Choosing a sniper scope

There is a lot of information about optical sights on the web, but often this information is from hunters or sports shooters and not all of it works in combat conditions of military sniping.

Main criteria for choosing optics for a sniper and examples:

Criteria:

+ Applicable without reservations
+/- Conditionally applicable (with reservations)
– Cannot be used (in the toilet)

Types of sighting reticles:

– Hunting sighting reticles (duplex, crosshairs, stump) and all sights without additional divisions.

+/- Simple Mildot and TMR – not detailed enough, outdated reticles (sometimes require a lot of experience for accurate removal).

+ Horus-type reticles and their varieties (“herringbone”) e.g. – EBR-2C, SKMR4, MPCT 3X.

Size:

+ Mil (mrad) with a click of 1/10 mil
+/- MOA – You’ll rack your brains until you get used to converting inches to centimeters.

Focal plane:

+ First Focal Plane FFP (first facial plane) – when the magnification changes, the reticle changes size proportionally. (Allows you to measure distance at any magnification)

+/- Second Focal Plane SFP (second facial plane) – when changing magnification, only the “picture” changes, the reticle remains unchanged – is placed on some .50 BMGs – when shooting at very long distances. (Measures distance only at a certain magnification).

Load in J:

Cal. 308:
+ The optics must hold min. 6000 J
+/- 4000 J (will always work at the limit without a safety margin)

Cal.338 LM:
+ 10,000 J
+/- 8,000 J (during reloading, 300 gr SMK accelerates to 900 m/s, which gives over 7,000 J, again working at the limit)
– 6000 J

Cal .50 BMG:
Min. 20,000 J

Models we have tested in operation:

Cal .338 LM:

Top:

Schmidt & Bender 5-45×56 PM II High Power. – $8,000
ZCO 5-27X56 MPCT3 – $5700
Nightforce ATACR 7-35×56 F1 ZeroS TReMoR3 – $5850
KAHLES K 525i CCW 5-25×56 – $4100
LEUPOLD MARK 5HD 5-25X56 – $3800

Middle class:

Nightforce NX8 4-32×50 F1 ZeroS – $3200
DELTA STRYKER 4.5-30×56 FFP—$2,300
Vortex Viper PST Gen II 5-25×50 F1 reticle EBR-7C—$1,850

Cal .308:

Minimum – Vortex Venom 5-25×56 FFP reticle EBR-7C – $700
(and everything above also, of course, fits the 308th)

Happy hunting for two-legged animals, Gentlemen!