Pistol Scope Choices for FT or EFT
- Thread starter cavedweller
- Start date
thought I’d share this:
For the HFT pistol match My TM1000 in .20 will be wearing the Athlon Heras SPR 6-24x56 FFP because it is too late in the game to swap over to a far better 12X reticle choice for pistol HFT.
When I return I’ll swap scopes and use the Athlon Ares Gen3 UHD 3-18x50; because at 12x the reticle is still nice and seeable and better than the Heras 6-24x56 at 12X or the Athlon Helos BTR Gen2, 2-12x42 or the Athlon Ares UHD 2.5-15x50; all options I’ve been staring through lately, while trying to make up my mind.
The Helos 2-12x42 is super sweet but my old brain needs more delineation between 0-1 or the trickiest of holdovers, too much guessing; kinda like my S-Tac 4-20x50 MH4 reticle.
Bottom line - the Helos 2-12x42 will end up perched on top of a single stroke pneumatic or a pesting platform as will the Ares 2.5-15x50; both amazing scopes while the Heras SPR 6-24x56 FFP will go back on something I can use at least 16-24x on.
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My previous post was spot on about using the Athlon 6-24x56 FFP on top of my TM1000 HFT pistoli! At 12x the reticle was just too fine to be useful in dark lanes against dark targets, even with illumination. This was objectively proven by my overall reduction in KZ hits. I went from 68% to 35%. Scope selection, especially for pistol HFT is critical!
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A BIG "WHY FOR" on my FT pistols I've stayed using just 2 scopes in these past 10 years of so.
Early on till @2 years ago the HAWKE Panorama EV 4-12x50AO SFP with 1/2-10x mil-dot reticle had served me very very well. Bright & clear with a wide FOV, tho reticle a tad fine in lower light.
Last couple seasons have switched to the US OPTICS TS-12 a 3-12x44 SFP compact that ranges better yet, still very clear glass and a Mil-Rad reticle thats a tad easier to see in low light ( Tho no illumination )
* As too illumination, out west on our FT courses be it pistol or rifle seldom to never need or use it.
No longer using the chassis having cut on a OEM wood stock having fit and comfort far exceed it.
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Rudy, I'm still advocating for the Athlon Helos G2 2-12x42 for HPFT because if I can range well with it having eye problems then anyone else should be able to do better than I can with good eyes.
In comps I've competed in there are more practiced, more steady, and also people who I consider superior shooters than myself, but I've won HPFT every time I've used this scope on my Thomas pistol.
So I'd say learn to use it and don't worry that it's not a .2 mil reticle, instead enjoy clearly seeing the nice thick .5 mil hashes or the .3 mil center dot on 12x.
In comps I've competed in there are more practiced, more steady, and also people who I consider superior shooters than myself, but I've won HPFT every time I've used this scope on my Thomas pistol.
So I'd say learn to use it and don't worry that it's not a .2 mil reticle, instead enjoy clearly seeing the nice thick .5 mil hashes or the .3 mil center dot on 12x.
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@steve123 , do you feel like there is enough delineation for the dicey close in shots? Or do you intuitively place your holdovers? Of course, just three hours ago I mounted and zeroed the Ares UHD 3-18x50 … but I’ll be shooting it tomorrow and if it’s not the answer, I’ll put the Athlon Helos 2-12x42 on it. I had 3 and sold one and the guy who bought it just beat me in pistol Hft
The 3-18 ranges great once I stopped twisting the tube with mismatched inserts
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@steve123 , do you feel like there is enough delineation for the dicey close in shots? Or do you intuitively place your holdovers? Of course, just three hours ago I mounted and zeroed the Ares UHD 3-18x50 … but I’ll be shooting it tomorrow and if it’s not the answer, I’ll put the Athlon Helos 2-12x42 on it. I had 3 and sold one and the guy who bought it just beat me in pistol Hft
The 3-18 ranges great once I stopped twisting the tube with mismatched inserts
Of course or I wouldn't use it.
With a 25y zero at 35y my 10.3gr pellet only drops .3 mil so I aim towards the top of the KZ if it ranges 34y to 35y, and maybe account for some wind.
PBR is from 20y to 31y if including .1 mil more either up or down. The pellet will still land centered enough to drop the target every time so I don't worry about it.
The rest of the distances you just hold the best you can, and after all if you cut the .5 mils in half .25 mil is fine enough on most KZ's.
At 10y a 1/2" KZ is fairly generous and remember that at 10y a whole mil is only .36" so a miss means a stray from fundamentals or some other mistake.
2.6 mils is my 10y dope so I use 2.5 mil and I can't remember the last time I missed at that distance, even on 3/8ths.
Finally that center dot is .3 mil wide so I use it to measure with as well.
It's nothing practice and familiarity won't take care of.
For rifle I prefer .2's, but......
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