I'm planning on shooting my first smallbore match in the next few months. I have a few rifles equipped with Leupold Rimfire scopes but nothing with target turrets. Would I be at a serious disadvantage? If I was to shoot a standard scope with no turrets how would you guys sight in?

You will find target turrets an advantage, there are after market additions to the Leupolds that do work with for turning at least the elevation turret into a more user freindly scope at a match. In some of the models Leupold will convert them to target turrets for a samll fee.

Mary

As long as you can keep up with where the adjustment indicators on your particular scope should be set for the various ranges, you should have no problems. Shoot what you own. This will give you some perspective when you try someone else's rifle equipped with target turretted scope. (turretted IS a word, isn't it?? )

I do believe that if you embrace this game, you'll find yourself looking at the options Mary outlined.

Good Luck on your first match.

If you don't have target knobs, I guess you are going to have to use the penny and count clicks. Don't forget where you left off. I guess I would sight in on pigs, then shoot at the leg, body junction of the chicken. 2 minutes up to the turkey and then another 4 up for the ram.

Jerry G wrote:If you don't have target knobs, I guess you are going to have to use the penny and count clicks. Don't forget where you left off. I guess I would sight in on pigs, then shoot at the leg, body junction of the chicken. 2 minutes up to the turkey and then another 4 up for the ram.

Hahaha! When I was new, telling me to shoot at the leg of the chicken was like asking me to shoot a playing card in half! I was lucky to get a glimpse of the chicken as it flashed by in my scope.

Yes, you can use your non-target turret Leupolds. You'll just have to write down your starting point. What turrets do your Leupolds have? Are they the older coin slot ones with friction settings or are they the newer hunting semi-target turrets?

Trent wrote:

Jerry G wrote:If you don't have target knobs, I guess you are going to have to use the penny and count clicks. Don't forget where you left off. I guess I would sight in on pigs, then shoot at the leg, body junction of the chicken. 2 minutes up to the turkey and then another 4 up for the ram.

Hahaha! When I was new, telling me to shoot at the leg of the chicken was like asking me to shoot a playing card in half! I was lucky to get a glimpse of the chicken as it flashed by in my scope.

Yes, you can use your non-target turret Leupolds. You'll just have to write down your starting point. What turrets do your Leupolds have? Are they the older coin slot ones with friction settings or are they the newer hunting semi-target turrets?

Ha Ha Ha,... I thought that only happened to me. I could not identify a chicken in a 5 person line up from what I saw through my scope for the first half year!!!

Lionel

Ha Ha Ha,... I thought that only happened to me. I could not identify a chicken in a 5 person line up from what I saw through my scope for the first half year!!!

If that is all you saw, what does it matter what scope you have on the rifle?

I started out using the old 3x9 with a dime technique on a Rem 597 Shot a 13 no less. I cut tiny little triangles out of a sticky label and just attached them to the dial top at the rough stop point. That was on a 1/4 moa scope and it was easy to see where you were at anytime. But I would make a click count cheat sheet as well ;)


Dee

Jerry G wrote:Ha Ha Ha,... I thought that only happened to me. I could not identify a chicken in a 5 person line up from what I saw through my scope for the first half year!!!

If that is all you saw, what does it matter what scope you have on the rifle?

At that time in my earliest period of learning? Probably not. I did shoot with a bunch of capable and helpful shooters, and most were there assisting me steepen my learning curve.
It was slow at first, as I was hardly shooting truly competitive equipment, and I did not even understand all the terminology. But in this sport are some really great folks, willing to
give us learners as much of their experience and assistance as we can absorb. I did get better after a few months at the shoots, and one of the better shooters lived near me and
invited me over often for practice sessions in his back yard.

I was truly intimidated at those first few matches, as I could not understand how so many folks were shooting so well. I had shot 22 rimfires since I was 8 years old, and had no idea
what good target shooting was all about. Through their guidance I managed to climb up into the "A" class by the end of that season. But it was A LOT more difficult to do than it
looked from the sidelines. I want to encourage those starting out, to shoot what you have, and ask assistance both here and at the range from those there that are good competitors.
Most I have met at my range would do almost anything to assist new shooters....

If you don't want to mess with counting Clicks on a scope that dosen't have knobs; which is a pain in the ass. The easiest way is to shade the animals.
Sight in dead on the pigs then shoot top of the back on turkeys, even with top of the horn on rams right above the dinger, and base of the chickens.
That is the simplest way until you get target turrets.

The bench proves the Rifle; standing proves the Shooter

Good advice on the no clicks. I tell shooters to zero in on the pigs, aim for the foot of the chickens, just above the back on the turkeys and depending on the ammo just above the ram head or a little higher. These will get you some good hits at least on the chickens and pigs and lucky ones on the turkeys and rams. You realy need turrets to shoot this game. Good luck.
ppkny