Favorite Reticle

[C.W. Richter]

Raising the scope typically affects fast acquisition which is critical for dangerous game. Cycling quickly for backup shots, one needs to be on the full field of view and crosshairs the instant gun is mounted, not hunting for view in a scope mounted too high. I can shut my eyes, mount the rifle, open my eyes, and full field of view is right there. Similarly, if I detach the scope, I can do the same thing and bead is in the crotch of the leaf. Same positioning on the gun scope on or off.

Scope turned up to 2x and I can see through the image of barrel and front sight still in field of view. Turn it up to 3x and only a ghost of front sight and barrel is barely visible. 4x and it is totally gone. I shot both my buffalo with 3x, the second on the run at 65 yards. Shot an incoming gemsbuck twice at less than 25 yards with my 30-06's 3-9x set on 5x. Both shots in the heart. For buffalo I will keep this scope on 2x. IMAX field of view and instant acquisition. Nothing hidden from view.

It depends on stock type and exact ring height no issues with alignment or acquisition with the 30 mm scope and high mounts on the 416. Using low mounts just like on my 30O6 the iron sights are out of view at 2.5 power but I don't want them obscuring the view or one synapse of concentration on a DG gun.

 

[khesser]

Nightforce Mil-C.

 

[Rez Exelon]

Is Redfield still in business? I didn't think so. 'Did a job for them out in CO years back. Many copied their widefield view design (wide, but with the top and bottom of the view clipped off.) Ahead of its time back then!

IIRC Redfields history was "out of business! Bought by someone else for a come back! Out of business! Bought by someone else for a comeback!" a few times. Most recently when they went out of business a Chinese company bought them and they did a rebrand under the name "T-Eagle" which was producing optics on Redfields equipment but with the new name. The branding on the box was even basically the same.

I only have some history on this because one day at my local pallet/bin store I got a "T-Eagle Revenge" scope for like $8. I noticed it because the package was basically Redfield with the different name on it. Seemed nice enough but I let it go to a friend's junior shooter for his 22 before playing with it.

 

[TXhunter65]

Leupold PR-2

 

[uplander01]

German #4 or 7

 

[meigsbucks]

I’m not into LONG RANGE shooting., so my reticles are fairly plebeian. As I have mostly Leupolds, most have their duplex. My .375, .416 and .458 all have their heavy duplex, which I really like. I also have a couple with the duplex-Firedot. I can see myself accumulating more of these.
Zeiss Conquest’s Zplex seems a little heavier than Leupold’s and I like it a little better.
Trijicon’s Accupoint duplex with the green dot is also getting my attention. The crosshairs are a little thin but the size and brightness of the dot makes up for it.
I have an U.S. Optics 1-8x. It has a German 4. with a dot. There is a gap between the thin crosshairs and the dot. It makes the dot hard to pick up. The dot is illuminated but unless it is low light, it is difficult to pick it up, even against a black target, which is a shame as the clarity of the scope impressed me.

 

[BeeMaa]

Swaro 4A-IF - The illuminated ring and dot can be turned off so you can have both, just the dot or crosshairs only with no illumination.

 

[RLL]

The S&B FD7 illuminated is pretty slick, super low light and day bright functional. I like the trijicon and swaro tritium/illuminated circle dot for up close moving targets. I’ve been moving away from the heavier lined reticles like on Leuopolds to finer german #4 and circle dot styles

 

[rnovi]

For Hunting - KISS. Duplex or Heavy Duplex. An Elevation Turret is ok but keep the reticle nice and simple. Sighted at 200, the bottom of the duplex is at 300...and 350 is "put the bottom of the duplex on the backline" for most cartridges.

(*Personal experience...with DG being the exception, I prefer good old black duplex. If it's dark enough out that I cannot make out the duplex on the background, it's just too early/late to be hunting. It's funny how that works out for my eyes...)

For long range shooting: big turrets and plenty of dots and/or christmas tree.

For pig hunting, anything with an illuminated dot will do.

 

[Boyd Brooks]

My favourite is the Leupold heavy reticle, however I only own one. I bought ballistic plex reticle scopes before finding the heavy reticle.

 

[375Fox]

Just a standard duplex for me for whatever that means. They are all slightly different. The duplex currently on Leupold’s VX5 2-10 are my favorite. Very closely followed by the duplex on my older Leupold VX3 1.5-5. However, with Leupold I really dislike their older heavy duplex. I’m also not a fan of their duplex where the heavy lines are the majority of the scope only coming to finer crosshairs the last 5% or so. I find most Leupold, Zeiss, and Bushnell scopes are very natural for my eyes. I find Swarovski difficult to look through without an illuminated reticle because the crosshairs are too fine and don’t make a contrast on animals.

 

[jpr9954]

1. German 4, illuminated preferably.
2. Standard duplex
3. Burris C4 Wind MOA.

 

[Uncontrolled_round_feed]

Leupold fire dot duplex is winning me over these days for low light. Didn’t pull the trigger on a very nice mule deer in CO a couple years ago at distance because I just couldn’t make out a non illuminated reticle so I’m gradually switching out scopes from darkness to light.

 

[MontanaGrant]

Duplex works fine. I have an affection for post and crosshair reticles. Super fast acquisition and I have them on a number of guns that arent long-rangers.

A few of my more longer ranged rifles I like a old-school BDC where it's simply a dot or hash that you use to holdover after doing range time and determining where they are zeroed.

 

[Safari Dave]

For African hunting, why complicate things?

The PH's in Africa are the best in the world!


IMO, use simple duplexes.
No batteries, no BDC's, etc.

The beauty of hunting with African PH's is that these folks are truly Professional Hunters and they know how to get you close to your quarry.

American "guides" usually do something else for 9 month out of every year.

 

[Edster]

Fire Dot Duplex for me !!

 

[Reg26]

Fire Dot Duplex for me !!

Came here to say the exact same thing!