Which scope reticle?

S

Silcom45

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I don't know the answer so I'll ask you guys. Scopes for benchrest are available with 2 types of reticles; fine cross hairs or fch with a dot. My question is .. wouldn't you get a clearer view of an exact spot to aim at with a scope with fine cross hairs? It seems to me that the dot would cover a little of the aim point. I know that both types are used but is there any advantage of one type over the other? Any info you can provide would be helpful.
 
The biggest reason

Silcom45 said:
I don't know the answer so I'll ask you guys. Scopes for benchrest are available with 2 types of reticles; fine cross hairs or fch with a dot. My question is .. wouldn't you get a clearer view of an exact spot to aim at with a scope with fine cross hairs? It seems to me that the dot would cover a little of the aim point. I know that both types are used but is there any advantage of one type over the other? Any info you can provide would be helpful.
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is that we are NOT shooting at the dot/crosshair aim point. We form the group at some point away from that junction. Imagine the vertical tangent to the left of the mothball and the horizontal tangent to the top. Or the Vertical centered in the mothball and the horizontal tangent to the bottom. In either case the group should form up in one of the quadrants, away from the crosshairs.
 
I too wondered about that and do not understand the answer (I am another one new to this game and none of my Benchrest Scopes have dots).

Any way you can post a picture of where you aim with a center dot scope and where you have set that aim point to group on the target?

Bob
 
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David,

I understand what you're saying but if you were using just fch with no dot would you not be able to hold you cross hairs more precisely on a tiny point on the target paper?
 
I started with fine crosshair scopes and have been shooting dot reticles for the past number of years. My switch has to do with eye sight. As you age it's harder to see a fine crosshair and the dot it a little easier to see. In Texas, we seldom get conditions where you have all the time in the world to get a perfect sight picture with the reticle in exactly the same place from one shot to the next. I'll give up a little aiming error in order to get the shot down range quicker before the conditions change. My dot reticles are small dots in the neighborhood of 3/32 dots.
 
Dot

Silcom45 said:
I don't know the answer so I'll ask you guys. Scopes for benchrest are available with 2 types of reticles; fine cross hairs or fch with a dot. My question is .. wouldn't you get a clearer view of an exact spot to aim at with a scope with fine cross hairs? It seems to me that the dot would cover a little of the aim point. I know that both types are used but is there any advantage of one type over the other? Any info you can provide would be helpful.
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I use a 1/16th DOT and I aim at 12 O'clock on the bull and form the group at 6 o'clock.
Unless it is very windy and struggle to form the group on the target. Then I will hold over required amount.
I have always had 1/16th DOTs in all my scopes (Leupold Comp, B&L4200 and now Nightforce) and find them very quick to find your aiming point in all conditions (Mirage etc). Quicker than fine cross hair!

Michael
 
I used to think FCH with a 3/32 dot was the best way too go until a Nightforce competition with NP-2DD reticle came along accidently. I have never seen that reticle and reluctantly bought it from a dealer that had a demo for a reduced price even though it wasn't the reticle I wanted. Lucky for me it is the best reticle I can even imagine and I now own several.
 
Since I shoot score and not group, I find it instrumental to have some sort of dot for a quick aim point since I'm moving from target to target. I basically buy 3 brands of scopes, March, Valdada, and NF. Out of all the different reticles that I have, I prefer March's 3/32. It's not too big like their 1/8 dot, and their 1/16 dot , well it might as well not even be there because it's so small it looks to me like a speck of fly sht. It's just my eyes. I know people who have 1/16 dots and just love them. At 200 & 300, I don't mind the 1/8 dot, but at 100, for me it's too big.
 
The bottom line here is whether or not the plain crosshair can be seen quickly...or at all. I can see it OK but others can't. The dots aren't very large and are not a problem. The wind turns out to be the problem in every case. The question is a good one though....especially if you can see both.
 
I like the dot for Score shooting.
Many like the FCH for group. Probably a lot of truth to what was said earlier as we get older the dot is much easier to acquire and therefore more useful.
 
Silcom45 said:
David,

I understand what you're saying but if you were using just fch with no dot would you not be able to hold you cross hairs more precisely on a tiny point on the target paper?
Click to expand...

Here's the part that's hard to understand.......an accurate rifle is NEVER "SIGHTED IN," nor do you EVER want a bullet to hit where your crosshairs intersect. That's just gross.

In fact, in a competition it's considered a rare blessing when you can AIM to the same point. Most days, if you just "hold center" all's you'll shoot is a "weather report" and all's you'll take home is your spleen.......to stack bullets into the same hole requires much more than "holding on (or in) the target." Stacking bullets is kinda' like playing real ping pong. You gotta' LOOP 'em in.

I've tried, printed, drawn, downloaded, bought about every style of target and if I see a new one I'll try it but have learned that THE BEST thing to aim at (use as aiming reference) is a series of concentric hollow circles.

opinionby



al
 
To dot or not to dot.

Silcom45 said:
David,

I understand what you're saying but if you were using just fch with no dot would you not be able to hold you cross hairs more precisely on a tiny point on the target paper?
Click to expand...

I have a weaver scope with the 1/8 moa dot but I only use it at 50 yards so that makes it a 1/16 dot. I could have gotten the fine cross hairs but I was warned before hand by a shooter on this forum that those fine cross hairs can be hard to recon with in a weaver's series scope besides you can use the reference point where the cross hair meets the dot as a sighting point. But it depends on the brand of scope you use the Bushnell cross hair is thicker, no need to worry about the dot. All brands are different So dot or not it depends on the scope you choose. I am older 60 years of age and I find my eyes don't focus as well. If you are like me and can't see your iron sights as well any scope is an improvement.
 
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Like I mentioned earlier...there's nothing better than a plain crosshair unless you can't see it clearly. If you can't see it clearly, go with the dot. It's that simple!
 
I use the dot but I am varmint hunting.

For load development a corner of the box makes a great sighting point.

Once the groups are nice and tight I will move the dot onto the group.

The dot is far easier on critters.

Some of the multi-dot schemes are pretty good since it allows you to easily do hold over.

Groundhogs at 400+ yards (measured with a rangefinder) and 6mm Ram AI worked well.

For the most part you have to observe grass, trees, and crops to try and dope wind.
You usually only get one shot.

I could even swap barrels between .22 and 6mm and the POI was repeatable enough to shoot without testing.
Most of the groundhogs had been hunted enough the mere outline of a human 300 yards away sent them into their burrow.

All the BR tricks.
Panda action, fiberglass stock, pillar bedded, right bolt, left port, no ejector, tight neck, Jewel triggers down into the ounce range, higher power scopes.

I would buy a box of 1,000 shells and then sort them by neck wall thickness variation.

More uniform shells for longer range shots, more variation allowed on shorter shots.
A 'good' box netted ~900 usable cases.
 
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brickeyee said:
I use the dot but I am varmint hunting.

For load development a corner of the box makes a great sighting point.

Once the groups are nice and tight I will move the dot onto the group.

The dot is far easier on critters.

Some of the multi-dot schemes are pretty good since it allows you to easily do hold over.

Groundhogs at 400+ yards (measured with a rangefinder) and 6mm Ram AI worked well.

For the most part you have to observe grass, trees, and crops to try and dope wind.
You usually only get one shot.

I could even swap barrels between .22 and 6mm and the POI was repeatable enough to shoot without testing.
Most of the groundhogs had been hunted enough the mere outline of a human 300 yards away sent them into their burrow.

All the BR tricks.
Panda action, fiberglass stock, pillar bedded, right bolt, left port, no ejector, tight neck, Jewel triggers down into the ounce range, higher power scopes.

I would buy a box of 1,000 shells and then sort them by neck wall thickness variation.

More uniform shells for longer range shots, more variation allowed on shorter shots.
A 'good' box netted ~900 usable cases.
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LOL :)

My experience was different!

I agree with the switchbarrel thing......I'd bring out barrels and just screw 'em in and out by hand. But the 36X Leupold target dot was a total failure for me. I finally gave up trying to find the dot beyond 250-300yds and ended up swapping a 3X9 scope onto my BR rifle just to be able to use it. This was in Eastern OR, sagebrush/pasture land, the dot was basically invisible,

for me
 
I have been using one of each all season, both on Nightforce Competition Fixed 42x's. While I can say that I prefer the fine crosshair over the dot (the Nightforce dot is 3/32) I cannot say that I shoot one better than the other. It has been my experience that the dot is prefered by shooters who have a hard time seeing the fine crosshairs and also by shooters who find that centering the round dot inside of the round ten ring provides them the best sight picture.

I agree that the fine crosshair would provide you with a finer point of aim.

Clear as mud, right?
 
josh shrum said:
I have been using one of each all season, both on Nightforce Competition Fixed 42x's. While I can say that I prefer the fine crosshair over the dot (the Nightforce dot is 3/32) I cannot say that I shoot one better than the other. It has been my experience that the dot is prefered by shooters who have a hard time seeing the fine crosshairs and also by shooters who find that centering the round dot inside of the round ten ring provides them the best sight picture.

I agree that the fine crosshair would provide you with a finer point of aim.

Clear as mud, right?
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And then with Nightforce you can add in the illumined reticles.

It depends on your eyes and perceptions.

Even what color of target you are dealing with.

And everyone is a little different.

Even the flare and amount of contrast in the optical chain.
 
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