Optical scope significantly increases shooting efficiency. Since their inception in the nineteenth century, optical sights have come a long way and are becoming increasingly sophisticated. There are different types of optical companies.
Some are more effective during the day, others at dusk, and others at night.
Structurally, simple sights bring the target closer and allow you to align it with the reticle. However, there are also sophisticated optical sights – high-tech all-weather systems that can “work” in any light conditions, day or night, using night vision or thermal technologies.
The basic design of an optical sight is an optical tube with several lenses and a reticle. Typically, such scopes have a magnification from 2x to 20x. They also have a horizontal and vertical correction mechanism.
Many optical scopes have a reticle illumination function. It dramatically facilitates aiming in poor lighting conditions and allows you to separate the reticle from the image. In order not to overlap the target, the level of illumination of the grid must be adjusted.
Usually, the reticle has a red or green backlight. In conditions of deep twilight, double illumination is most effective.
Some models of sights have an LED that illuminates the reticle in whole or in part – for example, a translucent central part or a cross point.
What do Turrets do?
First, you must understand how to set up and prepare your riflescope for shooting. Rifle scope turret systems are all based around some of the most vital factors in successful hunting – distance, and accuracy.
You can place precise and accurate shots well past 1000 yards with target and ballistic turrets.
All manipulations with the optical sight settings are performed using the correction above mechanism – the so-called target towers. Target turrets are external, raised, movable handles located at the top of the eyepiece and on the right side of the reticle.
These are called the windage and elevation knobs, and they make adjustments. The reticle can be moved in two mutually perpendicular directions with the help of the target towers while always remaining in the focal plane of the objective lens.
The rotating system transfers the image from the focal plane of the lens to the eyepiece plane, ultimately turning it over. The idea of the reticle is simultaneously flipped in the same plane. When setting the reticle angles, it is moved in the direction opposite to the observer. Therefore, the reticle must be mounted in an inverted position.
In some riflescopes, the reticle is mounted in the focal plane of the eyepiece.
In this case, it remains straight, so its movement corresponds to the image. As we can see, their purpose is to change the bullet’s impact by using the reticle’s crosshairs to raise, lower, or move sideways for a valid point of aim.
Different Types of Turrets
As for the types of target towers, they are mainly divided by the types of switches. There are two of them; the first does not require additional equipment for operation, and the second requires special tools. And the second one requires special tools to work with it.
Each of these design solutions has disadvantages and advantages and reflects two different approaches.
To begin with, let’s consider the most popular type of target tower that does not require additional equipment. This option is the most straightforward and suitable for most gun owners, especially for beginners choosing their first scope.
The main advantage of this type is the ease of use and adjustment of the sight, and the speed of adjustment can be increased because you do not have to take out a tool and, if you lose it, immediately look for a replacement from improvised means.
Refrain from assuming this is the choice of inexperienced shooters, as many professional shooters use this type of ammunition.
In addition, if you have to use different kinds of ammo, which often contain additional powder charges, you will have to adjust to each type of ammunition separately and make adjustments.
Also, in the case of a changing wind when shooting at long distances, you will have to make corrections for more accurate shooting actively. A target tower that switches without an additional tool is more suitable for such situations.
The main disadvantages of this type of target tower directly follow from its advantages. Although the switch is quite tight and does not switch at the slightest touch, careless movement can knock the settings off.
This is not a significant drawback if you shoot exclusively at a shooting range or training ground from a stationary position. Still, knocking the set off is entirely possible during some sports competitions requiring active movement.
Also, during hunting, when moving on rough terrain, taking the weapon out of the case, or moving the gun from the shoulder position to the combat position, in all these cases, it is possible to switch the target turret accidentally and, accordingly, to throw off the sight setting.
The situation is similar to the second type of target tower, with its disadvantages stemming from its advantages. This type of target tower is not prone to accidental switching because a unique tool is required.
There are different types of devices, but the most common is the coin slot. To change it, you need a flathead screwdriver; if you don’t have one, you can use a coin, which is where its name comes from.
It does not necessarily have to be a switch for a flat slot; the controller can be adapted to a hexagon; for example, different manufacturers of optical sights can offer various technical solutions.
It is just that a coin-slot button is the most versatile and easy to replace in case of loss of the standard tool.
In conclusion, we can say that there is no single correct decision regarding the type of target towers. Each type of switch has its advantages and disadvantages and being a tool, the shooter’s task is to choose the right tool to solve this or that problem.
MIL vs. MOA
First, you need to find out what MIL and MOA are and what they are for. These are two different systems designed to solve the same problem: adjusting the sight. The fundamental difference between these two systems is the angle calculation method.
These two systems serve the same purpose of helping to change the scope for accurate target impressions; the difference between these systems is comparable to the difference between the metric and English measurement systems.
MIL is short for milliradian. A milliradian is a measure of an angle equal to one-thousandth of a radian ( = 0.001 radians), whereby a complete circle of 360° (degrees) will correspond to 2000*π or approximately 6283 milliradians.
If I explain it a little more simply, then a radian is the length of an arc of a circle. For greater clarity, consider the example of a cake. Imagine a half-eaten cake: what is left of it is 3.14159 radians of cake. Thus, a radian is an angle, and a milliradian is a slight angle.
MOA is a minute of angle. Arc minute or arc minute (arcmin) is a non-systematic non-metric unit of measurement of grades equal to 1/60 of a degree. Since a degree is 1/360th of a full circle, one minute is 1/21600 of a process (or in radians, π/10800).
Considering the example of the cake mentioned above, the “cake” is cut into 360 equal pieces, and each piece is divided into 60 equal parts – minutes. That is, 21,600 minutes of angular measurements are obtained in the cake. MOA is 1.04 inches at 100 yards, 2.08 at 200 yards, etc.
And inches are usually rounded.
MIL and MOA help the shooter make adjustments faster. After all, the bullet’s trajectory is not flat, but flat.
When shooting at 100 yards, the shooter needs to raise the barrel slightly to account for the drop of the shell. And from a thousand yards, the barrel needs to be raised much higher.
MIL and MOA systems have their supporters; they serve the same purpose; you can use both methods and usually use the system you are more used to.
Some shooters prefer to count by hand, but there are other ways. Nowadays, there are many ballistic calculators, both in the form of separate products and more modern options in the form of applications that can be downloaded to a smartphone or tablet.
But always be aware of the possibility of failure of additional equipment; the ability to do manual calculations will be your insurance in this case.
Turret systems have been designed to help you maximize not only your enjoyment but also your accuracy.
Initially, you may encounter difficulties when choosing, but you can always ask for help from more experienced friends; in their absence, contact the consultants in stores; they are usually competent enough to give advice.
If you do not have a more experienced friend you have, and you do not trust consultants in stores, you can always use the help of the Internet.
There are many articles devoted to these topics and videos with an analysis of both specific sights and other technical features. Always consider the conditions under which your scope will operate and select the equipment to solve your tasks in the specified requirements.
Remember that nothing is perfect; it is quite possible that you will need other sights with varying target turrets for different situations and charges. Regarding the selection of the calculation system, choose the method you are more familiar with and are more likely to avoid making a mistake and calculating at a higher speed.
Becoming a master at long-distance shooting will never be a destination. It will always be a journey to maintain and hone your skills properly.