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Reticle Focal Planes, First, Second or...?

Mississippi Gun Owners :: Reloading/Gunsmithing :: Accessories

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Reticle Focal Planes, First, Second or...?

Post by 45flattop on Sat Dec 10, 2011 9:30 pm

If a scope is advertised to have a First Focal Plane reticle, is that what most of us
are accustomed to with most firearm optics, as I interpret several sources, the 2nd
Focal Plane reticle seems to "grow" with the magnification if you increase it and the
1st remains constant as I'm accustomed to with all the ones I currently own, Leupolds,
Bushnells, etc.

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Re: Reticle Focal Planes, First, Second or...?

Post by dbarnes357 on Sat Dec 10, 2011 9:46 pm

As I understand it, which is admittedly in a limited capacity, I think this only really matters for ranging reticles such as a mil dot. In a FFP scope, the mil dot can be used to accurately estimate range at any magnification, whereas a standard scope's reticle can only be used at a single predetermined magnification, usually the max.

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Re: Reticle Focal Planes, First, Second or...?

Post by jbpmidas on Sat Dec 10, 2011 9:54 pm

45flattop wrote:If a scope is advertised to have a First Focal Plane reticle, is that what most of us
are accustomed to with most firearm optics, as I interpret several sources, the 2nd
Focal Plane reticle seems to "grow" with the magnification if you increase it and the
1st remains constant as I'm accustomed to with all the ones I currently own, Leupolds,
Bushnells, etc.


You've got it backwards. FFP zooms the reticle along with the target.

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Re: Reticle Focal Planes, First, Second or...?

Post by 45flattop on Sun Dec 11, 2011 1:42 pm

jbpmidas wrote:
45flattop wrote:If a scope is advertised to have a First Focal Plane reticle, is that what most of us
are accustomed to with most firearm optics, as I interpret several sources, the 2nd
Focal Plane reticle seems to "grow" with the magnification if you increase it and the
1st remains constant as I'm accustomed to with all the ones I currently own, Leupolds,
Bushnells, etc.


You've got it backwards. FFP zooms the reticle along with the target.


Thank you VERY MUCH, JPP, i found the same information in the Leupold catalog
last night and you just saved me from making a quite expensive possibly irrevocable
mistake!! youdaman

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