FFP VS SFP

@Tennisbum, there is an excellent article on the subject on the hardair magazine website.

Just my opinion ...FFP scopes are over hyped . I have a new very expensive scope on the way that was offered in SFP and FFP for the exact same price ...I choose SFP everytime. 

I'm not a scope expert by ANY measure , but I have looked thru a few and the small advantage FFP offers is only valid if you are truly ranging and using it as intended .

In most any other application...SFP is my choice . 

That's just one guys opinion of course

Dear Bum...

I just received a FFP Discovery scope...exceptional build quality, optical clarity, and great brightness!

However, when the scope is on low magnification, 3X, the fine line reticle is near invisible, as are the mil-dots. When I turn the magnification up to 6X or higher, the reticle comes into excellent focus.

Personally, I would not spend one dime extra to get a FFP scope!

.

I love the solid tube and locked turret qualities of the scope, but what good is an ultra-fine line cross-hair, with crisp tiny

mil-dots........IF YOU CAN'T SEE THE DAMN THINGS UP CLOSE!!!!

Just my thoughts...some may disagree.



Kindly 'Ol Uncle 



  "...rotten sumbenches expect me to squint when I'm trying a 10 yard head shot on a 'dillo??? Who do they think I am..."Zonk"???"

@Joe, not for nothing but your enthusiastic and entertaining review of the Aztec Emerald FFP was the reason I purchased it. No regrets, as I truly love the scope and have made many many kills with it.

most target shooters use sfp scopes

For target shooting I would choose SFP. At fixed and known distances with plenty of time to shoot the SFP's thin reticle makes shooting much easier.

FFP is nice for hunting if you are constantly changing magnification because you will have to remember one dope chart for your gun. FFP becomes a problem if you are zoomed to a very low/high magnification

For target shooting I would choose SFP. At fixed and known distances with plenty of time to shoot the SFP's thin reticle makes shooting much easier.

FFP is nice for hunting if you are constantly changing magnification because you will have to remember one dope chart for your gun. FFP becomes a problem if you are zoomed to a very low/high magnification

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"...Uhuh, uhuh...yessir, what he said!!! He ain't as dumb as he looks!, that's what I'm saying!!...yessir!! Give that kid one of them "+" dots!!!"



Dear Forum members...please excuse the above...he slipped out of the box I keep him locked in.

Kindly 'Ol Uncle 

I recently started using a FFP scope, after a short time I switched back to the SFP scope. As others have said at lower power the cross hairs seem to get lost for me. When using lights for night time shooting the larger reticle is much easier to get on target. For distance shooting I carry the data with several different powers taped to the stock. 

I purchased a Hawke Frontier FFP and I really like it. It is my first FFP and I use the turrets to dial up, and the crosshair graduations to simply hold over, alternately, depending on the situation. That has proven to be a real advantage so far. I use the scope set on the highest power,15X. When I purchased, I never really intended to dial up, but it has proven to be up to the task. I intend to purchase a higher power scope in the near future and have some decisions to make regarding FFP/SFP at the higher power desired. I would like to check it out prior to purchase, particularly, crosshair thickness at 25X.

I also have a Hawke FFP 5-25x. I really like the scope... the lack of having to figure out where you’re pellet is going to hit just cause you changed the magnification is nice in my opinion. That being said, at 25x the cross hair is WAY too thick... luckily I never shoot on 25x... I usually stick to 10-15x depending on distance and target size. 

I still get along great with my old Hawke Sidewinder 6-24 SFP scope on my Royale ... I have had it for years and it still is a great scope. It really depends on what you want.. do you NEED a FFP scope... no... as was said above a SFP scope will do ya just fine for most applications... but I will say it is nice to take some of the guess work out every time you change the magnification. Just my 2 cents... 

FFP is nice for hunting if you are constantly changing magnification because you will have to remember one dope chart for your gun. FFP becomes a problem if you are zoomed to a very low/high magnification

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Not all FFP scopes have the same high/low mag issues. The Emerald on 25x does not obscure any part of the POI, at 5x you can lose the crosshairs on a dark target, but with illumination on it’s a non issue. I use mine at 5x at night for ratting and starling elimination with the IR I can still see and reference the holdovers at 5x. The reticle on FFP scopes make a big difference the one on the Aztec Emerald 5.5x25x30 SF IR rocks. I love being able to shoot and use the same holdovers no matter what magnification I’m on.

I have used both and i only will buy a FFP scope ,here is why , I target shoot and hunt , I am always changing my scope magnifications , say you have a 5x20 scope here is some reasons why I only use FFP ,

so as you can see a FFP is always true , if you hunting , and see a squirrel and are at say 8x with a SFP and decide to hold over , it can be confusing you may thing you on a different magnification and you dont have time to put to 10x to make it true mil ,by then the squirrel will throwing nuts at you ;I doubt he will stay put if you say wait I got to get out my calculator and figure out my hold



EXAMPLE

ok we sighted in at 50 yards with our 5x20 scope and we shooting 100 yards we calculated and it is a 4 mil hold



FFP scope

5x 4 mil hold @ 100yards

10x 4 mil hold @ 100 yards

25x 4 mil hold@100 yards



SFP scope (true mil magnifaction is at 10x)

5x ?????????

10x 4 mils

20x????????????



However , f you a target shooter and say shoot same range all the time then it is ok to use a sfp , I however dont just shoot paper at identical distances 

LOU

The main draw back for me on the FFP is I like to shoot waaaaaaay too far with my air rifles ...With FFP turned up you loose hold over points fast ...plus reticle gets FAT fast

The main draw back for me on the FFP is I like to shoot waaaaaaay too far with my air rifles ...With FFP turned up you loose hold over points fast ...plus reticle gets FAT fast

Click to expand...

Joe you know it’s not true of the Aztec, there is no FATNESS to the reticle at all. The comment above just lumps ALL FFP reticles into the same fat boat.

As everyone has stated about FFP scopes, the your hold values don't change with different magnification values. SFP scopes can be an advantage in this way:



lets say you sight in your gun at 50 yards at 20x

cross hairs - 50 yards

1st mil - 60 yards h/o

2nd mil - 70 yards h/o

3rd mil - 80 yds h/o

4th mil - 90 yds h/o



now you change you scope to 10x

cross hair - 50 yds

1st mil - 70 yds

2nd mil - 90 yrds

3rd mil - 135 yds

4th mil - 180 yds

Doubling your holdover values

At 15X my hold over graduation is number 3. Number 10 plus (more unmarked) are available. That's a lot of elevation remaining. As stated previously, i have not had the opportunity to use 25X. This at 100 yards.

I'm one of the people that didn't hop on the ffp bandwagon and have no regrets. The fact that I dont change magnification too often (aside for lower mag. at dawn/dusk) plays into that,I guess.

I can understand the potential advantages of a ffp scope...but I practice a lot and seem to do OK with my sfp scopes. Just my take on the subject.

Mike

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