08-27-2011, 03:08 PM
That is the benefit of the 1-4x with illumination. You leave it on 1x with the illumination on, and with a Front Focal Plane optic, the reticle can look and act like a red dot for the house and alley to take out hood rats up close. Once you get out of the house, you can crank up to 2x,3x, 4x and higher if it's a 1-6x, and engage targets with more precision, at distance, and also help ID targets and no-shoots.
I have two 1-4x scopes that fit this role right now that I'm testing, and they are great. The big challenge across the industry right now is getting the illumination bright enough for using the reticle as a red dot in bright sunlight outside. Once you're inside, no issues, or under overcast conditions, but etched reticles present a technological limitation that is vexing all scope makers currently. With the fiber-optic reticles, you get plenty of brightness, but are limited to reticles with very large lines that must be connected to the outside of the field of view.
I have two 1-4x scopes that fit this role right now that I'm testing, and they are great. The big challenge across the industry right now is getting the illumination bright enough for using the reticle as a red dot in bright sunlight outside. Once you're inside, no issues, or under overcast conditions, but etched reticles present a technological limitation that is vexing all scope makers currently. With the fiber-optic reticles, you get plenty of brightness, but are limited to reticles with very large lines that must be connected to the outside of the field of view.