Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics SWFA and Nightforce Glass vs. Leupold

I got a chance to peer through a SHV F1 4-14x50 with the illuminated reticle yesterday. Very impressed with glass quality - great resolution, color and clarity. Easily on par with my LRHS 3-12.

Thanks, it’s good to hear from someone who actually owns one of them.

How are you liking the trijicon 1-8x jimmyp?

First, can we quit calling the SWFA 3-9 an HD? It doesn't have HD glass just the turrets are from the HD line not the classic. Yes the glass is better than the classic line but not quite as good as the HD.

I have examples of all 3 SWFA scopes mentioned so far. Most of my experience is with the 5-20 as I've had it since the introduction. You won't be wanting on the quality of the glass. It's very good and the illumination is nice. What you will be wanting is a larger reticle at low power. This wasn't designed as a hunting scope. If you're looking for lightning quick acquisition of critters this probably isn't the best, hell most ffp high mag scopes will be in the same boat so no knock on it.

The 3-9 SWFA is a great scope that I'm liking a lot. I just need more time with it. Ordered another on Black Friday along with 2 more 6X. There's a difference in the glass between the 2 but you won't see much of a difference on a sunny day at noon. Right now the 3-9 is on my 24" 260 and will see time calling coyotes, low light and night time.

And to add to what form said about resolution, I have an IOR 4-14 that is an amazing piece of glass, it just doesn't have "pop" . I handed my 28" barreled 260 to my friend when we were hunting last weekend and told him it was almost cheating. This was in the last 3 minutes of legal hunting light. His comment was "holy schmit" It's fairly flat but I'll take it over accented blues and yellows that some scopes have. My Zeiss Terra has "pop" but it doesn't make it a good piece of glass.

260madman,

You need to bitch to SWFA. They apparently think their scope has HD glass: SWFA SS HD 3-9x42 Tactical 30mm Riflescope

https://swfa.com/swfa-ss-hd-3-9x42-tactical-30mm-riflescope.html

No. They cleared the air on it a while ago in their optics forum. Just the turrets are the HD line of turrets. Truthfully I haven't read their description in a few years.

The trijicon 1-8 accupower although heavy was a good decision, the FFP reticle is good at 1 and 8. Glass about VX6 and dead nuts on with dial, I am very happy with it. The red is day light visible.

I have an SWFA 10x42 which is First Focal Plane reticle. The cross hairs very fine meant for precision shooting in day light. The turrets track flawlessly and the glass is great for my eyes. For low light you need a lighted reticle if your going with a first focal plane. At low power the FFP reticles are about worthless dawn and dusk. You might want to consider a Second Focal Plane reticle for shooting in poor light.

?

Sigh.

I’d like to get a scope like yours, but in SFP. I like the fixed 10x, but want a good reticle for dawn and dusk. Can you point me in the right direction? Thanks!

this is a joke...no one can be this dense in real life.

Three posters have suggested a mistake with K31Scout's comment: "I have an SWFA 10x42 which is First Focal Plane reticle."

Just so it is perfectly clear:

SFP is second focal plane, and FFP is first focal plane. Both refer to the focal plane that the reticles exist in.

THIS APPLIES ONLY TO VARIABLE POWER SCOPES.

Oh yes they can. lol
Sorry about the misinformation; brain fog. I got it backwards.

I think I've narrowed it down to this for my 7-08 Montana. I like the 2.5-8 Leupold for Montana's and this with illumination would be more compact, probably more reliable/rugged and still give the same power range I'm used to, all with a usable reticle.

When I talked to Nightforce they said it was the same glass.

I have no idea if the glass on the SWFA SS HD 3-9 is "HD", "ED" or whatever. But is different than the 6x (no HD in the name). The 6x is very good, but appears a bit muted in the colors when comparing the two side by side.

I found it for $1250 in a gun shop, but they cannot advertise the price due to Trijicon’s MSRP agreement. I bought it because Formidilousis said he had been unable to break one yet. It’s in a badger unimount on an AR right now. The green is said to be not as visible.

Good to know. Thanks Jimmy.