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focal planes?

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Fly

Member
May 20, 2018
299
43
Oklahoma, United States
FIRST FOCAL PLANE VS. SECOND FOCAL PLANE ???????

I order a Hawke scope & it should be here this after noon. I ordered one with a second focal plane. I know everyone has there own liking on this subject. 

But being I do not plan on shooting over 100 yards I could not see what justifies a first plane scope. What are your thoughts on this. One other thing this rifle in for 

hunting mostly. 

Fly 
 
If your reticle allows ranging, first focal plane will work at any power. A SFP scope will only accurately range at a single power. FFP scope the reticle will change size where SFP scope will remain the same. FFP scope hold over will work at any power provide you can see the marks, SFP scope your hold overs will change with power settings, if you only use one power, no issues.
 
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IMO the selling point of a second focal plane scope is the bigger eyebox.

The selling point of the first focal plane scope is the reticle staying to scale. 

With a first focal plane scope you have one less bit of mental gymnastics to go through, in adjusting for range. But with a second focal plane scope, if you only use two or three zoom levels, you could precompute what the reticle means at those zoom levels, and effectively nullify the benefit of a first focal plane scope. 

Part of me wonders if the digital revolution will eventually nullify this debate. Perhaps with digitally projected reticles. These would be technically second focal plane scopes that function as first focal plane scopes. 
 
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With hunting I always use second focal plane. I make two dope cards. One for 3x which is my default magnification in case a squirrel jumps up close to me or it's within 30 yards and then 9x which is my max magnification which takes me out to 100 for targets. I rarely hunt past 50 yards but I have stretched out farther on a few occasions. If you have the skill by all means that's just my skill level. You can make two dope cards with any magnification. You don't need to do minimum or maximum it could be 10x and 16x. You will have to range with a Lazer or some other technique tho. In my opinion ranging with the scope isn't worth dealing with a reticle that changes size every time you Change your dial. 
 
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As stated above, first focal plane scopes reticles are situated at the front of the scope (in front of the magnification lens) so when you change magnifications (like using a magnifying glass) , the reticle grows or shrinks but POI does not change. With a second focal plane scope, the reticle is situated toward the rear (close to your eye behind the magnification lens) and when changing magnifications, the reticle does not change size therefore the POI will change when changing magnification, it's like putting a magnifying glass in front of an object, no change in size.
 
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Can you explain what was “set at the factory”?
Click to expand...

Ditto
Click to expand...

Well i read the instructions & thats what they said for over all performance. The yardage adjustment in front of the eye peace was set on three & the set screw was tightened down 

so it could not turn. After I installed on my rifle & adjusted it the focus for my eye it shot well.. But the magnification was a bit low. so I loosened the set screw & readjusted the focal

magnification to my liking as the focus to my eye. Thats all I know as to what they printed. Any way I love my new Hawke.

Fly 
 
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