New scope on HMR

[tegater 789]

Well, I have had a Bushnel Banner 3-9x40 on my HMR since I bought it, with a standard reticle.

 

During the time I have had the HMR, I have discovered that in the right conditions, with no wind, then it is a superbly accurate rifle, allowing me to take crows and rabbits beyond 250 yards.

 

With a little wind, then I have to start earning my crust and work out my calculations for range and deflection, and adjust accordingly. That wind is a b...... when you are used to a 168g from a .308!

 

Anyway, I have been toying with the idea of upgrading my scope to one with slightly more magnification and a mil dot reticle, as that is what I am 100% familiar with.

I have gone and got a good scope, the Nikon Monarch 4-16x42, from stevienicknacks from this forum, who I might add gave me a great price and service.

 

The scope is second focal plane, mil dot, with .2 milradian dots at 12xmag. The turrets are finger adjustable 1/4 moa.

 

My ideal scope would have been front focal plane, mil dot, or mil bar with milrad adjustment turrets.

 

This morning I woke up at sparrows fart, hoping to get out and get it zeroed, but the wind up in the pennines is relentless and we get very few calm days, so I looked at the weather predictions and waited till the afternoon. At 1400 the wind had dropped to 3-4mph and off came the old scope, and on went the new one.

Took a little time setting the scope up in the back garden, and ensuring eye relief was correct and the cross hairs were verticle, then off to the farm I went.

 

Where I chose to zero the rifle, meant the slight wind would be blowing right to left, but enough to mess up a zero, so I tucked in parallell and only a few yards from a dry stone wall, to remove the effects of any wind.

 

I then boresighted and zeroed at 39yds, before sending my young lads out to 110yards with the target board, to confirm the zero. At this range my group was half an inch left, so stuck on a couple of clicks right, and the next 3 round group was bang on.

 

Happy with the group when I wound the mag up from 12 to 16x, I wanted to try it straight out at 200. Now, my back stop is the steep hillside of the backbone of England, and I soon found a molehill at 190yds. I chose not to use the target board, as the conditions were not ideal, but I can cope with a slight wind. I held off, about .3 mil right of intended point of impact and the bullet impacted about .1 mil left of that. Mmm... wind slightly stronger than I thought. Held off a little more and the next to shots OK.

 

At the end of the day I am now happy that the rifle will satisfy my needs on crows, maggies and rabbits out to 110 yds aiming bang on, but still need that dream day of no wind to finalise my zero, and get some proper HMR long range vermin control done.

 

The scope itself is well made and good glass for the money, although no comparrison to the S & B PM11. The clicks are positive and accurate to the dial, and the turret is easily reset to zero. In all honesty I think most of my shooting will still be carried out at 6-9 x mag, but the mil dot on 12x will be usefull for the shots at distance, where wind is a variable.