Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Favorite reticle for hunting?

Post & duplex followed by the heavy duplex. For a standard duplex I like Burris's over Leupold's.

Post & duplex followed by the heavy duplex. For a standard duplex I like Burris's over Leupold's. I have one #4 and I like it but wish the center wire was a bit thicker.

For all around hunting use, near and far, thick or open, I really like Tangent Theta's Mrad reticle. I'm still a fan of the basic mildot as well and probably use it more than any other reticle. More and more I prefer 4 posts to 3 posts, thicker outer, thinner inner.

A lit center dot #4 is as good as it gets for me . Regular #4 are my go-to BUT I have used the Boone and Crocket to good effect.

In any case I just find a thick vertical post above the horizontal to be superfluous for most part. A hair thin vertical is all that is needed but I don't see what a heavier upper vertical portion does but confuse. and get in the way. With a plain #4 type I snap on target easier - for whatever reason.

Agreed. By far my favorite hunting reticle, but I certainly haven't used them all. I thought I was the only one, since Leupold seems to be phasing it out.



I saw that, but it's only in 1 scope from what I can tell. For the last several years, they've only had it in the 4.5-14 and not in the 3.5-10, which I prefer for most hunting applications.

After that, I'll take a basic duplex and Zeiss is my favorite that I've used. Not too thick and not too thin. I'm sure I could like a #4, but I've never owned one.

S&B #9 reticle. It has a circle of death.....

After spending a lot of time with #4's (and inverted 4's like the milquad) I'm liking 4 posts much more when bracketing something in low light. In a lot of cases it's not needed and 3 will work....but 4 doesn't hurt when light is low enough that the thinner inner can't be seen. Different backgrounds can really change how visible a post is and a fourth reference helps in some cases.

Nothing wrong with 3 posts but my preference has moved to 4.

I really like the MQ on my ss 3-9. I would like it even better w/ adjustable illumination. That Tangent Theta looks pretty sweet.


mike r

I’m good with a heavy duplex. That is my first choice, but a milquad in FFP makes sense if you’re wanting something capable of over ~300 yds. I don’t get many chances to shoot further than 300 so it’s moot for me. I do think BDC or mil/moa indicating reticles in SFP are dumb as hell.

Moses Tucker: For big game Hunting I prefer Leupolds fine Du-Plex reticle.
For colony Varmint Hunting I prefer Leupolds fine Du-Plex reticle.
For predator Hunting I prefer Leupolds fine Du-Plex reticle.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Thanks!! I like your thinking.

A post duplex is a good one, and I have run a few. IIRC, the distance between the center and the lower post may be greater than a standard duplex. I believe I compared it before in 6x and/or 2-7x. Why does that matter? In my experience, I often had a POA/POI at 200 yds and used a standard duplex as a POA/POI at 400 yds, by using the lower post juncture. That worked out with a plain duplex. It might not matter to others.

I always said, as to simply 'holding over with any scope' you could hold on the back of a deer at 300, and about a foot over at 400 (with many modern High Vel rounds)........no doubt better to use a reference point as a POA where you want the POI.

Standard duplex

German #4.

I've found them to work well in the 2,700 fps range as well.

I'm of the same camp.

This is a good one.... it's actually a slightly modified GenII. I have the 3-15 TT with this reticle, as well as a 4-16 S&B.

My second choice is a straight mil-dot.

Boone and Crockett, Long Range Duplex and Duplex in that order. In all my years of hunting around here I don’t think I’ve ever had the time to dial for elevation or wind. There are several ways you can use the holdover points, not just assuming the 300 or 400 marks are going to match your trajectory.

I agree. When does anyone actually have time to range the animal, switch hands to your rifle, dial your scope in, and then take the shot, all while the animal you're intending to shoot stands there and waits for all that?

Give me a 3-9 or 2-10 Leupy with good glass and without any special dials. Duplex reticle. Sight it in. Know what my bullet drop is. Don't shoot out past the calibers capable killing range. Keep it 6x for most situations. Aim anywhere in the kill zone. Done.

Those scopes with extra dials definitely serve a purpose, but not for most typical range hunters, IMO.

Zeiss Diavari reticle 8 is very much like a #4 only with the top vertical crosshair portion thicker like the other three thicker crosshair sides. The thinner center crosshair section is good for detail shooting and those heavier outside portions do not disappear in low light. I've never had to hold high on any animal that I've shot, so those mil dots and cross hatches are of no value for where I hunt, but low light visibility is.