Rifle Scopes Reticle comparison - EBR-7C vs APLR3

[memilanuk]

Kind of a specific question, but I don't really have an opportunity to get behind both easily or in a timely manner, so...

I'm looking for something that has the usual bells n whistles, but with a little bit finer center for precision aiming than the G3 in the scope I currently have. These two - the Vortex EBR-7C, and Athlon APLR3 - are the options of interest on a couple scopes I'm looking at.

Just from looking at the reticle subtension images, it seems like the center dot in the EBR-7C is a little finer than the floating cross on the APLR3... but the general center area of the EBR-7C looks a lot 'busier', which I'm not sure I like.

Can anyone here who has spent a little bit of trigger time behind *both* reticles talk a little about what your impressions were of the center aiming points on each?

Thanks!

 

[Gee Kay]

.04 on the dot and .2 on the cross hairs. athlon to me is a little less busy than the vortex but both as you would appreciate have their own strengths and weaknesses.

i have both but haven't spent much time behind the vortex for a proper comparison.

 

[memilanuk]

.04 on the dot and .2 on the cross hairs.

The thickness of the line portion of the x-hairs on the ALPR-3 is something like .07 mils, right? Then .2 from the center to the edge of the cross, and .2 from there across the gap?

 

[Gee Kay]

The thickness of the line portion of the x-hairs on the ALPR-3 is something like .07 mils, right?

i'll check the manuals and look through both and get back to you

Then .2 from the center to the edge of the cross, and .2 from there across the gap?

yes

 

[wade2big]

I will give you my opinion of the ebr7c. It sucks. Its the only reticle I have used to date that I just don’t like at all. If you are a high magnification guy 20x and above always, then you may like it. Its good there and not anywhere else.

 

[mustang-cars]

I will give you my opinion of the ebr7c. It sucks. Its the only reticle I have used to date that I just don’t like at all. If you are a high magnification guy 20x and above always, then you may like it. Its good there and not anywhere else.

I respectfully disagree. Shot a bunch of stages with the EBR-7c at 15x-18x at a match a couple of weekends ago and it was awesome!! Substantially better than the 2c reticle.

 

[Rob01]

I respectfully disagree. Shot a bunch of stages with the EBR-7c at 15x-18x at a match a couple of weekends ago and it was awesome!! Substantially better than the 2c reticle.

Same here. I use my scopes mostly in the 12-15x range at matches and no issues at all using the 7C. Use it for holds all the time.

 

[memilanuk]

@Rob01 how fine do you feel you can hold with that center dot? Fine enough to be able to use the rings on a 600yd NRA for hold-offs @15x if needed?

The hash marks near center do look awful 'busy'... on the other, they look like they might be pretty handy for doing small incremental holds on targets that don't have defined features of their own (like the scoring rings mentioned above).

 

[Rob01]

Honestly never shot F Class so can’t say but the dot is only .04 mils so at 600 yards is would be about .87” wide so plenty fine enough to make a precise shot.

The marks really aren’t busy once you look at them through the scope and you are right they are great for doing holds with.

 

[memilanuk]

I'll have to see if a local store maybe has a Vortex in stock with that reticle, and will let me take a peek through it. Probably not going to get to look thru an Athlon beforehand.

This is more for Midrange Prone AR Tactical class... max 15x, folding bipod, bean bag - more like Service Rifle with a scope and bipod, than F-class. Shoots on the 'big' target, same as Service/Match Rifle. Probably going to be a multi-use gun, though - maybe play at a few of the local tactical style matches, and hunting rocks

 

[Rob01]

Yeah I don’t think you will have any problems with the 7C. I just used one the other day in my Strike Eagle at a .22 match and it worked great at small KYL targets. Have used it on match heads too.

 

[DownhillFromHere]

The EBR-7C in my 4.5-27x56 Razor (also in 5-25x50 Viper PST) doesn't strike me as "busy" at all, especially compared to the MPCT-2 (also floating dot) in my ZCO 5-27x56.

The latter has 0.2-mil subtensions on the vertical reticle. The former has 0.5-mil subtensions.

I used the ZCO in its first match this past weekend; it was drizzly/rainy and therefore relatively dim lighting. Like @Rob01, I shoot 12-15x in matches. In the dim light, at 12x, it took longer than I would liked to "find" the 0.6-mil subtension I needed for a holdover stage as the marks were small and close together. It would likely have been easier had I thought to use the scope's illumination capability.

Also, like Rob, I've used the EBR-7C on matchsticks up close (~40 yards) in rimfire matches (yeah, well, he is often at the same matches...). The dot is great for that scenario. I think the dots in the Vortex EBR-7C and ZCO MPCT-2 are slightly different sizes but, personally, I sense zero difference putting them on targets at whatever range.

With experience on both, I definitely prefer a floating dot over a floating-or-otherwise crosshair.