Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics First Focal Plane vs Second Focal Plane Rifle Scopes

what do you choose FFP or SFP ?

The question is rather broad. Do you have a particular purpose in mind?

Both have advantages and disadvantages for different purposes. Since I’m oriented towards hunting Eastern hardwoods, SFP is the best choice for me in general. If I take up another type of shooting that FFP works better for, then I’ll use that.

For 1000 yard target work.
SFP.
For big game hunting.
FFP

dave

Even in the situation you mentioned there are first focal plane scopes which excel.

range and hunting

For me there is no advantage for a first focal plane scope. I dislike the growing crosshair. I tried again just last week and could not out the reticle on low power where I would use it to hunt.

Turn the light on.
.

That's not very particular. I'm out.

That seems bassackwards. I'll take SFP for everything though, I'm not bashful. I don't want to lose sight of the reticle, when I turn the x's down while I'm hunting. For longrange it doesn't matter because I'm on max magnification for 1,000 yards.

Have you ever been around an old school, European FFP hunting scope? The reticles are bold at low power.

That’s contrary to my thoughts on this matter,

However, knowing your background compared to my limited background on this subject, I do wonder what I’m missing here, (no pun intended). LOL

I was raised on 2nd, FFP just seems odd to me. Dunno.

I couldn't see the sfp reticle in my Leupold 2.5-8x36 at first light under overcast and evergreens. A heavy duplex sfp 1.5-5x20 solved that. I do like the ffp reticle for woods hunting in my 1.5-6x42 Zeiss because it is bold enough at both low and not overly magnified at a higher 6x setting. I'm not real happy with ffp 2.5-10x42 Swarovski longer range rifle scope because that crosshair looks too large at higher magnification even though I know that it covers the same amount at any power setting. Long range at high magnification sfp for me. Close in a sfp heavy crosshair or ffp in a lower magnification scope.

I don't do any Christmas tree ballistic reticles, and don't care for shrinking crosshairs at low power. so I'm good with SFP.

Yea.
Me too.
Took me awhile to appreciate what the first focal plane does for you.
Once you spend enough time with a good one, there's really no going back.


dave

FFP all the way.

The S&B hunting scopes will make you a believer. If you're a hunter.

FFP dominates all long distance, but I would emphasize that these are NOT for hunters, in general.

SFP doesn't do it for me anymore and hasn't for over 20 years.

For a set-n-forget LPV hunting scope - SFP.




GR

This video pretty much covers it pretty well.

I just got this scope, my first FFP but have not hunted with it, range only.



I do like this reticle.

I own both, I use both. I like both. Each works well for different applications. It just depends on where I'm hunting and what I'm shooting.

SFP scopes can go the way of the dodo for all I care. If they work for someone great, but I have absolutely no use for them.

That said, I am a fixed power whore.