Illuminated or Heavy duplex?

[yankees1]

For a DA rifle/scope combo, would you prefer an illuminated dot/crosshair or a heavy duplex/#4 reticle? Which would be fastest at getting on target? Also, this combo would be used on lower 48 elk/black bear.

[Daveinthebush]

I have three of them so here is my  :money:.

I like the fine crosshairs on my Leupold 2x, .445 Supermag.  I think it gives you a more precise aiming point.

I also have a dot 2x on the 30/30 Contender, again I like it for deer hunting.

However, on the .35 Whelen and 788 .308, H&R .357 max, .243 and 30/30 I have heavy duplex.  They are the guns that I might use for bear up close and personal. (Like it or not!)

I would avoid any scope that requires batteries in Alaska.  Up on the Bering Coast I could take about 4 pictures with my camera before the batteries died. OK so it was -20 but still, if I am going to put my life on the line I am going to keep it simple.

Lets see what the other guys say. :noway:  :agree:

[Paul H]

I like the 4a from Premier Reticles.  It has the advantage of the thick outer plex, but also has the fine inner plex.  Even on a 2.5X scope, I can group unde 1" with it.

I detest batteries almost as much as goretex, and would never use an illuminated reticle.  I also believe they are illegal per ADF&G regs.

[CEJ1895]

I've got the heavy duplex on my up close and personal rifle, the fine duplex on my varmint rifle and long range rifle and the standard duplex on all the rest of them! :-)  Daveinthebush is right I never like to depend on batteries in anything that I might need to save my life :blaster: Even at 20 to thirty above zero I've had to lend my spare rifle to a buddy using a red dot scoped rifle when the batteries went on him. He swore he changed them but who knows. The standard duplex also has the finer inner cross hair for more precise aiming. Keep It Simple Sam has always been my creed!  CEJ.. :-D

[Robert]

Bushnell has a Duplex recticle with what they call 'Firefly'. You just shine a flashlight into the scope once and the crosshairs lightly glow for a period of time.  Most of my hunts tend to be dawn and dusk, so I want a scope with good low-light ability.  I have been talking talking to Bushnellboy about scopes on another thread, but I forgot to ask him about the 'firefly'.  This would be the best of both worlds, I don't think it would be illegal, and as Dave suggested...I sure wouldn't depend on a scope that could fail due to batteries.  But then the batteries could also fail in a flashlight, maybe a Bic lighter would work in a pinch for back-up light source.