Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics FFP or SFP for DG rifle

First focal plane or Second focal plane scope for a dangerous game rifle. Distance to target would be 100 yards or less. Gents, what say you?
Reason I'm asking is Cameraland has a nice S&B scope with illuminated reticle, FFP on sale. I'm thinking it would do nicely on my Blaser R93 in .375 H&H.
Thanks, Jess

Probably wouldn't make any difference. What's the magnification range?

It depends on the magnification range, reticle design, and illumination, but either would probably work fine.

I doubt it makes much difference on a low magnification scope inside 100 yards. For a DG rifle I would look at a 1-4x up to 1-6x variable and for a fixed power no more than 3x. Other characteristics of the scope, especially reticle design, seem more important than focal plane.

I like Kahles FFP 1.5-6 I think it was. On low power it was just a dot but zoomed in it was a reticle. Don't remember the config but seems like it would be handy if the reticle was holdover friendly for targets of opportunity when carrying a DG rifle. I didn't use it on a DG rifle but a 9.3 and it was good on the odd longish range WT.

The scope I'm looking at is a Schmidt & Bender Stratos 1.5 - 8 X42 with a Posicom FD7 illuminated reticle.
Looking forward to more words of advice.
Thanks,
Jess

I think the main potential issue with FFP may be whether the particular reticle on that scope is bold enough at 1.5 but not covering so much area at 8x as to be a hindrance, but that is going to require actually having a look through that specific scope (which I haven't).

FWIW though, I have a 1.5-6x FFP scope, a Nickel, on a drilling, with a German Nr 4 reticle. At 1.5x there'd be nothing faster IMHO, while at 6x there's no problem reaching out to longer ranges, without the reticle being an issue at either end. A mate of mine has a couple of Swarovski 1-8 scopes with illuminated reticles and he seems pretty happy with them too.

Having said that, the only real "dangerous game" rifle I have, a 9.3x74R double, has a 4x, which suits it well.

FFP less likely to shift POI

jwp475,

What's the odds a quality scope is going to have a "shift POI"?

Most of my "quality" scopes are FFP fewer things to go wrong. All of my dangerous game scopes are FFP.

I had considered mentioning that, but for the OP's description of their application - shots at less than 100 yards on big game - I thought it unlikely to be a real factor.

I have this scope on a Blaser R93. It's a great piece of equipment! I use it for general hunting and especially on driven hunts where quick target acquisition and versatility are key.

I too have this scope. It is currently mounted on a Blaser R8 in caliber 300 Winchester Magnum. I have not actually tested the scope/rifle combination in the shooting range [yet] but I am confident that it is going to make a very good "general hunting" scope as Fuchs mentioned.

Now here are some points to consider:

a) I don't have experience with hunting dangerous game so I am not sure what the "real" requirements are. May be you need a bit heavier reticle (e.g. FD4) as the FD7 reticle is relatively thin at 1.5X.
b) This scope is relatively heavy (about 800 grams including Blaser saddle mount). This could be a good thing on a heavy recoiling rifle and a bad thing for a fast-handling rifle that you may need to swing quickly. (I couldn't find the exact weight from Schmidt and Bender website. It is not written in the scope's manual either.)

@Fuchs: Often I see scopes with minimum 1X power being used on driven hunt rifles. I am interested for example in the Swarovski Z6 1-6 EE CD-I. But I have two reservations: This reticle is way too large and covers a lot of field of view. Then, at 1X, you always see your barrel in the lower part of your field of view. What are your thoughts?
Thanks
-Omid

800 grams! Even with the mount included that is a very hefty scope. If that weight is right it sure wouldn't be my choice on a hunting rifle for that reason alone.

Seeing the barrel with a scope at 1x or 1.5x may seem like a distraction when you first try one of these scopes. In use - and I have several scopes with 1.5x at minimum - you don't notice it at all. When a game animal appears you look at it, focus on where you are going to hit it, and if the rifle fits you and the scope is properly positioned, as the butt comes to your shoulder the reticle simply appears, superimposed on the point you are looking at. Everything else more or less disappears.

The 1.5-8X Stratos scope + Blaser mount weighs 820 grams. A spare 1-inch mount I have weighs 200 grams so the scope's net weight should be about 600 - 620 grams. This is not too bad for a scope of this class. My Schmidt and Bender 3-12X42 Classic weighs 700 grams (with EAW rings around it).

I much prefer FFP scopes for most hunting applications. The lone exception being dangerous game hunts where the action can be up close, in dark brush cover and "quick". In close range DG hunting, the key features of the FFP scope, calibrated reticle sub-tensions at any power WRT the target, are superfluous, but the potentially thin, hard to see reticle at low magnification is a real liability. Just my 2 cents of opinion...

The Stratos weighs 594 gramms in the version w/o rail. Not a light-weight, but appropriate for it's ruggedness.

1x is often said to be the ideal for fast target acquisition. People claim that they can keep both eyes open at this magnification and thereby have the best overview over the situation. If you try this you will notice that at 1x the picture you get appears smaller than the one from the free eye. This is why the classical scopes for DG rifles and driven hunts have a manification range starting at 1.2x, which compensates this effect.

I hardly ever go below 2x, even in close up situations. Having said that I have to admit that I don't get along with aimpoints and other red dots w/o magnification either. Othe people do.
As for seeing the barrel at low mag, dan oz already pointed out that this immaterial.

Coming back to DG rifle scopes. The criteria should be a generous FOV (biggest problem with low budget scopes), no 'tunnel view' at low magnification, easy-to-turn magnification ring, no overboarding reticle design and of course a rugged design fit for the purpose.

FFP or SFP is indeed of subordinate concern for this application as minor shifts in POI are of no real importance at short distances. Though for me this is a matter of general attitude. I do not own nor do I buy scopes with SFP reticles as I feel that their design is somehow defeating the purpose, that is to be precise.

Whether the reticle becomes too fine at low mag on a FFP scope is something everyone will have to decide on his own. This also depends heavily on the design of the reticle. Have a look at March scopes and their Tactical FFP reticles. They give a near perfect sight picture throughout the entire magnification range. Furthermore, if the reticle is illuminated, a fine crosshair is even less of a problem.

Fuchs,

Are you invested in a company that builds FFP scopes?

Unfortunately not, it would be wise investment into the future.

Never shot DG, tho been to Africa three times..but I think interestingly, hunt WT deer here in Northern Wi. where we make drives. The deer are usually "moving" normall fast, and can be very close, when shots are taken. I`ve used a German No. one ,SFP, at 1.5x for this work. I want to see what I`m shooting at and want to see the reticul. This combo works for me.
Hoping nothing that can eat or stomp you gets that close.