How to choose an optical sight

Most owners of rifled weapons try to equip them with a telescopic sight, for example nightforce competition scope for sale, in order to be able to effectively hunt fur or hoofed game. This pleasure is not cheap, and so money is not wasted, you need to understand how to make a choice. And the result of the shooting will depend on the correctness of the decision.

Multiplicity

The first thing that buyers see is the fold. In simple terms, this characteristic reflects the ability of the sight to magnify (zoom in) the object in question. The magnification determines the distance at which the scope will be used optimally. Of course, the numbers do not show the maximum distance to the target, but the degree to which the object's image is enlarged, compared to how the human eye perceives it at a given distance. 

For the correct choice of multiplicity, it is necessary to accurately imagine at what distances the shooting will be mainly carried out. And to make it easier to navigate, there are special tables in which the estimated firing range and multiplicity are approximately compared.

By multiplicity, all sights are conventionally divided into three groups:

• - Small multiplicity (1-6);

• - Medium multiplicity (7-9);

• - High multiplicity (from 10).

For driven hunts, a sight with a magnification of 1-6 is sufficient. This will allow you to shoot even short-term, aiming with two open eyes, as with a collimator sight. On approach hunting, it is advisable to use sights of medium magnification. Well, scopes with high magnification require the use of a bipod, an emphasis when shooting. In addition, sights with a magnification of more than 15 are already installed on army weapons when used in military affairs.

Also, when choosing the magnification, it should be remembered that the higher the approximation, the more the field of view narrows. That is why, on driven hunts and when shooting from the approach, low and medium magnification is used.

By multiplicity, the sights are divided into two more groups:

• - Constant multiplicity (for example, 6x50 or 4x32);

• - Variable magnification (for example, 1-6x50).

In the first case, the sight may be somewhat limited by the capabilities of the device due to a more or less fixed range of use. However, this significantly increases its reliability due to the relative simplicity of the device.

A variable fold, of course, expands the shooter's capabilities, allowing you to use the same scope on different hunts, both in forest conditions and open space. Of course, these scopes are much more expensive.

Objective entrance lens diameter

Undoubtedly, when choosing the magnification of the sight, the second figure in this indicator is striking. For example, 6x50. It speaks about the diameter of the entrance (front) lens in the objective. This value is expressed in millimeters and affects the amount of light transmitted through the lens. The larger the lens (objective) diameter, the more light it will let through, which means that the picture will be clearer, and the target is better viewed.

It is worth remembering here that scopes with large lenses require high brackets on the gun or the use of special adapter adapters that connect the bracket and mounts on the scope itself.

Exit pupil diameter

This characteristic also affects how well the target is seen, especially in low light conditions. It is calculated by dividing the lens diameter by the magnification and is expressed in millimeters. For example, for an 8x32 scope, you need to divide 32 by 8. This will make 4 mm. The optimal value is 5 mm. 

Aiming reticle

The reticle is a scale that is printed on one of the lenses. This is what the shooter sees when aiming through the optics. There are several types of nets designed for specific shooting conditions. In addition, there are also branded nets, which are a kind of business card of a brand.

Sami simple reticle - the classic crosshair or cross - allows you to aim at stationary targets at short distances. More complex variants of the grids have additional divisions and scales with which the shooter can determine the distance to the target, its size. Such meshes are used mainly at distances of 500 meters.

Also, when choosing a net, it is necessary to take into account the conditions of firing weapons. A well-trained specialist will help you make the right choice. It is very good if the grid is backlit.

Still, such things are best used in competitions and not during the hunt. Scotland is revising its legislation after the murder of a "beautiful goat".

Parallax

Parallax is an effect in which the target and reticle move relative to each other if the shooter changes the position of the eye relative to the optical axis of the sight. This effect can be removed by tuning, but not on all scopes. Some of them have a fixed setting at a certain distance. Others are designed with a customization device. In the language of the layman, it is “a wheel on the side of the sight body. It can also be a ring with markings located on the lens.   

Mountings

Here, you need to focus, first of all, on the brackets with which the weapon is equipped. The most common are dovetail and Weaver or Picatinny trims. The mounts on the sight may not always coincide with the brackets on the gun completely. Adapters are provided for these cases. You will have to buy them separately.

These are the main characteristics of scopes that you should pay attention to when choosing in the first place. It only remains to add that a good, high-quality device will always be sealed and filled with an inert gas (most often, it is nitrogen).

As for the materials of the case, it is best if it is steel or anodized aluminum. These scopes withstand recoil well even on large calibers with a powerful cartridge.