Are you a Clicker – or Hold’er-Over? – Why Do You Prefer One Method?

[T3PRanch]

Hold Overer because Clicking very slowly wears out clicking hardware eventually resulting in "Scope Slop".

[mobilehomer]

I learned holdover shooting pistols at anywhere from 20 to 200 yards and more. Then a duplex reticle on a .22LR rifle. I don't need mil-dots or clicking. There is no substitute for lots and lots of trigger time!!

[Wildcatter]

I use hold overs.  Much easier for me as a hunter then attempting to range, click per chart and let fly.  Easier to range, scope and target based on a preset mildot.  You get to know your gun, scope and pellets this way and it's much faster in the field then clicks.  And time, quite often, is the difference in making/taking the shot and not.

[Scotchmo]

Your brain wants to naturally center on your visual field of view. So once the scope is clicked for aim, it is a little easier to hold on target.

But I still use holdover for a number of reasons:

1) Clicking is not legal in some of the field target divisions/classes (and I shoot in all of them).

2) Low cost scopes don't always repeat well when clicking (and I'll often use a low cost scope).

3) Clicking will eventually wear the mechanism making it less repeatable.

4) Holdover is faster and no chance of getting off by a turn (though you can easily be off by 1 dot).

I now have a little better scope that should click OK. I tried it at one match and it is easier to hold on target, especially for offhand shots. I might try using it on offhand and kneeling lanes.

[bandg]

+1 but not competely sure about #3.  Do you think this is a cost related concern or in your opinion do even the top level scopes suffer from this?  The only scope that I use clicks for shooting is a NightForce and that is rare for me but seems to be common with certain classes of shooters.  I have clicked for a shot and forgot to return to zero.  Would definitely consider a zero stop scope if using the click method.

[Luis Leon]

Hold over, simpler for me. My scope turrets are capped so it’s not practical for me to click. Maybe my next scope.

[Back_Roads]

 I have been known to click when I run out of dots at extreme target shooting ranges. Other wise I'm a hold over shooter.

[JungleShooter]

Wow, wooaah!
I admit I’m pretty new to airgunning, but I was under the firm impression that at least half the serious guys (and gals) out there are clickers.
I have to admit a certain fascination with the clicking, the whole “scientific” shoot-by-the-numbers game instead of the shoot-by-the-seat-of-your-pants method.

Keep the comments coming, please.

[Motorhead]

Understand that "Clicking" is only practical when the shooter HAS TIME to get precise range on the intended target, Can be patient in making sure the shot is going to happen only when ready.
Hunting, general field use or just recreational shooting one just points and shoots without the formality of such ranging & turret fiddling. * Seat of your pants shooting !
Somewhere in the middle is those who will use Parallax focus to get a range ... Which takes time and then reference a range card of some sort ... applying the required correction via Hold over.

Ranging via parrilax and then clicking is almost exclusively a FIELD TARGET thing within classes that allow it.

JMO ....
Scott

[bandg]

I believe that the "shoot by the seat of your pants" method will make one a better shot.  More intuitive.  And definitely faster.  Also less chance of an error-forgetting to return to zero accurately.  JMO

[Motorhead]

I believe that the "shoot by the seat of your pants" method will make one a better shot.  More intuitive.  And definitely faster.  Also less chance of an error-forgetting to return to zero accurately. JMO

That idea ... corrected to actually what happens, is that the scope stays adjusted to the last range seen and the adjustment made.  The scopes adjusted zero range is nothing more than a place in rotation where you zeroed and gets set at if within those specific distances.  Other wise your subsequent shot will only be as accurate ( If no adjustment made ) relative to the past shot ... maybe close or perhaps not 

In other words .... Clicking has specific rotation requirements and where zero range actually is & going +/- of the zero range is really of no importance other than simply dialing in elevation to match POI requirements at range target is at.

Hope this make sense  ... reads weird, but point hopefully made ?

[gamo2hammerli]

I do both...if the target is at a pre-set distance then I click, if I shot at different targets without knowing their distance then it's hold-over and "Kentucky" windage style.

[JungleShooter]

Now, I'm really surprised to find hardly ANY CLICKERS or DIALERS? Really?!
Or do I need to change the forum to ask this question (say, post the question in the Field Target gate)?

[Scotchmo]

Now, I'm really surprised to find hardly ANY CLICKERS or DIALERS? Really?!
Or do I need to change the forum to ask this question (say, post the question in the Field Target gate)?

You'll find a lot of clickers in Field Target. Though in the USA, Hunter Division is the most popular of the three AAFTA Divisions, and they only use holdover.

[bandg]

Sorry, Scott but it made no sense at all to me.  I've always believed in returning to original zero after a shot is taken, not trying to calculate for a different shot from a changed zero.  That is why zero stop scopes are especially useful in this regard-you can quickly return to original zero and then reset for a new distance as needed.   All assuming that one does use the click method.  Maybe that is why holdover is probably best.

[Xptical]

I just started shooting again after a break.  This is the first time I've really shot with optics.  I click in the back yard.  I run the numbers through Chairgun and then click away.

And then I proceed to miss.

[bandg]

And you'll continue to miss, it's part of the process.  But do you enjoy your missing more with clicking or holding over?  That's all that matters.

[triggertreat]

I'm a clicker on my FFP Mil/Mil scoped gun (sometimes depending on what I'm doing) and a hold-over'er on my SFP scoped gun.  It's easy calculations on the Mil/Mil scope and not so much (for me) on the SFP scope.  Both are resettable though so I could click on both, but don't because I know my hold-overs really well on the SFP scoped gun, so I just work it that way instead.  It's easy to keep up with only having two guns currently.

[moorepower]

Both. Holdover for varmints. Click for targets.

[Motorhead]

Sorry, Scott but it made no sense at all to me.  I've always believed in returning to original zero after a shot is taken, not trying to calculate for a different shot from a changed zero.  That is why zero stop scopes are especially useful in this regard-you can quickly return to original zero and then reset for a new distance as needed.   All assuming that one does use the click method.  Maybe that is why holdover is probably best.

Speaking of FT use ONLY ... You address a target, get a range and then CLICK to get scope calibrated to that distance ... SHOOT
When addressing the next target, get a range and then click again to that calibrated distance on turret.
No need to Re-Zero  because your correcting where clicked on every shot.

if one were to Click in a FIELD USE set up, indeed you would want the gun to alway start out at the known Zero range and have ability to take a quick shot knowing where impact will be +/- within the ZR.
If distance is radically inside or outside the ZR then click correction would be done for that shot and then returned to zero & repeated only as needed.

Clearer