Best lighted reticle scope for my Matrix 380

[Patriot*]

Open to suggestions of anyone presently using a decent lighted reticle scope...

Thanks in advance,

Patriot
aka- Dave

[cjonesth]

Open to suggestions of anyone presently using a decent lighted reticle scope...

Thanks in advance,

Patriot
aka- Dave

I have the Hawke XB30 Compact SR on my 405 and 335, really like them and the optics are sharp and clear, easy to setup as well.

[StormDragon]

I have the Hawke XB30 Pro on my 355 and love it! Great light gathering capability esp in a ground blind

[Patriot*]

I have the Hawke XB30 Pro on my 355 and love it! Great light gathering capability esp in a ground blind

Thanks StormDragon, I have been looking at the Hawke XB30, I appreciate the feedback. Here in NC you can hunt 30 min before sunrise and 30 after sunset. The other night I sure could have used a lighted reticle.

[Hunt it]

I thought the Hawke was way to go but read reviews on net about them first. They are known to fail as well at a higher than I'd prefer ratio. Have a look at the new Vortex cross bow scope - $600.00 but lighted and several notches up from Hawke in my opinion. I'm putting one on my second 380 other 380 has leupold crossbones - great scope but no light option. Centre cross hair good in low light but the 30,40,50 very hard if not impossible to see on dark subjects such as moose or hogs in low light.

[retrieverman]

I have a Leupold VXIII 1.5-5 illuminated on my M380.

[Excal1]

XB30 Pro all the way. I have 2. I also have had the regular XB30's before the Pro series came out. I had one scope "fail" out of 5. The failure was a small black speck inside the scope. Did not hurt a thing it just drove me nuts. I emailed Hawke and sent the scope in. Had a brand new scope in 5 days. They ship out of Indiana and the customer service is top notch should you have any issues at all. Very hard to beat for the money IMO.

[Patriot*]

I thought the Hawke was way to go but read reviews on net about them first. They are known to fail as well at a higher than I'd prefer ratio. Have a look at the new Vortex cross bow scope - $600.00 but lighted and several notches up from Hawke in my opinion. I'm putting one on my second 380 other 380 has leupold crossbones - great scope but no light option. Centre cross hair good in low light but the 30,40,50 very hard if not impossible to see on dark subjects such as moose or hogs in low light.

I will have to take a look at a Vortex. Thanks!

[Species8472]

The Vortex XBR is simply put damn awesome.

I have had one on my 405 since July and just recently upgraded the scope on my 380 to one as well.

The reticle is best I have used either illuminated or not and the illumination when turned on does not over expose the view at all unlike many other illuminated scopes.

I have used it on a night when it was raining and solid overcast with no moon under tree cover and I could easily hunt until the end of legal hunting light. In fact if it was legal, with the leaves off you could easily hunt all night under a half moon or more even without snow.

Only drawback is the price.

[wabi]

I've never felt like there was a need for a lighted reticle with my Leupold VXII 1-4X. I hunt in a valley that usually gets dark 10-15 minutes before it's dark on the ridge tops surrounding it. We have the same 30 minutes before sunrise & 30 minutes after sunset on deer hunting hours. Never had a problem yet with seeing the crosshairs & target with the Leupold. On a heavily overcast day it's cutting it close, but I think I could still make a good shot.

[Hunt it]

Try hunting hogs at midnight, you'll need the lighted reticle.

[racking up points]

Leupold Firedot reticles are IMO the best balance of daylight brightness yet subtle enough on low settings as to not overly illuminate the sight picture.

[Drew]

From what I am seeing on the market, the scope/reticle I am really liking is the Leupold 2-7X33mm Firedot LRV reticle (#119409). But $500...ouch! I know some members really like the Leo's with the ballistic firedot reticle...but it doesn't have illuminated hash marks for the further distances like the LRV.

[bob watkins]

i have an xb30 on one a leupold fire dot on the other both are great .

[Hunt it]

I checked out the VXR - VLR reticle but it is only good for close range with only 3 ref points. The Vortex is plenty good out to 100 if you read up on it.i'm not sure I want extra weight of Optimizer.