You know, this range issue can be reasonably resolved through an exercise with DW's ability to create scenarios. I recommend that one of our full time gammers do this and make a new thread.
Make a series of scenarios with two vessels in the game: own ship and a target. Place the target at a known bearing and range for each scenario and give it zero speed. Place OS on a known course that is perpendicular to the target. You now know what the bearing rate is for a stationary target for the canned range. You can also measure the bearing rate from the broadband display using an index card as a ruler. The bearing line will be less slanted at narrow aspects and at farther distances. Doing this will build judgement about bearing rate behavior and target range given OS speeds and various LOSs.
The next time you do battle with an on-line gammer, you will have the ability to estimate with reasonable precision target range simply based on the bearing rate and the LOS. ADCAP needs no additional information to find its target.
If all you have is a bearing and no bearing rate or even a bearing drift (you don't know yet whether the target draws left or right) then you can snapshot the target using the bearing you have and enable the torpedo at the minimum range. You still have a wire to the weapon that can update its course and other parameters.
Don't waste too much time polishing the TMA cannon ball thinking you're gonna get the best firing solution available or even get a decent range. You only need to get the best bearing available and use it. This is the way it was done in WWII, during the Cold War and I tell you it is the way it can still be done in this computer game.
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