Night Vision Day scope reticles and clip on NVG

[Hootiewho]

Those with a lot of time using clip on’s, have you found reticles like H59 and Tremor2/3 lacking at low power?

I had a GP PVS-30 and an getting a WP PVS-30. I really like the H59 but damn on low power with a clip on it was hard to pick up the reticle at times. MSR worked very well.

Have any of you had a similar experience?

 

[Killswitch Engage]

Yep that’s the caveat to ffp optics with a clip on. When you really want to run them in the optimum mag range of 6-7x the busy reticles like h59 are tough to run. Better off with a simple type cross hair mil reticle for simple intersection.

I’ve been wanting and waiting forever for the perfect day optic for night use which would have a hybrid system of ffp above 10x and then go sfp below 10x so the reticle maintains its size at a useful power.

 

[wigwamitus]

For the past six months I've been using NF 7-35x T3 and while the 7x minimum magnification is far from optimal for night hunting ... I have not had any problem engaging critters in the 50yds to 300yds distances they have come into my sights.
Doing my 360s is a pain because it takes 2-3 times longer. In previous seasons, I've used a scope with a 3x min magnification and scanning on 3x is way easier than 7x. But again, using the center of the cross hair to hit critters out to 300yds has not been a problem, even when using T3 reticle. I.E. using the critter as the reticle. My up hold is .67 mils at 250yds ... I usually hold dead center out to 225 ... I consider +/- 4 inches to be the danger space for the critters I'm engaging.

I have cranked up the magnification for the shot on a few occasions, when there was time. But after the shot, when I checked what I cranked up to ... it was only 10x .. which isn't much over 7x ...

I usually run on black hot, so the reticle is fairly visible. All my T3 reticles have illumination, though I've never used it for hunting. I would switch to white hot if needed, but it hasn't been needed yet.

So, I'd rather have a scope with less magnification, but the 7x has been getting the job done. I have a mk5 5-25x t3 inbound ... and will get that one going. I expect the 5x to be easier to use for night hunting.

And I have a mk6 3-18x T3 ... usually on the 6.5g(18) ... and I've gotten a few critters with that .. but for some reason I keep taking the bolt gun with the NF out most nights. I think the past 12 months has started my "love affair" with bolt guns ... so the stoners sit in the house a lot more

I haven't gotten any critters in my sights this season with the SIMRAD, though I take it out at least one night a month. I run it on the mk6 3-18x T3 only. And that's why the radius is on 9 o'clock on the 6.5G(18). To keep the 12 o'clock clear for the SIMRAD. It does work great in the snow, even without any moon or illumination. There is a ELIR-3 on the 3 o'clock, not visible in any of the pics.

 

[wigwamitus]

For night hunting, I am usually just using the cross hair ... this is buck at 70yds, obviously a NO SHOOT. But I took a thru the lens pic. They always come out terrible, but at least you get an idea of the reticle visibility. I donl't think a T3 is much different from a mil hash, if you're just using the cross hair.

 

[wigwamitus]

here's thru the lens with SIMRAD on cattle at 172 yds ... terrible image (thru the lens pics is one of my many weaknesses ) ... but the real image was GREAT that night as we had deep (for us) snow. If you click on the pic and then zoom in with your browser to 250% you can actually see the cross hair, closer to what it looked like in real life.

 

[wigwamitus]

Opossum after being hit at 130yds ...

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Cow at 224yds

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Cattle mostly bedded down ... around 400yds ...

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Cattle 334 ...

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Cattle around 600yds

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So anyway, I find the reticle plenty visible ... and if needed I can invert ... provided I have time. In theory I could use illumination, though so far, I have not. if/ when I find myself taking more shots in the 300-500yds space I will adjust as required !

 

[Hootiewho]

These are some I took a couple years ago with a PVS30, H59 vs MSR. I made a mount for the optics on a tripod so no rifle was involved. Looking across a cove at least 500 yds off.

On low power especially snap shots those duplex bars do help. The reason I bring it up, I hope the GRID reticle helps with what you see in the last pic. I cannot for the life of me understand why the H59 ot T3 doesn’t have at least a bold post in the vertical direction for quick shots at close range in low power with NODs.

 

[DownRangeThermal]

I kind of like a H59 with a clip on because I dont need to illuminate any turrets to spin. ...which is nice for me at night.