Thread: Illuminated Scope Reticle Pros and Cons

Originally Posted by Ackley

Main advantage is on high end glass that gathers more light so target is able to be seen but the cross hairs disappear in the darker colour of the deer/target. Have only used mine 3 times in a hunting situation but wouldn't have been able to shot a 29" sambar without it so reckon its paid for its self.

To be honest with you, it is high end optics for long range that I was thinking of, however, it's not just a matter of "paying for itself", you've then got the worry of it as being something else to 'clap out', something hanging off your ocular lens that's as ugly as sin and liable to get knocked, all for the notion that 'maybe I'll use it once in a lifetime' sort of thing... I don't know, I suppose there's always the angle of, if you've got it, you don't have to use it! If I could look through one I'd have a better idea if it's worth it or not. I mean, to you it is, having shot your Samba and all, and being convinced you wouldn't have otherwise. Thanks for your input.

Originally Posted by Ackley

Main advantage is on high end glass that gathers more light so target is able to be seen but the cross hairs disappear in the darker colour of the deer/target. Have only used mine 3 times in a hunting situation but wouldn't have been able to shot a 29" sambar without it so reckon its paid for its self.

Exactly. More useful on a decent 'scope than a shit one. I've got a 3-10 Nightforce with a MOA reticle without illumination. Quite often on dark I have seen the animal quite clearly and the reticle was lost. I pretty much mostly knew where the cross was but wasn't prepared to risk it.

Von Temsky, I understand your opinion...but its all a bit difference when the combined age of your eyes is 136 years.

Originally Posted by Tahr

Exactly. More useful on a decent 'scope than a shit one. I've got a 3-10 Nightforce with a MOA reticle without illumination. Quite often on dark I have seen the animal quite clearly and the reticle was lost. I pretty much mostly knew where the cross was but wasn't prepared to risk it.

Von Temsky, I understand your opinion...but its all a bit difference when the combined age of your eyes is 136 years.

Your still a spring chicken Tahr plenty of years until you will need a off road mobility scooter. Yes your right everyone's eyes are different if it works for you don't change it.

I don't shoot that many animals on the last few minutes of light but when I do need the reticule illuminated it's handy. Here's one of two deer shot last week in the last minutes of light. We seen them 400m away on the Manuka skyline moving down onto a grassy clearing, had to wait 10 minutes until they got into shooting range and both clear of the bush.
I would not of taken the shots if I didn't have illumination.

Don't think there are any cons in good quality illum reticles as you can choose to have off. Think basically all will have in the future apart from target shooting when technology becomes cheaper. Very good on moving game in bush to get on target for a shot you would often not be able to take.

I love the red dot on my VXR bush scope, great for quick "up-on target-bang-flop" shooting, but for longer ranges I don't usually shoot at last light so never used the illumination on any of my other scopes like my NF ( but then it comes standard so not a biggie )

Comes down to what scope & application your using it for

I wouldn't shoot long range at night either, even with a luminous reticle, coz I'd never recover the quarry in time. Perhaps if I was doing open tops hunting and a deer walked out just on dark, 100m or so away, then I'd take a crack at it, and I suppose that's always possible.

I have a fire dot on my lupy 2-7 bush scope. Haven't needed it yet but glad I have it.

I have missed out on 2 trophy reds because of a dark background on last light.

I had my .223 on both occasions and was not confident of a decent shot. I could see the reflection of one of them in the river as he patrolled up and down growling at me 80 yards away on the opposite side. Not even sure I would have been able too get either of them if I had an illuminated reticle, but I remember wishing I had one.😆

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Doesn't have to be last light, illum reticle is for contrasting your reticle from the black target you're shooting or milling. Like shooting a black pig in the shade under a tree on a bright day.

I like them, but rarely use them, probably because I forget it's there.

I invariably hunt deer to dark, unless I get onto something earlier. What's the point of being out there if you don't? Todays torches and GPS make it relatively easy getting back to your vehicle. And if you are a trophy hunter, the big blokes are pretty damn cunning and they are lot smarter than the spikers you can nobble an hour before dark.

The same for recovering a deer shot on dark. Mostly, its not that hard with todays torches and stuff. Knowing the country you are in is useful, so that's where you need to put a bit of effort into. And a dog is handy-often worth their weight in gold. Mine is. In any event, getting out of the bush at midnight and home at 2am has never worried me and still doesn't. Nothing special about me, its what hunters do as far as I'm concerned.

So, given all of the above, I imagine having an illuminated reticle can just add that little bit extra advantage when the scope picture is a little marginal. I say imagine because i don't actually have an illuminated reticle, but I intend to get one. I can think of about 5 occasions over the last 2 years when I would have loved to have one.

As for the risk of wounding in bad light with an illuminated reticle, any hunter worth his salt simply wouldn't take the shot if he was uncertain about the outcome.

Got one on my vortex but never used it in anger. I can see it potentially being useful on a ffp scope like the pst though on a dark background in the bush as the crosshairs get very fine wound back. However a well designed reticle with heavy side posts is easy to see even in those conditions.


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I have two scopes, with illuminated reticle, a March and a Z6 swarvo,
Most certainly found the illumination on the march, useful shoot targets at the end of light, unable to clearly distinguish without.
Have done a bit of coyote hunting in Canada, one application I found the illumination very useful, esp during winter, a dog(coyote) against a white snow covered field, late and low enough light, the cross hairs, against his hide, disappeared, and unable to distinguish a precise point of aim. flick the Illumination on the Z6, and boom, another pelt for a trapper mate.
I think it has its uses, but has been said above, you need good optics, that are able to utilize the last bits of light.

another problem arises if you wind up the reticle brightness too far, your eye will accept it as the ambient light and constrict your pupil making the actual image seem darker