Maybe this has been discussed before, so if so move onward but...

I went to pick up a new scope. I new exactly what I wanted. Then the sales clerk tells me the scope I want has a bunch of different illuminated colors and brightness levels.

Does anyone ever use these?! If so, why? I can't figure out how it would improve aiming in anyway what so ever?

Shooting my bow in low light conditions illumination was actually a negative. The pins were so bright/destracting I couldn't even see what I was aiming at?

Just being curious if illuminated scopes are a selling point for you?

i donot own any illuminated scopes but do like the Excel arms rifles.

It doesn't enhance aiming persay, but I have two illuminated reticle scopes on rifles. The crosshairs are very fine and shooting at a black animal in low light would be tricky if it weren't for the illumination. Low level illuminated reticle scopes(in my experience) are usually too bright even at the lowest setting and are distracting as you said. That wasn't a selling point for me; the scope I wanted only comes illuminated.

Yes, but it was only a selling point for a scope on one of my hog guns.

Reticle appears normal until illuminated. The settings go down to a pretty faint level and there is no issue with the amount of light produced inside the scope. (Can't say the same for some of my red-dots)

I tried three different scopes with normal reticles (40mm to 50mm objective lenses) while shooting hogs under a set of TB Classic Big Red feeder lights and I always had a heck of a time picking up the black crosshairs on darker hogs.

The lit reticle makes it so much easier to put the crosshairs on the neck or ear and gives me that much more confidence when I am trying to anchor a hog, as opposed to following him off into the brush after a shoulder/heart shot.


A pic of the lit reticle on my scope can be found farther down this post:

http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=262232

In my experience, all cheap scopes have poorly and often over illuminated reticles. The only scopes I've seen with perfectly illuminated reticle under low light are: Trijicon ACOG, Pride Fowler CQLR series, Pride Fowler RR900 series, Browe scopes, Aimpoints and EOTech's.

I have a Burris Fulfield II and a Millet TRS 1, both ballistic-plex that are illuminated. They both work very well in low light conditions and do not over power the target. Also have a Burris Fulfield II with just a dot that illuminates on my .223. Works real well at night when I can't see the cross hairs shooting at varmits at night.

Though not necessary all the time, illuminated really helps are dark color animals.
The new models with low settings are better than real bright ones.

Seriously need to add NF to this post!!! :>)

my vortex pst is great. i think like 10 different levels.

Sounds like these illuminated scopes may not really be as useful... I have always wondered.

My only complaint with the NF is having to remove the cap and battery to adjust the brightness. Perhaps it's just me, but I like the rheostat feature easily accessible as the sun goes down.

I have a Nikon that easily switches from red to green. I don't use it much anymore, but it was handy to have when using a red lens spotlight or feeder light.

My Night Force illumination level has the rheostat feature you describe. Just turn the knob for on and several (maybe 6) brightness levels. No cap to remove to adjust. Model is the 1-4X24 NXS w/FC-2 retical. Great scope what it's made for as well as hogs under 150yds.

If turning the knob after it is pulled out adjusts the brightness, how to you focus it while illuminated? This review describes my situation...

"The focus knob also contains the on/off switch for the illuminated reticle, which all NXS scopes have. You simply pull the knob out to turn on the illuminated reticle, push it in to turn it off. So how do you make the reticle more or less bright? Well, that is not so easy. You have to remove the top of the focus knob where the battery is located and then remove the battery. At that point you turn a little brightness control screw with a small flat blade screw driver. It is not something easily done while in the field as the brightness setting is a sensitive part."

you know what? i bet the 4x model doesn't need focused

That's it. No focus required on the 1-4X. I haven't tried the other NXS models though so you're probably right on those.

I hunt with the hogzilla green light which is like the xlr lights. My scope has green and red with 5 power settings for each. the way i hunt at night is with the green hogzilla light on with the red recticle on the scope. works great. it works the other way around if you use a red xlr or hogzilla light i would use the green recticle on the scope. but alot of time i dont even use the lighted recticle

Vortex Crossfire 3-9 with an illuminated .7 moa dot. It is was $100 or so and it works great on black hogs.

Vortex Crossfire 3-9 with an illuminated .7 moa dot. It is was $100 or so and it works great on black hogs.

I have 3 IR mildots and while I use them on occasion, they mostly stay off with the black reticle.
I have one of the 36 color IR 3-12 power scopes.
In all the time I have owned it, I have only used red, green and blue.
If I remember correctly, the blue was by accident....LOL!

They are nice to have sometimes but 95% of my shots are with the illumination off.

All depends on the scope. High end European scope will benefit from an illuminated reticle but most optics are already useless when it is becomes dark enough to require illumination. One of the reasons why the cheap scopes most of the time have too bright illumination.

Something like a NightForce is probably your entry level scope into useful illuminated reticles.

Illuminated scopes are crucial where I hunt. All our hogs are black, I used to lose track of where my reticle was and would have some run on me. Since I switched to illumination, losing one is rare.

Few sub 1k scopes do illumination right

Most are too bright for hunting

Ones that do it right:
Trijicon Accupoint
LEUPOLD VXR and VX6

Yep. Easy test is to go on the side of a field in full moon (preferably half moon). If you can't see the field clearly with the scope, the optics on that scope are limiting the usefulness of the illuminated reticle.

If you can see clearly, turn on the illumination at the lowest power and take a look again. If the illumination washes out the view and you can't see details on the field anymore, the illumination is way too bright. Optimal situation is when you can barely see it in moonlight.

my quick test is to set to lowest power
cover the end of the scope with my palm and be in a dark room
look into the scope, if I see ANY glow from the inside of the tube it's going to be too much for hunting

illuminated reticles for tactical use that may involve varying light conditions like in an urban environment are different of course

Spend your money on the Glass, I've got it on a 312 XTR, and a Mrk 4 Leupold 8.5X25 and never turn it on unless I'm playing..DD