Wednesday, December 31, 2003:
A big outlay but worth it. New to shooting I started out using pistols and have recently been visiting a field target range, with a borrowed rifle. My first sights are the Nicko Sterling Diamond 10-50x 60mm which will be ok in years to come when I am better at it and shooting competitively. They have a large Parallax wheel on the left, which makes the target, blurred or come into focus when you turn it. Rangefinding: The range can be read off when the image is not blurred. As the name, Nicko Sterling Diamond 10-50x 60mm, suggests you can magnify any mag between 10x and 50x. When the image is sharp you read off how far away what you are looking at is, on the dial you have moved to make it sharp. Then the pellet should go where your cross hairs are focussed on. In practice you have to adjust the elevation and windage, you make a chart of how many clicks up and down each range is:

12/7/03

30m e=4 +1.0,
40m,e=5+3.8 w=7+2.2
50m,e=6+7.2 w=7+?
60m,e=7+1.8w=7+1.7

Pity the clicks are a bit naff not being vernier eg 1 big click = 10 small ones, instead the big clicks are on 4, and 1.0 small one on elevation for 30metres. For 40 metres the big clicks are on 5, and 3.0 small ones and 8 smaller clicks on elevation There should be 10 little ones to 1 big one but all the same, the system is still very workable, all you have to do is record it and re use the old settings you already have from when you set it up. Basically you just have to find a way of getting the height and windage to the correct ones which you have previously found out. There were four big lines showing and 1.0 small ones on the elevation at 30metres. I stuck all these on a tin of pellets so I can adjust it correctly every time. It was successful. Beginners luck again – I decided that it was set up ok and pointed at the 60m kill zone on the bird (2p size) hit it, then hit the golf ball twice, all one after another. The best thing is you just aim, not aiming over or under, the pellet just goes wherever the cross hair points at. You have to have the chart you’ve made previously, and click up or down, but you won't have to aim over or under. Then someone said why not use it without a silencer. Just when I was getting used to how accurate or inaccurate it is – and the chart was useless when you take the silencer off. Much higher. We have access to a field target range in the woods, where we are allowed to shoot all day every day if we choose for the princely sum of £15-00 a year. People hear you better without a silencer therefore it is safer, in theory, at least. Another set of “Clicks” for 30m 40m 50m etc will have to be set up. I have made it sound hard because I am a beginner, but it is much easier than I made out. You can get most ranges out to 45m or so without changing the clicks or elevation, leaving it at 40m settings. It’s a good method of rangefinding. It does take a while, to parallax in to rangefind everytime compared to another method using a red dot and scope. Not necessarily as good for hunting I am told (I don’t hunt as I am a vegetarian but still enjoy shooting in the woods) I spent many happy afternoons in the woods setting everything up. The ranges are field target ranges with metal targets that knock down but only if you hit them in a kill zone eg a rat that you have to hit on a 2p kill zone in the head, a pigeon you have to hit in the head the same but if you then hit him in the other kill zone in the belly, it pops back up (Resets itself). Golf ball at 60 or 55m. A bell with a very small kill zone. Paper targets. There are several other ranges as well. I wish I had more time… Nicko Sterling Diamond 10-50x 60mm A good method of rangefinding particularly for Field target use, few faults, but doesn’t come cheap – well worth it.

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