Is an Illuminated Reticle worth the extra cash?

Richfergy

Member
Hi - I am getting a Zeiss Duralyt for my .308 and having read the recent thread on the scope am extra convinced!:D However, I like the idea of an IR - but is it worth the extra £300 or so?

Stalking would be mostly woodland with occasional forays on the hill

Many thanks for any thoughts on a damp and cloudy Easter weekend

Cheers

Rich
 
Rich

I managed perfectly well without illuminated reticles for the first 15 years stalking, but having recently acquired new scopes for both the .308 and the .243 I would now be reluctant to buy a scope without this feature. As a general rule I personally don't take shots at last light - which is where most discussion about IR's seems to end up - but I find them equally useful at dawn as well as when a deer might be in an area of darkness during the day. By the latter I mean, for example, a muntjac that is feeding under rhodedendron bushes or bedded down in the lee of a tree, both situations I've encountered in the last 12 months. On a bright day in particular the contrast between sunlight and deep shadow can make picking up the crosshairs a challenge sometimes, and this is where a simple IR such as a dot or a cross can be useful. Useful, mind, but not essential.

willie_gunn
 
as willie says they have there usefull points last two scopes bought with I R
and will buy again .
what i like is the thin cross hairs for zerioing and general day work on my z41
when the light is going just flick on IR
regards pete .
 
Hello Rich, same sentiments as Willie,you may only use it once or twice in a season ,:D one or two extra deer in the larder,or extra vermin culled.
 
Have them on 2 of my scopes and to be honest I never use them for day work but under the lamp for vermin I can find the target much quicker with the red dot.
 
I have an 8X56 S&B and it has relatively thick crosshairs and so it is usually too dark to shoot and stand a chance of recovering the deer before the crosshairs vanish. However, as others have said, the thick crosshairs can mean you need to make allowances when zeroing etc. so it might depend on the thickness of the crosshairs fitted to the scope. Also never having had one I haven't seen the benefit of shooting into shadows in daylight and the like whereas I can see that might be a significant advantage to some.

Given the choice between spending the cash on a day at stags or a few days at hinds then I'd use the cash to pay for extra stalking every time but I'm sure if I had IR then it is something I'd soon find a use for.
 
Yes they are worth the extra - if you shoot at times of low light - or woodland.

No good having good glass if you cant see the crosshair.



ATB
Alan
 
shot my first buck of the season at last light yesterday 20:18 to be exact. it was also a bit misty and the rain was considering turning back on,,however, even with a dark backdrop, from 100yds or just below, my crosshairs on the S&B 6x42 hungary stood out just fine, ten more minutes and no chance, but I would not have taken the shot then.

I think it's due to A. the good glass and B. the thick crosshairs.

in similar circumstances when I've used a zeiss 8x56 with fine crosshairs, the even better glass and better light gathering due to the larger objective lens has made shots possible with fine crosshairs equally well. however, I would say, I don't think the x42 S&B IF IT HAD fine crosshairs would have allowed me the shot.

so, would I spend the extra £300, no, not unless the majority of stalking was first/last light (literally) and I felt the extra £300 couldn't be spent better elsewhere. I also don't like the look of the IR buttons/features much on the scopes, looks clunky to me..that said I'll be completely honest, I've never had one in the field to compare, so I am not talking from a 'comparative' experience point of view.
 
If you can afford it, I would say yes, I have only had illuminated in the last 5 years, I wouldn't be without it now. Better to have and not to need than not to have and need.......

If you also do any foxing, I find it a god send to enabeling a quicker reticule/target allignment.

Make sure it's it's a variable illumination though....my S&B's, even in pitch black on full setting are way too bright.

TJ
 
Hi Guy's - interesting range of views and opinions and hugely insightful as always. Thanks very much for the feedback.

Wife away on holiday - think I just need to strike whilst the iron is hot , done then :)

Cheers

Rich
 
What you have never had you won't miss. However as other posters have said you would not be without it if you had one. Make sure if you do get one that the illumination is very subtle on the lower settings, if fact it should be impossible to see in moderate light, some of the lesser brands are just too bright in low light.
 
Definitely worth the money, recently bought a z6i, decided if i was going to spend that sort of money on a scope i just as well have the 6i over the normal version and my god am i glad i did, just makes it so easy last light rather than trying to find a fine recticule in the shadows, means you can take full advantage of quality optics.
 
Agree with all that has been said, just to add that I recently bought a Trijicon in 2.5-12x56,this has no batteries or rheostats,just a tritium source,this reticule system adjusts automatically to the ambient light and surprisingly this model has an amber or red IR availability....I have the former and it is very effective. You can remove the illuminated reticule by rotating the bezel on the rear of the scope which closes off the tritium source and you revert to a normal reticule,the source is good for 15 yrs+,I would recommend them...the US Marines have been using this system for years as the no battery requirement is perfect for ops. Cheers, Tony
 
I would say if the optics are first class allowing for "laate/early" shooting then a definate YES.
If on cheap optics then NO
No point being able to see the dot but not the target.
Look at the zeiss varipoints (to be discontinuedand replaced by the ht) it varies the brightness automatically so as the sun sets you dont have to keep dimming the dot.
 
don't forget, most people likely to reply to this post 'like' and own IR scopes,,those that think little of them or couldn't care, probably won't post their feelings, just to bear in mind as it's like saying - those who like IR, stick their hands in the air - LOL
 
don't forget, most people likely to reply to this post 'like' and own IR scopes,,those that think little of them or couldn't care, probably won't post their feelings, just to bear in mind as it's like saying - those who like IR, stick their hands in the air - LOL

Come now, I can't exactly say I've noticed Site members who don't like something being reluctant to voice their opinions ;)

Just as a simple example, look at what happens every time someone asks about 'bought' shooting sticks. A whole brigade of other members who have never presumably owned them reply with "what's wrong with two hazel sticks held together with a rubber band" or "nip down to B&Q".....and no, there's nothing wrong with either of them.

And then there are always Blasers :D

willie_gunn
 
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I have an illuminated dot on an 8 x 56 S&B and 2 Meopta's without. It has come in very useful in bad light and especially useful for foxes. Given the choice I would buy IR on a decent scope.
 
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