Holdover is the practice of placing a mark above the center of the reticle onto the target, using the gap to account for how far the bullet will fall on its way out. Instead of dialing the elevation turret to a known number, the shooter holds the correct number of mils or minutes high and breaks the shot. A reticle with marked hash lines below center makes this fast, since each line corresponds to a measured amount of bullet drop at a given range.

The technique trades the precision of a dialed solution for speed, which is why it shines when targets appear quickly or at varying distances. Good holdover still depends on solid dope, the recorded data telling the shooter exactly how high to hold for each range. Many shooters dial for the primary distance and use holdover to make quick adjustments for nearer or farther targets without touching the turret.

← Back to glossary

Welcome to Damnosus. This site is intended to be used by those 18 years of age and older.

We use cookies to give you the best possible user experience & to analyze traffic. By continuing to use our site, you accept our Privacy Policy.

Are you 18+ years old?