Scope with lighted reticle

[Billy Jack]

I am hog hunting at night with a .223 Ruger Ranch Rifle at "bow stand distances", 15-25 yds.
Add on lights spook the hogs too much at that close distance.
I want a decent compact scope at low to moderate power (2.5-6 power range, not necessarily variable though) with a lighted reticle so I can get a decent sight picture in strong moonlight or in the light of my green feeder lights that are on all night and do not spook the animals.
I am just starting the search and there are so many options I thought this forum might save me some time with real experiences and opinions instead of marketing hype.
Thanks....Jack

 

[MachIVshooter]

I think you'll be disappointed with most illuminated reticles in this application; They tend to wash out the target if the target itself isn't decently illuminated.

Try to find one to borrow before you spend your money.

I used a conventional scope and a Surefire in the beginning, but quickly went to night vision. I have been very happy with my ATN Mk 390 Paladin, a $600 NVRS. It's large and pretty heavy, but you really can't beat NV for hog huntin'.

 

[MtnCreek]

+1. Most seem like they're made for day shooting, not low light / night. The worst offender I have is a Burris 1-4. Even at lowest setting all I can see at night is the reticle. Try before you buy.

 

[Geno]

I agree with the illumination washing out the picture. If you can swing it, check into the ACOG. Most rugged optic ever inspired by man kind! If you have iron sights, consider Trijicon sights. Just my two cents. Oh, and for what it's worth, I am reflecting my own three Nightforce scopes. If that expensive of a scope, $1,850.00, can fade-out the desired picture, I think most will.

Geno

 

[hipoint]

I'm going in the opposite direction of these guys, and I absolutely love mine. I have permits to spotlight deer on my farm and I use the heck out of mine. Has also enabled me to take a couple of deer during season at dusk that I have no doubt I would not have been able to accurately position the crosshairs for a good head shot...

I'm a broke farmer and can't afford high quality optics so I've been using the centerpoint kind they sell at wal-mart and the only complaint I have is that they have very touchy eye relief. Turn it all the way down on low power illumination for night use and it's been great. I know there are MUCH better optics out there to be had, but for my budget I've been quite happy. Can't argue with the dozen or so deer I've put in the freezer in the last year or so.

There is quite a bit of light inside the scope and I'm sure a "good" one would not have this, but then again, just for shooting a critter, I've been more than happy. I did have one break on me when it was new, went and traded it in and haven't had any issues. I own several of these scopes...

I actually bought these for hogs since I was worried about losing the crosshairs on their black bodies, the hogs moved away from the area so i have yet to shoot one, but they've taken a pile of deer.

 

[hipoint]

btw, I use the red for night use, the green is far too bright.

 

[Haxby]

I have no personal experience with the Leupold VX-R 2-7, but it sounds like what you're looking for.

 

[adelbridge]

You want something with an illuminated red dot rather than illuminated crosshairs. The hogs I shoot at night in south texas are usually 30-100 yards and a Vortex Crossfire 3-9 with illuminated dot is as good as anything I have tired and it doesnt wash out targets. I have used it with no additional light source on good moonlit nights but you cant tell head from tail end. Leupold makes some scopes with illuminated dots but for the similar money you can get a decent night vision scope if you are hunting under 100 yards. The other trick is mount a laser and zero it to your crosshairs. You can get scope rings with weaver bases machined into the top cap for mounting. For the range you are talking about you can get ATN gen 1 scope for $400-500 and if you upgrade the designator you can see like day to 200 yards. I use an ATN Spartan and it is 5X and I can see clearly way past 150 yards with a streamlight IR designator in place of the stock designator.
http://www.amazon.com/Vortex-Crossfire-V-Brite-Reticle-CF2-31025/dp/B00794LJSM
http://www.opticsplanet.com/leupold-vx-3-1-5-5x20-illum-rifle-scope.html
http://swfa.com/Leupold-125-4x20-VX-R-Hog-30mm-Riflescope-P48032.aspx
http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm?contentID=productDetail&prodID=WE800701&src=sim&src=ppj&utm_source=pj&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=43737

Trijicon Accupoint is my personal favorite daytime scope but they need a good source of ambient light to get the post to glow at night. I have not tested it with feeder lights but I did test it in my 90% dark office and couldnt see my reticle ie no glowing. They make small stick on LED lights I use for my archery release and you could stick it on the fiber optic window to make it work but you would be glowing in the field. Also check out Bushnell Firefly reticle, it is a glow in the dark deal that lasts for 15 minutes after daylight but it might stay charged/visible with feeder lights.

 

[redneck2]

I've got Luepold VX-R with the Firefly reticule. It only illuminates the very center of the cross hairs, not the whole thing. Has ten settings, and at the lowest one it barely shows even at late dusk. Also, if you don't move the rifle for five minutes it shuts itself off, then turns back on if the rifle is moved.

I got it for a bear hunt in Canada. Super dark pine woods ten minutes before dark during a rain storm with a black target. Worked great.

 

[Sun Tzu warrior]

Billy I found an ATN MK 458 nightvision at a pawn shop for $150, this is your best option unless you can afford a high dollar Austrian scope with really big to fine reticle, I Have a 1.5X6 Kahless. This or the night vision would work, I have the Centerpoint that Hipoint mentioned on a 10/22 Magnum. I find the "lighted reticle" blinds out your target as Mach IV and MTN creek said. The lighted pin on my bow does the same, I never use it.

 

[jim243]

You want to use a scope for 15-25 yards??? You can't be that bad a shot. Get yourself a decent red dot (red) that will do the job for you. Right tool for the right job.

Jim

 

[hipoint]

another option for you is to get a cheap night vision monacle. Put a laser on your gun zeroed to whatever distance you require.

The night vision can either be duct taped to your gun, or just held in your hand and use the gun on a bipod... The laser does a superb job of enhancing the cheapo night vision as well as the pinpoint dot is quite bright. Taken quite a few off the farm with that setup as well until I got rid of the gun that was "easy" to mount a laser on... It works incredibly well... as a farmer I'm all about getting by with whatever will work.

 

[Billy Jack]

Jim you're right I am not that bad a shot....at least not when I can see good enough to get a decent sight picture. My idea on the scope was mainly for the light gathering feature so that I did not have to add light to the situation spooking the hogs. I tried just using a regular Leupold 3-9 scope and I coud not make out the crosshairs, however that was from a 100 yard ground blind not the 20 yds I was discussing. Probably at 29 yds just any good scope will work for me since all of my stands do have some sort of permanant low light at the feeder or pig barrel.
I do like the red dot idea, but did not know if I would be able to see the hog well enough without some light gathering ability on the sight or some added light source on the hog.
It would be easy if I could just have several things on hand to experiemnt with, but cash has a tendency to slow me down a bit.

 

[Haxby]

Hawke sells scopes with illuminated reticles.
And there's the Weaver Classic Extreme.
Both of those are made with large objectives, with adjustable parallax that should work pretty well at short range. And they both come in a 1-4X24 (or so) model that's fairly compact.

I just went and looked at the Hawke website. At least one of their product lines is gone, I can't find a 1-4, and there aren't many simple reticles.

 

[x_wrench]

i have an illuminated reticle on my 45/70 lever gun. it works alright in low light settings (NOT DARK), but i have to turn it to the lowest illumination setting, or just one notch above that. any more illumination, and the best you will see is a shadow of what you are trying to shoot at. you definitely need to at least shoulder a rifle with one on just before dark to see if it will work for you. the biggest improvement from it on my rifle is for shooting targets with a lot of black on them in broad daylight. they work great for that. for night hunting (full dark) you are going to need some kind of night vision device. or be very quick once the spot light goes on!

 

[gotigers]

leupold firedot, Trigicon accupoint with small dot and crosshairs are about the only illuminated scopes i would use for hunting at night. Because...the others all wash out and are way to busy.

 

[Billy Jack]

After much thought I have decided to order a Vortex Crossfire 3-9 40MM V-Brite Scope with the tiny adjustible red dot in the center of the crosshairs. I think it will allow me at 3-4 power to see and aim at a hog at close range in very low light such as bright moonlight or the light from my feeder lights without having to resort to additional spooking light.
Also it will be a good scope for daytime close to mid range varmit hunting at 4-9 power, out at least to the reasonable limits of the .223 Mini 14.
Thanks to all for the education. I'll report back after first full moon weekend.

 

[TexAg]

I have an Accupoint and it works well at night. The tritium illuminates the amber triangle just enough, no wash out. I'm not sure what one of the above posters were referencing when they said you needed a source of light. Your source is good ol' radiation!