Leupold vs Vortex

[mercerbear]

I don't own an axis, because I have a good hammer for banging in tent stakes, which is the best purpose an axis can serve, (I really don't mean that. If that's all someone can afford I'd rather they were out there hunting than sitting at home). Sfp optics don't pull in light any better than an ffp, they just might help you see the reticle better in low light if you made a bad reticle choice for hunting, or have bad eyes, but what an sfp optic will do is make you miss animals. Sure, you might remember to turn it to max power, or 2/3 power, or maybe it's 3/4 power, and maybe there is a mark there to remind you, or maybe there isn't. I hope you can remember which it is when the trophy of a lifetime pushes your pulse through the roof. I only own one sfp optic, and it is a NF SHV 5-20×56mm, and I bought it without even checking because I stupidly assumed it was ffp. I'm sure most of you own a safe full of optics, and I regularly carry 3 or even 4 different rifles into the woods this time of year, and I don't even want to have to think about what the proper magnification is supposed to be when I need to dial.

I wish this website showed a person's state of residence.


I'm 40 and have been hunting since I was 9.

I can assure you that using SFP optics has never been an issue for me because the vast majority of shots E of the Mississippi are under 300 yards and a SFP duplex is just fine.

Long distance hunting is a different animal and makes FFP reticles with hashes on them an asset.

That's why I just bought a Mark-5HD in FFP.

For those that hunt solely on the E Coast, FFP doesn't have value. Clear glass and light gathering is what matters.

 

[shooter7]

I wish this website showed a person's state of residence.


I'm 40 and have been hunting since I was 9.

I can assure you that using SFP optics has never been an issue for me because the vast majority of shots E of the Mississippi are under 300 yards and a SFP duplex is just fine.

Long distance hunting is a different animal and makes FFP reticles with hashes on them an asset.

That's why I just bought a Mark-5HD in FFP.

For those that hunt solely on the E Coast, FFP doesn't have value. Clear glass and light gathering is what matters.

Even for some of us in the mountain west FFP isnt the holy grail of scope features. In order for a FFP scope to be a good hunting scope it needs to have illumination. I've killed more elk and deer inside 60 yards in the timber than I have at 500 yards. Using FFP that isnt illuminated when you chase elk into the timber sucks. And scopes that usually are FFP and illuminated are typically heavy. I would much rather have a SFP scope in those conditions.

Maybe its cause I'm not a good long range hunter and I go find the elk and deer where they hide. I don't just sit in a hillside waiting for one to step out and make a long shot. I also dial long shots so reticle holdovers don't mean much to me.

 

[cajun]

I think the whole Ffp thing is over rated. Most guys are dialing elev at longer range and if you have a 3-15, 4-20 optic its going to be at max power for long shots anyway if your holding windage. If your a prs shooter then yeah I can see it. I just hate that the reticle changes size. At low power most are almost useless.

 

[mercerbear]

Even for some of us in the mountain west FFP isnt the holy grail of scope features. In order for a FFP scope to be a good hunting scope it needs to have illumination. I've killed more elk and deer inside 60 yards in the timber than I have at 500 yards. Using FFP that isnt illuminated when you chase elk into the timber sucks. And scopes that usually are FFP and illuminated are typically heavy. I would much rather have a SFP scope in those conditions.

Maybe its cause I'm not a good long range hunter and I go find the elk and deer where they hide. I don't just sit in a hillside waiting for one to step out and make a long shot. I also dial long shots so reticle holdovers don't mean much to me.

I'm with you . The Mk 5 I picked up is the 3.6-18 TMR and illuminated.

It will light up and shoot well close up.

 

[Deleted member 115360]

I wish this website showed a person's state of residence.


I'm 40 and have been hunting since I was 9.

I can assure you that using SFP optics has never been an issue for me because the vast majority of shots E of the Mississippi are under 300 yards and a SFP duplex is just fine.

Long distance hunting is a different animal and makes FFP reticles with hashes on them an asset.

That's why I just bought a Mark-5HD in FFP.

For those that hunt solely on the E Coast, FFP doesn't have value. Clear glass and light gathering is what matters.

I'm also 40, and killed my first spruce grouse in Alaska when I was 5. I started killing whitetail in TN at 9. I kill most of my deer at less than 100y because that is where I often find them, however, I also hunt bean fields, corn fields, river bottoms, mountain sides when I drive to east TN and hunt cherokee national Forrest. If sfp works for you, then great, that will save you a few dollars at the point of purchase, and if your hunting style doesn't put you in positions where you regularly dial, then that's cool too. I'm sure a wide segment of the population hunt without long opportunities. I was an Army sniper, so I enjoy stretching my rifles out, and I enjoy sitting in positions that allow me to view huge swathes of country where shot opportunities can be long at times. I almost forgot to mention cutover. I have found a piece of public ground recently with 22k acres and much of it is recently clear cut. I'll add some pictures below. You can find any type of opportunity you'd like to, anywhere in America, so it probably just depends on your personal hunting style.

 

[Deleted member 115360]

I also forgot that I own another sfp optic. I have a vx5hd that is sfp. I only carry it when I know I'll be staying in the timber..

 

[mercerbear]

I also forgot that I own another sfp optic. I have a vx5hd that is sfp. I only carry it when I know I'll be staying in the timber..

Well, you are certainly an outlier on this side of the country....I'm sure you realize that.

Thank you for your service.

 

[cajun]

I'm also 40, and killed my first spruce grouse in Alaska when I was 5. I started killing whitetail in TN at 9. I kill most of my deer at less than 100y because that is where I often find them, however, I also hunt bean fields, corn fields, river bottoms, mountain sides when I drive to east TN and hunt cherokee national Forrest. If sfp works for you, then great, that will save you a few dollars at the point of purchase, and if your hunting style doesn't put you in positions where you regularly dial, then that's cool too. I'm sure a wide segment of the population hunt without long opportunities. I was an Army sniper, so I enjoy stretching my rifles out, and I enjoy sitting in positions that allow me to view huge swathes of country where shot opportunities can be long at times. I almost forgot to mention cutover. I have found a piece of public ground recently with 22k acres and much of it is recently clear cut. I'll add some pictures below. You can find any type of opportunity you'd like to, anywhere in America, so it probably just depends on your personal hunting style.

Gotta love a fresh cutover. Did ya'll use ffp or sfp in the military?

 

[Deleted member 115360]

Gotta love a fresh cutover. Did ya'll use ffp or sfp in the military?

Everything that I can recall was ffp, but to be honest, most of them were fixed power. My m24 was a fixed 10x. Then we had some vx4 series stuff, but very low power, so they were basically always at max power. I can't remember the exact magnification range, but maybe 4-12x or so. As I was getting out we got the 300wm rem 700 badasses with the mark 8 in ffp. We constantly used our scopes for ranging targets, even if only to keep up the perishable skill, so it was pivotal that we operated in thr correct scale. Our binos were mil dot, and our spotters were ffp and mil dot as well, so we had a relatively similar look in all of our optics. The scopes that didn't have true mil dot were mil dot overlay, so there was a congruity there. This simplicity of function is probably why I have an aversion to sfp. In a bind I can still pick up several of my scopes and find an accurate range as long as I can find a target of known size.

 

[mercerbear]

Everything that I can recall was ffp, but to be honest, most of them were fixed power. My m24 was a fixed 10x. Then we had some vx4 series stuff, but very low power, so they were basically always at max power. I can't remember the exact magnification range, but maybe 4-12x or so. As I was getting out we got the 300wm rem 700 badasses with the mark 8 in ffp. We constantly used our scopes for ranging targets, even if only to keep up the perishable skill, so it was pivotal that we operated in thr correct scale. Our binos were mil dot, and our spotters were ffp and mil dot as well, so we had a relatively similar look in all of our optics. The scopes that didn't have true mil dot were mil dot overlay, so there was a congruity there. This simplicity of function is probably why I have an aversion to sfp. In a bind I can still pick up several of my scopes and find an accurate range as long as I can find a target of known size.

Given your skill level and background, your fondness of FFP makes complete sense.

Most guys just aim and shoot, which lends well to SFP.

 

[longrangebo]

The more optics cost the better they are in 99.9 percent of the cases!

 

[Jeffsavage]

Vortex, nice optics for the money.

 

[30calyooper]

I don't own an axis, because I have a good hammer for banging in tent stakes, which is the best purpose an axis can serve, (I really don't mean that. If that's all someone can afford I'd rather they were out there hunting than sitting at home). Sfp optics don't pull in light any better than an ffp, they just might help you see the reticle better in low light if you made a bad reticle choice for hunting, or have bad eyes, but what an sfp optic will do is make you miss animals. Sure, you might remember to turn it to max power, or 2/3 power, or maybe it's 3/4 power, and maybe there is a mark there to remind you, or maybe there isn't. I hope you can remember which it is when the trophy of a lifetime pushes your pulse through the roof. I only own one sfp optic, and it is a NF SHV 5-20×56mm, and I bought it without even checking because I stupidly assumed it was ffp. I'm sure most of you own a safe full of optics, and I regularly carry 3 or even 4 different rifles into the woods this time of year, and I don't even want to have to think about what the proper magnification is supposed to be when I need to dial.

Agree on the Axis! But that said I'll be fair - I have heard that the Axis II does seem to perform a little bit better...

Have to say this too - anyone who does not spend much time practicing their marksmanship can get buy with a number of the so-called "entry level" rifles out there, especially if there is a limit to the budget. And if you have a newbie like a kid you are not so sure will really get much use out of it...well you get the idea. If it holds 1.5" groups at 100 with factory ammo, there are lots of people who will never know the difference because that's a good group for them! Lots of hunters in my area (deer hunting is a tradition here) and I find it quietly amusing watching them try to zero their rifles at the nearest sand pit every year before the season...but if you only shoot 40 yards I guess it doesn't take a lot of precision.

Seems like it doesn't take long before most folks decide how serious they are about their gear and the el cheapo rifles get replaced ASAP. And if not? I guess if it goes bang and they get their deer they have every right to be happy. As quoted above, I'd rather see people hunting than sitting at home and voting against my 2nd Amendment rights.

For the record, NO I have never bought a kid an Axis! Why would I when the Ruger American does what it does so much better?

 

[Old Rooster]

I own both but a Leupold VX lll 6.5-20X50 LR Target sits on my favorite 300 win mag and it has never failed me yet.
That being said I trust my Viper PST 3-15 also but I find the Leupold is brighter early am and at magic time(right before dark).
Just my 2 cents
Old Rooster