Follow-up post:
Last night I spent a little time comparing the SS 6x42 to my Leupold LRD 6x42 and my SS 3-9x42 set on 6x and 9x. I wasn't really trying to compare the scopes optically, merely trying to determine if I could see the reticle till the end of legal shooting light. The Leupold did appear to be slightly brighter than either SS at 6x, but not by much. In my experience, if I can still see the reticle in the shadows of my backyard on a cloudy night at last light with my eyes unadjusted to the dark, the reticle will work in the twighlight of a real hunting situation when my eyes have had a chance to adjust.
The Leupold LRD reticle was clearly visible 30min after sunset. Past testing at home and in the field has shown that it is easy to see the reticle till the end of legal shooting light.
The SS 3-9x42 worked about as well as the Leupold on 9x, clearly visible past legal shooting light. On 6x the 3-9x42 reticle was visible in my backyard till about exactly the end of legal shooting light. In the field with my eyes adjusted on a recent hunting trip, I fould the reticle on the 3-9x42 set at 6x still visible on two evenings about 10 min after legal shooting light.
The SS 6x42 I have only tested in the backyard. About 5min before the end of legal shooting light, the reticle became difficult to use. Obviously, I don't have field time with this scope in these conditions, but I'm betting that in actual use the reticle will still be usable at the end of last light most of the time.
I took the SS 6x42 to the range today, mounted on my Montana 7mm-08. As often happens, for better or worse, my opinion of the scope and the reticle began to change once I started shooting with it. Shooting from 100-500 yards the reticle made it surprisingly easy to precisely place hits. I'm aware of the usual target techniques to shoot lower magnification scopes at longer distances - they weren't needed with this reticle.
The scope performed as it should, clicks matched prescribed values precisly to the 500yd line and it returned to zero precisily after shooting ~30 rounds from 300-500, adjusting the turrett for each shot. The parallex was still set at 500yds from when Rick had it and I saw no reason to adjust it. I did not notice any parallex from 100-500. Initial sighters to get on paper at 50 did have a little parallex when set at 500yds, I did not attempt to adjust it out - once I got on paper, I zeroed at 100yds.
I'm starting to feel some love for this SS 6x42. It may find a permanent home on the Montana!
David
