Low Powered Variable Optics (LPVOs) are getting more popular each day and for good reason. With magnification ranges of 1-6x, 1-8x, and the very popular 1-10x, these optics can get your AR platforms shooting out to distance while also being capable of taking care of close engagements. This range of shooting is only capable of making impacts if you know where to hold the reticle to make those impacts. An LPVO enables users to hold over on their reticle, so getting true data on the specific ammo, gun, and scope makes a very big difference.
What is Data / DOPE?
An exercise that I learned in the Army involved writing down your true data on a Known Distance (KD) with our M16A2s, ACOGS, and a piece of paper with the ACOG reticle drawn on it. We would then all line up on each range line, 100-meter intervals from the target. At each 100m line, we would shoot at a paper target, adjusting our hold on the ACOG reticle to impact center. Once we impacted center of the target, we then noted on the drawing of the reticle where we had to hold on that reticle. This hold would change dependent on which range line we were at. That drawing of the reticle and holds we wrote down with our firearm was our true data, the elevation needed to impact at each intended range of engagement, or, Data on Previous Engagement (DOPE).
So why did we do this?
In each reticle with stadia that show holdovers, those reticles are made to a certain ammo, barrel length, etc. In the Army, we adopted a new type of ammo, M855A1. The ACOG reticle and holdovers were not built to match that hotter ammo type. Thus, the stadia were not where we truly needed to hold to get center impacts at 400, 600, etc.
Shooting our ammo, in our barrel, with our zero—only the impact out of that specific system will show our true holdover, not a pre-made reticle or a reticle measured in Minutes of Angle (MOA) or Mil-Radians (Mils). If you don’t have a ballistic calculator to show you what that data is in MOA or MILS, those measurements won’t be of much use.
Holding Vs. Dialing
This article will mainly focus on holding over or under a target, not dialing for that target. In simple terms, holding for a target means that you are zeroing your option to your desired range, 50 or 100m. Then for each engagement, you will simply hold the part of the reticle onto the engagement. For instance, if it is a 450m engagement, you will be holding a different part of the reticle on the center of the target, and the center of the reticle will be held over the target.
This is very useful in fast and close engagements as holding is faster than dialing, but not as precise. Holding is also useful with LPVOs that have capped turrets—meaning the turret is not exposed with ease to adjust.
Dialing for a target means that you know the elevation/data due to your ballistic calculator. You would then dial that onto the scope using the turret and you can then place the center of your reticle on the center of the target. No holding over or under, simply dial for your elevation and aim center. This is useful for engagements that are further and need to be more precise, and for engagements that allow the time needed to dial the scope. Scopes with exposed turrets and more magnification do well with dialing instead of holding.
The Reticle
Knowing your specific reticle for your LPVO is key to doing this exercise properly. Many LPVO’s come with different options of reticles so you will want to ensure which reticle yours is. Each stadia can be measured in MOA or MILS and will look different when it comes to knowing your holds.
The Exercise to Get Your LPVO Holdover Data
For this exercise, you will want:
- A zeroed gun and ammo capable of hitting at your desired range.
- A range with steel at interval distances going out to your intended engagement distance (200m-600m).
- A spotter/someone to help you see impacts and misses.
- A piece of paper with your reticle drawn on it.
- 50 rounds of ammo.
- Description of your gun and ammo.
The first thing to do when beginning this exercise is to write down the information about your gun and bullet on a big sheet of paper. Include barrel length, which gun you are using, and the type of ammo. The holdover information you get from this exercise will only match up to this firearm and ammo.
Now, make a large drawing of your reticle on the paper. You will basically be making a little map for yourself of where you need to hold on your reticle and at what range to get your impacts.
The live fire range for this will completely depend on the distance that you want to know your holds for. That can be out to 300, 400, 500, etc. With an LPVO, a lot like to push out to their magnification range in yardage. For instance, 1-6x LPVO users like to push to 500. 1-10x users, dependent on ammo, can get out even further.
On your range, have steel at interval distances out to your intended distance.
Note: If you have a second focal plane LPVO, set your LPVO to the highest magnification and leave it there during this exercise. The reticle was designed using this magnification setting.
In a good prone position fire at your first and closest piece of steel. When you hit center of that steel, take note of where you had to hold on the reticle to make that impact. (You may need the help of a spotter to see.) Was it on the second stadia down? The first? In between the first and second stadia? Simply make a dot where you had to hold on your piece of paper and write the yardage next to that dot.
Do this for each yardage.
It’s important that you note where you have to hold on the reticle to hit the center of the target. Don’t just try to hit the steel, hit the center of the steel.
You now have a map that is specific to your gun, ammo, and reticle on where you will need to hold at each distance to make center impacts.
Example — LPVO Holdover Data Card
Below is an example of a handwritten holdover data card, made while shooting out to distance. It marks where this shooter needed to hold on his reticle to hit the targets at various distances. The shooter was using a Vortex Razor 1-6x Second Focal Plane Scope with VMR-2 reticle.
