Scopes: Front Focal Plane or Second Focal Plane?

[Bed Wetter]

I have a kickass Leupold on my "long range" 308. I'm just getting the hang of the rifle, haven't had much time to spend behind the scope. It's a standard "second focal plane" (SFP).

I just came into a decent "Front Focal Plane" (FFP) scope that I'm going to try out on the same rifle but in .223.

SFP: the reticle crosshairs remain the same size as you adjust the magnification. Advantages: finer crosshair at max magnification, smaller price tag.
FFP: the reticle crosshairs expand and shrink as magnification adjustments are made. Advantages: with MOA and MIL hash marks, fast windage and elevation adjustments on the fly at any magnification level, less need to rely on turret adjustments

Everything I've read says once a guy goes FFP they can never go back to SFP.

What's your experience?

 

[Davey Crockett]

I don't understand why it would be hard to go back and forth.

- - - Updated - - -

I guess for hunting it would take more getting used to but Iv'e shot targets with scopes from all ends of the spectrum. None of them made any different in my scores.

- - - Updated - - -

As long as the magnification was there.

 

[SDMF]

I don't like the "paper-towel tube view" of FFP's @ low power. One only really needs to understand that w/SFP's subtensions are still there, it's just that the value had doubled or tripled. For instance, a 6.5-20 w/MLR reticle has 1/2 and 1 MIL hashes, but only @ 20x. @ 10x, those marks are still there, but they're subtension represents 2x more realestate, @ 6.5x you can essentially double it again, not quite, but it'll get you close enough to work, especially if one is dialling elevation and only using hashes for wind.

Slim, use your friggin' turrets!

 

[adarms1]

I personally shoot FFP pretty much exclusively, and I have no intention of ever going back to SFP with the exception of shooting F-class or a similar discipline.

Tunneling can be an issue to some at the lower powers, but this isn't nesessarily an issue with all brands of FFP optics as many of the newer designs do not tunnel.

As far as using the hashes for hold overs and windage this is something I personally rarely do, I rather like to spot my impacts and then adjust the turrets accordingly, which is not possible on a SFP accept on a specific mag setting.

Everyone has personal preferences, so you will just have to try one out and decide for yourself.

 

[Kurtr]

Yep I run ffp also for the reasons Andrew stated. On 6x I got a cross hair more or less and tunneling isn't bad enough to bother me at all. When time is of a concern not worrying about what power I am on is nice. Gotta check reticle to make sure it sub tends correctly for it to work. It works out good for DIALED ELEVATION hold wind. Spin those turrets.

 

[Bed Wetter]

I don't like the "paper-towel tube view" of FFP's @ low power. One only really needs to understand that w/SFP's subtensions are still there, it's just that the value had doubled or tripled. For instance, a 6.5-20 w/MLR reticle has 1/2 and 1 MIL hashes, but only @ 20x. @ 10x, those marks are still there, but they're subtension represents 2x more realestate, @ 6.5x you can essentially double it again, not quite, but it'll get you close enough to work, especially if one is dialling elevation and only using hashes for wind.

Slim, use your friggin' turrets!

The problem with recalculating MOA/MIL values at different magnifications on SFP is the potential for human error. The calculations will be accurate at minimum and maximum magnifications, but it may be very cumbersome pinpointing those midway magnification points. It sounds reasonable in theory but realistically most guys are only going to be calculating at max magnification. If that's the case, why not just spend 1/3 the money on a fixed power scope with zero parallax and fewer moving parts to break? Maybe I'm wrong, but if you're using your SFP reticle for windage and elevation adjustments, haven't you more or less committed yourself to a fixed power anyway? That's why I'm intrigued by FFP and fixed magnification SFP.