If so, what brand / load cartridge were you shooting, and what distances did you find your rounds traveling for each consecutive circle down from the main crosshairs?

I picked up a Nikon Buckmaster BDC 3x9x40 riflecscope for a great price, and plan to install it on a 7mm-08 I've got headed my way next month. This will be my first 7mm-08, as well as my first Nikon BDC scope.

Thanks.

I had one on a 08, I shot 140 grain Ballistic tips. "what made me hate them" Anyway, it was within a few inches out to 300 yards.. But it also made me against BDC reticules. I sold that gun, it just never worked for me. The whole setup. But as far as the marks in the crosshairs, it worked decent out to 300

I have the BDC on my 308 marlin lever action. It shoots great out to 400yds(how long our range is). I have the crosshairs set at 100yds and all the circles fall rite into place. My only problem I have is all my rifles are set dead on at 200 and I just throw them up and shoot. Well doing that with the marlin cost me 2 nice bucks one was on the farm and was 225 yds. Shot low. Other was in alabama 190 yds. Shot low. If you can slow yourself down and know your distances they are great. I don't have a problem anymore as my range finder is with me all the time now.

It shouldn't have dropped but a couple of inches with a 100 yard zero in a 308?

Yep. That was enough for me to miss when I was already aiming for a heart shot. We don't do that no more. I shoot high shoulder and chest.

My preference on simple BDC like the Nikon is only where I could expect 400-500 yard shots. I don't typically shoot any further at game but that's another topic. I still sight in 2 inches high at 100 and can typically get somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 yards without using the BDC (depending on caliber), then I just shoot the rifle and figure out where the other hash marks, bars, circles, etc. are zero beyond that. And I just use the scope from there and don't worry about it. Meaning they are probably NOT even or whole yardage numbers like 200, 300, etc. but something like 340, 395 etc.

That methodology works for me. Might defeat the intended purpose of the reticle. Whatever floats your boat.

The reason I do that is because of the above described problem. You gotta shoot quick some times. I don't have time to range a deer under 300 yards. Over that I just let the reticle work for me instead of the other way around.

The problem is if you have several rifles remembering what all those ranges are on different scopes. I have to keep a notebook.

I agree with goatkiller. I have a 3-9x50 pro staff with the bdc reticle and I would not have it again. Most of the time you simply do not have the time to fool with it. I missed two great bucks last year because I was fooling with the bdc instead of shooting by instinct of where I knew my bullet would go. And it is odd yardages, like 249 and 368. Way too much to fool with when a 150" ten point runs into a corn field chasing a doe at low light. Too me, it just gets in the way.

I picked up a couple of the 3-9 BDC when they were on sale for $139 for a 223, and a 4-12 for my 7mm-08.
Ive only mounted the 3-9 on a 223 so far.
I hunt coyotes a good bit and stay till very last light. With the BDC at low light the rings sorta disappear. May just be my old eyes but I can see mildots in other brand scopes much better in low light.

If ya hunt late ya might want to look thru it late one day and see how it looks to you. With good light Ive got no problem with them.

You should like the 7mm-08. Nice round.

Y'all do realize you can take the guesswork out buy using the free nikon spot on software. Enter your scope info and load info and it will tell you EXACTLY what each hash mark is.

Or just do like a normal person, and learn your weapon.. Anything form a .243 through a .300 mag, should deb able to kill a deer out to 300 yards. 1.5 inches high at 100 yards.. rest will work out, if you do your part.. But to each his own.

This is why I'm taking my mx to the range this year and going to just set it at 200 like all the rest I believe.

You can do the ol guess and test and learn your rifle like DW or you can just use a little simple science with the spot on app like josh said. Either way it's a cool product that makes long range shooting much easier. First time I shot a bdc was a buddies rifle and I was hitting 18" plates at 800 yards. It takes all the guess work out of it.

http://spoton.nikonsportoptics.com/spoton/spoton.html

Its not much of a guess and test for me.. But I actually kill some animals, instead of targets. Thats what I didn't like about it, aint got long to pin point range or which dot to use, on a running yote at 250 yards plus.. But to each his own..

I didn't know about this app... EXACTLY what I was hoping to find. Thanks for that, and to all for the comments. Good stuff.

Here's what the app came up with for my set up.

Well that's pretty slick. I sure didnt realize there was such a big difference at the different magnifications. That's some dam good info to have here guys. Thanks a bunch.

Hang on DW. Don't assume I don't know my weapon. I would put good money that I shoot way more than you do on an annual basis. All of my rifles are sighted in for the maximum point blank zero. (Typically + or - 3" out to 300). Of course this varies with caliber a little.

This is where the BDC comes in handy. Say I have a 200 yard zero. I plug the info in and determine what the other hashes are for. I know anything inside 300 is point and shoot, anything past that I can use the scope as designed.

Wasn't trying to imply that. Just stating what works for me. Didn't mean to dis direct it. A lot of people probably shoot more than me. After I zero a rifle. If I shoot it agian, it's to kill something. Like I said before to each his own. That is a neat App.

The only thing I might add is the app is useful however... it won't get a bullet on target at 350+ yards for any of us. It will save a few bullets and guesswork for that particular scope though. What I don't like about the Nikon is there are no horizontal hash marks anywhere or short bars, etc. All you got is Kentucky windage for the most part.

Shooting off a bench at a range is completely different than what you will face hunting most likely. Shooting off a bipod helps because that is more easily duplicated in the field. I've got board setup to simulate a shooting house window and shoot off that a good bit from a folding chair. I also practice off a Deadshot Field Pod I use while hunting.

If any of us are going to shoot that far at an animal (300+)... it pays to get in some practice before show time.