@UCChris I’m late to the party and I’m just seeing this. I’d say it depends on a few factors:
I’m sure I am not thinking of something here, but let’s discuss these. For the short answer skip to my answer to questions number one at the end.
4. First off I like to leave home with the least amount of gear. Most often I’ll take a pair of 8x-10x binos. In the woods using sound helps when there are a lot of leaves on trees. Then switch to glassing. In this environment you will see that the leaves can block out a good amount of sunlight in a dense canopy. A problem for me has been when (the wind blows or a squirrel jumps trees) branches move and bright light comes in. When this happens while I’m looking up, my eyes have to adjust beneath the canopy when the lighting is dim again. In this situation an illuminated reticle can help provide contrast when my vision has been temporarily compromised. Sure I can pull your eye(s) away from the glass and track it with my naked eye(s), but I have to find it again through my scope which isn’t always easy. If you’re carrying night vision or thermal, then none of what I have to say may be relevant to you.
3. & 2. I pretty much exclusively squirrel hunt with FFP scopes. Because of this I don’t take a rangefinder. I know my holdovers and check my zero in varying temps before leaving. I favor a Vector Veyron 3-12x44mm non-IR for its compactness and light weight. If it had an IR it would be perfect. I can say this, after having gone out squirrel hunting enough I know when the squirrels in our woods move most and it’s in twilight hours. I have tried tracking squirrels with this scope during twilight hours and when they stopped, I had no shot because I couldn’t see my reticle against the dark background.
1. I primarily post and sometimes use posting and spot & stalk together. Using these methods in the morning I really have no need for IR. If it’s too dark I can just observe and wait at my post for the sun to come up to see better. In the evenings is when squirrels give me the biggest problems. They will return to their dreys when there is low light in the woods and it’s frustrating to hear them all around I and can’t see them well. I refuse to use thermal for squirrel hunting. It feels like cheating to me. So in this situation IR is desirable for me in order to put a contrasting color against a squirrel silhouette when I can put a reticle on one during the evenings.
I hope some of this is helpful to someone.
- Which style hunting are you employing?
- Which time(s) of day are you hunting?
- What type of scope are you using?
- How much gear are you toting?
I’m sure I am not thinking of something here, but let’s discuss these. For the short answer skip to my answer to questions number one at the end.
4. First off I like to leave home with the least amount of gear. Most often I’ll take a pair of 8x-10x binos. In the woods using sound helps when there are a lot of leaves on trees. Then switch to glassing. In this environment you will see that the leaves can block out a good amount of sunlight in a dense canopy. A problem for me has been when (the wind blows or a squirrel jumps trees) branches move and bright light comes in. When this happens while I’m looking up, my eyes have to adjust beneath the canopy when the lighting is dim again. In this situation an illuminated reticle can help provide contrast when my vision has been temporarily compromised. Sure I can pull your eye(s) away from the glass and track it with my naked eye(s), but I have to find it again through my scope which isn’t always easy. If you’re carrying night vision or thermal, then none of what I have to say may be relevant to you.
3. & 2. I pretty much exclusively squirrel hunt with FFP scopes. Because of this I don’t take a rangefinder. I know my holdovers and check my zero in varying temps before leaving. I favor a Vector Veyron 3-12x44mm non-IR for its compactness and light weight. If it had an IR it would be perfect. I can say this, after having gone out squirrel hunting enough I know when the squirrels in our woods move most and it’s in twilight hours. I have tried tracking squirrels with this scope during twilight hours and when they stopped, I had no shot because I couldn’t see my reticle against the dark background.
1. I primarily post and sometimes use posting and spot & stalk together. Using these methods in the morning I really have no need for IR. If it’s too dark I can just observe and wait at my post for the sun to come up to see better. In the evenings is when squirrels give me the biggest problems. They will return to their dreys when there is low light in the woods and it’s frustrating to hear them all around I and can’t see them well. I refuse to use thermal for squirrel hunting. It feels like cheating to me. So in this situation IR is desirable for me in order to put a contrasting color against a squirrel silhouette when I can put a reticle on one during the evenings.
I hope some of this is helpful to someone.
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