How to choose the right  scope reticle?

Reticle choice is very important.

This is usually driven by your local community (competitors, hunting, friends where you trade rifles, etc.), what reticle you know how to use, or if you are new, the type of design you feel you need for your mission. 

The reticle choice encompasses several things: the design itself, the type (BDC or simple aiming point), illumination, and the unit of measure (Yards, MILs, etc).

One important, but non-obvious point, is that only some reticles are available on some scopes. You will be constrained on the manufacturer choice when you pick a reticle - so you can start with a few manufacturers that offer high quality scopes and then review their reticle options. Remember also that these scopes come in FFP and SFP options, so we recommend looking at the scope with a great reticle in FFP first (explained in detail in another topic).

Is the reticle offered in MIL or MOA? Is there an option to buy a version of the reticle with a Christmas Tree of reference holds if you want it? Do you want a closed or open center? Do you need a specific reticle for the use case like a competition or other application, like moving targets? Maybe a floating dot? Do you need it illuminated? Lastly, what resolution do you want? 

These are all questions you have to answer for yourself before you choose your scope, as you can't change the reticle after purchase - so decide on the best reticle and then check which of the scope options and manufacturers carries that choice. It's much harder than you would think to get that match right.

CONSIDER THESE POINTS WHEN CHOOSING A DESIGN:

• Aiming Point: The reticle provides you with an aiming point, but does it obscure the target or meet the needs of your mission?
• Measuring Distance: Many reticles can be used to measure the distance to your target, but do you need that when you are likely using a laser range finder? It's good for a backup, but that assumes you have learned how to use this feature, and practiced.
• Correcting Shot Placement: When you fire a shot, and miss, the reticle can help you make the necessary correction to put the next shot on target.  If you fire a shot, and using the scope you see that it hits 1 MIL to the right (in the reticle scale), then you can simply use the reticle and hold the 1 MIL over, and accurately fire the next shot (see where in the subtension the shot hit and put the next shot on that place in the reticle).  This is one of the best features of a more complex reticle.
• Holdover Points: Many reticles today feature "holdover points" for various ranges. This allows you to check the range, and instead of dialing the come up point, for speed, you can simply place the target in one of the subtension hashmarks that relate to the adjustment. The difference between the zero point and the shot point can be measured in the reticle itself, and point of aim changed from the center to a lower hashmark that relates to the variance in yards or MOA/MILs.
• Reticle designs: Picking the right design for you and your mission is important too.

Reticle designs

Reticle designs can be super simple aiming points, like a duplex reticle or one with markings like the Mil-Dot reticle, with small round dots spaced one milliradian apart (one of the first designs for ranging and holdover), or a Horus style "Christmas Tree" reticle which features an entire grid of points. Thicker reticles show up better in low light or against busy backgrounds like foliage, and help draw your eye towards the center of your field of view. Fine crosshairs can almost be invisible on a busy background, but allow you to adjust your shot in smaller increments due to the small subtension of the hashmarks.

For long range shooting in general you will likely want a Bullet Drop Compensation (BDC) ballistics reticle design so that you can dial or holdover between shots. Then you can choose between a simple and clean design where there is no "Christmas Tree" beneath the main intersection, or even a more military type option, with a Horus reticle with more sophisticated options for in-reticle point of impact compensation.

Long range hunting has differing reticle requirements than target shooting as the likely size of the objects being shot will be quite different, could be small or large, and therefore, you may want a design that doesn't obscure the target in any way and has open center and dot design at the main crosshair intersection (e.g. Nightforce Mil-R design).

So if your mission is hunting, think about it's real world application and how you will want to use that scope - likely in a situation where speed and field of view is more important than with benchrest shooting.

You might also want to consider the time it takes to learn a complex reticle like a "Christmas Tree" Horus style reticle. Military snipers get years of training and practice on using these for fast holdovers, moving targets and fast 2nd shot placement. Do you have the time to learn and do that, vs. choosing a simpler methodology?

RETICLE TYPES AND LOCATION

These days there is a large number of Bullet Drop Compensation (BDC) ballistics reticles to choose from.

These reticles are capable of giving you a true point of aim for a known distance in order to compensate for bullet drop. This is very useful for long range shooters.  

Almost every manufacturer of high quality scopes utilizes a range of proprietary reticles, often with a choice between milliradian (MILs) or minute-of-angle (MOA) hashmark measurements.  

You need to choose between the styles based on your needs, MOA or MILs (explained in detail in another topic), and this is often driven by your "community".

Once you have that chosen, with the current tend moving towards MILs (especially for target shooters), then you need to pick a design that has the subtension set at the appropriate scale for your use. Each increment in the hashmarks, such as 0.2 MIL, allows for more accurate windage and holdover changes. A scope reticle with 0.2 MIL resolution offers more accuracy.