FFP scope reticle thickness issues

[Sundodger]

I have a heavy barreled rifle range toy that will see some hunting use, and after having a 4-20 Meopta in SFP on it, I decided to try a first focal plane scope, Vortex Strike Eagle 5-25.


The cross hairs are so thin on my Vortex that at 200 yards and beyond I can’t see them, the target washes them out. This scope has illumination. But even on the brightest setting it doesn’t help.

Been looking at other FFP scopes that they mostly all have similarly thin reticle (0.1MOA to 0.18MOA).


I know I am new to FFP scopes, but what gives? Are there any FFP scopes in that 4ishx to 25ishx range that have more visible BDC reticles? I really don’t need anything too fancy, just functional.


To the guys that shoot and hunt with these FFP scope, how do you deal with this since most/all FFP scopes seem to have this?

 

[JohnJohnson]

The cross hairs are so thin on my Vortex that at 200 yards and beyond I can’t see them, the target washes them out. This scope has illumination. But even on the brightest setting it doesn’t help.

I'm a bit confused. Do you mean at the lowest magnification setting? And have you set the diopter for your eyes already?

 

[Sundodger]

I'm a bit confused. Do you mean at the lowest magnification setting? And have you set the diopter for your eyes already?

Good clarification, I mean at max magnification, so 25X. I can see the retical if I look at blue sky, but against the backdrop of a target it just disappears. To use my hold overs I have been moving the rifle to the side of the target to figure out my drop, then try to keep it level as I move it back and kind of guess where the cross hairs are actually.

I picked up some lighter targets, but if I am going to hunt black bears and deer with this I don't have the option of making their hair brighter

I have messed with the diopter to crisp up the recital, but it didn't help this issue much.

 

[wapitibob]

I have been using a 4-32 FFP NX8 at 24x since I got it, hundreds of shots, most of them at 600 or 1,000, zero issues. The reticle is very clear against the background I have here, junipers and sage. I used it Bear hunting a bit last year as well and didn't have problems seeing it. It does get a bit thin at 32x but I haven't used it on that power on a hunt.

 

[JohnJohnson]

I have messed with the diopter to crisp up the recital, but it didn't help this issue much.

You set it while looking away from it and then only glancing for 1-2 seconds at a time, right? Because your eye will automatically focus it a lot if you look for more than a few seconds. Your issue sounds on the face of it like it might be a diopter issue is why I ask.

 

[wind gypsy]

That sounds like a scope, scope setup, or vision issue to me. If you're at 25x and you cant see the reticle, something aint right. That said, 0.1 MOA (not 0.1 mil) is really thin, too thin for me. I think my thinner Mil reticles are 0.06 mil which is around 0.2 MOA [Edit: I was wrong, they are 0.035 mil which is pretty close]. More hunting or lower mag oriented mil ffp reticles tend to be around 0.1 mil.

Agree that I'd mess with the diopter settings to make sure that's right if you haven't.

 

[Sundodger]

I have been using a 4-32 FFP NX8 at 24x since I got it, hundreds of shots, most of them at 600 or 1,000, zero issues. The reticle is very clear against the background I have here, junipers and sage. I used it Bear hunting a bit last year as well and didn't have problems seeing it. It does get a bit thin at 32x but I haven't used it on that power on a hunt.

How thick is the retical on that scope in MOA or MIL's?

You set it while looking away from it and then only glancing for 1-2 seconds at a time, right? Because your eye will automatically focus it a lot if you look for more than a few seconds. Your issue sounds on the face of it like it might be a diopter issue is why I ask.

I did adjust the diopter in that way, but I am going to redo it based on what you and others have said.

That sounds like a scope, scope setup, or vision issue to me. If you're at 25x and you cant see the reticle, something aint right. That said, 0.1 MOA (not 0.1 mil) is really thin, too thin for me. I think my thinner Mil reticles are 0.06 mil which is around 0.2 MOA. More hunting or lower mag oriented mil ffp reticles tend to be around 0.1 mil.

Agree that I'd mess with the diopter settings to make sure that's right if you haven't.

To clarify, I can see the reticle just fine against blue sky or other light backgrounds, it's the darker backgrounds that totally wash it out. My vision is 20/15 these days, not the 20/10 it was in my 20's but still pretty dang good. What sort of scope or scope set up issue are you thinking of that could cause this?

Maybe I need to buy a FFP scope in mils if they don't offer thicker in MOA? That seems a bit weird... I am used to MOA, but if they have thicker reticles I could switch. This Vortex cross hairs are 0.14MOA thick.

 

[wind gypsy]

Maybe I need to buy a FFP scope in mils if they don't offer thicker in MOA? That seems a bit weird... I am used to MOA, but if they have thicker reticles I could switch. This Vortex cross hairs are 0.14MOA thick.

I was wrong at how thin my thinner reticles are.. they are more like 0.035 and 0.04 mil.

I just know when i get behind other people's rifles that haven't had diopter and eye relief set up for me, especially with less than high end scopes, it's not uncommon to not have a "clean" or dark and clear reticle like I do on my rifles that are set up for my vision and eye relief. It's possible your scope just sucks too.

To be clear, at low power say under 8x or so, things get very thin on these thin reticles but if the reticle isn't standing out for you at 25x that's not a FFP issue. It's a scope or scope setup issue.

 

[Sundodger]

Yeah, I don't really care how thin they are at low power, if the deer is that close it will just be point and shoot. This is an issue at high power where I use the drops.

I was hoping this reticle would be useable 12x and higher, since I will almost never need 25x for hunting.

I am WFH today so I checked the diopter settings, and when I redid it there was almost no change, so I don't think that's going to fix this issue.

Is some of the FFP scopes you guys are using have an illuminated reticle that is visible in bright sunlight? I keep thinking if the illumination on this scope was brighter how thin it is wouldn't matter.

 

[wind gypsy]

to me illumination is really only an aid at low magnification levels in low light with dark backgrounds. I nearly never use it but my hunting scopes mostly have 0.1 mil reticles.