Burk Cornelius
Regular guy
Can someone smarter than me explain first focal plane vs second focal plane?
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First/second focal plane
- Thread starter Burk Cornelius
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jcameron996
Well-Known Fanatic
First focal plane your reticle changes size when you change magnification. Sub tensions stay the same over the range of magnification. Second focal plane reticle stays the same size when you change magnification. Sub tensions only good at one magnification.
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jtischauser
I'm addicted to kicking ass
1-4x, 1-6x, and 1-8x is best as second focal plane. Reticle marks are only accurate at maximum magnification.
Anything higher magnification is better first focal plane so your reticle is accurate at 12x as well as 25x.
Anything higher magnification is better first focal plane so your reticle is accurate at 12x as well as 25x.
Matt1911
Cyrwus Jr.
Fixed it.Jesse Tischauser said:
Tuflehundon
Cyrwus Says I'm Cool
I am a big fan of 1st focal plane scopes. I ran a Bushnell PCL 1-4 FFP when I first started shooting 3gun. I really liked the scope, but as Jesse said, I really don't think it's needed in a 1-4, or even maybe a 1-6. But I do prefer it in higher magnification scopes. Even a 1-8. A second focal plane scopes sub-tensions are only true at 1X and max X. So if you go from 1X shooting at close targets, and use your throw lever to take long shots, but oops, put it on 6 or 7 power and not 8 power, your holds will be off. And I have seen guys miss a few shots and waste a lot of time figuring out they did that.
A FFP scope on the other hand, has it sub-tensions true throughout the entire magnification range. So, for instance with my 2.5-10x32 Vortex scope (open rifle with offset red dot), if I only go to 7 power instead of 10, my holds are still going to be dead on. With higher magnification scope like mine, there are a lot of times were I don't want to use 10X. I'd rather use lower power so I can transition faster. The main time I use the 10X is on DMR matches that go out to 660 yards.
Second focal plane scopes tend to cost less than a first focal plane scope of the same quality level will as well. Vortex makes a SFP version of my FFP scope and it's $600 instead of the $800 mine cost new.
Both are great scopes, and which you should use depends on what application you are using it for. Hunting or long range shooting. I will always choose FFP. 3gun, it depends on budget, but I still prefer FFP for 3gun, even though I know I'm in the minority on that. It's just harder to find a 1-4, 1-6, or 1-8 that are FFP.
A FFP scope on the other hand, has it sub-tensions true throughout the entire magnification range. So, for instance with my 2.5-10x32 Vortex scope (open rifle with offset red dot), if I only go to 7 power instead of 10, my holds are still going to be dead on. With higher magnification scope like mine, there are a lot of times were I don't want to use 10X. I'd rather use lower power so I can transition faster. The main time I use the 10X is on DMR matches that go out to 660 yards.
Second focal plane scopes tend to cost less than a first focal plane scope of the same quality level will as well. Vortex makes a SFP version of my FFP scope and it's $600 instead of the $800 mine cost new.
Both are great scopes, and which you should use depends on what application you are using it for. Hunting or long range shooting. I will always choose FFP. 3gun, it depends on budget, but I still prefer FFP for 3gun, even though I know I'm in the minority on that. It's just harder to find a 1-4, 1-6, or 1-8 that are FFP.
drmitchgibson
The white Morgan Freeman
I am a big fan of buying something of good quality and learning how to use it proficiently.
benny hill
.308
you are going to have a 200yd zero, so good to go out to 230-250 with center dot or crosshair, after that you will have it all the way up in power so get a 2nd plane scope so as to see the dot at the same size all the time.
Ksmirk
Well-Known Fanatic
When you get into something that you REALLY have to know your drops the 1st focal plane is nice like on my LR rifles when you go from targets from say 300 to 500 to 250 to 600 if you know your drops you can just use your reticle and not worry about the power setting as it's accurate at any power, unlike a 2nd focal plane that has a set power it's accurate at, most are accurate at the highest setting. When I was shooting 3G well I shot irons and just held over if the targets were past 200.... I really don't think you'd see any advantage in 3G going with a 1st focal plane scope! just get out and shoot so you know where your hold overs are and run! keep it simple!
Next time I head out to the range if you want you can look thru one of my 1st focal plane scopes and pretty sure that would be all it would take to convince you it's not needed for what your shooting. Later,
Kirk
Next time I head out to the range if you want you can look thru one of my 1st focal plane scopes and pretty sure that would be all it would take to convince you it's not needed for what your shooting. Later,
Kirk
OR3GUN
Sponsor
One advantage to 2nd focal plane on a scope with a BDC reticle is being able to find tune the magnification where the drop points better line up to the ballistic reality of your rifle. If I run my 1-6 Vortex Strike Eagle at 5.5X the 400, 500 and 600 are dead on, with the closer marks POI within a couple inches of where they should be. I have a stop that lives on the 45 degree rail of the Warne RAMP mount. The Switchview on the scope runs into it right at 5.5X, so it works on the fly.
