Illuminated reticle opinion and suggestion

[monkeyboy386]

I'm thinking i want to replace the scope i have on my PCP. Currently have a traditional scope but when varmint hunting in evenings and night, i sometimes lose the reticle in low light. Sometimes i use a predator light and others it's just ambient light

Who uses an illuminated reticle and does it help ?
Suggestions for a varminting scope ? Probably don't need more than 14 or 16 magnification on the high side. (or let me know your thoughts)

 

[Ranchibi]

I use illuminated reticle scopes for ratting purposes and in dim light conditions like you and it helps A LOT to see ones POI clearly. Both of mine are FFP but your mileage may vary. I personally like Athlon scopes because of their incredible warranty, good scopes too but it also depends on ones budget. There are many scopes FFP included under 200 bucks nowadays.

 

[WorriedMan]

Neighbor requested resolution to racoon trash problem, only light was from distant streetlamp, able to view racoons in scope but not reticle. Tried several full reticle illuminated scopes in red and green, with bright to dim settings, but all "washed" out scope picture. Happen to have been switching over to Vector Veyron 6-24x44 scopes but not IR as price really jumps. One day found Krale (Netherlands) Optics Department selling IR ones in SFP for $181. The red (center dot only) has six shades, with lowest just perfect for the job. WM

 

[monkeyboy386]

Neighbor requested resolution to racoon trash problem, only light was from distant streetlamp, able to view racoons in scope but not reticle. Tried several full reticle illuminated scopes in red and green, with bright to dim settings, but all "washed" out scope picture. Happen to have been switching over to Vector Veyron 6-24x44 scopes but not IR as price really jumps. One day found Krale (Netherlands) Optics Department selling IR ones in SFP for $181. The red (center dot only) has six shades, with lowest just perfect for the job. WM

that makes a lot of sense. I have seen and thought about just the center dot being illuminated. I'll definitely be putting that at the front of my searches.

Thank you for the info and ideas

 

[JimD]

I also use and like a SFP Vector Veyron 6-24. It is on my favorite and most accurate airgun my P35-22. Works well for 30 yard challenge targets too. The glass is not as good as my Arken EPL-4 6-24 but the Arken is close to twice as expensive. I think my Athlon Talos 6-24, also SFP with illumination is also slightly better. But the Veyron is lighter and smaller and the turrets work at least as well as the Talos. For a bigger gun, the Talos might be better but for a smaller gun I would use the Veyron. It also depends some on apprearance and features. The illumination on the Talos is on the objective housing, the Veyron is on the side with the parallax. I like the looks of the Veyron and I also prefer the turrets on the Veyron which raise to make adjustments and then snap down to lock the setting. I think the Talos are under a screw off cover (like the windage on the Arken). All good scopes.

 

[DeanB]

as said the illuminated center dot is the way to go it doesnt obstruct your view like fully lit crosshairs. Very useful also early morning squirrel woods when crosshairs are hard to see.

 

[Ezana4CE]

that makes a lot of sense. I have seen and thought about just the center dot being illuminated. I'll definitely be putting that at the front of my searches.

Thank you for the info and ideas

@monkeyboy386 I am one who is opposed to illuminated center dots. At minimum I like to use reticles with the center crosshairs with about 4 subtentions illuminated as well (Bushnell makes a reticle like this that I find acceptable. I think it’s called the Deploy MOA reticle). I really prefer having the entire reticle illuminated with a dimmer for varying levels of brightness than can be seen clearly in low light during the daytime on lower and higher settings. If I have to track a squirrel, it may stop outside of my point blank range or may be climbing and creating a higher angled shot. These scenarios present a need to adjust my hold on the fly. A center dot is a ls pretty useless to me.

 

[DeanB]

In the woods it is not very often that I would be shooting outside of my point blank range especially free hand which is 99 percent of my shots in the woods. When a squirrel starts getting out to 40-45 yds in the woods I hunt visibility is pretty much zero unless it is low to ground. For most shots a illuminated dot covers it.. I do not need to use anything but center crosshairs or dot on high angle shots, been killing squirrels with air rifles mostly springers but also pcps since early to mid 90s and think Ive used a mil dot for maybe 2-3 squirrels out of hundreds killed.
If Im being honest a duplex reticle covers almost all squirrel hunting scenerios in the midwest woods, I can see the need if shooting ground squirrels etc out west but not in our hardwood forest that have been logged to death and are very thick.

 

[Ezana4CE]

In the woods it is not very often that I would be shooting outside of my point blank range especially free hand which is 99 percent of my shots in the woods. When a squirrel starts getting out to 40-45 yds in the woods I hunt visibility is pretty much zero unless it is low to ground. For most shots a illuminated dot covers it.. I do not need to use anything but center crosshairs or dot on high angle shots, been killing squirrels with air rifles mostly springers but also pcps since early to mid 90s and think Ive used a mil dot for maybe 2-3 squirrels out of hundreds killed.
If Im being honest a duplex reticle covers almost all squirrel hunting scenerios in the midwest woods, I can see the need if shooting ground squirrels etc out west but not in our hardwood forest that have been logged to death and are very thick.

@monkeyboy386 The choice is yours. Again, I'm opposed to illuminated center dot reticles. What I failed to mention is the way your scope is zeroed impacts how you will be shooting. I zero my main woods walking rifle (Edgun Lelya 2.0) at 25 yards, but will shoot out to 40 yards comfortably and to 45-50 yards on occasion. It does not have a scope with an illuminated reticle on it so I'm compelled to pass on certain shots and shots in low light, especially around dusk and dawn. When I shoot at gray squirrels (mostly what we have where I hunt), a significant amount of the time they are moving and sometimes I'm unable to physically move with them due to thick undergrowth or my chosen style of hunting for that location. These things also factor in to how we shoot. If a guy like @DeanB tells you the you can get away with a duplex reticle on a PCP and you want to try it, I suggest having a conversation with him about how he manages that. I can't tell you how. I won't use them on PCPs. That's my take.

 

[DeanB]

@monkeyboy386 The choice is yours. Again, I'm opposed to illuminated center dot reticles. What I failed to mention is the way your scope is zeroed impacts how you will be shooting. I zero my main woods walking rifle (Edgun Lelya 2.0) at 25 yards, but will shoot out to 40 yards comfortably and to 45-50 yards on occasion. It does not have a scope with an illuminated reticle on it so I'm compelled to pass on certain shots and shots in low light, especially around dusk and dawn. When I shoot at gray squirrels (mostly what we have where I hunt), a significant amount of the time they are moving and sometimes I'm unable to physically move with them due to thick undergrowth or my chosen style of hunting for that location. These things also factor in to how we shoot. If a guy like @DeanB tells you the you can get away with a duplex reticle on a PCP and you want to try it, I suggest having a conversation with him about how he manages that. I can't tell you how. I won't use them on PCPs. That's my take.

Why would you not be able to get by with a duplex reticle no different then a rimfire with duplex reticle and Ive killed a couple thousand squirrels with rimfires with a duplex reticle.. at the distances we shoot with pcp its not much different you just have to know how your gun shoots. Almost all my early springer squirrel kills were with a Duplex reticle. Ive got a Simmons .44 Mag scope with duplex on BSA R10 SE .22 and have no problem killing squirrels or anything else with it. Please explain why you can not use a duplex reticle? Also most squirrels I kill here in far west central Indiana are greys with a few fox squirrels and I never shoot at a moving squirrel because its unnecessary as they either stop or I let them keep on trucking.

 

[steve123]

It's extremely hard to beat the Athlon Helos G2 DMR 2-12x42 in mil for general hunting and plinking. On illumination the .3 mil center dot is lit, so is the circle of death, as well as most of the hashes.

If more shooters were able to try this FFP scope they'd feel the same as I do IMHO. On a budget and theoretically if I had to pick one scope for a all around pcp this would be it. It has a big FOV on lower magnification but I can still see the reticle even though it is FFP and with 12x magnification I've hit everything I've wanted to out to longer distances. That'd be 1143Y on the AR and 115Y on the Steyr ProX.
It's also a fantastic scope for shooting fast on steel.

Glassaholic on snipershide did a review of this scope against other MPVO scopes costing $3000-ish and this scope held it's own in some ways and faired very well against such high end optics in his opinion which he was surprised about.

 

[Ezana4CE]

Why would you not be able to get by with a duplex reticle no different then a rimfire with duplex reticle and Ive killed a couple thousand squirrels with rimfires with a duplex reticle.. at the distances we shoot with pcp its not much different you just have to know how your gun shoots. Almost all my early springer squirrel kills were with a Duplex reticle. Ive got a Simmons .44 Mag scope with duplex on BSA R10 SE .22 and have no problem killing squirrels or anything else with it. Please explain why you can not use a duplex reticle? Also most squirrels I kill here in far west central Indiana are greys with a few fox squirrels and I never shoot at a moving squirrel because its unnecessary as they either stop or I let them keep on trucking.

@DeanB I don’t recall saying that I cannot use a duplex reticle nor did I mention springers or rimfire rifles. I actually named a specific rifle which is a PCP. Neither did I say I that I’m in the habit of shooting at moving squirrels. Where is all of this coming from? Please re-read my posts.

In regards to what @steve123 says about the Athlon Helos 2-12x, I didn’t like that scope either. Many members seem to, but it wasn’t for me mounted in a couple of different guns.

I’m not the most knowledgeable guy when it comes to scope, but I understand what works for me and what I like. Point being people like different things, we can make all sorts of suggestions but some things you have to determine are best yourself.

 

[steve123]

Another nice thing about the Helos G2 2-12 is the dot is large enough that rarely will one need the illume on.

.3 mil center dot is about .25" at 25Y(a hair bigger than a squirrels eye) and .5" at 50y. That's significantly thicker than most FFP center dots out there but small enough for precision shots. It reminds me of a prism sight or a Red Dot sight 'kind of' but you can still use 12x when wanted.

In my youth I've killed quite a few rabbits, squirrels, birds, and must be up there around a thousand prairie dogs with SFP duplex reticles and holdoffs can still be learned, and used, but I much prefer the modern FFP scopes, and the options they offer as far as versatility.

The versatility of this scope is amazing. I got 2nd place one time last year in a UFT comp with it when everyone else was using the 6-24's, etc. It didn't hold me back on 12x and 90% of the shots are not easy in this comp. Also I recently discovered something had been wrong with that gun so will try a 2nd attempt this winter now that I've rectified the problem.

Edit, forgot to mention I also won a Pistol Field Target comp with this scope.

Does a scope get more versatile than this????

 

[JimD]

The Athlon Talos I mentioned illuminates the center of the reticle including a few hash marks. The Vector Veyron only illuminates the center dot (at least in the SFP I have). With the center dot illuminated there seems to be enough spill over light to see a hash mark or two, however. But still there is enough variety out there to get whichever you want.

 

[Ezana4CE]

An example of the type of illuminated reticle that I really like.

Primary Arms SLx 4-14x44mm FFP IR, ARC-2 MOA

I’ve had this Primary Arms SLx 4-14x44mm FFP IR, ARC-2 MOA riflescope for at least a year and a half and I settled upon mounting it atop my Huben K1 .22. Crude photo I know, but I was shooting bucket and sticks that day. I think I paid in the $200-$300 range for this scope. I really like the...

www.airgunnation.com

 

[steve123]

Quick report;

I hadn't shot my Steyr ProX semiauto/22 cal using 18gr at 905 fps/ so I shot 150 or so pellets yesterday. It has a Helos G2 2-12x42 on it.

Smallish steel was easy to hit in some wind and the center dot was once again awesome to use. I had almost forgotten how much fun this gun/ scope combo is but got reacquainted with the experience while bringing me plenty of shooting satisfaction. I ran the various steel which are mostly 10 yards apart going up the hill from 25Y to 125Y.

Then shot offhand on 1" flappers and spent Co2 cartridges at 25Y and to me this is where the scope shines above "any" I've used. Something about placing that magnified dot on steel makes impacts easier??!!

 

[karl_h]

I'm thinking i want to replace the scope i have on my PCP. Currently have a traditional scope but when varmint hunting in evenings and night, i sometimes lose the reticle in low light. Sometimes i use a predator light and others it's just ambient light

Who uses an illuminated reticle and does it help ?
Suggestions for a varminting scope ? Probably don't need more than 14 or 16 magnification on the high side. (or let me know your thoughts)

One thing I don't see many people talk about, is does the illumination adjust low enough. Where I live, big game hunting is legal 1 hour before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset. I toyed with illuminated reticles vs my german no. 4 reticles in my alpha glass scopes and quickly found the vast majority of illuminated top end scopes back then were impossible to take a 100 yard shot on a deer in the last minutes of legal shooting time since the reticle was too bright on it's lowest setting and actually affecting your night adapted vision enough to make nothing visible in the scope. A friends nightforce had infinite adjustability on the illumination and was perfect in that respect, but even with the 56mm objective, the glass just wasn't good enough to use to the last minutes of legal time. AT the same time, my alpha glass with no. 4 reticles was no problem to use in the last minutes on clear days. So, unless you use a light of some sort, a lot of illuminated scopes are crap for shooting when it is truly getting low light, to me, a clear day 45 minutes after sunset is bright as hell, haven't reached true low light yet. On a cloudy day, half hour after sunset, if you can turn illumination on the lowest level and can tell it is on, it is way too bright by a longshot for true low light use, but if you don't have very expensive scope that is useable in true low light, it's pointless anyway.

 

[Ezana4CE]

@monkeyboy386 I am one who is opposed to illuminated center dots. At minimum I like to use reticles with the center crosshairs with about 4 subtentions illuminated as well (Bushnell makes a reticle like this that I find acceptable. I think it’s called the Deploy MOA reticle). I really prefer having the entire reticle illuminated with a dimmer for varying levels of brightness than can be seen clearly in low light during the daytime on lower and higher settings. If I have to track a squirrel it may stop outside of my point blank range or may ne climbing and creating g a higher angles shot. These scenarios present a need to adjust my hold on the fly. A center dot is a ls outlet useless to me.

One thing I don't see many people talk about, is does the illumination adjust low enough. Where I live, big game hunting is legal 1 hour before sunrise to 1 hour after sunset. I toyed with illuminated reticles vs my german no. 4 reticles in my alpha glass scopes and quickly found the vast majority of illuminated top end scopes back then were impossible to take a 100 yard shot on a deer in the last minutes of legal shooting time since the reticle was too bright on it's lowest setting and actually affecting your night adapted vision enough to make nothing visible in the scope. A friends nightforce had infinite adjustability on the illumination and was perfect in that respect, but even with the 56mm objective, the glass just wasn't good enough to use to the last minutes of legal time. AT the same time, my alpha glass with no. 4 reticles was no problem to use in the last minutes on clear days. So, unless you use a light of some sort, a lot of illuminated scopes are crap for shooting when it is truly getting low light, to me, a clear day 45 minutes after sunset is bright as hell, haven't reached true low light yet. On a cloudy day, half hour after sunset, if you can turn illumination on the lowest level and can tell it is on, it is way too bright by a longshot for true low light use, but if you don't have very expensive scope that is useable in true low light, it's pointless anyway.

@karl_h It was briefly discussed in post #7 (quoted above). You made good detailed points. What is alpha glass with no.4 reticles?

 

[JBHC]

They are nice for night shooting, but on the downside it is something extra not to work..