Tank sights, range and zeroing

Using tank sights correctly and overcoming some minor game flaws for accurate usage

Foreword

Tank sights in this game have been made realistically to a certain level. However, there are some minor flaws in optics and game mechanics you need to keep in mind for these mechanics to work.
For example, some tanks can zoom their optics, but zooming does not change sight reticles. So zooming tank sights (although historically possible) makes those sights incorrect.
The other flaw is inability to turn the dials more clockwise from the initial starting position, making it harder to calculate SprGr (HE) shell trajectory.

Here we will cover the sight correction for all the tanks in the game.

SPG Stug III Ausf G

Perfectly made, Zoom in or out makes no difference.
Press F (default) to change little pin on the right side acording to the ammunition you wish to compensate for.

PzKpfw VI Ausf E

This is where it all gets a little complicated:
Use sights Zoomed out for aiming.
PzGr 39 (AP) and PzGr 40 (APCR) work with default reticle using top sharp triangle for compensation.
SprGr L/4.5 (HE) has a different trajectory.
So for this ammunition the gunner would reset range scale to zero and start calculation from the mark at the right side of the scope. This mark does not exist in the game and we can't move the reticle clockwise to start ar that mark anyway.

So what we will do is pretend that we rotated the whole scope counter-clockwise:
rotate the reticle counter-clockwise untill you reach the mark 13.
the place on the left side of the scope where zero is becomes our new MARKER for
SprGr L/4.5 (HE) ammo
Use it for your distance instead of the top mark.
(but remember where it is before rotating the reticle)

PzKpfw VI Ausf B Kingtiger

This is where it all gets a little complicated AGAIN:
PzGr 39/43 (AP) and PzGr 40/43 (APCR) work with default reticle using top sharp triangle for compensation.
SprGr 43 (HE) has a different trajectory.
So for this ammunition the gunner would reset range scale to zero and start calculation from the mark at the right side of the scope. This mark does not exist in the game and we can't move the reticle clockwise to start ar that mark anyway.

So what we will do is pretend that we rotated the whole scope counter-clockwise:
rotate the reticle counter-clockwise untill you reach the mark 13.
the place on the left side of the scope where zero is becomes our new MARKER for
SprGr 43 (HE) ammo
Use it for your distance instead of the top mark.
(but remember where it is before rotating the reticle)

PzKpfw VI Ausf.A Panther

I have no idea how they managed to make this one:
Normal AP and APCR works as intender when ZOOMED IN
But for SprGr it is a disaster.

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The reticle looks like this
When it should look like this

See the diference? Look at SprGr reticle.... Mark for 3600 should be 4000

All markings are minus 400 meters
To make things worse. Reticle works compared to the real one by adding +400 meters only when zoomed OUT

Ok so for aiming over 1km

true range	zoom out	zoom in
1000	1200	2100
1100	1300	2200
1200	1400	2400
1300	1600	2600
1400	1800	2750
1500	1900	2800
1600	2100	3000
1700	2150	3100
1800	2200	3200
1900	2300	3300
2000	2400	3440

PzKpfw IV Ausf H

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Only PzGr 39 (AP) works with the Outer ring scale named Sprgr.
PzGr 40 APCR and SprGr 34 (HE) have diferent trajectorys.

The scope is historically correct, but does not correspont to the ammunition.
It might be at a wrong zoom level (there is no zoom changing)
Or is missing some other feature. The worst case scenario would be that the scope is correct and that muzzle velocity is wrong.
At the moment it is beyond my understanding.
There is one error in the scope: 22 mark on Pzgr scale reads 20


FOR aiming PzGr 40 APCR over 1km

true range	outer ring scale named sprgr	inner ring scale named pzgr
1000	700	500
1100	800	550
1200	900	600
1300	1000	700
1400	1200	850
1500	1200	850
1600	1400	1000
1700	1500	1100
1800	1700	1200
1900	1900	1400
2000	2000	1500

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For aiming SprGr 34 HE over 1km

true range	spgr scale outer ring
1000	1600
1100	1800
1200	2000
1300	2200
1400	2400
1500	2600

M4A3 Sherman

No zoom.
Same for M4A2 USSR sherman
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M61 Projectile (APCBC-T) and T45 Shot (HVAP)
Target over 1km

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M42A1 Shell (HE)

T34-76

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BR-350B (AP)
OF-350 (HE) both
Work perfectly on ДГ scale
BR-350P (APCR)
using ДГ scale:

true range	range on дг
1000	700
1100	800
1200	1000
1300	1100
1400	1200
1500	1300

Note that marking for
1000m on ДГ scale is
missing.
_________________
ДТ scale is for
machinegun
_________________
There is no ammo in
the game for СГ scale.

T34-85

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No zooming.

BR 365 (AP) and
O-365 (FRAG) both work perfectly.


BR-365P (APCR)

true range	on any reticle
1000	800
1200	1000
1400	1100
1600	1300

SPG SU-85

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Same as T34-85
No zooming.

BR 365 (AP) and
O-365 (FRAG) both work perfectly.


BR-365P (APCR)

true range	on any reticle
1000	800
1200	1000
1400	1100
1600	1300

Js-122 '43

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Heavy tank. Zoom not possible.

BR-471 (AP)
OF-471 (HE)
both correspond to the ПГ3 reticle

conclusion

There are a handful of good tank-sim games.
You may or may not count Iron Front as one.
It is my wish to understand and make those sim games as good as they can be, so that we can fathom the science that made history.

Some of the game errors could be corrected through modding, but i lack the time and desire necessary to do so.
Hopefully this can be a future reference for someone wishing to do it.

Note that this guide should correspond to IFA3 mod for Arma 3. (testing required)


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[alfa_22]

good on you for putting in the effort in what is still a great game

[Rado]

Good! ! !