Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Which of these 2 SWFA scopes would you pick ?

I may stick with buying another of the 1-4. Most deer Are shot under 100 yards and some are shot at 20-29 minutes after sunset. I really want to try the fixed 6 or 3-9 but the reticle may be a bust for me. Curious about the comment that the 3-9 reticle is "thicker". That is tempting.

The little 1-4 is amazing for the money.

SWFA SS 6x on a Tikka SL. Yeaterday.






SWFA SS 1-4x Classic on a work gun.







It always makes me chuckle to see personally purchased $300 SWFA 1-4's on high end military guns instead of the multiple $2k optics that are issued.... However, for general hunting the 6x SS is the way to go. There are no issues with seeing the crosshairs in any legal light.

thanks

What is wrong with the little 1-4 for general hunting?

For the application you described, Swfa 1-4x24 classic with Illuminated reticle

Nothing if it fits your needs. My general big game hunting does not require multiple shots on multiple targets at muzzle to 50m, and therefore the 1x is not needed. It would live on 4x on a bolt gun and I find the 6x SS to be superior for general hunting which for me 90% of shots are from 25-600 yards and the 6x or 3-9x is superior for that use. If I absolutely required illumination then it may be different, however the 6x and 3-9x SSs take one we'll past legal light.

The 3-9 reticle is thicker. SWFA used to have the specs on their site so you could compare. The 6x specs are there, but the 3-9 aren't there right now (that I can find). Regardless, the 3-9 reticle is thicker, compared 6x to 6x and of course as you turn the magnification up the reticle gets thicker. I like the 3-9x42 reticle better.

David

David, someone posted that the 3-9's lower powers were not usable or not as usable for some reason, the 3-9 if you could get a good 4X view would be fine for my uses. What do you think?

FormD I shot a doe last week at 20-25 feet, I would not hunt with it on 1X it would stay on 3 or 4X all the time. I have a 6X Meopta, a bright scope with a #4, not totally warming up to 6X for some reason.

I'm buying a 1-4X on African Friday.





Travis

Jimmy,

That was probably my post about the lower magnifications. At 3x the scope has tunnel vision, there's really no point in turning it lower than 4x. 4-5x the reticle is thin. Personally I have no problem using a fixed 6 at close ranges on moving game, so I don't see the need to go below 6x. For me it's a 6-9x scope.

David

I like the 6X the more I use it. Only had 3 rounds of 7 mag ammo left but at 300 yards with the 6X the rifle shot a group of about 1.5". It's easy to be precise with that MQ reticle,and even at 600 yards there's enough precision.

A couple of deer moved out into the range so I counted coup on them at 200 yards. Obviously not a problem. I've been impressed with the optics. The scope is brighter and sharper, easier to focus than my 2.5-8X Leupold with nice resolution. I ma frankly surprised at the optics for the money involved.

Loaded up some 162 Amax for the rifle and will start to run turrets. Based on what I've seen so far, I know what to expect. Not sure I will get a 3-9 since so far the 6X does all I need from it.

truth I may just get the fixed 6X MQ, but the 1-4 is just a phenom for the money, maybe both...

We can hunt 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after sunset.
The 6x42 will be easy to see the reticle in the woods under these conditions? ?
If so sign me up !!

Thanks

I'm in my late 40's and my eyesight isn't what it used to be. I find the 6x reticle a little lacking in those conditions. Not unusable, just not "easy"...

David

which is why the 1-4 illuminated makes good sense to me.

I know what you mean,I am 55

The 3-9x does tunnel a bit from 3-4x,from 4x it works perfectly. I never noticed it until someone mentioned it last year.



bcraig,

I don't know what "easy" to see is, either I can see the reticle intersection and kill or I cannot. I have never seen a deer that was legal to kill and not been able to place the reticle on it. I do not hunt over food plots or out of tree stands. Everything is spot and stalk or still hunting through timber. I watched a stud of a buck to well past legal light this afternoon against a brown thicket at just over 200 yards and could have killed him up to about 40-45 minutes past legal light (30mins before and after sunrise/sunset).


Don't over think it. Buy one and sell it if you don't like it. Or send me your address and I'll send you a 3-9x SS to beat on for a while.

I don't see any 3-9's on the web site. Have they discontinued them in favor of the 3-15?

No, the 3-9 is listed under the HD priced @ $599.95.


Here you go:

http://swfa.com/SWFA-SS-HD-3-9x42-Tactical-30mm-Riflescope-P50716.aspx

SD

How old are you?

That's NOT an experience question - It's an old eyes question. Until I hit 42 or 43 being able to see something was pretty much a black or white issue for me too. Now, not so much.

David