Hunting & Fishing sfp/ffp hunting

[jackh]

ive read people say that sfp is a waste of time with the reticle for hunting because you have a reticle with graduations, meaning you should get a ffp scope. wouldnt that really depend on the kind of hunting you do?

ex: if your set up way off from a whitetail doe grazing in an oat field, you most likely have the time to go to full mag (or half mag if you set it up like that), range her, then dial in/hold over and bam.

i could see where other types of hunting applications, maybe dangerous game or more elusive animals like big horn sheep or something, you would need to range and shoot the animal more quickly. here, ffp would be worth the money.

NXS F1's are just out of my price range. however, im looking at the sfp mil/mil nxs and they are doable. i definitely will be hunting with my rig, it will actually be my go to gun for most everything i hunt- whitetail, pigs, varmints etc

 

[goose316]

Re: sfp/ffp hunting

I have a hard time at dusk dark with the reticle being too thin on some ffp scopes. I hunt primarily with a sfp nxs 3.5-15, but to each his own.

 

[H5N1]

Re: sfp/ffp hunting

0-300yds maybe 400yds is a waste in my opinion. I run FFP on my bolt gun and M4. I would rather have sfp with illumination on my
M4. I hunt year round.
For mid-long range FFP is the way to go.

 

[jackh]

Re: sfp/ffp hunting

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CnC1018</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have a hard time at dusk dark with the reticle being too thin on some ffp scopes. I hunt primarily with a sfp nxs 3.5-15, but to each his own. </div></div>

yes this is an issue i had thought about as well. that is the exact scope i am looking at.

 

[jackh]

Re: sfp/ffp hunting

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CAT5</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="color: #FF0000">0-300yds maybe 400yds is a waste in my opinion.</span> I run FFP on my bolt gun and M4. I would rather have sfp with illumination on my
M4. I hunt year round.
For mid-long range FFP is the way to go.

</div></div>

do you mean having a ffp for this range is pointless? doesnt that depend almost entirely on how you use the scope?

if you shooting moving targets at varying distances at matches or something, wouldnt ffp be the way to go no matter what? much less thinking involved in holds and leads.

just not sure if its really worth the money for the type of hunting i will be doing.

 

[H5N1]

Re: sfp/ffp hunting

Yes, I think they are pointless at these ranges. On lower powers I cant see the mil dots good enough to make it any faster than just turning the power up anyway. As CnC1018 mentioned, in low light on lower powers I cant see anything inside the first 5 mils.

Most"hunting" rifles are inside point blank range around 300yds or require little correction for elevation. Usually when I am dialed down in the lower powers it means I am well within point and shoot range.

Don't misunderstand me, if you only have 1 scope or if it is for an all purpose type rifle you need to get FFP and don't even consider anything that is not mil/mil or moa/moa. I just don't think it is worth the extra money for a hunting or close range rifle. Everything is a trade off, the FFP gives up more than it gains at close rages IMO.

Good luck.

 

[strick9]

Re: sfp/ffp hunting

If your worried about speed and quick calcs at longer ranges just keep the sfp on the right setting for ranging. If you learn to bring the scope to your face without taking your eye off the target you shouldn't have a problem if a critter pops out close. If your hunting tight cover to begin with you will not need it at its ranging power anyhow keep it in the lows. Then if you transistion, from tight cover,short range to open cover long range then adjust. I have owned em both and though I loved the FFP for the fact that its range is always true I also find as per Cat above and to add especially in low lights the reticles don't lend to confident reticle placement.

 

[pickpick]

Re: sfp/ffp hunting

I have a Horus FFP and a Falcon Menace FFP on my .308 "tactical" bolt rifle and my DPMS .243,respectfully. I have hunt coyote with both, but it is in open areas, not any timber or brush. I tried using my Horus in the timber, deer hunting, and found out right quick that the reticle was too small at low power to see it at dusk. I have Bushnell Trophy 3-9x40 MD scopes on my Rem 700 .308 ADL and one on my DPMS LR308 for when I deer hunt. I do not the the mil dots in the timber, but if I happened to hunt close to a pasture I could turn the power to 9 and use them. I said all that to say this....I like SFP for hunting 275-300 yrds and less, and especially in timber.

 

[jackh]

Re: sfp/ffp hunting

ok that answers a lot. like i said earlier this is my go to hunting rifle, i would just like to get a scope that will allow me to do some long range work with. i dont see myself ever taking shots at animals outside the ranges yall are talking about. the targets i shoot dont move, so i will have the time to power up and range with the reticle. if i get more serious about this stuff and start doing best of the west type long range hunting, ill try to get a ffp.

now the question is, but a used IOR 3-18x42 ffp mil/mil, or spend another couple hundred dollars and buy a new NF NXS 3.5-15x50 sfp mil/mil? thats a big decision that i need to make soon. the guy selling the IOR is ready to do business...

 

[kurt]

Re: sfp/ffp hunting

nf would be my choice

 

[jackh]

Re: sfp/ffp hunting

i have read that a huge advantage in ffp is in matches where your pressed for time and/or shooting moving targets. you can power to whatever magnification provides the FOV/sight picture you want. then you can use the reticle and not worry about it being accurate. i will not ever be in that situation, or i dont think i will.

i have heard a few people say that ffp scopes are not worth the money if your shooting inside what they consider as "point blank range" which might be out to 300-350 yds. why is this? the gun is a .308, will the drop at those ranges be so minimal that i will not need to worry about dialing in dope?

 

[pickpick]

Re: sfp/ffp hunting

My dope for 300 and 350 with 168 gr NBT is 1.5 and 2.0 mil, with a 100yrd zero. So I would say you don't need a ffp to do that. I can consistently hit a 12" plate at 300 using my cheap bushnell using holdovers. And can " usually" hit a 500yrd plate on my plain Jane adl 308 with the scope set to 9 power. I like the mil rets in my hunting scopes so I don't have to hold out in no mans land. To answer your question... A ffp is not needed to hunt 300 yrds with a 308. You can use a sfp scope with a mil ret or stretch your zero out and hold "dead on".

 

[RHutch]

Re: sfp/ffp hunting

I prefer any hunting scope with hold-over/under reticles to be in the ffp, especially if the scope lacks turrets. Even with turrets, a quick shot can be made by using the reticle only if it is ffp and the distance to target is known.

FFP rets can also be useful in low light if magnification is needed. The ret grows larger making it more visible. Reticle design also plays a factor in this application.

Then there's illumination, especially useful with fine reticles in low light.....

Alot depends on how you hunt, where you hunt and distance to the target. If 300 yards is your max distance, zero the rifle in a fashion that holding hair results in a dead critter.

 

[strick9]

Re: sfp/ffp hunting

I owned three IOR 3.5x18x42s and one 2.5x10x42. Now I own three NXS 3.5x15x56. I am a hunter and though the turrets,glass and the illum on the IOR are all to my liking especially the glass. I found them lacking slightly at dawn and dusk. If only NF would add a mag ring instead of the whole occular rotation bs you gotta be carefull where your flip up is or you can't rack and refire, finally just took mine off.

 

[cruzie27]

Re: sfp/ffp hunting

i use a Vortex Razor HD on my .300 win mag 5r,. the gun is mostly for matches & comps but also doubles as my "pole line" gun when it comes time to put some meat in the freazer. at the extended ranges it is very nice knowing my ret is correct at any power setting.

inside of 300 i have my scope dialed back between 8-5x and its just point and shoot,. i dont really need to see each and every dot (milling hash in my case) to hit where it counts. at the lower settings i use the ret more like a duplex anyhow,. and the illum helps at dusk & dawn when it is hard to see the crosshairs against the wood line. now if i have the time i'll dial up the power before i shoot but i rarely need to.

 

[jackh]

Re: sfp/ffp hunting

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: STRICK9</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I owned three IOR 3.5x18x42s and one 2.5x10x42. Now I own three NXS 3.5x15x56. I am a hunter and though the turrets,glass and the illum on the IOR are all to my liking especially the glass. I found them lacking slightly at dawn and dusk. If only NF would add a mag ring instead of the whole occular rotation bs you gotta be carefull where your flip up is or you can't rack and refire, finally just took mine off. </div></div>

why did you think they were lacking at dawn and dusk?

as you could guess, i do a lot of hunting at both these times so thats pretty important to me

 

[jackh]

Re: sfp/ffp hunting

ttt

 

[jackh]

Re: sfp/ffp hunting

ttt

 

[NUTT]

Re: sfp/ffp hunting

My hunting rifle is a 30.06 with a Leupold 3.5-10x40 VXIII CDS (1/4 MOA Clicks). The Leupold has a SFP standard duplex reticle.

The max point blank range is about 275 yards (150 gr Barnes TSX @ 2855 fps). Inside that range, I hold between dead center and high shoulder. 275-350 yards I hold top of the back. 350-450 I get the exact distance & dial in elevation based on my dope.

Past 450 yards with that load & I'm not shooting at deer sized game based on the energy. For varmints (pigs / coyotes / etc) I'd find the distance & dial in elevation.

 

[NUTT]

Re: sfp/ffp hunting

Do a quick Google of "Maximum Point Blank Range" to get a better definition of rifle trajectory as it pertains to hunting. For deer, if means +/- 3" from the point of aim. For smaller animals it could be +/- 2".

When I hunt, I'm not punching paper. On deer sized game, I'm aiming for an 8" plate 200 yards away. My rifle and hunting load are zeroed for 200 yards. At 100, it is 1.9" high. At 275, it is about 3" low.

I still get excited when I shoot a deer. Knowing my rifle will be in the kill zone out to 275 by holding dead on gives me confidence. I'm not concerned about twisting knobs to get the perfect 215 yard shot. I slow my breathing, focus on the mechanics, hold either high shoulder or just behind the shoulder & squeeze off a round.