I'm searching for my first exposed turret, long range scope and was wondering if illuminated reticles were a must-have? They're obviously a positive when shooting in low light but do they have a downside?
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
Same here for the most part. If I'm shooting at a black bullseye target I sometimes use the illumination.I have never used the illumination on any of my long range scopes. But I usually shoot at ranges that have hours of operation.
Many thanks for all of your input. What I will take out of this thread is that it's not 100% needed and it won't be the deciding factor.
This scope will be going on a range only rifle. I'm pretty limited on budget (around $1400 in my local currency). The Vortex Viper PST Gen 2 5-25 FFP just just falls in there. I'm sceptical about it though as there seem to be varying reports on it and I wouldn't have the chance to view it before buying. I like the look of the Athlon ARES BTR, seems like a nice scope from online reports but there is very little backup in South Africa. The Bushnell DMR ii unfortunately does not make it in my budget as I think it would be an easy decision if it did.
I started using rifle scopes over 50 years ago. I recall many times I could see and animal but not the reticule. Illumination would have helped with those tiny, thin crosshairs.
I now have many top end rifle scopes. With todays reticules I have no use for the illumination. Remember, it only illuminates the reticule which is never hard to see if you have light enough to see the target, you can see the P4f or H59 reticule. Illumination actually hurts your low light vision by constricting your pupils which obscures a target in a dark area. Most of my scopes have illumination but I also use many like the S&B Ultra Short that don't have it. I never use it even when I have it. And I do a lot of low light shooting.
I have been increasingly reluctant to recommend any scopes that do not have illumination. With modern technology, more or less any scope above $1k should have it as far as I am concerned.
ILya
Regular SFP hunting scopes with thick reticles I absolutely agree. If you are talking About FFP scopes used for hunting then I disagree.Speak from my own operational experiences...I've been on many night time and low light hunts. The max range has been about 200 yards whereas the closest has been perhaps 50 yards... while I have a scope with an illuminated reticle, I've never needed it or used it. There was always a backdrop of some kind that made discerning the reticle easy. Granted, this always involved a vehicle or some type structure. All my years of deer hunting I've never used illuminated reticles despite having them. I would not call a scope w/o illumination useless... but it's like all other things... better to have it and not need than need it and not have it.
BLK,
Was the deer you lost the shot on viewed during legal shooing hours? Here, legal shooting hours end well before issues like that come into play.