Choose your reticle wisely.
Bob
C
Choose your reticle wisely.
Bob
Well said Bobcape. Depends on the intended use of the scope, but the right reticle is a must. Some guys dial yardage/windage and others use the reticle. I prefer to dial and don't want anything (like a Christmas tree with all sorts of dots and lines) between me and my target. So busy reticles are out.
There are several optics companies that make great scopes but I would never consider them because they don't offer the very simple reticle that I prefer.
In low light the additional cost of top shelf glass will begin to justify itself. I just bought a scope for a rifle that's almost finished. I really wanted to try March and took delivery of a 2.5-25x52. I was really impressed with the quality of the build and all the features. It was a little more compact than my others and a few oz lighter....basically everything I was looking for. But I sent it back the next day. The eye box was a deal breaker. It was so finicky and small. Compared to my other glass it was not in the same conversation.
Ive resigned myself to being limited to Swarovski, Leica and S&B. They all have my reticle and are all amazing optically. The Leica (Magnus 2.4-16x56i) has a slightly larger FOV and friendlier eye box. The S&Bs (Polar and Exos) are built sturdier and the turrets are hard to beat. And the Swaro Z8i is the best optically...by a very very thin margin. But it is absolute perfection and gathers light the best.
I ended up buying another Leica from a member of this forum, only because I found it lightly used and the price was hard to beat. I'll say this for the 1000th time, great glass does not wear out.
If I had to stick to a budget and stay at or just under $1000, the Trijicon Accupoint would be high on my list. Very very good optics and built solid as a rock.
I will give a shout out to Nightforce....if I could stand the weight and they offered a simple illum duplex reticle, I'd buy one. I had an Atacr a few yrs ago and didn't realize it was so heavy until it arrived. Very nice glass and built as good as it gets. I sold it and bought the Exos.....found the glass a hair more clear, had the same tactical build, and was 10oz lighter.
Start with a reticle that will be ideal for your use, and that will narrow down the field.