Manual
1
The Leupold Ballistics Aiming System
™
–
Boone and Crockett
™
Big Game Reticle
The goal of every hunter is a successful hunt with a clean harvest.
It was with this in mind that Leupold
®
created the Leupold Ballistics
Aiming System
™
. Because we so strongly agree with the Boone
and Crockett Club’s
®
legacy of wildlife conservation and ethical
fair chase hunting, we have designated one of the system’s reticles
as the Boone and Crockett
™
Big Game reticle, while the other is
designated as the Varmint Hunter’s reticle.
Together, the Boone and Crockett Big Game reticle and the Varmint
Hunter’s reticle give the hunter two very useful tools intended
to bring about successful hunts with clean and efficient harvests.
Through the use of these straightforward and easy-to-follow
instructions, it is sincerely hoped that all hunters will find their skills
improved and their hunts more successful.
Leupold Ballistics Aiming System provides a series of aiming points to
improve your ability to shoot accurately at longer ranges. The first
aiming point (the intersection of the Duplex
®
reticle) is designed
to be used at 200 yards (183 meters) with most common cartridges
or at 300 yards (274 meters) in several flatter shooting cartridges
designed for longer range use.
The Leupold Ballistics Aiming System provides you with two
different power selector positions, indicated by large and small
triangles located within the magnification level indicators (VX
®
-7
users: see “Another Way to Sight In” on page 8). These are provided
to allow you to select the hold points best suited to the cartridge
you are using. In some cases, the smaller triangle setting can be used
to accommodate your slower, heavier bullet load, while the larger
triangle can be used to accommodate a faster, lighter bullet load
in the same rifle. The reticle assumes bullets of similar spitzer shape
will be used throughout.
As an example, a 30-06 with a 180 gr (11.7 gram) spitzer bullet and
2700 fps (823 mps) muzzle velocity would require the use of the
smaller triangle mark. A 30-06 with a 150 gr (9.7 gram) spitzer
bullet at 3000 fps (914 mps) muzzle velocity would use the larger
triangle mark. We have designated three sets of cartridges to be
used in conjunction with the large and small triangles and sight-in
distances of either 200 or 300 yards (183 or 274 meters), described
as Group A, Group B, and Group C:
•GroupAcartridgeswillusethelargetriangleanda200yard
(183 meter) zero
•GroupBcartridgeswillusethesmalltriangleanda200yard
(183 meter) zero
•GroupCcartridgeswillusethelargetriangleanda300yard
(274 meter) zero
Be sure to verify the aiming points by practicing at the actual
distances at which the points are intended to work. Ballistics
performance of your rifle and cartridge can vary somewhat from
ammunition manufacturer data due to rifle barrel length, actual
ammunition performance, and various atmospheric conditions.
An Overview of the Leupold Ballistics Aiming System
Boone and Crockett
™
Big Game Reticle Cartridge List
GROUP A (LARGE TRIANGLE, 200 YARD /183 METER ZERO)
Caliber
Bullet Wt.
(grain/gram)
Velocity
(fps/mps)
.223 Remington 40/2.6 3800 fps / 1158 mps
.22-.250 Remington 55/3.6 3650 fps / 1113 mps
.243 Winchester 100/6.5 2900 fps / 884 mps
.25-06 Remington 100/6.5 3200 fps /975 mps
.25-06 Remington 120/7.8 3000 fps/914 mps
.270 Winchester 130/8.4 3050 fps/930 mps
.270 WSM 150/9.7 3120 fps/951 mps
.280 Remington 140/9.1 3000 fps/914 mps
7mm Remington Mag 150/9.7 3050 fps/930 mps
.30-06 Springfield 150/9.7 3000 fps/914 mps
.300 WBY Mag 180/11.7 3100 fps/945 mps
.300 Winchester Mag 180/11.7 2950 fps/899 mps
.300 WSM 180/11.7 2950 fps/899 mps
.338 Winchester Mag 200/13.0 2950 fps/899 mps
.338 RUM 250/16.2 2900 fps/884 mps
(35-45 inches/89 -114 centimeters of drop at 500 yards/457 meters)
GROUP B (SMALL TRIANGLE, 200 YARD /183 METER ZERO)
Caliber
Bullet Wt.
(grain/gram)
Velocity
(fps/mps)
.260 Remington 120/7.8 2850 fps/869 mps
6.5x55 Swedish 129/8.4 2750 fps/838 mps
.30-06 Springfield 180 2700 fps
.308 Winchester 150 2850 fps
.308 Winchester 165 2700 fps/823 mps
.303 British 150/9.7 2700 fps/823 mps
.270 Winchester 150/9.7 2850 fps
.375 H&H 270/17.5 2700 fps/823 mps
.338 Winchester Mag 225/14.6 2800 fps/853 mps
.338 Winchester Mag 250/16.2 2700 fps/823 mps
.375 H&H 300/19.4 2600 fps/792 mps
(48-58 inches/122 -147 centimeters of drop at 500 yards/457 meters)
GROUP C (LARGE TRIANGLE, 300 YARD /274 METER ZERO)
Caliber
Bullet Wt.
(grain/gram)
Velocity
(fps/mps)
.270 WSM 130/8.4 3275 fps/998 mps
.300 WSM 150/9.7 3300 fps/1006 mps
.300 Winchester Mag 150/9.7 3300 fps/1006 mps
7mm WSM 140/9.1 3225 fps/983 mps
7mm STW 140/9.1 3325 fps/1013 mps
7mm RUM 140/9.1 3450 fps/1052 mps
7mm RUM 160/10.4 3250 fps/991 mps
.30-.378 WBY 180/11.7 3400 fps/1036 mps
.300 RUM 180/11.7 3400 fps/1036 mps
.270 Weatherby 130/8.4 3200 fps/975 mps
7mm Remington Mag 150/9.7 3100 fps/945 mps
.300 WBY Mag 150/9.7 3375 fps/1029 mps
(Less than 35 inches/89 centimeters for drop at 500 yards/457 meters)