Optics 101

[Boswell]

My wife and I are relatively new to shooting 6-7 yrs. We both shoot handguns and have started to hunt hogs and deer. One of the most confusing areas of shooting is the optics. Trying to understand MOA, MOAR, reticles, etc., is very confusing. We have no idea what we should be looking for before selecting a scope and how to effectively use it once we have it installed. To say it is frustrating is an understatement. When we talk to other shooters, they don't seem to know much more than we do about the subject. I have looked at various youtube presentations and they are not much help. Is there a hands-on course or class available that teaches the basics of understanding the optics associated with shooting?

[Merc1138]

A class? None that I've ever heard of.

You mention talking to other shooters, if you're just talking about random people at the local range, based on the conversations I overhear... I'd have to say most people don't know jack(and it's not any better at a gun shop either).

A couple of the threads here would be a possible start(learning, and finding specific topics to do even more research on. Like the how to use your scope, and understanding mil vs moa) http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=295218

Something to consider is what you're going to be using the optics for. You mention that you already hunt, if you're looking for hunting optics just be specific about that when you ask questions(or look things up in a search engine) as an ideal hunting scope is not going to be the same as a scope better suited for something else(and possibly why you can't get any good info about hunting optics at the range, unless the people you ask happen to be hunters and also understand optics). You also mentioned handguns, and there are handgun optics that aren't going to be the same as someone's ideal bolt action target scope, and probably even less people having experience with them. There are of course lots of people who do know about hunting optics on this forum, but you'd be better off doing some general research so you have a base to work with and begin asking specific questions.

As far as youtube... 90% of the stuff there is garbage. It's manufacturers and retailers trying to sell products, or shills who got something for free trying to sell a product. There is some actual information to be found, problem is that you need to have an idea of what you're looking for.

Check out the couple of threads that I mentioned, learn the terminology used, come back with some more specific questions and the intended use of your optics(guns they'll be going on, targets you'll be shooting at, conditions you might find yourself hunting in, etc.) and ask. You might not get instantaneous responses, but there's enough people that casually cruise through threads in this forum that you may start to get some answers.

[Kmai24]

This helped me understand MOA, might help for you??

http://nssf.org/video/facts/MOA.cfm

[JMP]

If you are looking for your first scope that is fully featured with dialing turrets and reticle with hashmarks, my recommendation is to simply follow the advice of friend that you know who can help you out with the scope. If you have no friends with any knowledge of scopes, then it's best to go based on popularity within the type of shooting you are doing. While using your first scope, you will learn how the scope works and you'll get a better sense of their operation through first hand experience. From there, you can make more refined choices in terms of exactly what you need. The one thing that I'd suggest is to get matching turret adjustments with reticle markings, i.e., MOA/MOA or mil/mil. Learn on one or the either first. It doesn't matter as the principles are the same; they simply use a different system of angular units. The conversions are completely linear and after time, one should not have an issue interchanging between the two systems. Personally, I'd suggest a first focal plane scope as I find them a lot easier to use and learn on. The only downside is that they tend to be more expensive.

When you first shop for a scope, it can be a little overwhelming in terms of which features mean what. After getting time behind a scope, you'll pick it up very quickly as they should be relatively intuitive. Perhaps have a friend give you a quick tutorial. This is why I suggest following the advice from your friend on a particular scope as he'll know how to use it.

Also, check out the CAPRC.com forum as there are some informative posts and stickies that do a good job explaining.

[Go Navy]

Go to Chuck Hawk's website. You might have to pay a subscription fee but it is worth it, and I have. There is a ton of good info about optics there. They accept almost no advertising and I believe they are very unbiased.

The no. 1 issue to start with is how much magnification do you think you need? Many people buy too much magnification in scopes. We're not talking about taking out a Muslim terrorist at 1,000 yards. More is not necessarily better. A good all-around hunting scope might be, for example 2-7x, 2-8x or similar.

Read up on eye relief, too. That's the no. 2 issue for me. More eye relief is better. It has to do with how close your eyeball has to be to the scope to get a full field of view.

You mentioned hogs. That'll be mostly at relatively short ranges. Not sure where you hunt deer so I can't guess at the distances you'd be shooting.

[freonr22]

Fyi. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=263710