IOR std or illuminated reticle

subsonic

Active Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2003
Messages
39
Location
Christchurch New Zealand
In the 2.5-10x42 or 4-14x50 can people please comment on the adavantages/disadvantages of a illuminated reticle? The scopes would be used to shoot through to dusk (i.e. until it is too dark to see to shoot) and occasionally maybe used to spotlight varmints at night. Currently my best low light scope is a 40 year old Kahles 8x56 and when I have run out of light to shoot I still have enough light to make out both the target and the reticle until it is just too dark to shoot.
I have not used a scope with a illuminated reticle.
 
Go with the standard. I had a 2.5 - 10 IOR tactical with the illuminated reticle. Even on the lowest light setting you'll have light blow back in your eyes under normal hunting conditions. The reticle looks great in pitch darkness, but that's not a normal hunting condition.

My scope gathered light so well, I didn't need the illuminated reticle anyway. Bottom line, I could use the scope and see the MP8 reticle right up to the point I couldn't see the animal in the scope. The illuminated reticle with or without the blow back would not have bought me any more hunting time.

Say the extra bucks an go without the illunimated reticle. When your ready to buy, give Jim Maloney a call at Q-Optics, he'll take great care of you.
 
Subsonic

Good to see you here again.

Firstly you should decide if you want first or second focal plane.

I think the illuminated scopes are first plane and non illuminated scopes are second plane, but you better check this out.

Regards

700
 
I have the 2.5-10 with illum MP8. I primarily decided on the illuminated version becuase the reticle is 1st plane, vice 2d plane for the non-illum.

My reticle lights green which does not affect my eye in near darkness. Decreasing magnification to 4x or less and the illum at it's lowest helps on this as well. I have looked through scopes with a red LED and it did seem to stop me from seeing any further than the reticle.

I agree with the Jeff in Tx that the light gathering is such that an illum is not needed if any light at all can be put on the tgt. Primary advantage I have found with the illum, other than the obvious 1st focal plane, is with backlit tgts.
 
Am interested in putting an IOR 2.5x10 on my AR for calling coyotes in low light and at night.I had the fixed 16x IOR on it but for close shooting 16x is too much.
If I understand it right the 1st focal plane keeps the reticle calibrated and the 2nd stays the same size but changes calibration??
 
Mach V, I have a MP8 2.5-10x42mm tacticle scope if your interested. It's about 6 months old. Iam selling it to fund a rifle project. It's a second focal plane reticle, but its always on 10x anyway, and its better for detail work like for a hunting scope...sakofan..
 
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