A note on reticles and illuminated scopes...
Three types of reticle throw the eye to the center of the scope, a huge aid in shooting fast and, especially, at moving targets:
1) Dot on conventional crosshair.
2) German #4----cross hair with three fat bars from 6, 9, and 3 o'clock, as made famous on Schmidt & Bender scopes. German #4 works better with short eye relief of rifle optic.
3) Illuminated dot, whether electrical or tritium. Electric reticle is battery dependent. Tritium burns out in 6 to 10 years.
Conventional crosshair or its variant Duplex reticle allows the eye to wander, so you have to SEE the center.
Illuminated reticles diminish target visibility in poor light, a consideration for stand hunting at end of day.
Unity (1x) to low (2x) magnification is appropriate for large game. Higher magnification (4x-8x, etc.) for shots from a rest at small targets. Magnification shortens eye relief and compresses range of eye relief.
If you use corrective glasses, wear them when you hold up and look through scopes in a gunshop. Check eye relief by holding scope at distance it would be, mounted on your revolver. If you cannot see iron sights clearly, step outside your ego and try a scope. Check the options as best as possible before you buy, and research durability of product.
A scope will reduce recoil. It may make the gun top heavy. It must be mounted very securely, as a scope takes much sharper acceleration on a magnum handgun than on a rifle. In handgun hunting, there is a lot of out-of-position shooting, so be aware of your stance and balance every step in the woods.
David Bradshaw
