Dialing

Dialing is the act of rotating the elevation turret up to a specific value so that, once set, the center of the reticle aims true at a target hundreds of yards away. The shooter reads the required correction from their dope, the recorded come-up for that range, then clicks the turret to that number and aims dead on. Because the solution is built into the dial, dialing tends to be the most precise way to engage a known distance.

The trade against holdover is time: dialing is slower but keeps the reticle center on the target, which many shooters find easier for a careful shot. A reliable zero stop makes the method practical in the field, letting the shooter spin back down to the rifle’s baseline by feel after the shot. Long-range shooters often combine the two, dialing elevation while holding for wind.