I have this Bergara that I've taken out and gotten on paper. I can hit a 66% IPSC steel target all day long with it. But I figure if I want to still hit that target at 300, 500, or maybe even 800m, I'm going to need to get my groups nice and small at 100m.

So I assume to do this, I will want a spotting scope so I don't have to run downrange every 3 rounds or so.

Any recommendations?

If you can't see a bullet hole at 100m with your current rifle scope, suggest to sell it and get a rifle scope that will. You'll benefit from a better scope not only at 100m....

Well, it IS a Vortex HS-T, but I was shooting at a steel plate, not paper. It wasn't really leaving a lot to judge by. I'll take it out and try it on paper next time.

What can I say.....I had to walk downrange to see 5.56 holes at 25m. I guess I was not thinking.

I have a vintage Bushnell (think 60's or 70's vintage, looks like a M49 but angled eyepiece) that seeing 22 call on paper at 100 is easy,

maybe 25x, honestly I don't know and don't think it is marked,


basically similar to this,

works well

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vinta...d:g:VPsAAOSwN5BakL7x

quote:

Originally posted by AllenInWV:
I have this Bergara that I've taken out and gotten on paper. I can hit a 66% IPSC steel target all day long with it. But I figure if I want to still hit that target at 300, 500, or maybe even 800m, I'm going to need to get my groups nice and small at 100m.

So I assume to do this, I will want a spotting scope so I don't have to run downrange every 3 rounds or so.

First, I recommend using a different term than "all day long". Those of us who compete regularly know enough about impacts to understand that "all day long" ain't happnin.

As offgrid states, your rifle scope is your best spotting scope. You have the opportunity to see you shots and react even before a nearby spotter can communicate impact location. As you skills develop, you can watch your own bullet trace arc gracefully towards the target, see what the wind is doing to the bullet's flight, and determine if your windage and elevation are correct.

Spotting your own impacts with a separate spotting scope is a challenging way to obtain feedback on your shooting. Since the feedback isn't live, you have to guess which impact is which order of fire. For example, that one high impact -- did you pull it on the 2nd or 5th round. Or windage -- was the gust on the 3rd that pushed it left, or maybe I just yanked that shot.

It's not easy to see your bullet impact objects at 100 yards, however by 200 or 300 yards a shooter with good technique will easily see the bullet hit steel. And I don't mean "I saw the steel swing or the dirt move" after getting your scope back on target from the recoil. As your technique improves, your reticle won't move from the aim point during the recoil cycle. If you don't blink, you will see the bullet strike (or miss) the target.

I'm not familiar with your scope. So seeing impacts on paper at 100 yards could be an issue. For paper targets, get some clean white paper, put some 1" (or larger) black shoot-n-see pasters on the paper. You should be able to see the impacts on the dots and the misses on the clean paper with your scope. If you can't, you have the wrong scope. I can see these types of impacts even with my 10-power AR-15 scopes in good daylight.

If 1" dots aren't your thing for paper targets, use larger ones -- say 4" to 6" in diameter. In reality, you should be able to see shoot-n-see impacts on such dots at 200 to 300 yards.

Paint your steel to see your impacts. Use a light color, as in white. Screaming, blaring, neon white. Use quality spray paint that lays down a heavy coat. Rustoleum works well. If white isn't your fav color, try light yellow, light orange, or light green.

Personally, I don't shoot my own steel at 100 yards. Even AR500 will dimple slightly with rifles this close in. Since my steel doubles in duty for rifles at distance and pistols up close, I don't want craters that may push pistol bullet fragments back towards me.