McQueens.....optimum magnification?

[Strangely Brown]

I'm out of my comfort zone on this one; I have shot the NRA Civ Service Rifle for the last dozen years with a No4 and last year with an L39 (7.62mm No4).

Next year the intention was to shoot it with an AR15 but having waited the best part of a year I have reluctantly cancelled the order and am now looking at an AE MkII.

The idea being that I would shoot this in "Service Optic" class with a 1-4x24 Vortex scope fitted, and also have my first bash at the McQueens.

 

Now for the query; those of you who shoot or have shot the McQueens, what do you find the optimum magnification for the event?

 

Getting back to service rifle, using the AE I would be at some disadvantage as magazine resting isn't an option, I would not be allowed to shoot in the Hawkins position either, but I can shoot in that position in the "Practical Optic" class.

 

Any advice on the above would be very useful.

[brown dog]

Mick - glad to see you're getting a proper rifle after all

 

I reckon 16 power for 200yds and 25 power for 300 -lots of McQueeners (!) on here; be interesting to see what the consensus is.

 

Can't help with the service rifle questions though.

 

(Are you now stocking the Vortex line-up?)

[The Gun Pimp]

Magnification?

 

It all comes down to the width of the wall!

 

Ideally, you need to see the whole width of the wall - so use the highest magnification which permits this - at each distance.

 

Unless you want to play tennis - panning the scope from side to side but using a higher magnification. A few shooters do this but not many.

 

Vince

[brown dog]

Ideally, you need to see the whole width of the wall - so use the highest magnification which permits this - at each distance.

 

Yup, at Bisley at least, I've found that's x16 at 200 and x25 at 300.

[Strangely Brown]

16X Hmmm I may have to review my scope choice.....

 

 

I can get Vortex but won't be keeping the rifle scopes on the shelf.

Actually I'm looking for a chap with your experiance to write up the Vortex 8x36 tactical monocular for the optical forum, can I post one out to you?

[brown dog]

16X Hmmm I may have to review my scope choice.....

 

 

I can get Vortex but won't be keeping the rifle scopes on the shelf.

Actually I'm looking for a chap with your experiance to write up the Vortex 8x36 tactical monocular for the optical forum, can I post one out to you?

 

Mick -of course, as I said when we last chatted it looks to be the piece of kit I used to dream of when I was FOOing etc - sorry I'm just not getting into Salisbury at the mo.

[Gunsgobang88]

I'm out of my comfort zone on this one; I have shot the NRA Civ Service Rifle for the last dozen years with a No4 and last year with an L39 (7.62mm No4).

Next year the intention was to shoot it with an AR15 but having waited the best part of a year I have reluctantly cancelled the order and am now looking at an AE MkII.

The idea being that I would shoot this in "Service Optic" class with a 1-4x24 Vortex scope fitted, and also have my first bash at the McQueens.

 

Now for the query; those of you who shoot or have shot the McQueens, what do you find the optimum magnification for the event?

 

Getting back to service rifle, using the AE I would be at some disadvantage as magazine resting isn't an option, I would not be allowed to shoot in the Hawkins position either, but I can shoot in that position in the "Practical Optic" class.

 

Any advice on the above would be very useful.

 

Hi Mick,

 

The basic requirements are to be able to see the entire castle and have sufficient magnification and a suitable reticle for quick and accurate target acquisition. My opinions are based on experience but are mirrored by Jan Berry, a fellow club member who has been extremely successful in the Imperial McQueen. At 300 yards, a minimum 50mm objective and 20x magnification. At 200 yards 12 or 13x. I prefer a fine crosshair with dot placed in the 'mouth bar' on the target. Other more experienced competitors can use almost any reticle and can place the horizontal crosshair exactly on the top of the bar,

 

Alan

[baldie]

Reticule choice is vitally important on a mcqueens scope, and so are the optics. The ridiculous "politically correct " target the NRA insist on using forces this.

 

There are several methods of shooting this target.

 

The one i employed for several years was to use a good enough quality sight to be able to see the 1" blue V-bull, and shoot at it.

 

This is fraught with difficulty, as when the weather conditions become anything less than perfect, it becomes invisible, even through a Schmidt.

 

I changed two seasons ago, to actually aiming at the point and dialling in the shots to strike around 1 1/4" low from point of aim, thus dropping into the "V".

 

This is a far smaller and more accurate aiming point than aiming at the bar, which represents the mouth on a proper mcqueens target.

 

I employ the method Vince outlines, which is to wind the mag up, until 2/3rd,s of the outer castle holes are in your peripheral vision. If you are in the zone, your brain will pick the targets up in these holes, and allow max mag to be used, whilst still haveing the castle in view. "panning " is a waste of time, and will cost you targets.

 

Of course...all this is incidental, because the NRA cannot ensure that competent butts crews are ever in attendance at any of the major national level comps. So much so, that the vast majority of the countrys best mcqueens shots, simply do not bother anymore.

 

If you ever fancy a real mcqueens experience, come up to Diggle for a day. Its shot in bad winds, and with real targets.

[John MH]

x22 with a 56mm objective but I second Baldie's comments.

 

AE MkII for Service Optic, bad choice if you want to be competitive, better putting a higher mag scope and shooting in Practical Optic.

[duff eyed doyle]

I use 16x mag at 200 and 25x mag at 300, I really like the Schmidt and bender sport fine reticle and use the point of the orange pentagon as the aim point. I also shoot the McQueen classic at 300 yds with a no.4T 3.5x mag with a post reticle I think can best be described as challenging.

[Strangely Brown]

x22 with a 56mm objective but I second Baldie's comments.

 

AE MkII for Service Optic, bad choice if you want to be competitive, better putting a higher mag scope and shooting in Practical Optic.

 

 

I'm coming round to this view point John but may experiment with the lower power scope in service optic before next summers meeting.

 

Thanks one and all for your comments.

[Boz]

For McQueens I just set the magnification to see the whole wall at the relevant distance then place the Ret in the centre of the wall ready for the 3 second exposure. If you attempt to scan at a higher magnification as has been mentioned you will miss an exposure and you can kiss goodbye to decent score. If you are lucky enough to have a scope with a wider body like the 34mm tube PMII S & B your field of view will be larger at any given magnification, which means you can wind the scope up to a higher magnification and still see all the wall compared to the poor soul with a 30 mm tube Leupold LRT/IV (That's ME!).

 

Its a good challenging Comp and worth a run out to Diggle if you can make it.