Optics question

Say guys, I’m just wondering about coyotes in the dark and wondering if y’all use illuminated cross hairs or if a high quality scope is good enough to not lose the cross hairs on the coyote. One of these days (years) I’m going to get in on one of those moonlit hunts and I’m wondering if the cross hairs get lost on the target, cuz I can see mine against the snow, but not so well against the trees. Should I be looking to invest in an illuminated mil-dot or not and if so, what recommendations might you have?

I just use a VX-2 Leupold 3-9×40. Works great!

I have Burris Extreme tacticals in both with and with out. Its nice, but also takes a while to get used to the intensity you want under different conditions. Its the first thing I adjust when I get on a night stand. I anticipate where I think a song dog is most likely to show up, and thats where i am looking when I turn it on and adjust the illumination. The first thing i would consider before the illumination, is the quality of glass. My primary 22-250 does not have illuminated mil-dots. But the quality of the burris glass makes up for that. I also use a red light at night at the point of kill, so that has some influence on my preferences. But on a night like the last few “Wolf Moon” nights, I wouldn’t even use my light.

we hunt nights around the full moon a lot and we don’t have issues with loosing cross-airs against yotes using standard cross-airs. I will second Randy’s point on good glass, it will definately make a difference. However, when your talking about buying optics at a price range such as you are I will say you are already in the “good glass” range for what you are using it for.

I have a nikon monarch on my 22-250 and if there is snow on the ground i can see. the better glass on full moons you dont need any illuminated optics