FFP V SFP for western hunting (longer range)

[JAC8504]

I am curious what the majority prefers.
FFP or SFP?

What is your answer and give some reasoning?

 

[Matt5266]

Always FFP for me. Nothing to remember. Holdover is 5 mils or 5 moa, doesnt matter what power your scope is on. Just hold 5 "whatever" and send it.

 

[IdahoSwede]

FFP is certainly a nice to have (and what I run) but in my opinion, 95% of hunters in 95% of situations will not use the difference between the two. Either 1) they will be zoomed in all the way on their scope anyway or 2) don’t use holdovers to adjust elevation or wind. They will dial the turret for elevation and use estimations for wind. And unless you have a good spotter you may not get good data for a different holdover on a miss. People will just say “you were high”

 

[PineBrook413]

If you are shooting in the wind over 200-300 yards you will need to hold wind in the reticle. You won't want to be shooting game on max zoom with limited field of view with a SPF scope.

FFP allows you to hold wind at low mag which is critical in my opinion.

 

[waspocrew]

FFP for me. Using the reticle on any power (more so for windage) is super easy.

 

[shwacker]

I honestly don't even understand why sfp exists in rifle scopes. I have heard the arguments in favor, which basically boils down to "the reticle looks the same and they are cheaper." Cheaper I get, and if you can't see the reticle that makes shooting harder. But sfp seems to always leave open the door for errors and second guessing in critical moments

 

[BigNate]

FFP is simple. Simple leaves less chance for error.

 

[wapitibob]

Either one. I'm always on max zoom so it makes no difference to me.

 

[Koda_]

I honestly don't even understand why sfp exists in rifle scopes. I have heard the arguments in favor, which basically boils down to "the reticle looks the same and they are cheaper." Cheaper I get, and if you can't see the reticle that makes shooting harder. But sfp seems to always leave open the door for errors and second guessing in critical moments

Because the vast majority of hunters do not hunt past 300yds. MPBR zeros are still incredibly effective and reduce errors due to simplicity.
It really comes down to personal preference even at long range with a dial turret or max zoom SFP reticles, which is where many with FFP reticles end up at long range anyways.

 

[SomeJackassOnAForum]

Question is impossible to answer without knowing mag of scope

 

[Marshfly]

If you are asking this question, the answer is FFP. That is assuming you are curious enough about practicing further and in worse (windier conditions) that you want to get better and more effective as a field shooter. FFP is simply the right tool for that job.

 

[Bugger]

FFP. Takes away the “am I on the right power” step and you can hold for wind accurately at lower power. And it’s super reassuring at closer ranges on low power when most of the reticle is inside the vitals, as long as you’re not hunting in a hurricane just send it.

 

[N2TRKYS]

Always prefer sfp.

 

[Macintosh]

For sub 250 yards always SFP due to reticle visibility, and I’ll choose a simple duplex or similar reticle again for visibility. It doesnt have to be this way, there just arent enough FFP reticles with a sufficiently bold reticle for the style of hunting that is typical for me—even the best, boldest ffp reticles I’ve seen are less than optimal for this ime.

If 300+ is likely, then always FFP. Im always going to be making some amount of drop correction and I’ll almost always be holding at least a small amount for wind, and I personally need to be able to use the hashmarks in the reticle without knowing exactly what magnification Im on.

 

[Big_wals]

FFP is certainly a nice to have (and what I run) but in my opinion, 95% of hunters in 95% of situations will not use the difference between the two. Either 1) they will be zoomed in all the way on their scope anyway or 2) don’t use holdovers to adjust elevation or wind. They will dial the turret for elevation and use estimations for wind.

IMO, if you are shooting at long enough range to actually have to hold for very much wind drift, it’s nice to know exactly how many mils to hold. I’m already bad at estimating wind speed, I don’t want to estimate how far to hold for my estimated wind. YMMV

 

[SloppyJ]

Since you said "longer range" then I think the answer should be FFP in mil. However, it completely depends on what you're shooting and what you consider "longer range". I own plenty of SFP scopes and I own a few FFP too. If there's any chance of needing to dial, then FFP is the way. I would never put a FFP optic on my .30-30 or my 300blk just due to the restricted distance that both of those are shooting.

I completely understand the need for SFP scopes. I'll preface this by saying that I understand some reticles are better than others but if you're hunting where I do, unless you specifically setup for it, your shots are going to be 100yds and in, more than likely closer than that. Pick up a FFP scope and look through it on low power. There are plenty where you can't even see the reticle. Most of them, I'd venture to say. Some have illumination, but that's no good when it blows out your entire sight picture in low light. This is where a standard SFP scope shines.

I grew up and didn't see a FFP scope until I was in my 30s and that's only because I bought one for myself. They're not common here in the hunting crowd at all. That's simply because long shot opportunities don't appear very often and if they do, these guys aren't prepared to shoot like that.

 

[JAC8504]

Since you said "longer range" then I think the answer should be FFP in mil. However, it completely depends on what you're shooting and what you consider "longer range". I own plenty of SFP scopes and I own a few FFP too. If there's any chance of needing to dial, then FFP is the way. I would never put a FFP optic on my .30-30 or my 300blk just due to the restricted distance that both of those are shooting.

I completely understand the need for SFP scopes. I'll preface this by saying that I understand some reticles are better than others but if you're hunting where I do, unless you specifically setup for it, your shots are going to be 100yds and in, more than likely closer than that. Pick up a FFP scope and look through it on low power. There are plenty where you can't even see the reticle. Most of them, I'd venture to say. Some have illumination, but that's no good when it blows out your entire sight picture in low light. This is where a standard SFP scope shines.

I grew up and didn't see a FFP scope until I was in my 30s and that's only because I bought one for myself. They're not common here in the hunting crowd at all. That's simply because long shot opportunities don't appear very often and if they do, these guys aren't prepared to shoot like that.

In short you're saying;

Both, but for "longer" range in the west = FFP / MIL & SFP where you traditionally hunt

 

[ElPollo]

If your shots are all 200 yards and in and you aren’t dealing with winds over about 15 mph (roughly 4” or 0.5 mil drop and drift at 200 for most applications), you are probably fine with a SFP, an old school standard plex reticle, and a little KY windage. Beyond that, FFP and mils is the way.

Using an SFP scope with any mil, MOA, or BDC reticle for holdovers or wind generally requires you have it on the top end magnification to ensure your reticle is accurate. The higher magnification is the issue. It makes initial target acquisition slower, makes it harder to spot shots through the scope, and slower to reacquire the target for a follow-up shot. If you use an FFP set to 6-8x makes all of this is easier and quicker. The reticle will be on, unlike an SFP. The wider field of view makes finding and staying on target easier. And the lower magnification really doesn’t sacrifice accuracy on game out to further than most people should be shooting. Using one in mils makes wind drift and drop calls and calculations significantly simpler and faster. Look up info here on the quick drop system to explain that process.