Last year, when our company was still selling thermal scopes under the Fahrentec brand on infra-optics.com, we received an email from a customer in the United States. He was a professional coyote hunter preparing for a predator hunting competition. He needed a custom Bullet Drop Compensating (BDC) reticle for his 5.56mm rifle.
Our engineering team worked for a week to develop a precise BDC reticle calibrated for the 5.56x45mm round. We sent him the updated reticle file via email. He then connected his thermal scope to his computer, uploaded the file via our software, and instantly had a personalized aiming solution. This specific 5.56 BDC reticle was later released as a standard update for all our FMR335L and FMR645L thermal scopes, a legacy that continues in our current Rhino series thermal scopes.
For a BDC reticle to work with a laser rangefinder, you need the correct caliber (e.g., 5.56mm, 7.62mm) and bullet length. While simple, this highlights the BDC’s limitation: it’s a fixed solution for one specific load under ideal conditions.
This is why we integrated a modern ballistic solver into our latest-generation Rhino thermal scopes. This system transcends simple BDC reticles.
To use the ballistic calculator, you input comprehensive data: not just caliber, but also drag function, ballistic coefficient, zero range, sight height, bullet weight, altitude, muzzle velocity, and temperature. Once configured, you activate the built-in laser rangefinder. The scope’s computer instantly calculates the solution and displays a red, dynamic holdover point directly on your reticle’s vertical axis for the exact distance measured.
It’s not a fixed mark on display screen—it’s a smart, real-time firing solution. This technology effectively places a precision-calculated aiming point on your target, transforming complex long-range ballistics into a simple point-and-shoot experience.