All posts tagged Trijicon hunting optics

Time to change the way you view optics?

Ever since I picked up my crossbow from Horton and it came  with the illuminated red and green reticle, i have changed my mind about the types of optics that I am going to be using.  I had a lot of trouble going from standard duplex reticles to all of those circle, triangles and hash marks that you see on many combat optics.  I’ve learned in the past that it’s best to pick a bullet weight that is flat shooting and then give yourself a better chance at getting a hit rather than knowing all of your bullet drops at various distances and having to bring a range finder with you.   For 556 I tend to stick to 62gr bullets and the 150gr for .308 if I want that flat shooting trajectory.

When i first looked through the Trijicon Accupoint scopes that looked very odd to me.  I had trouble understanding why I need to have a pole reticle but the Trijicon Accupoint rifle scopes have a very clear and pin point aiming system that can actually help many shooters see their target instead of covering it with crosshairs.  There are different reticles you can get and background can make a difference.   There are certain wooded areas where amber or yellow reticles might do better for  your eyes than the green or red, but it’s really all about preference.   There are many Trijicon Optics out there to choose from and their hunting optics are superb.

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Clarity vs. Magnification for combat optics

There has been a lot of changes in the way people mount optics on firearms, years ago it was rare to find a zero magnification on a combat optics because to some people it didn’t make sense to have a scope that didn’t magnify.  Now that we know that most combat ranges are well under 75yds, medium range optics like the Trijicon ACOGS actually slow you down.  They are a great optic but the Eotech gun sights really have a better reputation for close range fighting.  I’m still waiting for Eotech to come out with a holographic sight that is solar powers like the Trijicon optics but it’s not been built yet sadly.

The biggest selling optic we have going for us right now are the Trijicon TA26 scopes.  The first thing our customers said when they picked up this small lightweight Trijicon rifle scope, or should we call it optic, was that it was light and very clear.   The green reticles are far outselling the red ones but the definition between these optics and what you get from a blurry red dot optics are drastic.  Many people with good eyesight really don’t like red dots because they can obscure your target and sometimes not give you a fine point.

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Illuminated reticles and night sights

There is much to debate when it comes to low light fighting because as all debates, one change in the situation can alter the entire argument.   Recently I did some not so technical comparisons between some of the Trijicon ACOGS we had in the store and tested them out late at night.  I went from being in a well lit room to walking out into the night and see how the reticles looked.   One thing I did not like about the Trijicon ACOGS at first was going from bright sunny, well light reticle illumination to a dark room with a TA26SG-10.   I was not happy about the 90% change in illumination and for an instant I could not see the reticle when entering a room.

That is one argument I still use when boasting about my Eotech selection of combat sights.  The changes in illumination from the Trijicon Rifle Scopes that are meant for combat is something that you need to train for.   I also tested out the Trijicon TA01NSN to see how that worked in low light.   Once again I went from a well lit room with those nice dark black reticles to nighttime and the center most reticles began to glow.   What I did not like about this optic and reticle configuration was that even in low light, there is still light and the glowing reticle was not easy to see against street lights.   Another issue for reticles that have varying contrasts in different lighting.   If there was a way to regulate the changes in lighting that might make the Trijicon ACOG an even better optic.   Consistent lighting from an optic can mean something.  I am starting to like the Trijicon TA31F-G.

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Low light and background

Recently I got a chance to get out during archery season here in New York State and hunted from a tree stand with a Horton Vision crossbow.   The crossbow came with a bolt drop comepsator and it worked impressively.  Using 100gr arrow points, it was dead on out to 50yds and I tested it at every range.   I probable would have gotten this crossbow without the scope because I still have young eyes and think i could have faired well without it.  There is an adjustable reticle knob that can allow for varying brightness and it also can illuminate with red or green reticles.

At first, I thought I didn’t need the illumination, but when I was out in the woods and depending on the background of what I was aiming at, the different color reticles were actually a bonus.  I could see the black crosshairs on this scope, but when I was aiming into thick vegitation, the red reticle option looked best, when I was aiming into the dark woods with mostly a wooden tree and leave background, the green reticle really stood out.   Trijicon riflescopes and ACOGS have been issued to military and law enforcement for many years now, but although there have been some changes to the reticle configurations, there has been a real trend away from just the red reticle.   Even laser manufacturers are moving more towards green for proveable reasons.   The human eye picks up certain colors better than others in low light, and it’s yet another reason to do some research into what you are using a rifle scope for and what environement it will be in.

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