RETICLE ILLUMINATION. YES or NO ?

Ade 30-06

Well-Known Member
Does anybody actually see a benefit using an Illuminated Reticle for low light conditions.

I use a 4a which has thick outer posts and thinner + hairs for foxes at night, they work perfectly well in low light. If I were using a finer + hair then fair enough there could be a benefit. But the trouble is when it's so dark that I can't see the reticle, I can't see the target either. So what is the point in using a super fine reticle and illumination ? Are they just a gimmick ?????????

Answers on a post card to ;

Mr Erious
1 Curiosity Corner
Whereabouts Woods
Lostham
FK1 7AL
 
I have it on 2 scopes, it's one of the things that if you've never had it, you don't/never miss it, I would never go back now having had it.

TJ
 
In well over 20 years of stalking I can only recall 2 incidents where having an illuminated reticle may have made a difference. The first one just happened to be after calling in one of the biggest Sika stags I have ever seen. By then too dark to see the fine cross-hairs on my 6-24x50 Swarovski (which is now available in illuminated reticles). The other was a similar incident on the way back to the car. Came across 2 does and a huge roebuck against rushes. Again could not make out the crosshairs against his hair.

I do not think they are a gimmick but in my experience probably never had a real use, as said above, never owned never missed.

Having said that, just because they are now so readily available, if I ever got a new scope it would probably be with an illuminated reticle.
 
Tried it before on a cheap scope and hated it. Now I have it on my Swarovski 2-12 and I count on it. Cheap scopes have a lot of light reflecting around inside the tubes and that is distracting. Quality illumination simply gives a bright point in your field of view. Target aquisition is very rapid and the dot allows accurate placement on target animals allowing a very fine crosshair for zeroing and target use. Till you have it you won't need it, once you have it you probably won't go back.
The red dot on the Swarovski scope is less than one M.O.A when set to a level that is easily visible in daylight.
 
I think longlowdog makes a good point. Illuminated reticules on cheap scopes are less than useless. A friend of mine has an IR on a Leupold VX3, to be honest I don't rate it at all.

However, on a S&B or a Swaro, the IR is the dogs. Not absolutely necessary, but damn nice to have.
 
Both my Swarovski's are illuminated and wouldn't buy a scope again without illumination, i even use them on their daylight settings, especially for driven boar, the illuminated dot helps you focus on where your cross hairs are being placed.

I see Ziess in conjunction with Blaser are now doing a scope that when you put the safety off the illumination comes on, great idea :thumb:.

Moose
 
On quality optics its worth the money and once you have had it there is no going back, get one and you wont regret it !
 
Many woodland roe stalkers will likely not understand how illumination might be useful, but anyone who has managed wild fallow will probably do so readily.

My preference is for a very thin reticle. In daylight, and with illumination turned off, it allows for very confident shot placement at, ahem, *some distance* on bunched up groups. Later in the day, or in gloomy woodland, turning on illumination allows one to place a shot with assurance at closer quarters, even though the crosshairs, if unlit, are virtually invisible. It is in my view the best of both worlds.

Just my two penn'orth.
 
Must say I am a big fan especially for lamping, means you can acquire the target much quicker. As a lot of people have said though make sure its a quality optic.
 
I have the Meopta Meostar R1 on my rifle and a very nice S&B 2.5-10 x 56 sat here that I'm loathe to change to as it doesnt have illumination.
I havent shot at deer under conditions that Ive felt the need to have the illumination on but for foxing its spot on.
Now I have to decide whether to sell the S&B without it ever having been on my rifle!
 
I have one on my Swarovski 8x56 and would not be without it!

We have a lot of melanistic fallow, and so many times in the past I have not taken a shot as I could not make out the crosshair against a dark animal at first light and be 100% sure of the shot placement. With the illumination on I have no such issues. The Swarovski is very good system and so adjustable, it can even be put back as a regular elevation turret in no time should you want too.

ATB

Tom
 
On my second focal plane scope I don't miss not having illumination. The recticle is perfectly sized.
On my first focal scopes I have illumination. My zenith flash dot which works great for walking up deer
in heavy cover set on low mag and max illumination even in daylight. At dusk it can be annoying
when the illumination is set too high due to fading light.
My new Kaps is not a day light red dot, more low light illumination. In the day I keep it on max
just in case something stands in the shade. The recticule is fairly thin and fine on the kaps as
on the zenith FD7 they wouldn't work at low mag and low light without illumination.

edi
 
Does anybody actually see a benefit using an Illuminated Reticle for low light conditions.

I use a 4a which has thick outer posts and thinner + hairs for foxes at night, they work perfectly well in low light. If I were using a finer + hair then fair enough there could be a benefit. But the trouble is when it's so dark that I can't see the reticle, I can't see the target either. So what is the point in using a super fine reticle and illumination ? Are they just a gimmick ?????????

Answers on a post card to ;

Mr Erious
1 Curiosity Corner
Whereabouts Woods
Lostham
FK1 7AL

Have stalked for 49 years mainly with the German No.1 reticle but have used others also.
If you cannot see a No.1 you cannot see the background for a safe shot.

Miss Mary Lykes,
The Cockwell Inn, Tillit, Herts.
 
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