Long range glass

[cmshoot]

I've had plenty of students use Vortex Viper PSTS's in the 6-24x and 4-16x ranges. None of them had issues getting to 1,000yds during my classes.

24x is usually not an issue at 1,000yds, but can be at times if the mirage is especially bad. If so, just turn the power down. You can turn a 6-24x scope down to 16x, but you can't turn a 4-16x up to 24x.

The Sightron S-III line are highly underrated scopes. Very strong erector design and great glass.

If you're looking for a range toy scope, you won't need FFP. As a matter of fact, at times FFP can be a detriment in that role.

 

[crash_6906]

I've had plenty of students use Vortex Viper PSTS's in the 6-24x and 4-16x ranges. None of them had issues getting to 1,000yds during my classes.

24x is usually not an issue at 1,000yds, but can be at times if the mirage is especially bad. If so, just turn the power down. You can turn a 6-24x scope down to 16x, but you can't turn a 4-16x up to 24x.

The Sightron S-III line are highly underrated scopes. Very strong erector design and great glass.

If you're looking for a range toy scope, you won't need FFP. As a matter of fact, at times FFP can be a detriment in that role.

I doubt I'll use it much for hunting, probably never actually so it will just be for the range. I was under the impression that ffp would be better at higher magnification, could you please elaborate?

 

[6.5 Creed]

I would definitely recommend the Vortex over a sightron. That said you may be best served finding a good used 6-24 PST, you should be able to get one in the 600-700 range. You are going to find that scopes in this price range will start to struggle past 600 yards. If you can wait a bit and save some more coin you can probably find a used Steiner T5Xi in the 1600 range, just make sure it has the updated turrets. The Snipers Hide for sale section is a great place to shop.

 

[cmshoot]

I doubt I'll use it much for hunting, probably never actually so it will just be for the range. I was under the impression that ffp would be better at higher magnification, could you please elaborate?

As the power goes up an FFP the reticle appears larger/coarser. At higher power most folks want a fine reticle.

There are numerous advantages of the FFP system, but none of them apply to a rifle being used as a KD, flat range tool.

 

[cmshoot]

First Focal Plane Reticle: A First Focal Plane reticle gets its name due to the position of its placement in the erector tube assembly; in the front portion directly adjacent to the adjustment turret mechanism, which is why it is also referred to as a Front Focal Plane reticle. It is in front of the magnification element of the riflescope; hence the reticle gets magnified throughout the magnification range.

Due to the location of the reticle in the erector tube, the reticle is able to remain in proportion to the target as the magnification is increased or decreased. This means that visually, the reticle will decrease in size as the magnification is decreased, and increase in size with the target as the magnification is increased. Due to this capability, the reticle’s subtensions remain true on all magnification settings.

Second Focal Plane Reticle: A Second Focal Plane reticle gets its name due to the position of its placement in the erector tube assembly; in the rear portion near the power zoom ring that is used to adjust the magnification of the riflescope. This is why it is also referred to as a Rear Focal Plane reticle. It is behind the magnification element of the riflescope; hence the reticle does not get magnified throughout the magnification range.

Due to the location of the reticle in the erector tube, the reticle will remain constant in proportion to the target as the magnification is increased or decreased. This means that visually, the reticle will remain the same size, but the target will appear to get larger or smaller when the magnification is increased or decreased. Due to this, the subtensions of the reticle can only be true at one magnification setting.

The one aspect that both riflescopes have in common is that they magnify the image of the target, and allow you to adjust Point of Impact (POI) to your Point of Aim (POA). The differences are in how the reticle works. How the reticle works can affect operational integration.

While both Law Enforcement and the Military work in dynamic environments, one tends to work in a fairly permissive environment where the aggressor is clearly defined in a relatively short target engagement area. The other usually works in an environment that is non-permissive; the aggressors aren’t clearly defined at all and the target engagement area is as far as line-of-sight will allow.

Due to most Americans being law abiding citizens with a generally positive view of Law Enforcement, the Law Enforcement Sniper almost universally operates in a permissive environment and the aggressor(s) is clearly defined. More often than not, the LE Sniper is reactionary to a specific location – often a building or a house with barricaded suspects. Their primary role is to observe and provide intelligence to the Incident Command Center as negotiations take place or an entry team assembles. The static positions often mean dealing with a target or targets at a known distance at ranges that are usually inside of 100yds.

The military sniper on the other hand, is almost always located in non-permissive environments where the aggressors may or may not be clearly defined. If not on active patrols, they are usually in overwatch positions to engage a target or multiple targets of opportunity. Sometimes the distances are known, sometimes they are not. More often than not, the Military Sniper is dealing with multiple threat targets at varying distances from 0 meters or yards to in excess of 1000 meters or yards. By the very nature of operating in such a vast potential engagement window and dealing with multiple targets at varying distances, it tends to be a more dynamic and changing environment than the Law Enforcement environment.

Typically the best hide for the LE Sniper tends to be somewhere rather close to the structure/threat due to the environment. The closer distances allow them to be more precise in their shots and keep innocent people between the suspect and sniper to an absolute minimum. These distances are often within 100yds, but can be 50yds or less. Granted, while a Sniper in a more rural setting will have different options, the distances still tend to be closer for the same reasons the urban sniper deals with.

In situations that mandate that you are so close to your threat, it is often imperative to turn the magnification down to a setting that gives you maximum field of view in order to observe without panning or scanning. If you were to turn the magnification down to the minimum setting on a FFP scope, then the reticle becomes very thin and difficult to see. If/when a threat were to present itself and a quick shot were required, it very well may be necessary to have to turn the magnification up to a point where the reticle is visible against the target. An illuminated reticle can sometimes help alleviate this problem but most reticles are not daytime visible. This would only become a benefit if the situation were occurring in a limited to no light situation, and having your reticle illuminated without a Killflash or Anti Reflection Device(ARD) can possibly give away your position as it can be viewed by a skilled forward observer. A lot of things affect how well you can see your reticle; shadows, varying light, target color, target background, viewing through glass, differing vegetation, sun position, reflections, etc. all have an impact on how you see your reticle against your target. This is where the SFP reticle riflescopes become a benefit to the LE Sniper. The reticle remains constant in size throughout the magnification range. The shot usually requires a POA/POI hold or something so close that it can be judged by a feature hold on the target. The subtensions on the reticle may not be correct, but given the distances of the engagement and the nature of the environment, it becomes a non-issue and can be satisfied by dialing your proper zero for your given range if needed. Ranging with your reticle, windage holds for wind and moving targets are also rather limited in the LE Role to where they are very common in the Military Role.

One common theme between the two professions is the use of forward mounted Night Vision Devices (NVD’s) like the UNS and MUNS. The use of NVD’s can limit the use of the optic on maximum magnification. Most clip-on NVD’s are optimized for use in the 6 - 10x magnification range. This could be said that it is a benefit to utilize a front focal plane scope and I will agree, but with proper knowledge of how a second focal plane scope reticle subtends at different magnifications, it becomes a non-issue. It is also not an issue if utilization of the subtended holds aren’t necessary.

In conclusion, the second focal plane riflescope still very much has its place for the Law Enforcement role while the opposite is found to be true for the Military Role. It is imperative when your agency is selecting the equipment needed for its mission, that it select the equipment that will benefit the team in accomplishing their mission – and not hinder it. When selecting your optics, make sure that you look at all sides of the equation to determine what will work best for you.

 

[Burdy]

First Focal Plane Reticle: A First Focal Plane reticle gets its name due to the position of its placement in the erector tube assembly; in the front portion directly adjacent to the adjustment turret mechanism, which is why it is also referred to as a Front Focal Plane reticle. It is in front of the magnification element of the riflescope; hence the reticle gets magnified throughout the magnification range.

Due to the location of the reticle in the erector tube, the reticle is able to remain in proportion to the target as the magnification is increased or decreased. This means that visually, the reticle will decrease in size as the magnification is decreased, and increase in size with the target as the magnification is increased. Due to this capability, the reticle’s subtensions remain true on all magnification settings.

Second Focal Plane Reticle: A Second Focal Plane reticle gets its name due to the position of its placement in the erector tube assembly; in the rear portion near the power zoom ring that is used to adjust the magnification of the riflescope. This is why it is also referred to as a Rear Focal Plane reticle. It is behind the magnification element of the riflescope; hence the reticle does not get magnified throughout the magnification range.

Due to the location of the reticle in the erector tube, the reticle will remain constant in proportion to the target as the magnification is increased or decreased. This means that visually, the reticle will remain the same size, but the target will appear to get larger or smaller when the magnification is increased or decreased. Due to this, the subtensions of the reticle can only be true at one magnification setting.

The one aspect that both riflescopes have in common is that they magnify the image of the target, and allow you to adjust Point of Impact (POI) to your Point of Aim (POA). The differences are in how the reticle works. How the reticle works can affect operational integration.

While both Law Enforcement and the Military work in dynamic environments, one tends to work in a fairly permissive environment where the aggressor is clearly defined in a relatively short target engagement area. The other usually works in an environment that is non-permissive; the aggressors aren’t clearly defined at all and the target engagement area is as far as line-of-sight will allow.

Due to most Americans being law abiding citizens with a generally positive view of Law Enforcement, the Law Enforcement Sniper almost universally operates in a permissive environment and the aggressor(s) is clearly defined. More often than not, the LE Sniper is reactionary to a specific location – often a building or a house with barricaded suspects. Their primary role is to observe and provide intelligence to the Incident Command Center as negotiations take place or an entry team assembles. The static positions often mean dealing with a target or targets at a known distance at ranges that are usually inside of 100yds.

The military sniper on the other hand, is almost always located in non-permissive environments where the aggressors may or may not be clearly defined. If not on active patrols, they are usually in overwatch positions to engage a target or multiple targets of opportunity. Sometimes the distances are known, sometimes they are not. More often than not, the Military Sniper is dealing with multiple threat targets at varying distances from 0 meters or yards to in excess of 1000 meters or yards. By the very nature of operating in such a vast potential engagement window and dealing with multiple targets at varying distances, it tends to be a more dynamic and changing environment than the Law Enforcement environment.

Typically the best hide for the LE Sniper tends to be somewhere rather close to the structure/threat due to the environment. The closer distances allow them to be more precise in their shots and keep innocent people between the suspect and sniper to an absolute minimum. These distances are often within 100yds, but can be 50yds or less. Granted, while a Sniper in a more rural setting will have different options, the distances still tend to be closer for the same reasons the urban sniper deals with.

In situations that mandate that you are so close to your threat, it is often imperative to turn the magnification down to a setting that gives you maximum field of view in order to observe without panning or scanning. If you were to turn the magnification down to the minimum setting on a FFP scope, then the reticle becomes very thin and difficult to see. If/when a threat were to present itself and a quick shot were required, it very well may be necessary to have to turn the magnification up to a point where the reticle is visible against the target. An illuminated reticle can sometimes help alleviate this problem but most reticles are not daytime visible. This would only become a benefit if the situation were occurring in a limited to no light situation, and having your reticle illuminated without a Killflash or Anti Reflection Device(ARD) can possibly give away your position as it can be viewed by a skilled forward observer. A lot of things affect how well you can see your reticle; shadows, varying light, target color, target background, viewing through glass, differing vegetation, sun position, reflections, etc. all have an impact on how you see your reticle against your target. This is where the SFP reticle riflescopes become a benefit to the LE Sniper. The reticle remains constant in size throughout the magnification range. The shot usually requires a POA/POI hold or something so close that it can be judged by a feature hold on the target. The subtensions on the reticle may not be correct, but given the distances of the engagement and the nature of the environment, it becomes a non-issue and can be satisfied by dialing your proper zero for your given range if needed. Ranging with your reticle, windage holds for wind and moving targets are also rather limited in the LE Role to where they are very common in the Military Role.

One common theme between the two professions is the use of forward mounted Night Vision Devices (NVD’s) like the UNS and MUNS. The use of NVD’s can limit the use of the optic on maximum magnification. Most clip-on NVD’s are optimized for use in the 6 - 10x magnification range. This could be said that it is a benefit to utilize a front focal plane scope and I will agree, but with proper knowledge of how a second focal plane scope reticle subtends at different magnifications, it becomes a non-issue. It is also not an issue if utilization of the subtended holds aren’t necessary.

In conclusion, the second focal plane riflescope still very much has its place for the Law Enforcement role while the opposite is found to be true for the Military Role. It is imperative when your agency is selecting the equipment needed for its mission, that it select the equipment that will benefit the team in accomplishing their mission – and not hinder it. When selecting your optics, make sure that you look at all sides of the equation to determine what will work best for you.

Preach.

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