varminter used for prairie dogs and coyotes. I was looking for something that would be quicker for the fast appearing and disappearing coyotes. Most of my rifles have mil-dots and I am proficient in determining range and clicking away. The downfall to that is it takes time and often I don't have the time when a coyote appears. I'm sure you being in AZ you know just what I mean when that yote can hit the wash and be gone just as fast as he came in. I played with the reticle determining range (an object of 3" inside the 3oo yd circle being 300 yards) and found it to be fairly easy and accurate. I range a porch light at the end of my road at 450 and my range finder called it 436 yards. I had been playing with it for all of ten minutes! I hope to get a chance to put it to use this weekend and will gladly update you if you'd like. I prefer a mil-dot for target/competition/big game hunting where I have time to dial up my scope.For yotes I think this is the fast and easy way to speed things up when the opportunity presents itself.

Had to fix a couple typos!
 
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I like the ballistic reticles as long as they are used properly. They work great as long as you take the range time to make them work. IMO it takes a couple of hundred shots at known range to really become comfortable with one. And I think they work well out to 400 or 500 yards. Past that there is too much variation in the reticle, unless you just hit the exact right trajectory.

Now to the BDC system. Personally I think it sucks. I have a few Leupolds with the B&C and the VH. I also have a Burris with their Ballistic-Plex. And a Nikon 4X12 Monarch with the BDC.

The BDC is just too confusing. Especially in a hunting situation. Just too much clutter.

For big game hunting I prefer the Leupold B&C reticle. Good strong crosshairs, easy to see, and easy to interpret.

There is a lot to be said about what 2-Much said. He and I have argued about this before. And I must admit for the most part he is right about what he is saying.

However for short range shooting(out to 400 or 500 yards) the Leupold and Burris Ballistic reticles are very consistent and easy to use.

As far as the Nikon that I have with the BDC. Well it now sits on a 10/22 for fun shooting, and I completely ignore the obnoxious circles.

Take a good look at the Leupold B&C. It costs more, but it is worth it.

And to go along with what 2-Much says. Take a look at the 4.5X14 Leupold with the CDS turret. I like those also. But then I just bought a 6X18 AV with the same style turret as the CDS. Tom.
 
I would have to agree with Hoghead on the range of the BDC reticle as far as range. Most of our shots on coyotes are 400 yards or less and I won't push my AR out past 500 without having a mil-dot scope and dialing it up. I may have a new opinion about the ease of use after this weekend but right now I like what I see in the scope and think for yotes in AZ it will suit me fine. I really don't find it much busier than my mil-dots and I own several different brands including Leupy.
 
Originally Posted By: 2muchgunI wouldn't run a Nikon BDC if it was free.

If you want to hit stuff at 350 yards all the time, practice and you will.

Spin turrets whenever possible and aim at hair, not at air......


I second this
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I have one ballistic reticle in a Pentax scope. Everything else is mildot. I could do without the ballistic reticle but it's on a rifle my wife uses for whitetail and it's functional for that.
 
I used to have a Burris 4.5-14x42 AO, BP. I sold it to Ragn Cajn. Last Burris I ever owned.

200=0
1st hash=307 yds.
2nd hash=415
3rd hash=521
4th hash=636

It went something like that when I had it figured out. Problem is, that only works for a given set of conditions with one load, one bullet, BC and velocity, altitude, and other factors having to remain a constant.

The BP system is much easier to use and less cluttered than the Nikon BDC, IMO. It still isn't full proof. And, it only comes in a Burris, which I have sworn off after breaking 3 in short order.

If I HAD to bu /use a BDC type scope, I would probably opt for the Leupold LR duplex. It is clean and uncluttered, and comes in a VXII. I would still want an elevation turret on it, M1 preferably.

The nice thing with the Leupold is a reticle change is only 10-12 days away for about $60-$100(depending on what you want) and a pair of M1s are only $130 away.

I just got this scope back Tuesday. It took 11 days for a reticle change and to change the standard target turrets to M1s. The cost was $189:

003-2.jpg


Here is the lowdown on the Nikon BDC:

http://www.nikonusa.com/fileuploads/pdfs/BDC_manual.pdf

"Nikon suggests the use of a laser rangefinder for accurate distance determination for longer shots"

"Shots past 250-300yds require hold-offs with most cartridges........"

"We suggest the use of a simple drop chart taped to your stock". Hmmm. That's what the guys who spin turrets use. Actually, mine go on my flip-up lens caps.

I could go on.

They then tell you about all the variables that come into play, even go so far as to give you shooting tips and tell you to make sure your gun is in proper working order. Then they state that "no system is perfect", and you must do the trigger time. This is all in an effort to cover their azzes, folks.

Then they go on to tell you that if the system is not working for you, you can go by 2" reticle subtensions and use the tops and bottoms of the arcs of the circles for aiming points. This sounds like anything but a really fast, uncomplicated system to me.

It is then recommended that you develop a drop chart and tape it to your rifle. Hmmm. Develop a drop chart, range your target, hold off and hope you choose the top or bottom of the right circle, correctly...... I fail to see how this system is faster, easier, or less complicated than using a standard duplex and spinning turrets. It certainly isn't more precise.

In short, I can't see how anyone who reads the "BDC instruction manual" in advance would want to purchase such a reticle afterwards. But, to each their own......

 
something different...Maximum Point Blank Range.

For MOST big game calibers (excluding stuff like the 30-30 and 45-70 with rainbow trajectories) for a deer-sized target with an 8-10" vital zone, you can sight in to be zero at 300 and use the Max PBR to get to about 350-375 yards.

Take for instance, my 7mm-08 shooting 140 gr Ballistic tips. Zeroed at 300, drop charts show 3" high at 100, 4.5" high at 200, zero at 300 and 10" low at 400. So, from zero to 350, hold dead on and you'll hit vitals. At 400 I'd hold just a touch high on the shoulder/spine and still hit vitals. It works, I've done it. Drop's easy...the hard part is factoring in the wind.

That said, I do have a 7 mag and 300 mag, both wear 4.5-14 Burris scopes with BDC. I'm good to 600 with both if needed.

Charlie
 
Without delving too much into a sticky 'ethics' debate, I'll say this:

A hunter making a conscious decision to take an animal at beyond point blank range of their rifle should employ the most precise tools & technique for delivering a lethal hit to that animal.
Not only that, the hunter should be well practiced in employing said tools & techniques to the point that he know's the limitaions of his gear, and himself as a shooter...

BDC reticles allow for too much margin for error to precisely engage an animal in the field at non standardized distances. And they do little/nothing to account for wind corrections...

So unless your Coues deer or coyote is gonna stand & offer at the pre-determined yardage increment for your reticle, don't bother with using a BDC reticle for taking game animals.

Furthermore, If you can't afford the right 'tools' for the job, then don't take the job! Simply get closer & shoot within your rifles' point blank range, and your confident "comfort zone". A hunter owes at least that much to the animal they are chasing.

Just my .$.02...
 
That's the nice thing about forums, everyone can put their .02 cents in on whatever subject they want to. I have to agree with Pacecar, if you go to
nikonhunting.com and check out the Spot On Ballistic Match Program you will be much better off with your BDC. I am a hunter, I enjoy range shooting with my son as well. I do not have the kowledge of an ex-special forces sniper. I use whatever I can that will help put venison in the freezer and for me it is the the Nikon BDC. When the BDC's first came out I bought one for my Hill Country 300 win. mag. and first hunting opportunity rolled up a Kansas doe at 427 yards (range finder) with one shot. To me it's all about trusting yourself and your rifle to make that humane one shot stop. I do have a mildot scope and it is fun to dial up 'yote hunting, it just takes a lot more time to really be proficient at then the BDC. Informed choices right, pick what works for you.
 
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