2aHawaii
General Topics => General Discussion => Topic started by: tim808 on August 08, 2025, 05:19:45 PM
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Bojangle recommended a durable scope like a Trijicon or Swfa so I’m close to buying something.
New Trijicon Hurons (3-9x40, no illuminated reticle) are as low as $350
New SWFA’s run about $750 (3-15x42, I think no illuminated reticle)
Are you folks using illuminated reticles?
Did you shoot a deer in low lighting?
(I pretty much know I should save up more to get the Trijicon Credo which has an illuminated reticle)
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I haven't gone deer hunting yet, but I got a cheap Bushnell Engage 3x9 scope with illuminated reticle on my 30-06. $150. Don't think you need an expensive scope unless you're hunting in dawn and dusk hours.
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Hi Z,
I was going to just get a 2-7, 2-10 or 3-9 vortex with an illuminated reticle but after Bojangles input, I could see the point of a durable scope.
It costs a lot, takes time to plan and uses up your vacation time when going hunting…..so I can see the point of minimizing the number of things that you can control from going sideways.
So the big $$ is about both the durability and seeing in low light. Would be a bummer to spend all that money and do all that planning….to miss a chance because the scope wasn’t working or it was too dim in low light
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The scope I use is not great in low light, its a sig. Dawn and dusk are great times to shoot. There have been a few times when I get the feeling that my scopes low-light performance was holding me back, but many more situations where that was not the case.
Part of it is your own skill level. Fair chase as they call it. The cost of those real good scopes goes up exponentially, if you dont have the skills to take advantage of the extra capability, then you are kind of wasting money.
You absolutely do want a super durable scope, you will eat shit on the side of the mountain for sure lol. One of those no questions asked warranty policy scopes would be great to have. I think most scope manufacturers are stepping up their game in that aspect. I once had the battery cap eject itself during a hunt. sig sent me a new cap no questions asked.
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i own no deer nor scopes...
Bojangle recommended a durable scope like a Trijicon or Swfa so I’m close to buying something.
New Trijicon Hurons (3-9x40, no illuminated reticle) are as low as $350
New SWFA’s run about $750 (3-15x42, I think no illuminated reticle)
Are you folks using illuminated reticles?
Did you shoot a deer in low lighting?
(I pretty much know I should save up more to get the Trijicon Credo which has an illuminated reticle)
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My dad and his friends weren’t the greatest at “hunting” (I think it was more of a boys day out thing) so I think they often did stay out from dawn to dusk…so it is sort of ingrained in me to get a scope that will work in low light
It is the pake in me that doesn’t want to spend the money for it
And it is the other pake in me that wants to buy it because if I’m going to put on that effort/money to go hunting, I better not lose an opportunity because I was too cheap to spend a few hundred more for a better scope.
I’m old and my low light vision is bad. I just need to put on my big boy pants and pony up the money
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I've read all the scope evaluation threads over on Rokslide and found them illuminating. The Trijicon Huron did extremely well for its price, and I have a 3x9-40 Huron on my "long range" bolt action deer/ goat rifle. I also had a 3-15 SWFA that lived on that rifle for a while until it moved onto my 50 BMG. I have a Primary Arms 1-6 SLx on my Mini-30 "pig rifle" and I have a 454 Casull lever action with buckhorns I'd love to take tromping through tall grass with.
Illuminated reticles are nice for low light but also, with a low enough magnification level, for both-eyes-open acquisition and short-range shots.
If you're planning on stomping through dense brush and taking sub-100 yard shots on game that pops up and is likely trying to run away, a LPVO, red dot, or irons is best. A non-illuminated 3x scope is worse than irons in that situation.
If you are wandering woodlands or sitting in one place in dawn and dusk waiting for game to walk by, and it might be out past 150 yards, that is where the good ol' 3x9-40 shines. An illuminated reticle is never a bad thing withe either.
It may seem like an LPVO is the best of both worlds but they don't let in as much light as a conventional scope with a bigger objective; you'll see the crosshair in the dark but maybe not much else. There are some scopes out there with ranges around 2-7x (I think the Credo calls itaelf a 2-10x?) and bigger objectives that could also be good compromises, especially if they have illuminated rericles. A lot of guys end up with a red dot and conventional scope stacked, too.
With how confiscation-happy Maui's game wardens are, anything more than a $500 rifle with a $400 scope seems irresponsibly extravagent.
The "one rifle/ optic to rule them all" remains an elusive beast. What package can take an off-hand point blank Texas heart shot on flushed game during the day while also being good for an off-the-knee quartering shot at 400 yards in low light? I don't know, so that's how I ended up with 2-3 rifles in rotation.
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Begle
I have a 1-4x24 Nikon Black Force 1000 on a 7.62x39 AR for the day when my friends want to go pig hunting (camping)
You are right about the 3-9x40 being good for sitting in one place. I’ll likely get the 3-9x40 Trijicon Credo. The 2.5-10x56 is a possibility too …..but there is an 8oz penalty. Which may not be that bad since I don’t plan to do a lot of walking…. I’m more of a park and shoot from the road type since I’m old and fat.
That scope and red dot combo is a good idea too!!
I might throw on a red dot or an occluded sight
Nothing wrong with 3 rifles. They are just tools and some tools are better suited to certain jobs :-)
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Anyone using FFP scopes for deer hunting?
I read that most scopes for deer are SFP like the Trijicon Huron and Trijicon Credo since the distances are relatively short or medium. And FFP is generally for longer ranges
I once had a FFP but it was meant for Puuloa but we never joined/went….it wasn’t for deer.
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the price delta between FFP and SFP is usually pretty steep...
Anyone using FFP scopes for deer hunting?
I read that most scopes for deer are SFP like the Trijicon Huron and Trijicon Credo since the distances are relatively short or medium. And FFP is generally for longer ranges
I once had a FFP but it was meant for Puuloa but we never joined/went….it wasn’t for deer.
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Anyone using FFP scopes for deer hunting?
I read that most scopes for deer are SFP like the Trijicon Huron and Trijicon Credo since the distances are relatively short or medium. And FFP is generally for longer ranges
I once had a FFP but it was meant for Puuloa but we never joined/went….it wasn’t for deer.
FFP isn't inherently a downside, but it brings with it cost and possibly weight that don't have much benefit in typical hunting ranges with typical calibers.
What cartridge, bullet and barrel length are you using? Plug those numbers into a ballistic calculator to determine how many inches/ mils/ MoA of drop and windage you'll get at ranges and winds you'd be willing to take a shot at. Are you gong to want a reticle that has stadia marks to make those corrections, or are you going to want to turn turrets to make those corrections?
The traditional "hunting" scope is going to be a simple thick crosshair with capped, non-adjustable turrets. Most hunters aren't going to make time to adjust turrets at their ethical ranges (300-400 yards), at the most they'll aim at the top of the back above the shoulder for longer shots and try to get a shot off before the animal moves.
Really a fixed 4x or 6x scope is pretty nice too, because how often are you even going to want to adjust magnification level while lining up a shot?
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I did a bunch of digging online for myself and I decided on the Athalon Helos BTR Gen2 2-12x. I have not bought it yet, waiting to find a deal but they are around $500.
Lots of people say it performs like a $1000+ scope
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Hi Begle,
I’ve collected an AR in 6.5 Grendel, 243 Savage, 7mm-08 Marlin, 30-06 Marlin and 30-06 Ruger
I’ll likely use the Grendel because I’m a recoil wimp and it shoots sub moa with factory Hornady Amax ammo. Plan to only shoot < 200 yards.
The maximum point blank range (MPBR) for Grendel is about 250 yards with about 1200 ft/lbs. So < 200, I won’t need to do any hold over or adjust any turrets
The Grendel might be the heaviest rifle….but that shouldn’t be a major issue since I don’t plan to do a lot of walking
I might use the bolt action rifles but I still have to find the ammo that they can shoot best.
Savage 243 - I think it shoots about 1-2 moa per the prior owner with the ammo I bought from him….his kids were able to get 3 deer.
Marlin 7mm-08, Marlin 30-06 and Ruger 30-06 - I have to message the prior owners about what hunting ammo the rifles liked and what moa it could be shot with that ammo
I’ve only used my dad’s rifles to hunt deer decades ago…..when I was a kid. I think they all had fixed magnification scopes. Because I am a dummy….sometimes it was a pita to “find” the deer with the scope when the deer were close. I know some people use fixed magnification scopes but I think a 2-7, 2-10 or 3-9 is more user friendly for a beginner.
I can see using 2x or 3x to “find” the deer and then zooming in closer for the shot.
I also don't see much benefit in using a FFP scope for hunting when shooting < 200
The reason I’m asking about FFP is because I have an opportunity to buy a good condition used gen 1 SWFA SS 3-15 FFP for $300
FFP isn’t ideal for hunting but SWFA’s are durable for hunting….and it could also be used for medium range shooting if I were to ever join that shooting club/group at Schofield
I am an older guy and my balance ain’t what it used to be ……I could see myself taking a spill….and the SWFA is durable.
I still have to hear about the turrets on SWFA…if they are capped…or at least lockable. At worse, it could be used just for target shooting if the turrets are not capped or lockable. That said, some people do use SWFA’s for hunting…..just have to check that nothing has moved or improvise (electric tape, rubber cap, etc) to keep the turrets from moving.
Hi Notmygun,
I was watching a C-Does review of a SWFA scope and he mentioned the Helos
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SWFA Gen 1 turrets (that's what I have) don't lock and don't have a zero stop. And they're enormous. So they're really not what you want to drag through the brush with.
The 3-15 is a heavy bugger too. It'll certainly work though.
Sounds like you don't have a bad option to use. What is 243 Savage?
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Savage Trophy Hunter in 243 Winchester.
If I used the SWFA on the AR Grendel, I’d tape up the turrets to prevent them from moving. Some people use rubber caps
Not having a zero stop is ok with me. I don’t plan to touch the turrets in the field. (None of my current scopes have a zero stop)
I don’t plan to do a lot walking. So weight/size won’t matter too much. I’m likely only going to shoot like 10ft from the truck.
The SWFA might be out of the running. I think the seller is having second thoughts about letting it go….hasn’t gotten back to me in several days.
Just out of curiosity, I’m going to take out some of my spare scopes (redfield revolution 4-12, Nikon 3-9 and Nikon 1-4x24) and my binoculars (vortex crossfire) at dawn or dusk to see how they do
My friend is telling me that I’m retarded. That I should just lose weight and go surfing instead. Says that back home I would go beach because I hated getting up early on cold mornings to load up/drive out and sitting out in the hot field all day till everyone got a deer.
He is probably right. I need to stop watching meateater.
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I have FFP scopes l use for hunting mainly
SFP and FFP mainly address using the scope to range objects. SFP mainly only work on a specific magnification whereas FFP is useable throughout its mag. Range.
When it comes to optics l suggest buying best you can afford.
Happy Hunting
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Hi Z,
I was going to just get a 2-7, 2-10 or 3-9 vortex with an illuminated reticle but after Bojangles input, I could see the point of a durable scope.
It costs a lot, takes time to plan and uses up your vacation time when going hunting…..so I can see the point of minimizing the number of things that you can control from going sideways.
So the big $$ is about both the durability and seeing in low light. Would be a bummer to spend all that money and do all that planning….to miss a chance because the scope wasn’t working or it was too dim in low light
I can see your point. I'm not really interested in hunting, more to just tag along for the ride so doesn't matter if I shoot something or not. Guess I'm the wrong person to ask :rofl:
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Hi Hunta808,
FFP is good….I just don’t have the skill to justify the added $$.
Hi Z,
Me too. I’m not really a hunter. But buck fever kicked in when I did see a deer. And it leaves as soon as we had to haul the deer back to the truck.
Btw. Did you mention to your friends that hunt what scope you were planning to use?
The rifle cases can get banged around and affect zero on expensive scopes. I wonder if it could damage the mechanism in a lower cost scope.
It costs a lot to go hunting and it would be frustrating if a scope was the reason for a miss.
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here's a great scope for sale
https://2ahawaii.com/index.php?topic=57252.0
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Yeah that's a good one ren, good reticle too if you learn how to use it. Some ppl don't care for that type of reticle as they feel it's too "busy" for them. So depends on the individual also.
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That is a nice scope!
It costs about the same as my 4 rifles!!
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Ffp is better bc most shouldnt be shooting at max power which makes sfp sub tensions useless bc they only make sense on max power. However most ffp reticles are not great for hunting. You want ones that still can be seen on min power when you want max fov up close but not too cluttered when you crank them up (no trees) The swfa reticles are a pretty balance of both, the glass on the 3x9s is a little better than the 3x15s (still perfectly adequate) but I like having a little more power bc I sometimes hunt mouflon and southern whitetail and they are both pretty small. I have 2 of the 3x9s and 2 of the 3x15s. The 3x9 is only 20oz and the 3x15 only 22. Another reticle that's good is the maven reticle on the rs 1.2 but that's their only reliable model. I have two of those as well but they are a little heavier than the swfas. Great scopes though and they offer a great discount through govx if you are first responder. If you are on a budget the fixed 10 or 6 power swfa would be a decent buy the 10s can be found for 2-300 used. The 6xs are very hard to find and resell at a premium bc most like the fov of the 6 over the power of the 10 but I don't mind, I have two of them as well. I had some trijicon ten miles too before I went all in on ffp and the sfp retcle was good. The tree reticle on the ffp was too busy though I don't like trees. If you are just shooting inside 2-300 sfp still probably is fine but if you ever wanted to stretch it out go ffp mil and don't. Look back. The swfa 3x9 would be my first choice for that. Learn about quick drop and wind brackets and you'll be a better shooter. I've never worried about illumination either.
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Aloha Tim
If you're only looking to shoot less than 200 yds then power wise any of the options you mention will work. As you mentioned in one of your replies hunting takes time and money. How much time and money depends on the hunt and what's involved in it. I hunt a lot here at home as well as all over the world one thing I've learned about optics is buy the best you can. That NF may cost as much as 4 of your rifles but its worth every penny.
If you can use a Picatinny rail on your rifles you can use one scope for all your rifles. So buying 4 $250 scopes for your rifles is the same as buying 1 $1000 scope. Just another way to look at it. You can only shoot one at a time anyway.
If you have any ? feel free to pm me
Aloha & happy hunting
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That is a very good point about using one scope on multiple rifles!!
I’ll likely just use it on only one rifle once I figure out out which I shoot best
I had been budgeting $600ish for a Trijicon credo
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I would never want a 4x, or even a 3x, minimum magnification on a rifle I'd expect to take quick offhand shots on close targets with.
As a "do everything" scope, I'd rather have a 1-4x than a 4-14x. A good 1x, especially with an illuminated reticle, is in a class of its own for close range shots. A decent 4x can get you to 300-400 yards on a deer-sized target. A clear 14x is nice if you're trying to spot hits on paper through the scope, shooting tiny little targets, or taking shots at longer ranges than most would consider ethical.
I am tempted to buy that Nightforce for a designated longer-range rifle, but I wouldn't want to take it for a walk through shrubbery.
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To each their own and that's what makes it what it is. An individual thing to consider what fits each best.
I have no problem shooting game close with 3x have shot hundreds of head of game like that. This is coming from someone who hunted most his young life with a 1x5. I'd take the 4x14 everytime. Mainly because l shoot a lot farther than 200-300 yds. And because l prefer higher power scopes from my own experience.
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Begle
I’m not keen on fixed 6x scope. The 2a member that sold me the 243 rifle mentioned he was going to a scope that had low magnification based on how he (or his kids) couldn’t “find” close deer with his scope. I think he had a 4-12. A while back, I picked up a 2-7 Pentax so that is what I might also use. It isn’t durable like NF or Trijicon or have illumination….but I already have it….and I don’t plan to do much walking….so durability isn’t as critical would be a nice thing to have. Too old, too fat and too high BP to do much walking.
I’ve been using my binoculars, an unmounted 1-4 Nikon and a rangefinder to see how they do after sunset looking at stuff about 180yards down the street.
This weekend I’ll try to compare the 1-4 to a 3-9 at some park or area that doesn’t have a lot of ambient light after sunset.
I think the 1-4x24 might work for me out to 200 even at dawn/dusk.
Regarding the NF. If you only plan to use it for paper 100%, durability isn’t as much of an issue. Couldn’t a Viper do the job for $600 and leave $400 for ammo or reloading components? Or would the NF be a 90% range and 10% hunting scope?
The used SWFA has set sail. The seller hasn’t contacted me in about 2 weeks.