Talk me into/out of FFP for hunting

[WYOHTF]

Thanks for clearing that up, it was pre coffee.

 

[lancetkenyon]

A FFP reticle will cover no more of the target at 15x as it does at 3x. So your fears of not being able to see an animal at max magnification is unfounded, unless you are shooting field mice at 1000 yards. Not a joke, we have shot squirrels at 741, 852, and 1201 with FFP scopes.
Your fears of not being able to see the reticle at min magnification depends on your eyes and the reticle. It is basically a fine crosshair at min. If you can see a fine crosshair SFP, you will be fine.

Rocks are at 741 yards
3x

10x

15x

20x

24x

This is at 545, on 24x, and is a truer representation of what your eyes see when looking through the scope.

Target is at 200 yards.
3x

10x

24x

 

[matt_3479]

I've been hunting with ffp for a few years now. It all depends on optic and reticle. Some are harder to see on lower power then others. The other thing is, once your use to ffp that hard to see reticle isn't so hard to see after a while. You just get use to looking at a fixed solid reticle for so long on sfp that ffp low power seems unusable. I always have my scopes on low power for hunting incase of a close shot and turn up magnification when and if the time is there. also never use illumination

 

[Earnhardt]

lancetkenyon, what scope is that in the reticle pics?
Thanks

 

[Zen Archery]

If it ain't broke don't fix it.
If you are truly convinced (which you are not because you asked to be convinced) to make the switch because of its benefit. Then do it.

 

[Aussie Hunter Steve]

I started off with SFP scopes for hunting but have gone over to having ALL my hunting scopes FFP, with no regrets... Along the way I found that not all FFP reticles are ideally suited to hunting. I think reticle choice is important here, and only experience in the field will determine what's right for the individual.

 

[gvjm]

For me an ffp scope is useless for hunting unless it's got an illuminated reticle that you can see at its lowest magnification range. I use a Monstrum 3-9. It's a cheap scope, snobs will hate it, but the reticle is very visible while illuminated at 3 power. I use it on a 16 1/4" 300 Hamr AR for hogs and deer. Because of the price point I'm stunned at how well it has worked for me.

 

[JungleShooter]

As mentioned earlier, in timber the reticle is harder to see, no matter if FFP or SFP. So it's nice to have ilumination available — one that allows fine tuning the brightness to prevent your low-light adapted eyes from getting blinded.


And at low magnification the thick outside posts of an FFP reticle guide your eyes toward the intersection of the crosshairs. Note that some FFP reticles do NOT have those thick outside posts.


For my shooting scenarios I find it useful to see with the FFP reticle how far my previous shot was off, and immediately dial that offset (or hold it off) — without mental arithmetics — at any magnification, not just at the magnification the reticle was calibrated at.

Matthias

 

[Hard rock]

Either way you will be ok , I would base my decision on what your majority of hunting applications will be . If your shots are going too be over a 100 yds the ffp scopes will most likely be at 6xor above under a 100 yds 50 too 60 yds at dusk 2.5 x might be tough too see ,but at above 4x you probably woul be ok. If I were you I would look through that scope at dusk and test it and make sure before I bought it . What works for one man doesn't always work for another good luck .

 

[KR260]

I use a 4.5-18 LRHS on my 18" AR and a 4.5-18 LRSTi on my 18" 6.5 Creed for hunting. I have made head shots on deer at 200-250 yards with the LRSTi without illumination at 5x. The LRHS is amazing at low power without illimination. I am looking for a 3-12 version of the LRHS, it is a shame they quit making them. There are some of the LRHSi on the used market occasionally. Pictures are of a small doe at 175 yards through the LRSTi at 4.5x.

 

[gohring3006]

I use a 4.5-18 LRHS on my 18" AR and a 4.5-18 LRSTi on my 18" 6.5 Creed for hunting. I have made head shots on deer at 200-250 yards with the LRSTi without illumination at 5x. The LRHS is amazing at low power without illimination. I am looking for a 3-12 version of the LRHS, it is a shame they quit making them. There are some of the LRHSi on the used market occasionally. Pictures are of a small doe at 175 yards through the LRSTi at 4.5x.View attachment 336854 View attachment 336853

Yeah that 12x is a true gem.
Hopefully they come out with a updated version.

 

[KR260]

This is the buck I shot last year at 340 yards. He is at 500-600 in this picture through the LRSTi.

 

[SWHandldr]

I've been hunting with ffp for a few years now. It all depends on optic and reticle. Some are harder to see on lower power then others.....

Some folks have said this, one way or another. They're right IME.

Disagree with Matt about illumination. I'm 73 & my eyes aren't what they once were. First illuminated scope was a SFP 3-9x40 Burris on a .270 twenty years ago - plain duplex with a tiny LED at the center. Kept me from loosing the crosshair in early and late light & on cloudy days against dark woods.

No seeing as good as I once could, illumination makes all the difference. I hunt with FFP cuz it works regardless of zoom level. But lighting needs to be implemented right: Ten or twelve brightness levels with an 'off' between each. My default is the off between 3d & 4th or 4th & 5th brightness levels; depends on the scope. They're not all the same brightness at the same number of clidks.

Goal is to twist down a click from off for a dimmer reticle that leaves my night vision intact and up a click for use in brighter light. Even if a scope requires clicking thru three clicks from MY off - to brighter to off to 'more brighter' - my parking spot is between the lower brightness levels, based on clicking down ONE click to reach a useful level - for me - in dusk / dawn / overcast conditions.

At lower magnification in good or bad light illumination provides a big, fine duplex in the center of the FOV. Zoomed in, it's not so bright that it overpowers my target. YMMV, this works for me.

2032 batteries used by many scopes are lithium, last for years. I throw a strip of two or three new ones (4-6 year expiration) in my pack in August. Have changed one in the field once or twice in 20 years; made having them worth it.

I still have the steel tube El Paso Weaver K-4 from my first centerfire rifle. It's still bright and clear. Helped me take my first several deer. But I ain't willingly goin' back.

 

[JuddL]

I agree with your concerns. I stick with SFP for hunting and FFP for targets

I'm in the same camp of I can't see the reticle at low power…I'm sure someone makes one I can see but not enough benefit to me to search for.

If I am taking a shot where I need to hold wind, I'll have the power all the way up and my reticle will be correct so not something that worries me.