Hello, I watched a couple of YouTube videos regarding which one these are best and why. What is everyone's opinion on them?
First focal plane or second
- Thread starter Cbourbeau32
- Start date
The main difference is - intention to use. Target, FT, or hunting?
I am shooting paper target rings only, from a Bench, all known distances.
I click the turrets and not doing hold-over or under.
My scopes are all high power and SFP.
Hunter stories most likely much different.
I am shooting paper target rings only, from a Bench, all known distances.
I click the turrets and not doing hold-over or under.
My scopes are all high power and SFP.
Hunter stories most likely much different.
Upvote 0
It's what you like and what you intend to do, and for me how good you are at head math.
Are you going to use a ballistics calculator for each shot and not worry about time? Do you switch zoom levels often? Are you going to use scope stickers? If you said yes to zoom or stickers, first focal plane has my vote. For whatever my preference means, I will never buy a 2nd focal optic ever again.
Are you going to use a ballistics calculator for each shot and not worry about time? Do you switch zoom levels often? Are you going to use scope stickers? If you said yes to zoom or stickers, first focal plane has my vote. For whatever my preference means, I will never buy a 2nd focal optic ever again.
Last edited:
Upvote 0
I hunt and shoot paper. FFP for hunting and high magnification SFP for paper. I don’t dial turrets but use hold offs for both disciplines. When shooting times matches for record I don’t have time to dial nor do I when shooting pests or game so hold offs are much faster for both (for me).
Upvote 0
Like igolfat8 said above, I mainly shoot paper but I do get to pest at much longer distances and being able to increase magnification on the fly with no shift in POI using an FFP scope is wonderful, and I don't switch scopes out so FFP for me. SFP scopes usually have clearer glass though at the same price points.
Upvote 0
Youtube videos that say one is better than the other are not good videos. Look for videos that simply explain the DIFFERENCE between FFP and SFP scopes. Good videos about the DIFFERENCES between them will talk about how they are constructed and other such facts. The good videos will not be biased towards one or the other. The good videos will not claim that one is better than the other. They simply educate you and leave it up to you to decide which will work best for your situation.
stovepipe
Upvote 0
What ffp scope has wires or etched glass that is not so fine that you can see them in dim lighting/ shaded areas.
Upvote 0
I went through this for a long time. I shoot FT so I don’t change magnification much. But I like MIL better than MOA because it seems finer graduations. And I like FFP but I don’t know why. Both of these are very subjective. And I really can’t tell why I like one over the other.
Upvote 0
The big advantage of FFP is the value of the markings on the reticle do not change with magnification change. The big disadvantage, which is directly tied to the advantage, is the size of the reticle changes with changes in magnification. If the reticle is fine (like my Arken 6-24) it becomes almost invisible at the lowest power of the scope (6X in my example).
The big advantages of SFP are mechanical simplicity and the size of the reticle does not change with power changes. It's disadvantage is the size of the markings on the reticle are a function of the magnification and only match the mil or moa marks at one magnification. The reticle of the SFP does not move when you change power so it is a bit simpler.
I mainly shoot targets (paper) but like to be able to pest with the same gun and scope. When pesting I use 6X mostly because I want to be able to find the target quickly. If I cannot see the reticle well at 6X it requires me to use higher magnification making finding targets take more time. So the scope becomes less useful to me.
It is also possible to have a thicker reticle FFP where the reticle remains visible. My Primary Air 4-14 is that way. But that sort of reticle is not great for shooting paper targets (but I did shoot a 198 on the 30 yard challenge with the PA 4-14 but I could not see the aim point, I had to just center the reticle on the target).
Because of my desire to use both extremes of the magnification range of the scope I prefer SFP scopes. I sight most of my guns in at 30 yards so I only have to hold over at under 20 yards and over 35 yards. When I hold over I usually estimate the hold over based upon the size of the target. The head of a squirrel is about 2 inches in diameter, for instance. So if I need 1 inch of hold over that is about half the diameter of the squirrel head. Holding on the top edge should hit right in the middle of the head. I also usually put stickers on the inside of the occular lens cover with tick marks of holdover. For SFP scopes I do it at 6X and another higher power. So I can still use the reticle marks at a couple pre determined magnifications.
They both work, clearly, it is just how you see the trade offs.
The big advantages of SFP are mechanical simplicity and the size of the reticle does not change with power changes. It's disadvantage is the size of the markings on the reticle are a function of the magnification and only match the mil or moa marks at one magnification. The reticle of the SFP does not move when you change power so it is a bit simpler.
I mainly shoot targets (paper) but like to be able to pest with the same gun and scope. When pesting I use 6X mostly because I want to be able to find the target quickly. If I cannot see the reticle well at 6X it requires me to use higher magnification making finding targets take more time. So the scope becomes less useful to me.
It is also possible to have a thicker reticle FFP where the reticle remains visible. My Primary Air 4-14 is that way. But that sort of reticle is not great for shooting paper targets (but I did shoot a 198 on the 30 yard challenge with the PA 4-14 but I could not see the aim point, I had to just center the reticle on the target).
Because of my desire to use both extremes of the magnification range of the scope I prefer SFP scopes. I sight most of my guns in at 30 yards so I only have to hold over at under 20 yards and over 35 yards. When I hold over I usually estimate the hold over based upon the size of the target. The head of a squirrel is about 2 inches in diameter, for instance. So if I need 1 inch of hold over that is about half the diameter of the squirrel head. Holding on the top edge should hit right in the middle of the head. I also usually put stickers on the inside of the occular lens cover with tick marks of holdover. For SFP scopes I do it at 6X and another higher power. So I can still use the reticle marks at a couple pre determined magnifications.
They both work, clearly, it is just how you see the trade offs.
Upvote 0
I just bought a SFP 10 power fixed X 42 scope . Sighted in @ 16yards (50 feet) because this is my hunting rifle (squirrel.) off the bird feeder BUT
i parallax focused at random distances out to 50 yards 5/8 inch spinners never missed 12 spinners . did not touch turrets from sight n @ 16 yards . NO hold over or under . crosshairs on target . Can't get much simpler than that .
EDIT no wind today or i would have held for the wind .
i parallax focused at random distances out to 50 yards 5/8 inch spinners never missed 12 spinners . did not touch turrets from sight n @ 16 yards . NO hold over or under . crosshairs on target . Can't get much simpler than that .
EDIT no wind today or i would have held for the wind .
Last edited:
Upvote 0
I just put an arken on one of my discos, I want to sell my vortex viper pst off my other disco because it's 2nd focal. Heck I want to sell all of my 2nd focal scope collection and get arkens for all of them because calculator guns are for me and I shoot past 100 mostly. I like it better than my element helix due to the clarity of the Japanese glass on the arken too. 4-16x44
Upvote 0
I have only shot 100 yards one time with my HW97 .177 FTT's . I was at the range shooting 50 yard Bench rest . guys there challenged me to shoot 100 . The range has set up a KYL (sort of ) . Made up of cast iron fry pans , 8 inch /6 inch /5 inch and a 3 inch . I believe the wind actually helped with the 3 incher , blowing my miss into a hit hahaha . I went back the next day and took 8 shots it hit the 3 inch pan again .
I do not hunt over 30 to 50 yards , most 50 yards get a pass .
I do not hunt over 30 to 50 yards , most 50 yards get a pass .
Upvote 0