![]() ![]() ![]() This technique was commonplace until recent years, and some time back I had the privilege of seeing this process. Finding that such materials were a bit tricky to work with, optics manufacturers eventually began using extremely thin metal wire installed by hand. Originally, reticles were made of hair (thus the term “crosshairs”) or of actual spider webs. The term “reticle” is derived from the Latin “reticulum,” which means “net,” referring to a net of fine lines. “We created most of our own reticle designs,” he said, “and they have proven to be so effective that many of our customers request a specific reticle first, then choose a scope it is available in.” What Is a Reticle? “Sometimes I think we sell just as many riflescopes because of our reticles as due to the scopes themselves,” he laughed. To illustrate just how important reticles have become in the buying decision, I asked Sean Murphy, marketing project manager at Nightforce, what their customers say about reticles when they’re considering a new riflescope. I am indebted to my friends at Nightforce Optics, who long ago realized that exceptional riflescopes and extremely precise purpose-built reticles are inseparable, for much of the information that follows. This is why the proper reticle/scope combination for your application is so critical.įor the purpose of this article, we’re going to concentrate on what the hunter needs to consider, especially the mountain hunter, and leave the radically different concerns of tactical professionals, competition shooters and military snipers for another day. The reticle is what translates all the inherent capability of riflescopes like these into something you can see - and ultimately apply to your target. ![]() There are days I would be happy with that at 100 yards. Kline put 10 shots into 2.815 inches at 1000 yards. Consider, for example, one of the recent world records, shot by Matthew D. This is why skilled shooters are able to push the envelope of distance and accuracy ever further. These companies are crafting scopes using the finest raw materials and most advanced manufacturing processes possible, scopes capable of previously unobtainable resolution and repeatability. There is a reason why the riflescopes available from the handful of manufacturers building the very best optics can cost well into four figures. Make the wrong choice, and a reticle could prove to be your worst enemy. A reticle must be appropriate to the type of game pursued by the hunter, his hunting environment, and perhaps most important, to his attitude. Others, frankly, are little more than marketing gimmicks. Some are extremely sophisticated and user-friendly. ![]() The bad news? Choosing a reticle now requires a great deal of thought and soul-searching. The good news is that in conjunction with remarkable advances in riflescope design and quality, and vastly improved bullet construction for flat-shooting calibers, today’s rifle/scope/reticle combinations are capable of pinpoint precision at extreme distances unheard of just a couple of decades ago. Here’s what you need to consider.Īs with other aspects of modern life, radical new technologies have arrived in the optics industry…one result being a vast, albeit sometimes confusing, array of new reticle designs. Rarely was a choice of reticles even offered, and most hunters accepted the basic “crosshairs” that came as standard equipment because there simply weren’t any other options. If you have your sights on a new riflescope, you might want to think about your reticle first. Riflescopes came only in a few basic flavors, and about all we had to worry about was the scope’s magnification range and if it was of reasonably decent quality. Hunting was a lot simpler 30 or 40 years ago. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |