FWIW, yesterday I actually managed to get to and into my stand in very thick brushy cover before legal shooting time, which was 0630. Clear sky, bare trees. Spent some time looking around and checking whether or not I could see well enough to shoot through my scope, a Trijicon Accupoint 3-9x40 with green dot at the center of a duplex, set naturally on 3. I was expecting any deer to come on one of the trails that run from 5-25 yards from the ladder stand, so that’s where I was checking. When at last I was satisfied I could make out a deer within that space well enough to shoot safely and effectively, I checked the time it was 0628. Before that, while I could certainly have made out a deer and identified its sex, detecting obstacles between us might have been dicey. The buck that finally volunteered at 0915 would have been pretty safe at 0630, because he was 50 yards out, facing straight at me in head-high weeds and briars. Even if I had seen him there, not at all certain, determining if the path was clear would have been difficult. Perhaps if I turned up the power a bit I could have made stuff out better in that light, but I might also have lost my opportunity while futzing with the power ring.
One other thing I discovered while peeping through the Accupoint is that at first light, the tritium was providing all the illumination for the dot. I covered the little window with my hand and its brightness didn’t change. It was just bright enough to draw my eye, with no flaring or bleeding over into the other parts of the image. When I took my shot, it was very clear against the deer standing in sunlight. Where it falls short, is when under cover in daylight, as when under a covered shooting bench or in a shooting box or pop-up. The tritium isn’t bright enough to be seen, and the fiber-optic won’t collect enough light either. Those who hunt from such structures and want an illuminated reticle should go with something that uses a battery. For me, the Accupoint does what I need, and is as small and light as other 3-9s.
