Anyone had any experience with illuminated scope reticles? I am thinking about getting a S&B 1.5-6x42 L9 as an all round low light woodland deer cum bushveldt cum leopard scope. It is going on top of a 8x57.

Thanks

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Regards

Richard

[This message has been edited by Deerdogs (edited 09-25-2001).]

I have a BSA one. It works as long as you can see the target. I use it on it's lowest light setting.

I have a S&B 1.5-6x42 L9 and really love it. The only drawback to this scope is that the tube is very short. You either need to have a small action or scope mounts that are designed with the front ring extended to the rear. Otherwise you can get the rail mount model.

I have a couple of pistol scopes by T/C that are lighted. I like them a bunch just have to remember to remove the battery when you put away your gun for the season, don't want it leaking into the scope. Remember put in a fresh battery when you begin your season and to bring an extra battery with you on your hunts.

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Handgun Hunter
LOVE THOSE .41s'

I use Leopold scopes without illumination in very very low light without difficulty. I would not want the extra weight, complexity, etc. Check out a really fine scope and you will not need it!

Will you be shooting at night? If so they really work well for that. If not at night, I suspect a quality scope wouldn't need it even at dusk, but when it gets dark they work great! For example, when you shoot coyotes at night they are great, but I wouldn't put one on my deer gun since it isn't needed during legal hunting hours as it is light enough.

As Mark explained only use of the illuminated recticle is for hunting at bad light. The most advantage is to pick up the target quicker. F. e. when the deer or boar crosses a road or a strip in the wood. For hunting with a rifle at daylight it makes no sense and is only additional technics wihtout use.
We have here a lot discussion what is the best: An illuminated cross or only a point. But I think everybody has its own preferences as at the normal recticle. The dot does not bring so much light in the picture, and with the cross you can check that you do not tilt the gun. I have a dot.

BR

I went through a whole heap of heart searching about this with my 9.3 because I planned to use it on boar under a moon and also in real dusk in winter.

In legal conditions there are a very very few times that I can make the deer out well enough to shoot but can't because I've lost the cross hair, say twice a year. The main problem is that by the time you've lost the cross hair on a Zeiss 6x42 or a Swarovski 1.5-6x42 you can no longer distinguish sex etc unless it's a monster buck.

I do think a slightly thicker cross hair as present in genuine UK import Swarovski or Zeiss (all I have knowledge of) helps and I notice a distinct improvement moving from a 4a to a 4 for last light especialy at the close sort of range we're talking of.

If you want the last word in non illuminated reticles for really low light go for a German post. I once shot a Roe buck (my first) in light so poor I could only distinguish his antlers at the 12yards the shot was taken at. The post on my Kahles sniper scope showed up perfectly.

I suppose you just have to honestly ask yourself how many times you have forgone a shot because you could see the animal but not the cross hairs

Oh and the light transmission of illuminated scopes is adversely affected by adding the illumination device - in Swarovski by 2%

I avoid electronic gadgets of any kind when it comes to hunting rifles. "Murphy" works overtime on hunting trips.....

AD

DD, I have a S&B 1.25 x 4 with flashdot that came on my Rigby. I didn't order it that way it simply arrived with the illuminated reticle. Because the control is so unobtrusive I didn't think anything of it. I guess it does add some weight, however. Anyway, I found myself stalking a buffalo at the very end of a day back in August. The light was so low and the animal so dark that I found myself turning on the dot at its lowest setting. Where I wasn't a believer before I am now. I was throwing lead as fast as I could because of the time of day and the dot made target acquisition and shot placement very much faster. I may never need it again and I might not have had to have it then but I was glad for it.

Ive never tried one but the question in my mind is wouldnt the illuminated recticle within the scope make it more difficult to see what is outside of the scope in a low light situation? kind of like how you can see more stars in the sky when your away from light then when your in a lighted area.. ??

Illuminated reticle are useful if your scope has a 56mm exit lens for shooting at dusk. Also it can be recommended on the 1.25 - 4 scopes for driven game.

Hello Gentlemen,
last year I got myself a Zeiss Variopoint 1.5-6x42 to use with my 9.3x62. And I'm very pleased with the way it all turned out. This gun is used for driven hunts primarily moose but I've taken some boars and a couple of roedeers aswell. My reason for buying this scope wasn't lowlight conditions but rather the fact that it's a very good reticle for getting on the target fast. The red dot makes it possibly to concentrate on the game and as you mount the gun you will be able to " see the red dot without acctually loking for it" it just floats around on the target. It's kind of difficult to explain and you might get the impression that I'm using some kind of illegal substances but this is not the case.
I've used this scope for some time now and the only major drawback I've found so far is that it depends on batteries wich of course run out on the worst possible occasion. I've learned to bring some spares so it's not a problem anymore.

regards

Henrik

Gentlemen

Having weighed up the pros and cons I have decided to save the cash and get a regular 1.5-6x42 S&B. I had one of these scopes before and I was very happy with it.

Thanks for your replies.

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Regards

Richard