If this has been covered, please point me in the right direction. I searched but couldn’t find anything. I picked up an Athlon ares etr 4.5-30 that’s waiting for it’s new rifle. I adjusted the diopter during daylight based on instructions I’ve seen here for handling a FFP optic. My eyes adjust very quick, so I have a hard time getting the reticle just right. I tweaked and tweaked and really believe I had it dialed in. I was out late this evening to have a look through it during lowlight as I will be doing a lot of hunting with. When I lit the reticle up, it was way out of focus unless I worked real hard to adjust my eye. Please advise. This is my first FFP and the first lit reticle that illuminates the whole reticle. Btw, it wasn’t that the illumination was washing the reticle out or bleeding over. It was just plain out of focus.
- Thread starter Dot3
- Start date
could it be it was too bright and needed a lower setting?
No optical elements are moving when turning on/off illumination, so the scope isn't optically/mechanically out of focus.
The issue is the additional lighting causes your eye to not be ae to focus correctly and is often why adding illumination doesn't necessarily help a thin reticle in low lighting situations.
ILya has spoken about it a bit if different videos and scope reviews when discussing reticle illumination.
Personally I don't like full tree illumination on a scope for this exact reason.
In a lot of scopes even the lowest level of illumination will be too much and mess up your vision.
Having only central illumination effects your vision less and makes it easier to use in many cases.
It's important to think about whether or not this will actually be an issue.
When shooting in the dead of night under spotlight, my scope is always on lower magnification so the effect is less obvious.
Whereas when shooting small targets on fadding light the thin reticle can be very hard to see and adding illumination can make the situation worse.
If I were planning to shoot big targets or big game in lower light the addition of illumination again wouldn't be enough to be an issue unless the brightness would go dim enough.
If low light and small targets are your main use then the Ares ETR 3-18 with the thicker reticle may be a better option for you.
Unfortunately thin reticles are the norm with FFP scopes and there are very very few options for thicker FFP reticles.
The issue is the additional lighting causes your eye to not be ae to focus correctly and is often why adding illumination doesn't necessarily help a thin reticle in low lighting situations.
ILya has spoken about it a bit if different videos and scope reviews when discussing reticle illumination.
Personally I don't like full tree illumination on a scope for this exact reason.
In a lot of scopes even the lowest level of illumination will be too much and mess up your vision.
Having only central illumination effects your vision less and makes it easier to use in many cases.
It's important to think about whether or not this will actually be an issue.
When shooting in the dead of night under spotlight, my scope is always on lower magnification so the effect is less obvious.
Whereas when shooting small targets on fadding light the thin reticle can be very hard to see and adding illumination can make the situation worse.
If I were planning to shoot big targets or big game in lower light the addition of illumination again wouldn't be enough to be an issue unless the brightness would go dim enough.
If low light and small targets are your main use then the Ares ETR 3-18 with the thicker reticle may be a better option for you.
Unfortunately thin reticles are the norm with FFP scopes and there are very very few options for thicker FFP reticles.
Thanks for the insight. To answer the first question: yes it was on the lowest setting.
I don’t foresee any real issues with the light messing up evening hunting. I won’t engage anything beyond a couple few hundred yards and the range decreases as the light does. So does the magnification which will resolve the focus issue. I get what you’re saying about the whole reticle being lit washes out the target. We’ll see how that plays out over time. As it were though, low light and small targets aren’t my number one goal. It will be a hunting rig but it will be a steel pounder mostly. I’ve hunted without illumination up until last year. Really and truly, needing illumination is asking for a ticket. Around here anyhow
I don’t foresee any real issues with the light messing up evening hunting. I won’t engage anything beyond a couple few hundred yards and the range decreases as the light does. So does the magnification which will resolve the focus issue. I get what you’re saying about the whole reticle being lit washes out the target. We’ll see how that plays out over time. As it were though, low light and small targets aren’t my number one goal. It will be a hunting rig but it will be a steel pounder mostly. I’ve hunted without illumination up until last year. Really and truly, needing illumination is asking for a ticket. Around here anyhow
Was the whole reticle out of focus or just the lit up dot. I have astigmatism and a basic red dot I can't use. Even some illuminated reticles in scopes I have to adjust the diopter with it lit up to get it in focus.
It was the whole reticle. I went out this morning and adjusted the diopter with the front lense cover on and the illumination turned on. Rechecked with the cap off and illumination off and that seemed to square it away pretty good.
ETA: the whole reticle illuminates. I have a Zeiss that only lights up the center aiming point. This isn’t an issue. It’s also not nearly as bright on the lowest setting. May be a factor.
ETA: the whole reticle illuminates. I have a Zeiss that only lights up the center aiming point. This isn’t an issue. It’s also not nearly as bright on the lowest setting. May be a factor.
