To FFP, or not to FFP? that is the question

Fenix.NZ

Fenix.NZ

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so im leaning into a higher price bracket for my optics and im curious whether FFP is really worth it?

It will be for long range/precision, but at the same time i dont think im going to be shooting any tactical matches.


the SFP scopes with hashed/mildot reticles are generally accurate at a certain magnification ( usually @ 10x is my understanding ) which is what i shoot on for the most part anyway.

so really i guess im asking if the difference in price is worth it for an FFP scope?
 
not having to do range math on quick shots is worth it's weight in gold, I use mine hunting and love it, but in the end it depends on what you are going to be shooting with it. BR guys and guys that shoot on a square range (know distances) tend to lean to SFP, guys who shoot tactical or in the field etc tend to lean FFP.
 
Holdover, range estimation, and wind drift correction are all a lot simpler when you can use the reticle the same way on any magnification. FFP reticles are also easier to use in low light. For LR target shooting and hunting, FFP for sure. For competition or when you're always shooting at the same range and on the same magnification, SFP is good to go.
 
Im shooting a Vortex Viper PST SFP and have owned a FFP as well (Falcon Menace). The FFP reticle was quite thick at high mag, where as the SFP is nice and thin. The other thing is that most of my shooting was done at the highest mag anyway which on the Viper is 24x, that is where the reticle is calibrated anyway so for ranging, as long as im on 24x, which I usually am anyway, everything works.
 
Unless your a really quick thinking algebra Professor, spend the extra few dollars and for certain get the FFP. There is a sticky on this site for long range hunting with links to MOA/MRAD/FFP/SFP etc. If you are going 900 long, go 1000 and forget about it. Once the math is figured out, it's the same hold over/windage at any/all powers as you look thru the scope. Does it get any better???
Jim
 
personal_aviator said:
Im shooting a Vortex Viper PST SFP and have owned a FFP as well (Falcon Menace). The FFP reticle was quite thick at high mag, where as the SFP is nice and thin. The other thing is that most of my shooting was done at the highest mag anyway which on the Viper is 24x, that is where the reticle is calibrated anyway so for ranging, as long as im on 24x, which I usually am anyway, everything works.
Click to expand...

Its a myth that all FFP scopes have cross hairs that are large and mask your target. SOME FFP scopes have reticles that obscure the target. They don't all. The Falcon has the thickest crosshairs I have ever seen on an FFP scope.

This is a Premier Heritage 5-25x with a Gen2 XR reticle. The scope is only offered as FFP because it was design from the ground up to be a tactical scope.

300 yards, 3"x6" plate:
25x.JPG


I use bullet holes as points of aim at this distance.

1125 yards, IPSC target:
IMG_4168.JPG

You can easily put those crosshairs in the middle of the 6" head and see white in all four quadrants. The thickness of the crosshair is something like 1" at 1000 yards.

This scope loses very little (if anything) to an SPF scope in long range deliberate shooting. I've shot 900 and 1000 yards with people who are mostly shooting SFP and I have never been at a disadvantage.
 
curseyou said:
That is a very fine reticle. Does it disapear at the lowest magnification?
Click to expand...


On the lowest magnification you use the thicker outer bars and/or turn on the illumination. March has done an even better job or making reticles that are usable across the entire magnification range.
 
FFP can be shown to have less reticle shift as power/magnification is changed...this is because the reticle cell is physically separate from the power cell (in simple terms) OTOH with FFP arrangements the reticle will also get magnified as the power cell is adjusted and this "may" be undesirable at very long ranges. Still beats the hell out of iron sites at a 1000 yds though

SFP (or rear focal plane) "will" shift poi as the power is shifted ... yes yes ... folks will say no .. only in cheaper scopes ... but the design of "most" SFP scopes is such that the clearance required to permit the cells to adjust for power ... also permits reticle movement .. albeit very minimal in some better scopes ... during certain ambient temperatures etc etc
 
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