illuminated reticle scopes for hunting???

I've done so for a few seasons, the mueller shotgun/rifle scope with illuminated center dot. Of course - it's also pretty effective without the illumination.

I've also used red dot scopes, i tend to prefer the circle dot reticle to the straight dot.

They're nice - speeds up acquisition in low light, of little value in good light really (but sometimes nice when shooting at a very dark or black target).

Was there something you were specifically wondering?
 
Was there something you were specifically wondering?

Was there something you were specifically wondering?

Yes, if they work well at the edge of legal hunting time.

How long is the battery good for?

I took an elk this year at the last minute of legal daylight.
Sure glad of my Leupold V111 (or any other good scope) in the ability to gather light.;)

Would you pay the extra $$$ again for the illumination feature?
 
They have an application at the beginning of legal light and right at the end.

While good glass is of greater importance I have and would pay extra for an appropriate illuminated reticle.
 
Yes, if they work well at the edge of legal hunting time.
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Yes - without a doubt the right one does. but i wouldn't expect the feature to make up for a crap scope - if it's in a good scope there is no doubt that in that 15 mins in the morning and the evening right on the edge of darkness it definitely makes aquisition much faster and easier.

How long is the battery good for?
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A long time on mine - but yours may differ. Mine stayed on something like 10 days straight. The scope i use has a black dot where the illuminated dot is when not turned on, so i can suffer a battery failure and not care that much, but my red dot is useless without a battery.

it starts getting weaker before it dies. So if you notice that, swap batteries.
I took an elk this year at the last minute of legal daylight.
Sure glad of my Leupold V111 (or any other good scope) in the ability to gather light.
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Yeah - that's when it really counts. An illumniated reticle is useless if the glass isn't good enough to pick out the animal in the first place.
Would you pay the extra $$$ again for the illumination feature?
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I'd consider it - but it wouldn't be my defining feature. If i had a choice between two scopes with good glass and good performance and quality - and one had a small illuminated reticle, i'd pay a few bucks more. But - you see some where most of the reticle lights up and i don't like that, just a small dot does make it faster on target tho at lower light.
 
I've got a Bushnell 3X9 with "Firefly" reticle on my TC .50. You make it glow by shining a flashlight into it. Works OK.
Crosshairs are a little thick for long shots but fine for my ML. :)
 
I have illuminated crosshairs on my crossbow scope and hate them. They blind you at low light, are useless in bright light and don't forget that if you are hunting at ground level an animal can see them from the opposite side as well.
 
marlin said:
I have illuminated crosshairs on my crossbow scope and hate them. They blind you at low light, are useless in bright light and don't forget that if you are hunting at ground level an animal can see them from the opposite side as well.
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That's one advantage to the Firefly...it slowly dims after charging it. So if you time the charging correctly, its just barely visible at the end of legal, and does not overpower the view through your scope.:)
 
very useful

I use them on two of my hunting rifles. I have a nightforce 2.5-10x on my 300WSM and a Leupold M4 4.5-14 on my 338 Lapua. Both have mil dot reticles. Both have the ability to control the intensity of the illumination. When I use the light I set it at the second lowest power or yes it will compromise your vision. They do add weight, so I don't have one on my pack gun. I started this 6 years ago after having difficulty seeing my reticle at last light while shooting a whitetail. Had to look up into the sky find the reticle and concentrate on it while re-acquireing the deer, this was a pain. Deer died and I vowed that I would change out to illuminated mil-dots.
 
I thought about going with the lit reticle on a Leupold scope, but instead went with the Leupold VX-L with the Boone and Crockett one. This particular scope gathers so much light that you can still pick out the crosshairs even at the very end of legal light.
To get the illuminating one I would have had to pay a few hundred more, and I just couldn't justify it being necessary.
 
Illuminated Reticles

I believe if you harvest a Boone & Crocket animal, you cannot have it registered with B&C if you are using an illuminated reticle that works off of battery power.

I could be wrong, but it use to be that way.
 
I have one of the Firefly Bushy's . I find the charging doesnt' last that long and Im usually not screwing around with a flash light 1 or 2 hours before last light unless im in a decent blind and even then Im trying to be as quiet as possible. Maybe I need a flash light with a silent toggle swith.....

I too find the ret. is a little thick but works for most eastern canada woods hunting.
 
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