Most scope reticles have easy mechanism, especially the base types. But there are times that you will be encountering involved reticles, especially those in Germany. In this article, the base types of scope reticles in North America will only be discussed. These are crosshair, dot, and post and crosshair.
By far, the most favorite scope reticle is the easy crosshair. This is usually available in fine, medium and heavy. Fine easy crosshair reticle is great for varmint hunting whereas the medium easy crosshair reticle is good for big game hunting and is for all-around use. On the other hand, the heavy easy crosshair reticle is excellent for close range shoot at large targets like deer. The easy crosshair is fast and much easier to use.
Nikon Body
The post and crosshair is the next most favorite scope reticle. The post was designed to look like a flat topped front sight and for those with iron sights or have problem adjusting to a crosshair scope reticle. Post reticle typically has a flat top. The tip of a post with a pointed edge or a picket fence post is very difficult to see at dim light. As a result, the shooter aims farther down the scope reticle and thus shooting above the target.
Below the post top, the horizontal crosshair is attached to declare the rifle at balance. It does not have an aiming function. Currently, most shooters are more accustomed to telescopic sights production post and crosshair reticles less common.
The earliest Lee Floating Dot was suspended with strands of spider web. These reticles were the finest and the strongest. The stands of spider web were virtually indiscernible so that the dot will appear to float at the center of the field of vision. The dots are sold in assorted sizes and made to subtend at 100 yards for two, four or six minutes of angle (Moa). The four exiguous dot is good for big game hunting.
In 1950′s, the old Weaver business has begun selling a Range-Finder reticle. This type of reticle has added crosshair 6 Moa under the central horizontal crosshair. The conception was that the body of the buck with an average size would have no empty spaces in the middle of the crosshairs at 300 yards to give the shooter a good assessment of the range.
During the 1960s, the scope reticles became more involved because of the Duplex reticle designed by Leupold. The Duplex reticle has fine central crosshair. It transitions to a strong crosshair about ¼ toward the edge. The conception was to guide the eye to the aiming point of the scope reticle. The heavy part of the Duplex reticle is much easier to see in the dim light. Also, the fine inner crosshair can be finer compared to the typical medium crosshair. Overall, the appropriate Duplex reticle is very versatile.
Leupold Duplex is the most imitated scope reticle design. Roughly all of the modern scopes today are the version of this reticle. Today, Duplex type reticles are ordinarily called “plex” reticles.
The different Types of Scope Reticles