Check out the Vortex Crossfire series of rifle scopes. They have a 2.5-10X50, 3-9X40, and a 4-12X40 available with the V-Brite reticle, and they also have several target scopes in both one inch tube and 30mm tubes with illuminated mil-dot reticle. All of these scopes retail for about $320 or less.
Illuminated Reticles
- Thread starter lonely_wolf
- Start date
Check out the Vortex Crossfire series of rifle scopes. They have a 2.5-10X50, 3-9X40, and a 4-12X40 available with the V-Brite reticle, and they also have several target scopes in both one inch tube and 30mm tubes with illuminated mil-dot reticle. All of these scopes retail for about $320 or less.
You're comparing the illuminated reticle to the invention of modern indoor plumbing????
That's just a weeeeeeee bit of a stretch IMHO. I think it would be more equivalent to the invention of the heated toiled seat. Welder or sewing machine? A better analogy would be whether you need a welder with a little light on the gun or a sewing machine with a little light shining on the needle. I guess that would make both of them useable in the dark, but don't you need electricity in order for them to work in the first place? Why not just turn the lights on?
At any rate, I don't mean to argue, I can certainly see how they may be useful in some limited circumstances, such as predator control, but I still think that for the vast majority of hunters and shooters, they're a gimmick.
Waxy
JohnC
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
To me the option is invaluable and it adds at least 1/2 hour to my hunting day in the Ontario bush. If you can see the average reticle on a cloudy day in the 1/2 hour before sunrise and 1/2 hour after sunset when you can still shoot legally in Ontario then my compliments on your eyesight.
awesomeame
Regular
- Location
- Etobicoke, Ontario
Does anyone use the Bushnell 4A illuminated recticle? I was looking at it last night and thought the red dot was a bit too bright...?
Matt
Matt
- Location
- New Brunswick
People should say how old they are when they express opinions on illuminated reticles. I never saw any need for them either...then I turned 45. In late November, with overcast skies and 45 minutes of hunting time left I couldn't see the black crosshairs of my scope anymore. This had never happened to me before; I gave myself a headache struggling to see the thin dark lines as I kept focused on the downrange image in the scope. I had to pack up and head home during the most productive hunting time of the day.
Just wait, eventually it'll happen to you too unless you're blessed with eyes like Chuck Yeager.
Just wait, eventually it'll happen to you too unless you're blessed with eyes like Chuck Yeager.
Trijicon: The illumination gimmick that works.
I have a trijicon reflex sight and a trijicon 1x4 scope, both using the funky fibre optic charged tritium red dot unique to trijicon.
They are both wonderful IMHO because:
1. No batteries required (the tritium does the "lighting", and the fibre optics gather the light to charge the tritium)
2. The red dot glow strength varies with the ambient light. In bright light situations, the dots glow fiercely, and in low light or no light situations, the dot glows very dimly, aka, just enough to be useful but will absolutely NEVER fry your retina by glowing too brightly. The variable glow strength is very well calibrated with respect to the lighting conditions.
3. They are both very fast in the target acquisition department, particularly the reflex sight.
4. The scope glass is of excellent quality.
5. Both the scope (set at 1x) and the reflex sight offer zero magnification, ie, a true 1x which maximizes FOV and renders the saplings to look like saplings in thick bush.
Complaints? Only a couple of minor ones:
1. The reflex sight is pretty coarse, i.e, 6 moa dot, but is very useable for brush shots out to 150 yards or so.
2. The scope reticle is also on the coarse side, but is very useable for hunting type ranges, i.e., as far as one would ever typically want to shoot (subjective) for hunting big game. (NTD: I'm not at all a fan of the 1000 metre shot on big game, but have been known to occasionally take some pretty far pokes under relatively ideal conditions - far for me on big game is 300 - 400 yards)
3. Price: They do not give these things away, but they are waaaaayyy cheaper than top end Euro glass.
I have a trijicon reflex sight and a trijicon 1x4 scope, both using the funky fibre optic charged tritium red dot unique to trijicon.
They are both wonderful IMHO because:
1. No batteries required (the tritium does the "lighting", and the fibre optics gather the light to charge the tritium)
2. The red dot glow strength varies with the ambient light. In bright light situations, the dots glow fiercely, and in low light or no light situations, the dot glows very dimly, aka, just enough to be useful but will absolutely NEVER fry your retina by glowing too brightly. The variable glow strength is very well calibrated with respect to the lighting conditions.
3. They are both very fast in the target acquisition department, particularly the reflex sight.
4. The scope glass is of excellent quality.
5. Both the scope (set at 1x) and the reflex sight offer zero magnification, ie, a true 1x which maximizes FOV and renders the saplings to look like saplings in thick bush.
Complaints? Only a couple of minor ones:
1. The reflex sight is pretty coarse, i.e, 6 moa dot, but is very useable for brush shots out to 150 yards or so.
2. The scope reticle is also on the coarse side, but is very useable for hunting type ranges, i.e., as far as one would ever typically want to shoot (subjective) for hunting big game. (NTD: I'm not at all a fan of the 1000 metre shot on big game, but have been known to occasionally take some pretty far pokes under relatively ideal conditions - far for me on big game is 300 - 400 yards)
3. Price: They do not give these things away, but they are waaaaayyy cheaper than top end Euro glass.
- Location
- North side of the moon
53yrs young, using Leupold VXIII, can see the cross hairs well past legal shooting light......slapped a 1.5-6 illuminated Bushnell on the 30-06 just to try it out this fall...never needed to turn it on. For the most part a gimmick in my opinion...
I have the firefly on my 4200 2.5-10x40 and the cross hairs glow brightly for a couple minutes after charging which I do about 45 minutes before the end of legal shooting. If you look 10 minutes later they appear to not be glowing at all... but wait until almost the end of legal shooting time and voila they faintly glow again which is all you need them to do.
JohnC
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
agree with you my 1 x 4 Accupoint is great.
one minor correction the light from the fiber optics does not charge the tritium - tritium is radioactive and self luminent(?), but like all radioactive elements will gradually fade over time (Trijicon guarantees the green one at least for 15 years) . The fiber optics power the dot or triangle in the day time, and the tritium lamp -(which is on alll the time) powers the dot/triangle when its dark,
I find it hard to see a black reticle against a dark target.
Usually I can make the shot by bracketing the target within the coarse part of the reticle and ignoring the finer center area, but if I have an illuminated scope I'd rather turn it on at that point.
I think it's a modern convenience and the argument for and against is similar to the argument for and against optics in general.
At the end of the day I like to have different options and for the small weight penalty and the cost of a battery I like the option of turning a scope on.
Usually I can make the shot by bracketing the target within the coarse part of the reticle and ignoring the finer center area, but if I have an illuminated scope I'd rather turn it on at that point.
I think it's a modern convenience and the argument for and against is similar to the argument for and against optics in general.
At the end of the day I like to have different options and for the small weight penalty and the cost of a battery I like the option of turning a scope on.
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Not all night hunting is illegal, depending on species and country. Not all eyes are equal. Given this, I'd say that if you are doing something you should be doing, with a quality scope that will show the target, but you can't see the reticle, illuminated reticles are about the only move you have left.
I was in the bush trying to put black crosshairs on a black cape buffalo on a black morning. At 20 yards that's a little hairy. A better scope would have worked, as would lit crosshairs.
I was in the bush trying to put black crosshairs on a black cape buffalo on a black morning. At 20 yards that's a little hairy. A better scope would have worked, as would lit crosshairs.
Bigbull, if something goes wrong with a glass etched, illuminated reticle you will simply see the black reticle... just like if you choose to leave it off until needed.
It's pretty simple, in a slightly more complex way, if ya know what I'm sayin..........
It's pretty simple, in a slightly more complex way, if ya know what I'm sayin..........
i find the illumintation hard on my eyes in lower light and reduces overall night vision. its also very distracting.
scope crosshairs and posts are blacker than anything you'll find in nature and suffice well enough for hunting.
scope crosshairs and posts are blacker than anything you'll find in nature and suffice well enough for hunting.
Bigbull, if something goes wrong with a glass etched, illuminated reticle you will simply see the black reticle... just like if you choose to leave it off until needed.
It's pretty simple, in a slightly more complex way, if ya know what I'm sayin..........
I understand what you are saying and I agree with you.
Here is my take.
I hunt whitetail in the last two weeks of
November in northern Saskatchewan where the temperature is
always in the minus and many times goes down to -20 or less, it has
been a nightmare with every electronic device I have used, eg. camera,
GPS and rangefinders, myself and my hunting partners have swore off any
electronic device! We are now testing a telescope that does not rely on
batteries to do both things, range targets and compensate for trajectory all
this so we don't rely on battery powered devices in the field. Of course in more temperate climates the electronics are much less affected, even the I hate weighing myself down with all that crap, if I have to carry weight around
I prefer it be in extra water or a bar to munch on
bigbull
I understand what you are saying and I agree with you.
Here is my take.
I hunt whitetail in the last two weeks of
November in northern Saskatchewan where the temperature is
always in the minus and many times goes down to -20 or less, it has
been a nightmare with every electronic device I have used, eg. camera,
GPS and rangefinders, myself and my hunting partners have swore off any
electronic device! We are now testing a telescope that does not rely on
batteries to do both things, range targets and compensate for trajectory all
this so we don't rely on battery powered devices in the field. Of course in more temperate climates the electronics are much less affected, even the I hate weighing myself down with all that crap, if I have to carry weight around
I prefer it be in extra water or a bar to munch on
bigbull
-20 is not a problem for Russian illuminated POSP scopes they are working up to -50. Of course battery life will be shorter if it's constantly on...
