Something You Need to Know Before Choosing a Rifle Scope
Wargame enthusiast, hunter, airsoft lover… when you decide to buy a scope for your rifle, some scope terminology will probably be very familiar to you. Only with a complete understanding of these parameters on the manual can you take the first step to pick up your favourite rifle scope.
What do the 3 numbers on a rifle scope mean?
Take our VICTOPTICS S6 1-6X24 SFP LPVO RIFLE SCOPE for example, 1-6x refers to the scope magnification range. 1x is the lowest magnification, which means the image at about the same size as you see the target with naked eye. While the highest magnification 6x means the maximum image you can see though your rifle scope is six times your naked eye. And 24 means the diameter of its objective lens is 24mm.
What does LPVO stand for?
LPVO, the abbreviation of “Low Power Variable Optics”, refers to those rifle scopes with low magnification from true 1x to a maximum of 4x, 6x or higher zoom factor. LPVO scope brings better shooting experience at short distance because it allows shooters easily catch the target (especially a moving target) with true 1x.
What does First Focal Plane mean?
First Focal Plane, also called FFP. In a FFP riflescope, the reticle is placed in front of the Picture Reversal Assembly, which is the first image plane sight. When the magnification is changed, the reticle will become larger or smaller in the same proportion as the image.
What does SFP (Second Focal Plane) mean?
In a SFP scope, the reticle is put behind the Picture Reversal Assembly. No matter how the magnification changes, the reticle remain unchanged.
What is elevation adjustment?
Elevation Adjustment usually located on top of rifle scopes and is used to change the center point of reticle up or down.
What is windage adjustment?
Windage Adjustment usually located on the right side of rifle scopes and is used to change the center point of reticle left or right.
What is eyepiece diopter adjustment?
Eyepiece Diopter Adjustment is a technical means used to make up for some users with myopia and other eye diseases.
What does eye relief mean on a rifle scope?
Eye Relief refers to the distance between the eye and the last lens of the eyepiece when the entire field of view can be seen clearly.
Longer eye relief rifle scopes have the benefits like: providing more safety from heavy recoil of their rifle, and more suitable to be used as a scouting scope, because longer eye relief allows the scope to be mounted forward of the rifle’s action.
What is reticle?
In terms of the manufacture technology, it is divided into wire reticle and etched glass reticle. The reticle type initially used only two crossed crosshairs, and later derived other more complex ones with optional extra points or short lines for the shooter to choose to provide accuracy in different circumstances.
What is Field of View (FOV)?
Field of View (FOV) means the observable area you can see through a scope. Usually, in the same scopes, the larger the magnification, the smaller the field of view.
What is scope parallax?
Parallax, to some extent, is present in almost all scopes, especially reflex. It occurs when the target image cannot be accurately and clearly reflected on the reticle plane. When the shooter’s head is offset, or in some extreme cases, there can be significant displacement between the reticle and the target causing parallax, misalignment and blurred images. Generally, the scope factory setting of parallax free is at 100 yards, and the parallax-free setting of the scope for close range such as shotguns is set at 50 yards.
What is optical coating?
Coating is a technical treatment to prevent the damage of the image caused by the reflected light of the light. Excellent coating is often chemically treated, so that the coating is not easy to wipe off, and the coating is natural and soft. The coating is divided into single-layer coating and multi-layer coating (MC) in the optical sight according to the processing technology.
What is FMC?
FMC: Fully multi-layer coating, can better reduce the reflectivity of various wavelengths of light on the lens, so as to improve the color reproduction power of the overall sight.
What is FDE?
FDE, Also known as Coyote FDE, is a special color of flat dark earth or brown.
What is IP level in a scope?
IPX4, IPX6, IPX67, indicates how well a scope is protected against water and dust. The first number after “IP” refers to the solid particle protection, While the second number means water-resistant ability. Higher number means more water-resistant and dust-proof.
What is scope ring/scope mount?
The rings surround the scope and help line it up with your rifle. They are divided into scope rings and one-piece ring mount, which also play an important part for rifle accuracy.
What does MOA mean on a rifle scope?
MOA stands for “minute of angle,” which is a unit of measurement used in optics to describe the angular size of a target or the adjustments made to a sight.
If you are using yards, then 1 MOA approximately equals to 1 inch (1.047”) at 100 yards, 2 inches at 200 yards and so on; If you are using meters, then 1 MOA approximately equals to 2.9cm at 100m, 5.8cm at 200m, and so on.
What is an illuminated rifle scope?
An illuminated rifle scope has lights inside the tube to highlight the reticle. This will make your reticle more visible compared with the target to ensure more precise aiming at low light environment.