Rifle Scopes how often do you use your illumination?

[spts05]

i have a number of scopes with illumination and i can't remember many times that i have used that function. just wondering how often other people might use it.

 

[bm11]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

I use it during dry fire practice at home, at night. Only used during live fire once, not usually in a low light situation.

 

[71firebird400]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

Never...

 

[quiksilv81]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

Never use mine unless i'm checking to see if the batteries are still working. Still a nice feature to have if you need it. If i was buying a new scope wouldn't really care if it had it or not.

 

[Runamuk]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

Never....For me it's the least important option.

 

[OpticsPlanet]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

Call me "old school", but I believe our livea are too dependent on batteries as it is. To me, a scope's illumination feature is superfluous. For the VERY few times I might need to illuminate the reticle in a hunting situation, I can do without it. My scope selection will not based on whether or not the scope has illumination. It's a gimmick that I can do without. (And no, I have not overlooked the Trijicon AccuPoint without battery)

George P.

 

[sobrbiker883]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

Personally, "better to have and not need than need and not have".

I've used it rarely, but the few times I have I was damned skippy I had it!

 

[Mo_Zam_Beek]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

IMHO thicker stadia is generally more practical in low light.

IMHO many lit reticles are too bright even on NV settings for NV use. Here again... thicker stadia.


Good luck

 

[VJJPunisher]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

I have an aimpoint that I never turn the illumination on, cant hit shit with that thing........

 

[*Nine]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

I too find that many scopes' illumination is too bright on the lowest setting. I have only used the illumination once on my S&B and it was for a night stage at a match. I had it on just bright enough that I could see it against the background.

 

[TonyAngel]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

I have a Nightforce and setting the illumination on that isn't as convenient as it is on some other scopes. I have mine set so that it just barely blooms in the pitch black. I've only had to use it a couple of times, but having it set like that worked out well enough for me, when using the scope at night. Like I said, I've only used it a couple of times. The NF does a pretty good job of gathering light and usually, if I can't see the reticle, I can't see anything else either and have no business squeezing the trigger.

 

[spts05]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

ok, i thought i was alone here. i guess cqb applications in urban areas and housed spaces etc. is where it shines. but that is not on scopes, more like eo's and red dot's.

 

[jakerz3]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: VAJayJayPunisher</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have an aimpoint that I never turn the illumination on, cant hit shit with that thing........</div></div>

That's hilarious. To the OP: I find it helps in low light scenarios with dark backgrounds. like in the early morning or dusk with a thick forest backdrop. Illum. reticles really are handy in this area... although I don't find myself in this situation often...

 

[leadbullet]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

tried once, could see the reticule just fine but the target disapeared in the darkness, never used it again and never will.

 

[Snakum]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

Used it at first light when trying to get a shot on a big doe. Made a big difference and I was glad I had it.

Never used it since.

 

[notquiteright]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

Illuminated reticles seem to come into their own in special stages in tacticool matches. In these stages they have the best chance of success as at least 90% of the competitors have installed fresh batteries for the occasion!

In LE classes where the students shoot with various types of illumination the students with a lit reticle dont seem to do any better than the traditional mildot reticle. (Those thin lined reticles like the TMR wash out easy and the only hope for a shooter is a lit dot to attempt to look past, hunting for the target.)

Hunting goes much better for me without the lit dot. A big buck lurking against a dark treeline in the early morning gloom of opening day gets obscurd if the center of the reticle is lit.

To each their own but for me the lack of a lit dot has not held me back. (though if the truth be told I would imagine many times a shooter has attempted to use his dot and discovered it must have been awhile since the last battery change!)

Good Luck

 

[Niles Coyote]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: spts05</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i have a number of scopes with illumination and i can't remember many times that i have used that function. just wondering how often other people might use it. </div></div>

Every morning and evening when deer hunting.

 

[JRose]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 71firebird400</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Never... </div></div>

+1


I don't even order scopes with illumination anymore, if given the option. Even in lowlight hunting situations I've found myself not really needing it.

 

[spts05]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

so why is it everyone has it and pay xtra for it if it is so seldomly used? it's not that i am against it i am just pondering thoughts here. if it is rarely used by the majority then why do the majority pay for it?

 

[notquiteright]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

Looks cool and the chicks dig it. LCCDI

Some scopes you cant get without some sort of illuminated reticle. I believe the new SWFA scope is just such a scope.

Seems for many its the umbella principle, if I have it I will never need it. For some its like gold trim on the family SUV, not functional but have you priced spinner hubcaps? A little gold trim seems like a deal then!

I wouldnt pay extra for illumination, but others can, it is afterall the individual's choice.

 

[spts05]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

i wonder if operational guy's use it more or the same

 

[AMTeam4]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

Never, in the Marines we didn't even keep batteries in our S&B scopes.

 

[coldboremiracle]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

I have actually used mine a couple times, once just because, but the other time it was an absolute must (kill was made). Other than that, never.

 

[HillbillyfromAL]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

I use mine all the time, because I shoot mostly at night. I'd much rather have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. I personally wouldn't buy a scope that didn't have it.

 

[5RWill]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sobrbiker883</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Personally, "better to have and not need than need and not have".

I've used it rarely, but the few times I have I was damned skippy I had it!</div></div>

This ^ sums up about how much i've used mine lol.

 

[cuffm4615]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

Never, Im not much of a hunter and the local ranges close way before I'll ever need illumination.

 

[justme]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

It made the difference for me. Without it I never would have been able to see my black reticle on a black bear at last light.

 

[Laseredge]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

Never, but if given the choice to have it, or not. On most of my rifles I would most likely choose it.

 

[rjdriver]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

Hardly at all, but at dusk and early dawn I have it turned on....

 

[hiddenmongoose]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

not all that often but at dusk dawn in summer shooting foxes coming out of woods to hunt it is very helpfull

 

[Ky 606]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

1 time in 4 years.

 

[Jon A]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

With a really thick SFP reticle I don't really "need" it for most things I do. Even with a thick FFP reticle, if it's well designed I can do quite well without.

However, most FFP reticles that look nice on high power aren't all that thick when cranked down to low power. So for hunting in the thick stuff in low light conditions with your scope on low power, that's when good illumination comes close to being "needed" for me. Needed isn't really the right word either though, more like it just makes for a much better tool and makes you more effective in the right conditions. For those who haven't tried, they may not know what they're missing.

For those who say an illuminated center dot washes out the target, you need to try the exact same thing again when your 5-20 SS gets here. It won't.

There are lots of other scopes that wont as well but most of them aren't cheap. It is true many illuminated scopes have that problem, but that doesn't mean they all do.

 

[Drifter™]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

I use it just enough to remind myself that's it's useless for my application.

 

[RedDragunWeapons]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

For most that just punch paper I think you will rarely if ever use your illumination as you go shoot during the day, but on many many hunting trips as well as other activities I have used my illumination.

Illumination is a large consideration for me when purchasing a new scope.

YMMV

 

[NoExpert]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

I've had three scopes with illumination so far and one more on the way. The first two I used the illumination on now and then, usually dawn/dusk or when aiming into shaded areas. The last one I barely used since I didn't find it overly convenient being covered. The new one is an exposed digital setup so I'm hoping it's more convenient. Friends and I shoot out in the desert day and night. The illumination helps with night shooting on moonless nights to make sure I have the correct sight picture while looking for the glow sticks we setup on targets.

I prefer to have the illumination option on my scopes. I also keep several new batteries for the scope in my gear.

 

[bohem]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

I use it every time I shoot at night, which is about 3 times a month lately.

I don't seem to have target washout issues. I keep the NF scope on my hunting rifle turned down to where it needs to be approaching hard dark before it is clearly visible.

 

[spts05]

Re: how often do you use your illumination?

on my schmidt scopes it is a very faint illumination. you can not see it at day on the highest setting. I do like that. I have recently purchased a Vortex Razor and it has a lot of settings so I hope to use it. I don't see any washout issues due to all the quick access settings. I just have to get in a scenerio where I will need it.