I've never used Nikons BDC or Bushnell's DOA, but on my Burris FFII with it's reticle like that it comes with a chart. The chart lists most popular calibers and grain bullets and you pick the one you are shooting. It then tells you what each mark means. For example if you zero it at 100 yards, the second mark down is 200 yards for a 150 grain 30-06. However, it might only be 150 for a 30-30. Those numbers are just purely examples, they might not be accurate as I'm not sure what the marks mean other than for the 30-06.
Now of course, you still need to shoot it at these ranges and verify for yourself that it's where they hit as every bullet and gun is different.
That being said, a lot of guys claim they work fairly well. I'm not a big fan of them after having one, but they aren't that bad and some guys love them. I'm a bigger fan of turrets you can dial in.