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Hunting: Moving from Plex/G#4 to Illum. MilDot?

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WestOfPecos View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote WestOfPecos Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Hunting: Moving from Plex/G#4 to Illum. MilDot?
    Posted: September/10/2010 at 23:38
Is it time to change and adopt new hunting reticles?

Like most people, I have always hunting with "fast"reticles. I put a German #4 on my bear and hog guns, and a regular or heavy plex on my deer rifles. I have always kept my ballistic reticles (MilDot, Ballistic Plex, Dead Hold BDC) for range and fun, because I did not feel that my target acquisition speed with them would be fast enough, or because I was worried that they would not be visible enough against a dark background or in low light.

Obviously, I am not the only one here... To give only one example, Ilya Koshkin recently congratulated Burris (Shot Show write-up) for going to German #4/ 4A on their SixX series. From reading forums, and talking to my fellow shooters at the range, ny guess is that most, although not all, hunters act in the same manner.

But technology is moving on, though. In the past couple of years, for the first time, I have been seeing some really good illuminated reticles, where illumination can be well and easily controlled, and battery life is good, from several manufacturers. I am starting to think that a good illuminated ballistic reticle with thin cross hairs might now combine the advantages of both the heavy plexes/ #4s, visible in low light, and the ability to dead hold and hunt long range that the traditional thin cross haired ballistic reticles give us - the ones we use only at the range:-)

With a good illuminated ballistic reticle, when the light is good and the target is not too dark, you can get very accurate aim at short or long range. If the light goes down or the target is dark, with the push of a button you have a lighted reticle to clearly project onto the target. At least that's how I would like to believe it can work:-)

What do you think? It is time to move on and adopt Illuminated Ballistic as the new hunting standard? More precisely, should I go hunting this year with an illuminated ballistic reticle rather than my traditional hunting reticles, at the risk of finding out that I was wrong? Or should I be a staunch traditionalist carrying a German #4 into the deep forest, possibly ending up as a Luddite left aside by progress?
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AussieHunter View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AussieHunter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/11/2010 at 04:12
Here in Australia we do a lot of twilight/ night hunting but i've always been worried about the toughness of illuminated reticles. I keep thinking that where the battery is just gives another way for moisture to enter.
Aussie gun laws are unfair.
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stickbow46 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote stickbow46 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/11/2010 at 22:19
Take a look at the Trijicons Accu point scopes,several options in both colors & circles vs. triangles.No batteries needed!
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ccoker View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ccoker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/12/2010 at 09:36
funny you should mention this
I have had a number of ill ret scopes, my faves being the Trijicon Accupoints with the green dot

very clear glass, and the reticle is "just" bright enough to be used in very, very low light or after dark if hunting hogs at night  (legal in Texas)

on my 308 I have been using a 3-10x50 Kahles with a german #4 reticle and the multizero retcle system.

it's an amazing scope, but I have toyed with the idea of replacing it with an ill ret scope and was thinking about the Accupoint 2.5x56 milldot / green dot

There's a tradeoff, in that it may be as bright or even brighter (probably not) but will the glass have the same resolution? Will I be able to judge horns at 300 yards at last possible legal shooting time?
The Khales I can...

I am thinking that perhaps the simple little green dot (love it on my 6.8 with the 3-9) and no side focus and no multizero to mess with might be a good trade off, i.e., it's a hunting scope, not a target/tactical scope


Also thinking about an IOR 4-14x50 with the #4 and green dot, they assured me it can get dim enough and can be set to almost NV mode

definitley food for thought

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Ed Connelly View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ed Connelly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/12/2010 at 09:42
Originally posted by AussieHunter AussieHunter wrote:

Here in Australia we do a lot of twilight/ night hunting but i've always been worried about the toughness of illuminated reticles. I keep thinking that where the battery is just gives another way for moisture to enter.
 
 
 
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Ed Connelly View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ed Connelly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/12/2010 at 09:44

" But how can you shoot bullets when you are upside-down....?  "   

 

 
 
 
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stickbow46 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote stickbow46 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/12/2010 at 21:49
Ed raises a serious question? Also how do you guys pee upside down [:}
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