Thinking about shooting Hunter class and wondering what scope/reticle combination folks are finding most effective while shooting matches.
Best scope/reticle combination for Hunter class field target?
- Thread starter dennisu
- Start date
Since we’re limited to 16x and can’t click I don’t care if the reticle is mil or MOA As long as there are enough reference lines/dots for accurate wind age and holdover. I want the reticle to be bold enough to be visible in low light or have an IR option. I like the clarity and light gathering qualities of my SIII (at 16x) but I actually like my Athlon Helos reticle more for HFT(US). Uj
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Anxious to see what choices are made. I haven’t found the best one. Currently I am leaning towards a mildot but I would like a center dot as well. I haven’t found one. IR would be nice, but I’ve made my choice enough of a unicorn already.
I am using the MOA-H right now but it is just too busy to keep track of. The simpler the better, I think.
I am using the MOA-H right now but it is just too busy to keep track of. The simpler the better, I think.
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I've shot FT for years and have peered through a lot of different scopes that my fellow shooters are using. To me, it all boils down to the best reticle for you and how accurately the scope ranges. All other features are secondary. For me, I use a SFP Hawke Sidewinder 6-24X with the 20X 1/2 mildot reticle. Why 24 power you say because you can only use it at 16X? It's because the 16X Hawke scope only has a 10X reticle which is smaller and makes overhold more difficult. I also prefer this reticle over the Airmax because it is more precise.
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Wow, it's like the who's who of Desoto Airgunners! We got Dennis, Corky, and Paul...
I have used the Hawke Airmax 30 side focus 6-24 with AMX reticle and liked it very well. I was particularly happy with the way it ranges at 16X. Now I am using the Sightron Siii 10-50 because that is what was on Corky's Crown when I bought it from him. It also ranges very well at 16X but it doesn't have the resolution of hash marks that the Hawke does for hold-overs. I think the biggest factor in choosing a scope for hunter class is how well it ranges at 16X because that is going to 'make or break' you when deciding on hold-over.
Chip
I have used the Hawke Airmax 30 side focus 6-24 with AMX reticle and liked it very well. I was particularly happy with the way it ranges at 16X. Now I am using the Sightron Siii 10-50 because that is what was on Corky's Crown when I bought it from him. It also ranges very well at 16X but it doesn't have the resolution of hash marks that the Hawke does for hold-overs. I think the biggest factor in choosing a scope for hunter class is how well it ranges at 16X because that is going to 'make or break' you when deciding on hold-over.
Chip
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The things Covid does to use; can’t meet at the range so we meet here. I was thinking about using a Sightron SIII 10-50 but mine does not have a 16X factory mark. Just 10/12x then it jumps to 20x. I really don’t want to use 10/12x power in a match. Seems like it would be a real disadvantage. Can you just set it between the 2 marks and call it good?
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Sill using the obsolete OPTISAN / MTC Viper 4-16x50's on the Hunter guns. love how well they range and an excellent HFT reticle IMO.
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By rule it has to have a 16X marking on the power ring OR you have to use the next lower setting that does have a mark. I'm sure that nobody will care at our club matches but if you decide you like it and want to continue to use it you would probably want to get one with the 16X mark. Maybe you could send it back to Sightron and have them replace the power ring?
Chip
Chip
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Sightron does not replace the ring according to their representative. . They set the gun to 16X in a machine that determines true magnification and etch 16 on the power ring. I have had two 1050's upgraded this way. IIRC it cost $75. You can have it custom parallaxed also if it will not focus to 10 yd.
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Hi guys!
My 10-50 I use for Hunter has a sixteen marker but I have another that only has the 12/20. I’ll keep using the correctly marked one. I try to remember that this is supposed to be fun and not get too wrapped up in the equipment wars. I’ve been there and done that in other disciplines. Not a good fit for me now.
Stay safe, hope to see you all soon at DeSoto.
Corky
My 10-50 I use for Hunter has a sixteen marker but I have another that only has the 12/20. I’ll keep using the correctly marked one. I try to remember that this is supposed to be fun and not get too wrapped up in the equipment wars. I’ve been there and done that in other disciplines. Not a good fit for me now.
Stay safe, hope to see you all soon at DeSoto.
Corky
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AAFTA rules say you must put the magnification on 16X or the next lower factory marking, so that would be 12X. Sightron will add a factory 16X marking for $50 if you ship them your scope. I've done this recently on my Sightron.
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I have been on the prowl for an upgraded hunter division FT scope so always like seeing this thread topic. One thing I have learned is that views tend to vary on how well a particular hunter scope ranges in the no mans land of 40+ yards. Seems like a scope that some don't care for is another man's treasure! For instance a couple guys on my FT club that use Sightrons 10-50x60s for hunter at 16x tell me they are very consistent in ranging 40-55, but then I will see experiences with that same scope on the AGN forum saying they are just "meh" after 40. I am sure there are reasonable explanations for these differing opinions such as experience, technique, eyesight, and scope manufacturing tolerances.
I think there could be some good objective tests that could be devised to rate a scopes ranging quality for FT, but I doubt there would be much draw in doing them since we FT shooters live in a very small pond compared to other scope users. I recently viewed a Falcon X-50 scope video review by Joe W Rhea where he showed how well that scope differentiated focusing somewhere between 50 and 51 yards or thereabouts. His video captured very clearly how the scope popped into focus for each of those distances, but what he did not show was if that difference could be consistently read on the scope wheel at the same point time after time. Come on Joe, just do it on every scope test from now on and forget the turret nipple torture test!
As far as reticles, they are really a personal preference I think. I do like some of the Hawke and other similar styled reticles that have the bars on the end of the horizontal crosshairs that I think benefit bracketing. If you download Strelok Pro on your mobile, you can plug in probably every reticle known to man to see what they look like at different magnifications and distances.
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Thanks everyone for the great input! Learned a lot and your informed comments were very helpful in guiding my research. I think I’m going to try the SIII 10-50 that I have on hand to begin with. If it works out in practice, I’ll send it to Sightron and get a 16x mark etched on it. If not, I really like the Hawke 20x 1/2 mil dot reticle (thanks Paul!) but the MTC SCB2 reticle available on the MTC Viper Pro is really interesting. Need to look at it a bit more and the Viper Pro. Everything is a series of trade offs but you folk have helped me to really narrow the choices.
Dennis
Dennis
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I have always felt the Hunter class should regulate its own rules on equipment instead of a third party. I'm still looking for that magic scope but I don't think it exists. Guess we have to do the best we can with what we can afford until enough shooters want it bad enough.
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Not that I want it "bad enough", but maybe it's time to change the rule to 24x? Or no magnification limit? It's been three years since the change from 12x to 16x, and overall, it probably helped the game. 24x or even higher magnification scopes are fairly common/inexpensive these days, at least for airguns.
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My preference these days: 6-24x50 Athlon scopes: Midas TAC (APLR4), Helos Gen1 (APLR2), Argos Gen2 (APLR2). MOA reticles.
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A Hawke Sidewinder 10x50 ED set to 16X with TMX IR reticle has worked real well for me. No temperature shifts I can detect from 40deg F to 90. The lighting helps on dark targets/lanes. Optional 6" removable wheel gives enough resolution for those 50+ yd target marks.Glass is as good as my Sightron III.
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Scotchmo, is your preferences for these particular scopes primarily related to their parallax rangefinding abilities, and if so are all three of these about equal in that regard? Also do you know what the impetus was several years ago for AAFTA to go from 14X to 16X ?
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