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So I was over at a friend's house yesterday and we were reloading. He has several Swarovski scopes with illuminated reticles. He shut off the light in the room and showed me what an illuminated reticle looks like in low light from the "cat's eye view". All I can say is YIKES!!!!!!!!! It's like a flashlight!!! I kid you not! If you don't believe me take an illuminated reticle scope and have a friend turn it on and aim it at your head from across a darkened room. YIKES!!!!! The dimmer the reticle the less flashlight like it is, but it's still seriously disconcerting. It really has me thinking about going with a Trijicon for my .375. Thoughts? Experiences? Brett DRSS Life Member SCI Life Member NRA Life Member WSF Rhyme of the Sheep Hunter May fordings never be too deep, And alders not too thick; May rock slides never be too steep And ridges not too slick. And may your bullets shoot as swell As Fred Bear's arrow's flew; And may your nose work just as well As Jack O'Connor's too. May winds be never at your tail When stalking down the steep; May bears be never on your trail When packing out your sheep. May the hundred pounds upon you Not make you break or trip; And may the plane in which you flew Await you at the strip. -Seth Peterson | ||
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Brett, I use a military spec Aimpoint and there is a mesh cap on the front lens which I think is called a flash guard that effectively addresses this problem. ROYAL KAFUE LTD Email - kafueroyal@gmail.com Tel/Whatsapp (00260) 975315144 Instagram - kafueroyal | |||
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Brett, If your hunting cats just at day break and dusk an illuminated reticle can make a huge difference. Adam has probably shot as many cats as most PHs and he highly recommends the illumintated reticle. I've hunted cats when they come in just at last light and you just can't take a responsible shot. With an illuminate reticle those cats would have been dead. That is exactly why I bought a Trijicon for my 375 for my upcoming lion hunt. If a guy has purchased a high end cat hunt and doesn't spend a few bucks on a great scope with an illuminated reticle he is doing himself a great disservice. What happens if that 6 year monster only shows once and you just can't quite see the crosshairs? Your screwed! 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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Are you sure that Trijicon and Swarovski are the same? I didn't think the former had a battery. | |||
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The trijicons don't have a battery. There are several plusses to the trijicon, but I'm not sure about glass quality for last/low light when compared to Swarovski. Any comments on relative glass quality from swarovski to trijicon? Brett DRSS Life Member SCI Life Member NRA Life Member WSF Rhyme of the Sheep Hunter May fordings never be too deep, And alders not too thick; May rock slides never be too steep And ridges not too slick. And may your bullets shoot as swell As Fred Bear's arrow's flew; And may your nose work just as well As Jack O'Connor's too. May winds be never at your tail When stalking down the steep; May bears be never on your trail When packing out your sheep. May the hundred pounds upon you Not make you break or trip; And may the plane in which you flew Await you at the strip. -Seth Peterson | |||
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I am looking at the same question. I am putting together a 416 REM and am wondering about scopes. The Trijicon looks good but is the 1x4 enough magnification for cat hunting? the flip side is is the 3x9 to much for Buff at close range. The Leopold 1.5x6 looks perfect but has batteries and you have the flashlight issue of this thread.(which i was TOTALLY surprised by ) I hope a 416 w/ 370 bsp isnt to much-thinking one gun only for the hunt. As always all advive is much appreciated. SSR | |||
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Brett, I took out a 3.5-10 Swaro 1", 2.2-9 Swaro 30mm, 1.5-6 Kahles 30mm and a 3-9 Trijicon outside at dusk. I looked through them all in turn until it was dark. The Trijicon is just hugely better. I'm sure the optical quality is better with the Euro scopes but in my real world test I could not see the differnce. One advantage of the Trijicon that I had not considered before buying it became evident when looking into the dark tangle under a tree for an animals in daylight. The regular reticle almost disappears but the Trijicon glows like it does at night. I think I going to like this one very much. 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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Larry I didn't see where anyone said the Trigicon, and the swarovski were the same. The only comparison is they both have lighted reticles, but are powered in different ways! The Swarovski is battery powered and adjustable for brightness of the illumintaion. The trigicon is powered in two ways. In daylight it is powered by fiberoptics useing sun light,and is adjustable for brightness of the reticle, But as the sunlight fails the illumination is then powered by tritium, and is not adjustable for brightness of illumination. No batteries are involved. The color of the illuminated reticle in the Trigicon scope is available in three colors RED, Green,and Amber and the color is still the same whether fiberoptic, or tritium powered. Swarovski scopes are very high quality glass, but IMO, the Trigicon is far more reliable where illuminated reticles are concerned, and cost 1/3 rd the price of the Swaro! For hunting cats I would buy the Trigicon 3-9 scope because it gathers a lot more light than the 4.5 scope to see your target, and the illumination lets you see the reticle in either one! On the Trigicon scopes, the people I've talked to who have used them a lot on game in Africa most tell me the Amber is eaiser to see under the most conditions, day or night, against dark shadow, or black buffalo! .............I have some illuminated scopes, but have never looked at them from the front in the dark! I'll try that! In any event I'm a fan of illuminated scope reticles for hunting, and the Trigicon is my pick simply because it doesn't depend on a battery! .........2 cents worth on my part!  ....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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I am ok w/ 416 trajectories out to 200 or so. I do have a pr 64 70 in 338 WINMAG that I love. So Maybe I should quite outhinking myself and just take both rifles??  
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Been keeping the illuminated Swaro at the bedside to use as a flashlight in case I had to get up in the middle of the night after what we discovered in my garage.  I would have never thought of checking it but Johnny du Plooy mentioned it to me in September. After checking the scope in the dark garage with Brett I'm seriously considering springing for another scope. ______________________ DRSS ______________________ Hunt Reports 2015 His & Her Leopards with Derek Littleton of Luwire Safaris - http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/2971090112 2015 Trophy Bull Elephant with CMS http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/1651069012 DIY Brooks Range Sheep Hunt 2013 - http://forums.accuratereloadin...901038191#9901038191 Zambia June/July 2012 with Andrew Baldry - Royal Kafue http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7971064771 Zambia Sept 2010- Muchinga Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4211096141 Namibia Sept 2010 - ARUB Safaris http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6781076141 | |||
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Wow! Who knew? I'll check my Zeiss when I get home. Will J. Parks, III | |||
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Thanks for the head's up Brett, I'm checking mine tonight. "There are worse memorials to a life well-lived than a pair of elephant tusks." Robert Ruark | |||
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Just check my swarovski Z6 1-6 illum. It does not illuminate on the objective side. Not that I could tell (in a dark room) By the way, I just horse traded for this scope, and although big, it seems to be the best engineered scope on the planet. The illumination system is excellent. I have swarvskis and trijicons, and this this is the cats ass, so to speak. Not worried about batteries, it has a cap that stores an extra, and I am sure it is low draw electrics. Plus in an "emergency" it will function as a standard scope. My trijicon has good glass and that is also top of the list (amber triangle) for 1/4 the price. The Leupold are good, but do not have a daylight reticule, if that matters to you. I am very impressed with the swarovski though, incredible scope. White Mountains Arizona | |||
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The Trijicon's are wonderful cat hunting tools. Yes they sponsor our show, but we hunt with them all over the planet and they have made a big difference on several low light hunts. Love them. Dave Fulson | |||
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The Anti Reflection Device mentioned on the Aimpoint is called a Killflash. Leupold makes one for their 40mm obj scopes and Trijicon also makes them for a number of their products. While they work they, also reduce light gathering by about 15%. The ARD can be adapted to about any scope/bino with lens covers. As for the pros/cons of European vs USA products I will not render an opinion, however the lack of a battery and an adjustable brightness adjustment are subject to fail at a critial moment. Yackman | |||
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SEE Steve!!! I told you I was not the only person to sue the phrase "cat's ass"!!!!!!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ J. Lane Easter, DVM A born Texan has instilled in his system a mind-set of no retreat or no surrender. I wish everyone the world over had the dominating spirit that motivates Texans.– Billy Clayton, Speaker of the Texas House No state commands such fierce pride and loyalty. Lesser mortals are pitied for their misfortune in not being born in Texas.— Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Texas in May, 1991. | |||
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My wife likes to hunt leopards so I sit and watch in the back of the blind. One came at last light in 1998, another at first light in 2010. When the cat could be seen so could the conventional Leupold reticle. Two 165 grain .30/06 bullets = two dead leopards. Nothing elaborate or expensive but it works. | |||
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Dave or anyone else, Have you noticed that the brightness of the tritium causes problems with night vision at last light? One of the things I like about the Swarovskis is that you can turn it way down at last light. Brett DRSS Life Member SCI Life Member NRA Life Member WSF Rhyme of the Sheep Hunter May fordings never be too deep, And alders not too thick; May rock slides never be too steep And ridges not too slick. And may your bullets shoot as swell As Fred Bear's arrow's flew; And may your nose work just as well As Jack O'Connor's too. May winds be never at your tail When stalking down the steep; May bears be never on your trail When packing out your sheep. May the hundred pounds upon you Not make you break or trip; And may the plane in which you flew Await you at the strip. -Seth Peterson | |||
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I'm with you Lane. Picked it up from my uncle. Brett DRSS Life Member SCI Life Member NRA Life Member WSF Rhyme of the Sheep Hunter May fordings never be too deep, And alders not too thick; May rock slides never be too steep And ridges not too slick. And may your bullets shoot as swell As Fred Bear's arrow's flew; And may your nose work just as well As Jack O'Connor's too. May winds be never at your tail When stalking down the steep; May bears be never on your trail When packing out your sheep. May the hundred pounds upon you Not make you break or trip; And may the plane in which you flew Await you at the strip. -Seth Peterson | |||
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Fine thread on an interesting topic. Just one thing, though. No one can seriously criticize the quality of the high-end Euro lighted scopes, or the Leopold for that matter. The problem with them as contrasted with the Trijicon is our old friend Murphy: at that one time when you simply cannot have a battery failure, that battery will go deader than dead. Bet your house on it. | |||
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Brett, I'm glad you brought it up. When I shot my leopard in '09 I could just make him out. When I turned on the illuminated reticle it made things worse. I turned the reticle back off, and in a few seconds my eyes adjusted to the light so I could make the shot. In that particular case the illuminated reticle seemed to decrease my nite vision. | |||
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I have a compact Aimpoint M2 and it is non magnifying and therefore the advantage is that you can look at your sight picture and scope with both eyes open. The red dot is adjustable and a fine dot is great for distance if needed. My model was being used by SWAT and other special forces. It is a seriously tough and well engineered piece of kit. Mine came with a simple quick release mechanism, again military spec. It is with out doubt the finest scope I have ever come across. ROYAL KAFUE LTD Email - kafueroyal@gmail.com Tel/Whatsapp (00260) 975315144 Instagram - kafueroyal | |||
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Lane, I've gotta say I'd never heard it until you used it. I still prefer the English version of 'dog's bollocks' though!  | |||
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I use Illuminated scopes in Zeiss and Schmidt&Bender. Even in very low light they acquire the target fast. Definitely a huge benefit for twilight shooting.  | |||
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i'd hate to even guess how much game i've shot with an illuminated dod. I say dot, that being just a 1-2 minute red dot in the center. anything else is to much. | |||
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I see that MacD37 mentions the amber-does anyone else have any advice red,amber or green? It seems that many Trijicons have gone to Africa so what are ya'll liking best? Maybe I am cheap but I like to do research before I drop that much on a scope. SSR | |||
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I have a Leupold VX3 with a German #4 config. In my opinion it is the best of needed illumination just a small dot. the switch is a 360 degree. One can switch on low or go the opposite way to high power. It does really get your eye to goto red dot. Mike | |||
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I have used both the amber and red and prefer the amber. Both work very well though. I hunted this year in Kwa-Zulu Natal in very thick brush, the trijicon helped a lot in those conditions, with low light and thick cover. My friend had a 1.75 x 6 Leupold VX-III, a very nice scope. But when compared side by side, we both found the trijicon to be better for the conditions we were hunting in. | |||
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I tried my Leupold and it is not a problem. "There are worse memorials to a life well-lived than a pair of elephant tusks." Robert Ruark | |||
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I just came from my gun shop. There are no windows in the shop and with the lights off and the Trijicon reticle turned up on my Trijicon 3x9 to its most brilliant there is no flashlight effect at all. In fact you do not see any sign of an illuminated reticle at all from the muzzle end. I looked at all the Trijicon reticles, got some recommendations from others, read some reviews and chose the amber triangle reticle. I think its going to be 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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My current scope of choice for low light hunting is a Nightforce NXS 2.5-10x32 with illuminated reticle. I just checked the flashlight effect in a pitch black room and could see the red colored reticle but it wasn't very bright, at least to my eyes. Great optics and absolutely bullet proof reliability sold me on the NF brand but will say the Trijicon products look good too. The battery issue is no big deal to me, I always have a spare along and after 3yrs I still haven't needed to replace the original one. I was fortunate enough to take several leopards in years gone by, a couple with a standard Leupold 3.5-10x and never thought I needed anything better. Then I tried it with a 1.5-5x Leupold and wasn't impressed at all with the light gathering ability. If I were going today it would be with my Nightforce or maybe the Trijicon. | |||
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I considered the Trij scopes a couple of years ago, but couldn't bring myself to purchase a scope that was not waterproof. But then, I live in SE Alaska.... Antlers Double Rifle Shooters Society Heym 450/400 3" | |||
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.............................. Where is it written that Trigicon scopes are not water proof? ....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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Mac, I remembered the term "water resistant" when I was considering them. I just went to their website and here's a quote from their webpage on Accupoint scopes: "The AccuPoint®'s rugged construction protects it from the toughest elements. It's crafted from aircraft-quality, hard-anodized aluminum with a tube that’s nitrogen-filled to prevent corrosion and eliminate fogging. A solid black-matte finish eliminates glare and light reflection, which could spook game. And, it’s water resistant, so the AccuPoint is able to handle even the most challenging hunting conditions." Antlers Double Rifle Shooters Society Heym 450/400 3" | |||
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