More specifically, what is your criteria for dialing windage?
I grew up on the A2 in High Power, which uses a 6 MOA diameter bull with 2 MOA 10-ring.
- 100-200yds, dial up to 1 MOA only if my NPA was consistent, but off center.
- 300yds rapid fire, dial up to 1.5 MOA usually based on what was felt at the firing line when the targets came up and when I reloaded.
- 600yds slow fire, I tried to assess the minimum and maximum value during the half hour before firing, dial the middle and shoot during the "constant", but dial afterwards if the constant didn't come back within a minute of time. Often, this meant dialing for every shot, and in hindsight I should've just shot faster with the same setting.
With a Nikon 3x on my M4gery, I use the same strategy to 300yds. At 600, even without seeing the scoring rings, I found I could hold off 1 MOA to the edge of the bull reasonably well (adjusting the strong side elbow for NPA). I only have a handful of matches with it, but that's worked so far.
I think once (at Carthage, Panola Co.) I dialed when within 1 MOA, which seems a common condition. Thinking back to years when I didn't have a match under 15mph, more than 3 MOA (outside the target) will be my cue to dial. Basically as long as I have a good reference, I can hold off, otherwise then dial.
I'm curious of other's vantage from outside High Power.