Angle Cosine Indicator

By Jacob Bynum
copyright Sniper's Paradise 2000

10-5-00The wonders never seem to stop. It seems like every other day a company is releasing a new tool that makes our jobs and lives easier. Rifles and ammunition keep getting more refined and the complicated shooting formulas keep getting refined. I had the opportunity to talk with to Ward about his invention, The Angle Cosine Indicator, about 6 weeks ago. At the time, he had several in production, but none to send me right away. One did arrive in the mail about 3 weeks later. I was quite surprised by the simplicity of this complicated device.The Angle Cosign Indicator is designed to give you the angle of your shot as to correct for gravity on your bullet's trajectory. Up until now, you would get the angle, look on a chart, run a calculation, set your dope, and then take the shot. With this unit, however, the extra piece of gear sits on your riflescope, and is not individually manipulated. The way the ACI is designed to be mounted, It sits in your line of sight while you look through the scope. This is important, because it will give you a direct reading while you are actually on target, not just "close".

My father was going to be the first to test this new unit, as he would be traveling to north British Columbia for a sheep hunt. Due to the simplicity of the unit, I was able to give him about 45 seconds of instruction on its use, and he was good to go. He would be shooting a Sniper's Paradise designed 338 Lapua Magnum rifle built on a Weatherby action and topped with a Leupold 3X10 Long Range M-3. He is very well aware that angle will affect impact, and was delighted to have the opportunity to test the unit in a real world situation. As a hunter, he is not often afforded the luxury of time when faced with a shot opportunity. The shot he is presented may have a very short window, and time is always of the essence. He does realize the importance of a humane kill, and humane kills are dependant on one factor alone, that factor is highly precise shot placement. That correct placement is also important to his 60-year-old knees that do not really need to chase game animals, especially in the mountains.

Over the years, my father has hunted all over the world, including Australia, Africa, Alaska, Canada, North America, and Mexico. The one thing he has learned is, "keep gear to a minimum," My father is positive of his equipments usefulness before he hauls it around the world and then all week in a dusty desert. Does that sound familiar to any one out there? Back to the A.C.I. The first shot came at a time that he could actually get some use out of the indicator. His goat was at 230 yards and a 60-degree down angle. With the ACI mounted to the scope, my father aimed his rifle at the Mountain Goat, read the number, multiplied it by the range, and dialed the corrected range into the scope. The next movement was the recoil of the rifle as he let one fly. This resulted in a first round kill and took less than 3 seconds. There were only two rounds fired by my father on this trip, one was to convince the guide his rifle had not been damaged during transport, and the other was the killing shot on the goat.The average temperature during the hunt was 21 degrees, and it was in rough terrain.

The initial assessment is that "the unit worked as advertised," and that, "it will be a cold day in hell before I pull it off my gun." I guess I have to buy a new unit for more extensive testing! I apologize for this review not being put up sooner, but there is nothing like a real world test, especially when that test comes from someone who can appreciate the value of any piece of gear. I have no doubt he has given me the correct information, since I bug him all the time about paying attention to the details so I can use them for our schools.

The Angle Cosign Indicator is a stand-alone unit, it mounts on your riflescope with an extra MKIV type ring you have in your shooting box. The ACI sits on your rifle all the time, it doesn't get lost, it is rugged, it is accurate, and most importantly, it is easy to use. This piece of equipment is K.I.S.S. at its best. If you are in the position of needed precision on the angle shot, and time is a factor, the A.C.I. should probably be on your rifle.