Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Does what I want exist???

I would like the brightest glass for first and last minutes of whitetail hunting for my 270. A 3 or 4 X 12-15 seems doable, possible illuminated reticle. Shots up to 500 yards and preferably a hold over reticle. What is confusing to me, if using a hold over reticle, will it work at any magnification setting? I could be talked into a custom turret and twist for yardage if that was possible, but again, will that be consistent at any magnification? I am currently using a Conquest 3-9x40 with a standard duplex. I understand the difference in FFP and SFP, but not sure what scope/reticle will accomplish what I think I want to do with a scope. Budget is $1500. Thank you!

These statements seem contradictory.

I would not buy a SFP scope with more than 10x at the top end if you want to use a ballistic reticle for big game. SFP can bthe downfall of ballistc reticles.

FFP reticle changes with magnification, used for ranging. SFP reticle stays the same size but when using reticle, its typically calibrated at highest mag setting, I believe. So if I have my drops figured at the highest setting, hunting at a lower setting throws those off....told you I was confused here!

I agree with mathman. Understanding SFP and FFP answers your question. With SFP subtensions are power specific. With FFP, subtensions are identical across the mag range.

Used Swarovski PH 3-12x50 with the TDS reticle. They are out there, but tough to find.

The Leupold VX-5 3-15X56. I had one long enough to compare it with Leupold VX-6 4-24X52, Swarovski z5 5-25X52, and Bushnell 6500 4 1/2-30X50.
When I compared them on deer antlers in the woods 131 yards away, the VX5 lasted six minutes longer than the other three with all set on 15X. A very
nice scope.

Every woman’s dream!

The answer to your quest was a LRHSi. Can’t find them anymore. Last time I checked, GAP had the non-illuminated model. I can’t justify their asking price without illumination. If you’re unaccustomed to 30mm scopes, they do have their own set of complications (mounting height, weight etc....). However, I’ve come a fan in recent years with Zeiss DLs and the LRHS... Just my 0.02.

Have a look at the Bushnell LRTSi. Can be had in 3-12 and 4.5-18. Gives you the option of either dialing or holdover. Illuminated reticle is done well and it is FFP so will not matter what magnification the scope is set on. They retain zero, track accurately and return to zero precisely. Their glass is very good.

John

a couple things here. IMO you really shouldn't be shooting at an animal in low light beyond about 250 yards unless you are sure of your target. Where I hunt you need to make sure you are not shooting a doe, ALSO after you have shot a few bucks, if you are like me you don't want to shoot anything unless its in most cases larger than the biggest buck you have already shot. This is going to require a level of target verification that precludes a 500 yard shot in low light, heck even a 400 yard one. the whole FFP argument here is clouding everything. Its got the worst abilities in low light to be seen. yeah you can illuminate this or that, but what if the scope was left on and the battery is dead? I also think the optics market is swinging back toward SFP.

The ziess conquest you already have is a very good optic for the money. its a pretty bright scope for what it is. IMO you already own the scope to do the job, based on the limitations of shooting in low light.

If you want the holdover to work at any magnification get a FFP scope.

If you are looking for low light performance, your search should start with Meopta Meostar R1 3-12x56 scope. It is available in both FFP and SFP versions.

ILya

Strongly agree with this summary - the Bushy Elite line are amazing value.

Twisters usually get pointed to SWFA and Nightforce.

What you want is and has been available for along time. Any of the high end 2.5-10x50 or 2.5-10x56 Euro scopes wil fit the bill. Practically, you should not overlook 1.5-6x42 Euro scopes either. The FFP reticles in these scope are designed to be very effective in very low light.

I personally do not care for illuminated reticles and would caution you to be very certain that's what you have to have before you go that route. I find that I have no trouble whatsoever using non illuminated scopes like I described in very low light situations. I use one on my crossbow and regularly shoot deer in conditions that are much worse than more normal last minute of legal light shots because of a double canopy. Any kind of distance beyond 50 yards in the gloom of below a double canopy is just not reasonable, yet out from under that canopy much longer shots are easy.

The FFP reticles in these scope are bold at low power and grow as magnification is increased. The crosshairs inall of mine are fine and may be difficult to see under very low light conditions, but the distance between the bold parts of the reticles is small enough that perfectly accurate shots are easy even when the crsshairs are not visible. The is usually not the case with 2FP reticles.

Were I in the market for another of these scopes I would get hold of Bobby Tomek and see what he is selling now. He seems to always have a scope like you want for sale and usually at a very good price.

The truth is that both FFP and SFP reticles suck for certain applications and they are both great for certain applications. Those applications don't always coincide. You'll see advocates for both/either. The fact is they both have a place. With respect to your question about holdover reticles; "Will it work at any magnification setting?", the answer is "yes". The problem is, with a SFP scope, the numbers are different at every power/magnification level.

500 yards in lowlight?

And the Bushy LRHS and LRTS

Most Alaskan hunters have never heard of this Optics Forum and I believe they also shoot the majority of their big game animals at under 200 yards. They zero for 200 yards and go hunting and I only know one person who twists turrets when out hunting and he also tends to shoot further then most other Alaskan's. He is also good at it!

I have been a "set and forget" scope user for all of my mediocre 54 year hunting career, but two years ago the past 400 yard shooting bug bite me. I now have a Bushnell 4.5-18 LRHSi FFP that will be going on a 24 inch barreled Tikka CTR 6.5 Creedmoor. My end goal is to reach a thousand yards and to do a lot of shooting from 400 to 800 yards, so the 500 yard shot under good conditions will not be out of my reach. For shooting big animals, 500 yards is my personal limit because of my skill level and the ballistics of my .338 Win. Mag. load. Which tosses a 225 grain TTSX at 2,835 fps mv and a 30-06 load tossing a 168 grain TTSX load at 2,826 fps mv.

Any way, like many the search for the perfect scope and reticle rages on. After many years of a Leupold 2.5-8x36 and a Duplex reticle, in the last 3 years I have went through a 3.5-10x40 and a Windplex reticle and a VX5-HD 2-10x42 Firedot with a wide Duplex. The VX5-HD had very good low light glass, but I never warmed up to the reticle.

I recently ordered a VX-R 3-9x40 and a VX-R 3-9x50 with the Firedot 4 reticle. I think I may have found my hunting reticle at long last. I like the reticle better then the German #4 and the option of a red dot in the center appeals to my old eyes for late evening low light hunting. Kenton Industries is sending me a one turn turret with a zero stop, in theory if the scope adjusts properly I can use the dial out to 700 yards. Even if the scope does adjust properly based on past experience I will not have to twist a turret out to 400 yards as I can just aim higher with the reticle, like I have always done.

But, if range practice verify's my turret twists are repeatable, I should be able to stretch out there if the need arises. Any way, I am done buying scopes for now, I think!

So apparently if you'd like to have great lowlight glass ALONG with the ability to shoot out to 500 yards, you could never have the opportunity to shoot in good light? A guy with over 17,000 posts got himself confused, sorry, I should have been more clear. Thanks for all the good information from the rest of you, much appreciated. I could probably stick with my Conquest 3-9x40 but since picking up a pair of Noctivid 8x42 bino's, I am hooked on trying to find the best low light glass I can. Seeing a deer in my bino's at 100 yards against the wooded back ground close to dark is great, but a disappointment if I can see him well enough for a shot thru my scope. Don't worry Oldelkhunter, not saying Id actually shoot, just be nice to have the opportunity without the scope limiting me. I will now go through and do my research on all of these suggestions, thanks again!