First focal plain vs second focal plain

[dfanonymous]

No, that is not correct.

In an SFP, a reticle with subtension marks will have these marks represent something at specific magnifications. Well, to be exact they represent something specific at ALL magnifications, it's just that the relation changes for all magnification and it's difficult to remember them all.

So, I will speak about my SFP scope that I use for competition. This March-X 5-50X56 has an MTR-5 reticle with hash marks on the horizontal and bottom vertical lines that represent 4MOA @ 5X, 2MOA @ 10X, 1MOA @ 20X, 0.5MOA at 40X and 0.4MOA at 50X.

Of course, intermediate magnifications make the subtensions on the reticle mean intermediate values, such as 1.33MOA @ 15X.

So I, being an older geezer, usually stick with one magnification, 40X, so that the reticle has a consistent meaning.

The problem isn't just figuring out the relative subtension in sfp per magnification. It's harder to math it then one would think. There's an accuracy issue to deal with in all brands and manufactures of scopes labeled power range. YOUR particular scopes true power range is 5.5673x to 55.6732x even though it's marketed at 5-50x56. Sfp are calibrated for one or two true sub tensions. Everything else is a guess or a lot of preplanned work with several sheets of paper at different power ranges to give you relative sub tension values if trying to get it to work at all power ranges.
If I miss a .5 mil target by 1.2 mils, I want to know I missed by 1.2 mils, not round about. Especially when working in that small margin for error in particular scenarios. You don't have to do all this with a ffp. You're hold is correct, you measurements are correct. One dunt need to worry about hours of figuring out specific reticle and magnification range calibration, or limit yourself to a particular power range to be precise.
I'm being particular to long range.

 

[sp6x6]

Ive hunted my ffp for 10 plus,didnt take much to change.The mil is slightly courser. I mainly hunt one rifle,my practice rifle same load.I have the drops in my head to 1000,and I can use them on the fly at any power and have.Over here on west side lot brush trees,the game is not out posing for a picture. Ive missed several shots ,just trying to get set for the shot, time matters here.

 

[Wedgy]

"Let's just discuss which is which. And why one is better than the other. "
The OP basically didn't know one from the other and here we are 4 pages later...
LOL

 

[KY_Windage]

Here is a good demonstration of why some people prefer SFP:

Notice how the FFP reticle disappears in the brush/trees at low power, and drags a bunch more of the fat parts of the reticle into the picture, which I dislike for scanning at low power.

 

[Don A Parsons]

Yuppers, finding what works for you is key for sure...

Live is just that simple when it all falls into place...

Cheers form the North

 

[Don A Parsons]

Here is a good demonstration of why some people prefer SFP:

Notice how the FFP reticle disappears in the brush/trees at low power, and drags a bunch more of the fat parts of the reticle into the picture, which I dislike for scanning at low power.

Why didn't he turn the retical light on so he could see the cross hairs in the dark back ground...

Strange that he didn't know this...

 

[JustMe2]

First it's plane not plain. It's not in a field, it's a position inside a scope.

 

[KY_Windage]

A lot of scopes, even if they are illuminated, will not get bright enough to see the reticle in bright daylight like that, and esp. when you are turned down to min. power. Also, even if they will illuminate that brightly, that amount of illumination is blinding before or after sundown, so if you last had it on in low light you may have to spend time adjusting the illumination in the sunlight situation to be able to see it. (There's that "time" thing FFP people are always worried about.) Then there is the dead battery issue, or the many scopes that do not have illumination at all, or that have it but it is hard to change intensity (like NF NXS).

I turn down to low power to scan for game. Note how the FFP scope in the video, when turned to low power, drags the fat outer parts of the reticle toward the center of the picture, cluttering it and obstructing your view. That is my main gripe with FFP.

 

[Philward]

Clearly, second plain (as spelled in the thread title) is just ordinary, nothing special. Where as first plane is number 1 and vastly superior. Once I flew to Spain on a plain old plane with propellers and when I got there I planed some planks to keep the rain out of my hut on the plain.

Nice.

 

[Grizzhunt]

I don't understand the craze about FFP. I have a Burris XTR II that I absolutely hate. Hope to get it sold & replace it with a Leupold. FFP is useless in my world.

They are best suited in shooting matches when time is a factor. They let you hold over without having to think so had. In a timed situation a lot of people struggle to get on target moving from target to target on max power. So it lets them back it down and use their holds vs having to dial a turret up and back down.