Notes
From Afield:
Seeing the Light |
More
hunters are opening their eyes to the
advantages of illuminated sighting systems.
If
you’ve ever tried to aim at a
dark-colored animal—a black bear,
a wild boar, or a Cape buffalo—through
a scope with black cross hairs, you
know that the result can be guesswork
and, sometimes, a missed shot opportunity.
You might have had the same problem
trying to get a precise aiming point
on an elk in heavy timber, or a whitetail
at last light. If so, you might be a
candidate for an illuminated reticle
or red-dot sight.
Of
all the recent technological advancements
in hunting optics, the biggest area
of growth has been in illuminated sighting
systems. This is primarily a result
of the growing use of red-dot and other
electronic sights by successful competitive
shooters, particularly in the handgun
arena. Big-game hunters have traditionally
been skeptical of placing high-tech
sights on hunting rifles, but today
many are gravitating toward illuminated
sighting systems as the technology has
improved and made the these options
lighter, stronger, and more dependable.
Quick
Links
Red Dot Sights
Holographic Sights
Illuminated Scope Reticles
Red
Dot Sights
Red
dot sights are typically non-magnifying
or low-magnification battery-powered
units with a single red dot located
within the sight itself, between the
ocular and objective lenses. These units
can look like small boxes or tiny scopes.
Most red-dot sights can be adjusted
for brightness and intensity, and their
aiming points can be zeroed just like
a riflescope cross hair. Military tests
have shown that this type of sight is
an exceedingly fast and accurate system
for making a single, quick shot, as
it allows the shooter to keep both eyes
open.
The
drawback with these sights is that if
the battery goes out, there’s
no backup. However, new technology used
in the latest versions of these sights
have made the battery life extremely
long; Aimpoint, for example, claims
that the 3-volt lithium battery used
in their sight is good for five years
of continuous use at the midrange power
setting. The new generations of these
sights are also much lighter in weight
than the earlier versions, which tended
to be large and boxy. Many weigh just
three or four ounces, far lighter than
most riflescopes.
Electronic
red dot sights are not the same as laser
sights. On an electronic sight, the
red dot is only visible to the shooter
by looking through the sighting unit,
whereas a laser sight actually projects
a red dot onto the target, which is
illegal for hunting in many jurisdictions.
Laser sights are primarily used in self-defense
situations.
Holographic
Sights
Holographic sights have been around
for a couple of decades now. Unlike
red dot sights, these feature a lighted
dot, circle, or other aiming reference
in the sight’s aiming window,
and this reticle appears to “float”
out in front of the sighting unit, either
along the barrel or out in front of
the gun. Like the red dot sight, the
aiming point on a holographic sight
is parallax free, and it is also very
fast to use since both the target and
the reticle are in focus simultaneously.
These
are some of the smallest sights around,
some measuring just a few inches long
and weighing mere ounces. Some models
are available with shields that prevent
moisture and dirt from interfering with
the projection of the aiming point in
the aiming window. Most but not all
of these scopes run off battery power.
Illuminated
Scope Reticles
For more traditionally minded hunters,
there’s the illuminated-reticle
riflescope. Externally they look like
any other scope, but the reticles themselves
light up. The 
illumination
can take the form of lighted cross hairs,
center dots, circles, or arrowhead-like
points. Most such scopes allow the user
to adjust the brightness of the reticle
depending on conditions, and in most
cases, if the battery goes out, a standard
black cross hair remains.
Some
hunters still avoid these reticles because
of concerns about battery life, but
as with the red-dot sights, longer-lasting
batteries have largely solved this problem.
Some manufacturers have gone a step
further and eliminated batteries altogether,
building reticles out of materials such
as tritium that glow continuously, or
using fiber optics that can be made
to glow temporarily with the aid of
a flashlight.
Within
each of these broad categories of illuminated
sighting systems, new styles and designs
are being introduced and developed all
the time. Lighted sights come in various
sizes, magnifications, reticle types,
and even colors. If you’re considering
adding some illumination to your hunting
equipment, it’s worth a visit
to a dealer who carries a wide selection
of the various types of optics. Eyeballing
them yourself is the best way to determine
which system will work best for you.
©2009 by Sports
Afield, all rights reserved. Do not
duplicate any part of this e-mail without
prior written permission. We endeavor
to be as accurate as possible; however,
prices and other information are subject
to change or correction without notice.
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www.sportsafield.com
Speed,
Accuracy & Low Light Performance Give
You the Edge
Aimpoint
sights offer performance your scope
can’t match. For over three decades
Aimpoint has been recognized as the
worldwide leader in sight system technology.
Aimpoint
has revolutionized the shooting and
hunting industries with innovative products
and breakthrough technology that is
second to none! The current generation
of Aimpoint sights takes red-dot technology
to an entirely new level. Aimpoint continues
to manufacture the most reliable and
consistent optics available around the
world, and continues to build on the
quality and effectiveness of our sights.
Aimpoint offers a complete product line-up
to meet the demands of the most discriminating
hunter.
Aimpoint sights are incredibly quick
on target as proven by the US Military.
Over 600,000 Aimpoint sights serve with
distinction worldwide in the U.S. Army,
U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps.
The soldier-tested, combat-proven sights
perform time and time again in both
the extreme conditions presented on
the battlefield and in the woods.
Aimpoint sights are completely parallax
free and have unlimited eye relief.
This allows a hunter to shoot with both
eyes open and focus entirely on their
quarry. Be it a buck of a lifetime busting
through the timber, a coyote running
through scrub-flats, a flock of geese
coming in for a landing, or a cape buffalo
on the African plains, the shooter will
have a complete, unobstructed, and in-focus
view of the action; no sight alignment
to distract focus from where it counts,
and no limited field of view to cut
out your peripheral awareness.
With the Micro series of sights Aimpoint
has introduced an aiming system that
gives the performance of our full-sized
sights in the smallest package possible.
Designed with the hunter in mind, the
Aimpoint
Micro H-1 is small enough to be
used anywhere a hunter could put iron
sights. The Micro H-1 is a high-quality
red-dot sight that can be utilized across
multiple hunting seasons and shooting
sports. This sight can be mounted on
everything you carry into the field
- rifles, shotguns, handguns, bows,
black powder rifles, rimfire handguns/rifles
and dangerous game rifles– just
by swapping mounts. With all the ruggedness
that has made Aimpoint sights famous
all over the world, these small sights
are able to withstand the conditions
just as well while adding negligible
weight to your firearm.
The Aimpoint Micro H-1 is 1X (non-magnifying)
parallax-free optic that features a
4 minute of angle (MOA) red dot for
faster target acquisition. The Micro
H-1 weighs 3.4 ounces, is waterproof
to 5 meters (15 feet) and features a
non-reflective bead blast finish. A
single battery provides 50,000 hours
or 5 years of continuous operation.
Make an Aimpoint
sight part of your hunt, and see what
you’ve been missing.
©2009 by Sports
Afield, all rights reserved. Do not
duplicate any part of this e-mail without
prior written permission. We endeavor
to be as accurate as possible; however,
prices and other information are subject
to change or correction without notice.
Questions, comments:
letters@sportsafield.com
You are receiving this message because
you registered in our database to receive
news and new product announcements.
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Sports Afield, P.O. Box 2129, Seal Beach,
CA 90740 USA
www.sportsafield.com
Aimpoint
Micro H-1
The Aimpoint Micro H-1 is the ultimate
dangerous game sight – light weight,
fast on target, designed for tough use,
and ideal for low light conditions.
A variety of mounts are available including
new models designed specifically for
Merkel and Blaser rifles. The perfect
sight for when you may only have time
for one shot.
Aimpoint
Micro R-1
The
Aimpoint Micro R-1 has the same outstanding
features as the Micro H-1, including
up to five years of constant-on use
from a single battery! With its brushed
metallic finish and 4 MOA dot size,
it’s a natural for any stainless
steel handgun or rifle. Dedicated mounts
are now available for Ruger Mark III
pistols and 10/22 rifles!
Aimpoint
9000L
Whether you are hunting in the Alaskan
wilderness or the plains of Africa,
the Aimpoint 9000L can handle the extreme
conditions you’re likely to encounter.
This full-length sight delivers unmatched
performance in any weather or light
and unbeatable reliability. Designed
for use on bolt-acion rifles with full
length or magnum actions, this sight
will put you on target fast, and help
you make the difficult shot.
Aimpoint
9000SC
The Aimpoint 9000SC is a medium-length
sight perfect for use on semi-automatic
shotguns and rifles. The 9000SC is available
in matte black or Realtree® APG
HD™ camouflage. As with all Aimpoint
products, you never have to center the
adjustable brightness red dot, and since
you aim with both eyes open, you’ll
be able to see if something bigger is
coming down the trail!
©2009 by Sports
Afield, all rights reserved. Do not
duplicate any part of this e-mail without
prior written permission. We endeavor
to be as accurate as possible; however,
prices and other information are subject
to change or correction without notice.
Questions, comments:
letters@sportsafield.com
You are receiving this message because
you registered in our database to receive
news and new product announcements.
If you no longer want to receive e-mails
from Sports Afield, please reply with
"remove" in the subject header
to unsubscribe your name from the e-mail
list.
Sports Afield, P.O. Box 2129, Seal Beach,
CA 90740 USA
www.sportsafield.com
