Rapid Reticle Riflescopes by PFI: World's Fastest?
Over the last seven years, Pride-Fowler Industries has patented and innovated their ballistic reticle, a ballistic reticle with a huge difference over every Mil-Dot or hold-over type reticle you've likely ever used. It is a range-compensating reticle that works throughout the complete power range of the scopes.
This is a strikingly vidid difference in approach to most reticles that are referred to as “ballistic type” reticles. Reticle size does not change in most riflescopes, meaning that the hold points only work at one magnification setting, typically cranked all the way up. You pay a huge price in narrowed field of view trying to hunt with a scope at full magnification. So, the hunter is left with a compromise-- that being a range-compensating scope that is worthless much of the time, only doing you some good if you have time to fiddle with your scope. In some scenarios you can, but often there is just no time to allow for knob-twirling or power ring spinning.
The reticle in the covered scopes, the PFI RR600 and the PFI RR-800-1, has the reticle located in the first focal plane. It changes in concert with the magnification, giving you precise aiming points all the time whether the scope is set at three power, nine power, or at any position in between. The ballistic feature of theses scopes work for you all the time, there is no position in the power range where the reticle is not useful and accurate. That's why these scopes are blazingly fast, not half-fast.
There are two basic flavors to these scopes, first bring the RR-800-1:
•
Nitrogen filled one piece 30mm diameter 6061 T6 aluminum tube with matte
black anodized finish
• Shock, fog, and water proof multi-coated lenses
• 3-9 x 42mm with threaded eye-piece adjustment with lock-ring
• First focal plane reticle to allow for accurate shooting throughout
power range without manual adjustment
• Positive ¼ MOA windage and elevation clicks on the low profile
target type knobs with reset to zero feature
• Weight (oz.): 16.9
• Length (inch): 12.5
• Eye Relief (mm): 106.68 @ 3x 88.90 @ 9x
• Eye Relief (inch): 4.20 @ 3x 3.50 @ 9x
• Exit Pupil (mm): 14.00 @ 3x 4.70 @ 9x
• Temperature Operating Range: 70C to -17C
The RR800-1 is designed for instant shooting to 800 yards, features a
30mm tube, and is for use for the .308 NATO round and similar. It is popular
for military applications.
The RR600 is similar in build quality, but uses a 1 inch tube, and is compatible with a wider variety of loadings, and is instant shooting to 600 yards. The published specs are as follows:
•
Nitrogen filled one piece 1 inch diameter 6061 T6 aluminum tube with matte
black anodized finish
• Shock, fog, and water proof multi-coated lenses
• 3-9 x 42mm with threaded eye-piece adjustment with lock-ring (also
available with Fast Focus eye-piece as the RR600-2)
• First focal plane reticle to allow for accurate shooting throughout
power range without manual adjustment
• Positive ¼ MOA windage and elevation clicks on the low profile
target type knobs with reset to zero feature
• Weight (oz.): 13
• Length (inch): 11
• Eye Relief (mm) : 97 @ 3x 95 @ 9x
• Field of View (feet@100 yds): 97.48 @ 3x 24.14 @ 9x
• Exit Pupil (mm): 13.1 @ 3x 6 @ 9x
• Temperature Operating Range: 70C to -17C
For big game hunting, the RR600 with its lighter weight, more compact dimensions, and greater versatility of cartridge makes it the easy choice. Six hundred yards, instantly, with no adjustments regardless of power setting is no limitation at all . . . it is more range than can be used in the field for big game, and contingent on application, more range than you would want to use.
The scopes themselves are manufactured in Japan, featuring very generous eye relief (right at 3.75 inches) and a large exit pupil (6mm @ 9X). Internal adjustment range of the scope is nearly sixty inches at 100 yards. For typical big game hunting applications, it is simply zero your scope dead on at 200 yards and confirm what you have at the furthest range you're planning to hunt at under ideal conditions, out to 600 yards with the RR600. The RR600 etched reticle is clean, uncluttered, and often considered more reliable than the flat wire type reticles. The corresponding ranges, in yards, are right on the reticle. This is another feature than makes this scope both blazingly fast and easy to use.
This scope can be used with a variety of cartridges from .243 Winchester to .338 WinMag. I'll cite one application with one of favorites, the 7mm-08, using Hornady Superformance GMX ammo. First, the general Hornady ballistics.
Now, a look at how the RR600 scope sets up as used with a .30-06 168 grain Boat Tail.
The numbers on the Rapid Reticle illustration, above, are all in inches at 100 yards. Hornady shows -40.90 inches at 500 yards, the RR600 suggests -8.08 inches at 100 yards. Five times the range, the 500 yard RR600 aiming point is (8.08 * 5) 40.4 inches and that means dead deer, astonishingly precise. Nothing is truly exact based on ambient conditions, scope height, individual gun, and so forth so you need to confirm all this by actual shooting to get your confidence level where it should be, of course. The fine-turning is done at the longst range you intend to shoot at, as a quarter inch up or down at, say, 200 yards, is trivia on a big game animal. It works at 3x, 5x, 7x, 9x, every power you decide to set your scope to with no caluculations or thought. Do your homework, get comfortable with the capabilities of your rifle, then hit the switch and go pick him up when the right shot opportunity presents itself.
The power ring operates very smoothly, the image quality is very good edge to edge, and the most time I spent was with the RR600-1 (the -2 versions appear to have smaller, 32 mm objectives in both the 600 and 800 series). This is a riflescope for the serious longer-range hunting enthusiast, retailing for about $750 but available discount-priced around $600 or even for perhaps a smidgen less. The reticle designs are covered by D630291, US Pat. D567324, D632754 and related so it is unlikely you'll find these reticle patterns elsewhere.
It's easy to suggest you consider these scopes, for they are exactly what they say they are-- allowing for extremely rapid, precise shot placement with no calculations, adjustments, knob-twirling, and they work at all magnifications. For more info, see http://www.rapidreticle.com or your favorite dealer.
Copyright 2011 by Randy Wakeman. All Rights Reserved.
