“ballistic reticle”

Even with a super-accurate Beanfield Rifle from the legendary Kenny Jarrett, you have to do your homework to hunt at long range.

For 2015, Zeiss offers its Terra XB75 2X-7X-32mm. The 13-ounce marvel sports a patented ballistic reticle with aiming points from 20-75 yards in 21/2-yard increments—based on the chronographed speed of our crossbows.

Zeiss' Terra XB75 Crossbow Scope is our 2016 Optic of the Year.

What's it take to harvest an eland? Here's a look at what Ron Spomer utilized on his most recent trip to Africa.

Riflescopes with parallax adjustments, illuminated reticles, 8X zoom ranges and turrets dialing past 1,500 yards are impressive, but do we really need that to still-hunt whitetails in Ohio farmland or chase elk at 8,000 feet in Idaho? An optic like Leupold’s new VX-3i 3.5X-10X-40mm with the Boone & Crockett ballistic reticle is likely better suited for most hunters’ needs. This 12.6-ounce scope, a reengineered upgrade from the previous VX-3, is bright, sharp, slim and extremely reliable.

Long-range shooting is a very specific skill-set that takes a lot of hard work and a lot of burned powder to acquire. Start now to be ready for fall.

With your heart racing and a big buck in the scope, it’s easy to overlook the small stuff. But ignoring the details can spell disaster.

Preparing for a whitetail slug hunt? Here's what you'll need.

These days, it’s all the rage to see an animal, range it with a laser rangefinder, run some calculations on a smartphone ballistic app, and twirl the dial on the scope before shooting—but there’s good reason to avoid doing so.