Winter is getting long here with a layer of ice under the snow....the dog won't even go in the woods and the deer are using the driveway more than their normal runways. So, been comparing reticles and dots for a couple weeks at an hour past sunset.
fwiw...
Getting a 30mm tube with a 42mm objective kinda limits choices and prices, doesn't it?
As been said before the reticle showing up is more important than a scope's light transmission figures--with today's scopes certainly where mid-range stuff is very good. Optics' ability to show contrast betwixt a critter and the background can do more for a guy than a higher transmission figure. Had a couple alpha type binos with large objectives and equal power to compare last year for some time. Interestingly post sunset, the one with better contrast outperformed the other in terms of resolving detail, in spite of its 5% light transmission disadvantage.
Like said above, also prefer a heavier cross-hair to having to bracket due to a fine cross-hair fading out in the right conditions. But that did account for my best whitetail to date using a 4 type reticle with a fairly narrow center. As far as I know Leupold has the heaviest cross-hair in the HD--which I believe subtends more the the older Euro FFP scopes dialed up to max. Number one type reticles always show up.
Considering a 500 dollar cost...illumination will do one thing for a guy--show the crosshair or aiming point. That is just peachy provided the light source can be dialed down enough for low light use and the subtension is small enough. Small dots improve precision when things get a little fuzzy, no doubt...but they ain't cheap.
Otherwise what exactly does illumination do for you, particularly on a budget? No manufacturer has put illumination in their binoculars...yet....:) And at least for me the great unknown mystery ahead is how much the illumination unit is going to cost for a repair? Half the cost of the scope? The warranties on the illumination portion of the scopes that I have paid attention to are pitifully short. Last night the one that caught my eye was 2 years on the illumination and 25 years on the scope. Longevity appears to be grim.
