Shoot the range before you buy the optic.
Scoring zones follow the USPSA Competition Rules, Appendix B1 dimensions. Hits are scored where they land.
Illustrative reticle · sources
Illustrative field of view. Illustrative housing.
The reticle stays the same size in the view as you zoom. The object grows behind it.
Both examples match at 6×. Lower the magnification to see the difference.
55 gr · G1 BC 0.243 · Standard military ball ammunition. High velocity, velocity-dependent fragmentation.
16" · 3086 fps · measured
Advancedsight 2.60 in · wind 0 mph · 1/4 MOA
The rifle view measures the seated optic and sets this for you.
Zeroed at 50 yd, the erector sits 5.9 MOA above optical center.
Enter the scope's total elevation travel to see how much dialing is left after the zero and how far it reaches.
Figured from an erector at mechanical center on a true mount. Ring, rail and receiver tolerances move a real scope a few MOA either way, so treat the travel left as an estimate and confirm it on the turret.
How much fits in the view?
Top-down · fits the selected distanceAlong the range and across it use the same scale. The short center mark shows the object’s width.
A · 6× · 31.3 ft wide
Illustrative field of view
The lines trace the left and right edges of the view. Zoom in to see a narrower part of the scene.
Velocity at target
2,689 fps
Muzzle 3,086 fps
Mach
2.41Supersonic
Path vs. line of sight
1.6 in high
1.5 MOA · 0.43 MRAD
Time of flight
104 ms
Energy
883 ft-lb
55 gr
Hold to center
Hold 1.5 MOA under
or dial 6 clicks down at 1/4 MOA
Where the bullet slows
From 16 in, this load stays supersonic to 537 yd and drops below the speed of sound at 661 yd.
- Zero
- 50 yd
- Transonic from
- 537 yd
- Subsonic from
- 661 yd
- Point-blank range · 6.0 in zone
- 265 yd
Barrel length at 100 yd
| Barrel | Muzzle velocity | Drop | Transonic from | Subsonic from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 in | 2,476 fps est. | 1.0 in | 379 yd | 503 yd |
| 8.5 in | 2,533 fps est. | 1.0 in | 395 yd | 519 yd |
| 9 in | 2,590 fps est. | 1.1 in | 411 yd | 534 yd |
| 10.5 in | 2,760 fps | 1.3 in | 456 yd | 579 yd |
| 11.5 in | 2,831 fps est. | 1.3 in | 474 yd | 598 yd |
| 12.5 in | 2,902 fps est. | 1.4 in | 492 yd | 616 yd |
| 14.5 in | 3,043 fps | 1.5 in | 527 yd | 651 yd |
| 16 in | 3,086 fps | 1.6 in | 537 yd | 661 yd |
| 18 in | 3,183 fps | 1.6 in | 560 yd | 684 yd |
| 20 in | 3,193 fps est. | 1.6 in | 562 yd | 686 yd |
| 22 in | 3,202 fps | 1.6 in | 565 yd | 688 yd |
est. marks a length between two measured barrels; its velocity is interpolated.
Compare with 100 yards
Same object · 6× · SFP ·equal-sized frames
This is the pinned 100 yd distance. Both views show the same apparent size.
USPSA cardboard target: 0.45 m wide × 0.75 m tall. These illustrations compare apparent size; large objects may fill the frame at high magnification.
Product reticles without verified subtensions show the manufacturer artwork as a picture; holds are not read from it. Housing, glass and eyebox are simulated.
Link to this setupPick a load, barrel length, zero and optic, put a USPSA target at 300 yards, and fire. Every shot lands where the trajectory and your turrets put it. Watch the bullet slow through the sound barrier from the side, check which BDC mark your rifle really matches, and see how small a target gets at 500 yards.
Reading the scene
Through optic looks down the sight line at the aiming point, so a shot lands on the target exactly where the solved trajectory and your turrets put it. Standing view keeps a fixed camera as distance changes, so the target gets smaller as it moves away. Rifle view draws the carbine with the selected barrel and optic on the bench and measures the seated optic's height over the bore. The comparison below keeps one target at 100 yards so you always have a familiar reference.
On variable scopes, first focal plane (FFP) enlarges the reticle with the object. Second focal plane (SFP) keeps the reticle the same size in your view. Switch between them and move the magnification slider to see the difference.
Leupold: how focal planes workReading the flight
The side profile draws the line of sight flat and the bullet rising through the zero and falling away past it, with drop multiplied so the arc reads at rifle ranges. The color changes where the bullet leaves supersonic flight (below Mach 1.2) and where it goes subsonic (below Mach 1), the band where drag climbs and bullets lose stability. The readouts below the range give the velocity, Mach number, drop, drift, energy and hold at the target, plus where each BDC mark really lands for the selected load.
NASA: Mach number and speed regimes