I first came across the MSR2 when I was looking into long-range scopes. Weighing up between the Steiner T6Xi and Schmidt & Bender PM II, both had this reticle and it led me to start some research. The MSR2 reticle or ‘Multipurpose Sniper Reticle 2’ is an advanced mil-radian based reticle designed specifically for long-range shooting scopes. It builds on the original MSR design which came out in 2010 but with new features to help with ranging targets.
This reticle has since been adopted by a few high end scope manufacturers. In the reticle world, the MSR2 is known as an uncluttered reticle but it has a few neat features. It has fine target measurement capability with quick target-ranging function. In this overview, I’ll show off the features of the MSR2 reticle design, its subtensions and functionality. I’ll also look at how it’s performed for me and its suitability for long-range shooting.
Overview of the MSR2 Reticle Design
The MSR2 is a first focal plane mil-based reticle built to find a balance of being easy to use and packing some more advanced functionality. Its layout is divided into three main parts: the primary crosshair reticle, a fine milling scale on the lower left, and a rapid ranging scale on the right. What I like its that the upper half of the field of view is kept relatively clear of markings which gives an unobstructed view for scanning. All the detailed hold marks and scales are mostly in lower half and around the centre, maintaining a clean sight picture even at the lowest magnification. This design means the reticle appears simple when you need speed, yet reveals a lot of detail when you dial up the magnification.
At the centre of the MSR2 is a 1×1 milliradian illuminated centre crosshair. This small central cross serves as the primary point of aim. Its 1 mrad dimensions (0.5 mrad on each side from centre) make it a good reference point, for example, the gaps correspond to 0.5 mrad, useful for quick holdovers or basic range estimation. Only the centre cross is illuminated, and from reading the manual the reticle designers deliberately kept the lit area minimal to avoid overwhelming the eye or obscuring targets in low light. I rarely used the illumination but when I have its bright enough for dusk or dark conditions but you can still see the fine detail of the reticle lines without covering small targets. The line thickness of the main crosshair is listed as 0.05 mrad. Looking through my Schmidt & Bender PM II, I found the lines are a good size, not so thin that they disappear at low power and not so thick that they cover small targets at long range.
The main horizontal and vertical stadia lines of the reticle extend outwards and form a standard mil scale. Both the horizontal and vertical stadia lines are marked with a continuous scale in 1 mrad increments, with additional hash marks at every 0.5 mrad. The top horizontal line is the exception with the line stopping at 2 mrad. The full-mil marks are longer and slightly thicker, while the half-mil marks are shorter and thinner. I found this makes it pretty easy to distinguish whole mil values quickly, which has helped when making quick holdover adjustments.
For extreme long-range shooting, the lower vertical line is extended far below the centre. This allowed me to hold for very large bullet drops that go outside the scope’s turret elevation range. At the lowest magnification, the MSR2’s lower vertical scale can cover the entire field of view, giving around 27 mrads of holdover in the Schmidt & Bender 5-25× scope on 5×. This extended holdover is valuable for long distances, letting you hold over without losing the reticle reference. The vertical scale is numbered at 10 mrad intervals (with every 10 mrad marked by a thicker bar and a number) to aid in quickly counting large holdover values. Likewise, the far ends of the horizontal line have bold bars at 10 mrad left and right, also numbered, which helps out as a visual reference.
Overall, I have found the MSR2’s reticle provides a clear yet versatile crosshair. At low magnifications, only the bold outer bars and a simple cross are visible, which helps with quick target acquisition at close range. At medium magnification, the view resembles a traditional mil-dot or mil-hash reticle with 1 and 0.5 mrad marks. At high magnification, the finer details like tiny 0.1 mrad marks and the ranging scale come into view for precise ranging and holdovers. This intentional scaling of information with magnification changes makes the MSR2 a neat multipurpose design that feels intuitive across the scope’s magnification range.
Fine Milling Capabilities and Subtensions
A standout feature of the MSR2 is its ability to support fine milling. Milling refers to using the reticle’s angular measurements in mrads to estimate target size or distance. The MSR2 enables this by including an ultra-fine graduated scale near the centre of the reticle dedicated to getting precise measurements. This fine milling feature appears as a small inverted L shaped scale just below and to the left of centre. The inverted L extends 5 mrads down and 5 mrads to the left, with tiny hash marks at every 0.1 mrad along both legs of the L. Essentially, it’s like having a miniature ruler in the scope, allowing you to measure objects or groups with 0.1 mrad resolution without guessing between the more spaced out 0.5 mrad marks on the main crosshair.
The fine milling L-scale is placed very close to the centre so that it is within the sharp, high-resolution area. All scopes have the best clarity at the centre of the field of view, and by putting the fine scale near the centre, the MSR2 focuses the optical resolution for reading those small 0.1 mrad markings. I’ve found this easy to use when reading a target in 0.1 mrad increments and its a nice function to have in a reticle. For example a target that spans 1.3 mrad on the fine scale can be read directly using the scale, whereas using a standard mil reticle you might only have marks at 1.0 and 1.5 mrad and you will have to estimate in between. This is extremely useful for precise range estimation, if you know a target’s actual size and it measures 0.1 mrad in the scope, you can calculate distance with better accuracy. It’s also helpful for spotting shot impacts, as you can accurately call how many tenths of a mil off the shot was and apply the right number of clicks.
The fine scale stays out of the way of the main aiming point but is easily visible by shifting your eye slightly to the lower left. Notably, the lines on the fine scale are super thin, so they don’t obscure small targets. The fine milling capability of the MSR2 is one of its big drawcards to practical shooters.
Ranging Features and Reticle Ranging Techniques
Beyond the fine milling measurement, the MSR2 reticle includes a unique rapid ranging scale designed for quick distance estimation of human sized targets. This stadiametric ranging feature reminds me of the old ranging reticles found in some military scopes like the PSO-1. The MSR2’s system is more refined and is integrated into the reticle without cluttering it too much. Visually, it appears as a set of horizontal and vertical lines with numbers, located below the main crosshair. These lines correspond to known target dimensions, roughly a human shoulder width and upper torso height.
The ranging scale in the MSR2 works by matching these reference lines to the target. Each horizontal line segment on the scale represents a 0.5 meter shoulder width at a specific distance, and each vertical line represents a 1.0 meter torso height at that distance. The scale is labelled from 4 up to 13, which stands for 400 meters to 1300 meters. To use it, you place the reticle over a standing person or target of similar size. If the person’s shoulder width fits exactly between the horizontal lines labelled 6 on the scale, that indicates approximately 600 meters to the target. If the torso height fits between the vertical marks at 6, that likewise indicates about 600 meters. The reticle provides both horizontal and vertical references because in some field scenarios, one dimension might be obscured or the target standing side on. Having both reduces error, for instance, if a person is facing you but maybe crouching, you could use shoulder width for range, if standing but partly behind cover, you could use height.
This two layer ranging system is unique in that it overlays the width and height stadia together, sharing a common baseline. The design saves space and keeps the reticle uncluttered, yet it’s fail-safe in that either dimension can give you a reading. Just like the fine milling scale on the left, the ranging scale is placed near the center to remain visible even at high magnifications where the field of view is narrow. If the ranging lines were too far out, you might dial up the magnification and not see them when you need them. With the MSR2, even at maximum zoom, the 400 to 1300 meter ranging scale is still visible just below the point of aim.
All the range numbers on the scale assume an average adult human. The baseline assumptions are a 1 meter high upper body and a 0.5 meter shoulder width. Of course, not every target will exactly match that, but it’s a useful general standard for a man sized target. If the target is known to be smaller or larger, you can easily adjust the range estimate.
Using the MSR2 ranging technique is significantly faster than doing calculations as discussed above. With the MSR2, that calculation is essentially pre-made for common target sizes, you just match the target to the scale and read off an approximate distance in hundreds of meters, no calculator needed. It’s not meant to replace a laser rangefinder for pinpoint accuracy, but it gives a quick distance estimate that’s reasonably good in an instant. In a tactical scenario, this can be a lifesaver if batteries die or time is critical. I shoot at full IPSC sized steel targets which match well with the ranging scale, so if I am engaging that target at an unknown distance, I can quickly get a range estimation in a matter of seconds.
One thoughtful aspect is the choice of using the torso rather than full standing height for the vertical reference. Traditional stadiametric reticles often assumed a full standing person. However, legs are frequently obscured by grass or terrain, and mirage or refraction near the ground can distort the apparent length of a target’s legs. By using the more consistently visible upper body, the MSR2 avoids a lot of that potential error. You can clearly see alot of thought has been taken into the reticles design.
Overall, the MSR2 reticle is one of the most well rounded reticle options for long-range shooting. It manages to deliver advanced functionality, like the fine milling and rapid ranging without cluttering the sight picture. I have loved using the MSR2 in my PM II and I always look forward to a day at the range with it. If you want a reticle that supports both speed and precision, the MSR2 is worth considering. The MSR2 is currently available in selected Kahles, Schmidt & Bender and Steiner scopes.
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