The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting African Big Game Hunting In praise of the lighted reticleGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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I just read the long thread concerning Col. Boddington's article on caliber selection. The article was nineteen paragraphs and hundreds of words. I believe he distilled an important factor in five words in his last paragraph: ... "and perhaps use a lighted reticle". I just shot my first cape buffalo last week, my scope is a Zeiss Duralyte, all four shots ( the last three perhaps not needed) found their intended mark. I'm not sure I could have done it without that tiny red dot against that coal black hide... | ||
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I have two of scopes with the illuminated reticle. I love them. The last animal i took with one was a hog. There is no doubt in my mind that the reticles made a difference. | |||
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I'm absolutely sold on them for low light conditions. I now have three, four including my Trijicon. USN (ret) DRSS Verney-Carron 450NE Cogswell & Harrison 375 Fl NE Sabatti Big Five 375 FL Magnum NE DSC Life Member NRA Life Member | |||
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I'm not a huge fan of true lighted reticles where the entire crosshair is illuminated as they seem to fade out and get lost in bright light conditions but after using a Duralyte in Africa in May, I like the idea of tiny lighted dot in the center of the crosshair. It really draws your eye to the center of the crosshair but if it fades in bright sun, you still have the primary black reticle. | |||
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+1 My Kahles is a cross hair dot lighted reticule. Only the small center dot is illuminated so in bright light you see the cross hairs and in low light you see the dot. Just wish it was smaller and lighter. A larger scope screws up the handling of a rifle. Have gun- Will travel The value of a trophy is computed directly in terms of personal investment in its acquisition. Robert Ruark | |||
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I'm not a fan of gadgets but I could not agree more with joester. I took a Trijicon on a long safari last year, used it in all types of light conditions and it was the bomb. I had always thought an illuminated reticle was for low light only early and late in the day. It works great in full daylight too and for the kudu standing back in shadows.....it's perfect. Mark MARK H. YOUNG MARK'S EXCLUSIVE ADVENTURES 7094 Oakleigh Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89110 Office 702-848-1693 Cell, Whats App, Signal 307-250-1156 PREFERRED E-mail markttc@msn.com Website: myexclusiveadventures.com Skype: markhyhunter Check us out on https://www.facebook.com/pages...ures/627027353990716 | |||
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I use a Swaro with a red dot on my .270. It is really nice and I plan to change over to mostly red dots. | |||
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I am new to illuminated reticles and have not hunted with them yet. I wanted to mount an IR scope on my 416 Rigby but I wanted a 1" scope. I finally found a Leupold at reasonable price with a green dot. BIG mistake. The dot was not precise and it has rough edges. Not much use for accurate shot placement. Then I was fortunate to get a used 30mm Leupold. that has the very fine cross hair in the middle that light up - perfect. I have played around with it and the precision and clarity is unbelievable. I'll be taking that to Africa. But first I'll practice with it here in NZ. "When the wind stops....start rowing. When the wind starts, get the sail up quick." | |||
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In a word ... Trijicon!! | |||
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FWIW: Prior to using an illuminated reticle scope in Africa last year (Trijicon), I've used tritium dot "iron" sights on handguns and tritium "reflex" sights on semi-auto rifles in defensive/law enforcement settings for more than twenty years. They've proven to be much more than a gimmick and I can't imagine not using them in these roles, especially considering how relatively inexpensive they've become. Beyond the fact this technology can protect one's "assets" when hunting dangerous game in low-light conditions, why wouldn't an ethical hunter do everything he/she could to insure other (less hazardous) game is afforded a quick, humane death? Don't we owe it to our quarry? "I'm not fluent in the language of violence, but I know enough to get around in places where it's spoken." Tanzania 2012: http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/8331015971 Saskatoon, Canada 2013: http://forums.accuratereloadin...4121043/m/7171030391 Las Pampas, Argentina 2014: http://forums.accuratereloadin...4107165/m/1991059791 | |||
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They are handy for shooting at night with a spotlight otherwise I have no use for them. If I cannot see the crosshairs at low light/dusk/dawn, it's probably too dark to judge what I am shooting at anyways. | |||
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I just took a Leupold VXR illuminated dot off of a rifle and put back the VXL 50mm objective scope I had replaced with it due to the problems I was having grouping with the high scope mount. The only differences in the scopes are illuminated dot and 30mm tube vs. no illuminated dot and 1" tube. I went with the lower scope that I can shoot, over the better technical choice that I can't. This is for leopard. And, I don't have time to do a lot of tinkering; leave in 44 days. | |||
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+1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition” ― Rudyard Kipling | |||
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If you do much leopard hunting at all, especially in those areas where spotlighting is not allowed, you'll likely change your opinion on this one after a couple of missed opportunities. Even with the spotlight, an illuminated reticle makes an amazing difference. But with the cats, both lion and leopard, early morning or very late evening, it can make the difference between a shoot or no shoot decision. In addition, oftentimes even during daylight hours but in heavy and thick cover where shadows can be quite dark, the black hide of a cape buffalo can create a real challenge with standard crosshairs. That illuminated dot really stands out in these situations. | |||
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I would agree with Todd. I have shot two leopard with Leupold illuminated reticles and would not be without one on a cat hunt. That split second in knowing right where the cross hair is at when the light comes on or when the leopard appears in the tree in low light is very critical, in my humble opinion. I did shoot a hyena in June of this year without one, but it was at full moon, with the super moon of the year at the time. Big difference. | |||
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I hunted hyenas by moonlight this May in Namibia. I used my Leupold Vari-X III in 3.5 X 10 X 40. I couldn't see squat but a hyena never appeared so I guess it was a moot point. Would have loved an IR if Mr. Spots had shown up. Jesus saves, but Moses invests | |||
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I wouldn't buy a scope for any serious hunting rifle here without an IR now. A lot of our hunting is done at last light so it may have a bigger impact for us here than other places. However even in broad daylight I do find it gives you a faster acquisition on the target if you are trying to get onto animals that already know something is wrong. K | |||
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I highly recommend an illuminated reticle for low light hunting. Last year I used a trijicon on a .308 for night hunting varmints during our safari and it worked like a charm. Didn't have any issues in picking up the animals for the shot. This year I didn't bring my own rifles and decided to rent from the outfitter for a leopard hunt. I sighted in the rifle during daylight hours and didn't bother checking in low light shooting condition. It was a 1-5X Leupold. Big mistake. The evening the leopard came in, I looked through the reticle and couldn't see the crosshairs. The zoom wasnt enough to put a good portion of the shoulder in the FOV either. The cat ate for a good 3-4 mins before getting spooked and taking off. Talk about frustrating. Although the outfitter didn't have any illuminated reticles, he managed to borrow a 3-9x56, which was enough to gather enough light for me to see. Luckily the leopard showed up the next evening. Lesson learned. I will limit renting rifles in the future, at least for cases where low light conditions may be encountered. I have a couple of trijicons on rifles, including an RMR on a 470NE double and can't say enough good about them. I personally prefer them over my swarovskis, depending on the application. | |||
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AR - Had the same thing happen to me with the Lupy 1.5 x 5. After that episode it's been Trijicon all the way. Since you have a couple of Trijicons you might consider just taking a scope along, rent a rifle, take the time to install your Trij on it, sight it in and good to go?? If you know what the scope mount is on the rental in advance You could have it ringed up and save some time and grief on arrival. Just a thought. Larry Sellers SCI (International)Life Member
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Well said Mark. Plus, remember guys - a lot of states out west do not allow any battery powered/illuminated scopes on guns/bows, so the Trijicon is a perfect option for this too. | |||
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I just like the way the lighted dot draws your eye to the center of the crosshair so quickly. In close quarters where a quick shot is required, I think it's a real benefit even if you never use it in low-light conditions. Never owned one till this year but on a dangerous game rifle I can sure see the benefits! | |||
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I have never hunted leopard without a light but am interested if and how you confirm the sex of the leopard in such low light, such low light that you have no chance to see you reticle without illumination? | |||
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Confirming the sex and "the right" leopard is the PHs job. He usually will have very good binos with good light gathering capabilities. I want to be able to shoot when he gives the green light. Very frustrating for him to say "shoot" but you can't due to an inability to see the crosshairs, and with leopard, one doesn't want to take an iffy shot hoping the crosshairs are "probably" close enough!! | |||
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Ok, makes sense, thanks for the reply. One wonders how anyone managed before without all this technology ?? | |||
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Of course there are a million and one scenarios as well but along your same question concerning determining sex and darkness, I remember watching one of Sullivan's DVDs where they were hunting leopard, sitting in the evening. The cat showed up but dove right into the bait. The bait was covered with branches to keep the vultures at bay and due to this, the cat's vitals were obscured, but his rear end was completely exposed. The cat's nuts were clearly visible but there was no shot opportunity. Darkness finally started to become an issue as the cat would feed, then just lay down, still with its vitals completely obscured. Finally, just before all light was gone, the cat backed out enough to expose his shoulder and the shot was taken. Again, literally millions of scenarios here, but that's just one whereby the sex was determinable in good light, but the shot wasn't available in good shooting light. I will say however, in that video clip, the hunter successfully took the shot without an illuminated reticle!  | |||
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But I'm sure the hunter was successfully pre-trained via the internet Good example Todd on how experience and aptitude overcomes gear in 99% of the scenarios. | |||
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Agree. Seems every time I go hunting, Africa or otherwise, I learn something more, both about myself and the equipment. Luckily, thus far, it all seems to work out in the end. But hate going through the "learning" phase of it. My hunt could have turned out drastically different if the other scope was not available. The PH stated that I had night blindness and he had hunted with the same scope at night, but I insisted on a scope with a bigger bell or an illuminated reticle and he managed to find one with a bigger bell for the next night. And things worked out. Going ahead, I personally would bring my own rifle for any future low light or DG hunts. Not just for the scope, but also for the familiarity of the weapon. It would be a shame to spend all this time and money and not enjoy the experience because of a scope or unfamiliar rifle. | |||
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I have a question - when using a lithium battery powered scope, do you leave the scope switch on during the day of the hunt? How long does the battery last if the switch is left on?d I will be using a Leupold VX3 1.5-5X illuminated reticle scope on my 416 Rigby & a regular Leupold 2-7X on my 9.3X62. "When the wind stops....start rowing. When the wind starts, get the sail up quick." | |||
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The Zeiss shuts off automatically after 5 hours I think it is. The Leupy must have an auto shut off too. | |||
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I have two scopes with trijicon post and i got swarovski z6 1x6 24 illuminated. Blows away the trijicon. I am becoming one rifle (ahr custom cz), one calibre 375 h&h and one scope guy. I will be shooting whatever ammo is availBle. The swarovski illuminated is the perfect dangerous game scope. The illuminated circle and dot/cross hair are perfect for quick shooting. The trijicon post is good but in hurried shots i tend to place the post at aimed point of impact instead of having it at the end/tip of the post. I would not sell my trijicons - they are going on other rifles i have but i would pay up another 1000 bucks and get a swarovski if i was buying another scope. | |||
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I am also a fan of the Swarovski lighted reticle. They have worked great for me on several trips. I also have several Trijicon scopes and sights. The main reason I favor the swarovski's lighted reticle is than I have control over the brightness and the optics are quite better. Whether its worth the extra money is up to the individual. To me, it has been. | |||
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Nothing beats an Aimpoint on a quick handling rifle intended for fast shooting! | |||
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Thanks Aaron; I had no idea about this! Which states are affected? Does this apply just for Night Vision equipment, or does it include illuminated reticles also? And are the non-battery illuminated reticles (eg Trijicon) allowed? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition” ― Rudyard Kipling | |||
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I am waiting for the day when a reputable company can create and provide a; - reasonably priced - reasonably lightweight/compact - high resolution at magnification, HUNTING Scope with FLIR feature built-in. FLIR can improve what you are able to see [more easily become aware of],..be it night or day.    | |||
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I'm hunting since 40 years, in Europe and Southern Africa. Never ever did I use a battery operated telescope, I would rather give up hunting. For hunting at night I'm using a Sauer Drilling in .30-06, the telescope is a Zeiss 2,5-10x52, recticle no. 4. With that at night in Germany I shot countless foxes plus a few wild boars. In South Africa, in Northern Transvaal, now called Limpopo, I shot plenty bushpigs, just with the assistance of the moonlight, never used artificial light. Sometimes I got up to three pigs a night. Because of my success with bushpigs the locals called me bosvark! http://www.kapstadt.de/schindlers-africa | |||
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Hemmed and hawed and finally got a lighted reticle on a Leupold vx-6 I bought last year. The range where I shoot is heavily shaded in the morning. I was amazed at the difference this 'gimmick' made in picking up the target when practicing off the sticks. I timed getting on the sticks and shooting with and without the LR on. The time using the LR was two thirds the time without it. I'm not one to jump on the next best thing but I'm sold on this concept. The electronics have held up to over 200 rounds of 450 Rigby. | |||
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I have examples of lighted reticle scopes from back in the late 1950s to today’s Trijicon scopes. It is amazing to see the improvements made in Illuminated reticles over that time. I started out with Illumination because I used to do a lot of predator hunting , and dog running for bear and lion, and even in bright daylight a treed black bear high in a tree with heavy foliage a black crosshair is damn hard to see. Fail to kill with the first shot, and you are likely to loose a dog or two when he hits the ground. Today the only battery fired one I would consider is the the Luppy 12 once, 30MM tubed one with the fire dot circle reticle (FDC)at about half the price of the Trijicon, but For the absolute best I like the no battery Trijicon scopes! I bought one of the Weaver 30mm scopes with the choices of red or green dot (battery operated) but it weighs a ton, and is not suited to use on a double rifle. For use on a double rifle Trijicon is the best choice IMO! .........................................................................  ....Mac >>>===(x)===> MacD37, ...and DUGABOY1 DRSS Charter member "If I die today, I've had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"~ME 1982 Hands of Old Elmer Keith  | |||
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The Trijicon scopes are also "brightness" adjustable by simply closing or opening the cover over the fiber optic gathering area. At night, in absolute darkness, the tritium glow isn't as bright as the battery powered models, but it doesn't need to be. It just needs to be bright enough to see the illuminated dot, which it is. And the post with triangle isn't the only option for those who tend to shoot high with this model. There is also the standard duplex crosshair with the lighted dot in the center as well as just the lighted dot without crosshairs or post. Red, Amber, or Green, your choice. And the best thing of all about the Trijicons, where they beat all the others HANDS DOWN is ... No Batteries!! | |||
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All of us trained with, used, and successfully hunted with standard, non lighted crosshairs in our hunting. Arnold Palmer got the ball from tee to cup with the golf gear of his day, but you can bet he would have loved to have todays technology in the 1950's. Improvement, in any gear is a good thing. And today we have many options for a far better mousetraps! Dave Fulson | |||
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I decided to purchase a Trijicon scope for a rifle. I went to their website and the scope I want, the AccuPoint, only comes with a yellow or green dot in the duplex reticle. Red is not available. Red is what I want so I guess I'll just have to keep looking. I can't believe they don't offer a red dot in this model. I would think that would be the biggest seller. =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= DRSS; NRA; Illinois State Rifle Association; Missouri Sport Shooting Association “One of the sad signs of our times is that we have demonized those who produce, subsidized those who refuse to produce, and canonized those who complain.” – Thomas Sowell, “The Vision Of The Anointed: Self-Congratulation As A Basis For Social Policy” . | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting African Big Game Hunting In praise of the lighted reticle
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