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Best scope/reticle combination for Hunter class field target?

My preference these days: 6-24x50 Athlon scopes: Midas TAC (APLR4), Helos Gen1 (APLR2), Argos Gen2 (APLR2). MOA reticles.

Scotchmo, is your preferences for these particular scopes primarily related to their parallax rangefinding abilities, and if so are all three of these about equal in that regard? Also do you know what the impetus was several years ago for AAFTA to go from 14X to 16X ?


Parallax rangefinding is iffy at 16x regardless of the scope. But it's better than 12x was. I just accept that I have a standard deviation of about 3yds when focusing on a 45-55yd target. That means that I'll likely be off by 5yds on a couple of them. A perfect shot with no wind read errors, and I'll still make the shots between 45-55 yds, even with a 5yd ranging error. Those three scopes are probably all about equal in that respect. The better glass on the Midas might help a little more for some.

I like those scopes because of the FFP MOA reticles. Well designed for my use, and they give me a good enough resolution for my reading abilities.

I think the switch from 12x (not 14x) to 16x was agreed on since 16x airgun scopes had become more commonplace by that time. These days, most of the competitors at bigger matches are using scopes capable of 24x or greater.
 
Scotchmo what part of the target do you use to bracket rangefind on 40yd and + at 16x? I’ve been using the 8” cinder block edge that we mount targets on at my home course but not all clubs use them. Uj

If there is a recognizable/visible standard block, I definitely would use that. The 8" (actually 7.625" nominal) dimension from side to side is the best one to use.

I used to have a dope book with every possible target feature that I might encounter. I gave that up when they went to 16x as it was not longer as advantageous. Most of the dope I need these days, I have on the scope wheel. It speeds things up a lot.

I also bracket 40mm kill zones occasionally for 45-55yd targets. I can get within +/-5 yds in that way. But only as a confirmation for the parallax reading.

I'll bracket if there is a good feature presented. I don't sweat it if there isn't. Parallax ranging at 16x usually gets me the knock-dowm on far targets. At the last nationals in Louisiana, I did not bracket a single target, and I missed very few from miss-ranging. Most of my misses come from the positional lanes.

With the 20fpe guns shooting in the 900+fps range, +/-5 yards is not a deal breaker. The ones that have it tough are the Hunter Piston shooters who are often near 12fpe, but only have 16x for ranging. If they are off by 5yds with that loopy trajectory, it's almost a certain miss for them on far targets.
 
Sill using the obsolete OPTISAN / MTC Viper 4-16x50's on the Hunter guns. love how well they range and an excellent HFT reticle IMO.

Motorhead, do you think it would be hard to use that scope on a springer being that you have to put your eye right up on it?


Thinking your mistaken to the CONNECT series scopes where there up against your eye. The OLDER Vipers have @ 3" eye relief.
 
I agree Scott! At first we “needed” to be handicapped with low mag and no clicking, to not frighten the open class guys so the new class could be allowed to exist and grow. Now Open class has shrunk and Hunter Class has grown .... and the 12fpe class is growing too!

The several years we have been trying the “Freestyle” Class, which is really like “Open” and “Hunter” combined tends to reveal the top guys still prefer the 12fpe class, and everyone else could be rolled into just one class effectively by allowing bipods and stools in a consolidated Open class. The recent scores (with freestyle entries) tend to say we would still have a level playing field scorewise, and though I really STILL think rangefinders should be allowed to help keep costs down, the issue is less important now than when I actively campaigned for it .... because high powered sidefocus scopes are so much cheaper these days. 

Really, even the 12fpe guys COULD shoot in my proposed “open class”, but they lose the snob appeal of using a lower powered gun against the field.



What say?

LD


 
 

Dayjd,

Please elaborate on your thoughts regarding the Hunter Class members deciding for themselves on equipment rather than a third party?

I have always felt that class participants should be allowed a voice on such things, but face it, they DO shoot in the same matches as other classes, and rules seem to be created and handed down (more often than not) by the distant club officers that generally do not shoot in the Hunter class.

Many shooters do not belong to member clubs, but in fact, it doesn’t much matter, since new rule changes are NOT initiated 9or even voted for) by individual shooters, but by a select few. 

I think the experimental new class, generally known as “Free-style” that has been tested at club matches for around five years, and SHOULD be allowed to be recognized in more inter-club events, but the chances seems dim. The new class could bring in many new shooters, as well as allowing older shooters with physical issues to keep shooting, The Freestyle class would essentially allow open class equipment to be ok for Hunter Class shooters, but with added allowance of rangefinders (not as effective as high end scope, way less expensive).

I used to host big matches for a couple decades, and I had a few different wrinkles at each that most shooter enjoyed ... but my matches were rarely sanctioned by the “governing body”. It was challenging and fun, but its huge work for a private individual to do it on his own land using mostly his own resources, so belonging to a big organization helps a lot. To keep moew folks shooting overall.
 
I have been using the newer Hawke Sport Optics 8-32x56 Sidewinder 30 SF Riflescope (20x Half Mil Illuminated Reticle) item 17270 on two of my HFT guns. There only 599 if you look around and both of them on 16x range find better then both my big sightrons. Also they changed the lite reticle. It's real nice and actually works. Even has a off position between each number. Not much elevation travel is the only issue I found. Had to use adjustable mounts on one of my guns.