Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics SWFA 3-9 HD or 3-15

One caveat would be shooting a SFP scope at max power in low light. Gonna be really hard to see much of anything at 15x with a tiny exit pupil in really low light.

exit pupil is the same FFP Or SFP and is a function of the scopes power setting and its objective size. but either way your going to see less scope brightness as the scope goes beyond about a 4:1 ratio. if its a 40mm scope that is going to be 10x+, if its 50mm its going to be 12x+ that is probably why you see a darker image on 15x

My point exactly - if you have SFP scope, you may need to turn it down from max power at last light, making your reticle incorrect and then you'd have to do the math on your subtensions.

. That is a great point I do not generally find myself making those long shots at last light though. It’s all a trade off. I love cussing and discussing optics

agreed, the problem we see here is group and pack mentality. Its like global warming. everyone agrees so it must be correct. I personally feel the industry is too fixated and that most shooters would be generally best served with optics that have less power than the ones currently being pushed. For a hunting scope I see no need for a scope to be greater than 15-16x on the high end. I can shoot half MOA with a 3.5-15x nightforce @1000 yards. If I was always shooting that far might I pick a scope with more power, probably. but 1000 yards is really too far for anyone to be regularly shooting at big game animals, and 15x on the high end still gets the job done. When I shoot at an animal and the shot requires hold over or holding off or anything more than point and shoot. I am not rushing a shot of this nature. If you use a scope of 15x or less there is no reason not to just crank the scope to max. So what changed in the optics business? why were all the older scopes SFP? because they were generally less power and were designed for hunting. FFP has been popularized by tactical shooting and PRS style shooting. which is a totally different shooting dynamic. Maybe a quick shot at 400+ yards at something moving is desired. In which case there is a good reason to not be on max power to make that shot. Since the optic maxs at 25x on the high end, its desired to not be on max power because of mirage OR because more FOV is desired. Again all benefits of FFP.

both scope designs have a trade off. No one seems to care to acknowledge this around here. its like FFP or nothing. You yourself said the markings on FFP aren't useable on the lowest powers. they are only use able at mid to high power. That is still a trade off and most definitely not usable at any power like so many people claim. For a hunting scope, you need ONE thing most importantly, you need to be able to actually see the reticle on the lowest power and in the lowest light because that is when animals are most likely seen. early in the morning or late in the evening. Low light performance is a huge deal. illuminate the reticle some would say. Ok what if the scope got left on and the battery is out? what if the battery isn't working and is dead because you forgot to replace it? The illumination argument is monkeying around too much and its not ideal anyways in low light.

lastly, koshkin, what scopes do you feel offer FFP AND acceptable reticle visibility on the very lowest power without illumination? the 3x9 SWFA scope isn't bad, what others?

I think the SWFA 3x9 is better on lowest power in low light than the LRHS 3-12

Just dial with a reliable 2nd focal and be done with it. If I have time to range the animal, I have an extra 3 seconds to dial my dope. Hold over rets are for playing games, not shooting them.

Wind and spotting shots are best done with the reticle...

Dammit!