Making a Coyote Mercy Harvest with the Sightmark Wraith
Show me a room full of hunters and I’ll show you a room full of environmentalists. In fact, the money for hunting and fishing licenses—$20 billion annually—goes towards sport fish management, species and habitat restoration, habitat protection, research and education, and public access for fishing and boating. Nuisance animal control, including coyote hunting, is a vital part of conservation.
All told, hunting and fishing industries are the largest financial contributors to environmentally-minded programs in America. Therefore, when hunters see an animal in agony because of reckless pollution, our blood boils. Consider this story from Allen Almond, a new coyote hunter and Sightmark Wraith night vision riflescope user:
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Dad and I went out last night in Stanly County, NC. It was 48° outside and I’m new to coyote hunting; once we got to our spot, we set up and started scanning the field—approximately 250 yds to the fence line of the property—we were permitted to hunt, and on the other side of that boundary fence was another field that’s about 400 yds.
The Sightmark Wraith 4-32×50 Digital Riflescope
With the Sightmark Wraith, we could see all the way to the other end of the back field, which was like 630 yds. We got set up and started scanning and calling – and saw nothing for about 30 minutes.
We kept trying for another 50 minutes—Dad is getting in his 70s—and I told him let’s give it another 10 minutes and call it a day. I let him scan with the Sightmark Wraith HD, and after about 10 more minutes, I hit the call and let it cycle while he scanned the fence line at 250 yds…and a coyote walked out!
The coyote sat down, just looking around the field, and I told my Dad I saw a coyote, and he stepped out of the way and let me take the shot. We ranged the coyote at 247 yds. I steadied my rifle and settled the crosshairs on his breast. I took a straight, ethical shot.
A coyote hunt becomes a good deed
As you can see, it dropped in its tracks. When we walked down there, I could see a pipe on its neck, and I couldn’t figure what I was seeing and as I got closer, I’m like “What the hell?”
I reckon the coyote got stuck in that pipe when it was a pup and had probably lived its entire life with that garbage on its neck. The area on each end of the pipe was raw, rotten and infected and I felt sorry for it having to live life like that.
Anyways, it was quality time spent with my Dad and I told him I couldn’t imagine a better coyote hunt. We ended that animal’s suffering, although I’m sad that poor creature was ever in that predicament in the first place.
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And there you have it – a hunter rescuing an animal from a life of pain and mutilation. If industrial and commercial polluters were as conscientious as America’s average huntsmen, the world would be a cleaner, healthier place. Products like the Sightmark Wraith HD enable predator hunters to take an ethical, clean shot. Don’t let any animal suffer needlessly—get your Sightmark Wraith HD—and get to work.
The Importance of Predator Hunting
Uncontrolled predator populations, especially coyotes, can devastate livestock and become a danger to humans. In the United States, and North America generally, urban and rural coyotes have no bag limit and coyote hunting season lasts from mid-October to mid-March.
Nuisance fur-bearing animals like coyotes and hogs do not require a hunting license in most states. You should check with local officials and wildlife authorities before engaging in hunting activities.
Various jurisdictions place restrictions on the types of technology that can be used for hunting, and they also regulate the time of day that certain technologies are permissible. If you’re ever in doubt about the legal status of your hunt, consult your local game warden and other authorities.
The Sightmark Wraith Day / Night Device for Coyote Control Efforts
The Sightmark Wraith HD 2-16×28 and the Wraith HD 4-32×50 digital riflescopes are two different model offerings, but both are quality scopes and essential tools for the field when it comes to predator and coyote hunting. When you need rapid target identification and flawless precision, Sightmark’s Wraiths have you covered.
Featuring 8x digital zoom, 1080p full-color digital imaging and 10 reticle options, the Sightmark Wraith digital riflescope is trusted by thousands of coyote hunters to give them a clear target.
We know a predator doesn’t always wander past your blind, and you may spend a great amount of time simply waiting in your blind, and that’s why the Sightmark Wraith HD provides 3.5 hours of life on four common AA batteries.
This digital riflescope boasts daytime and nighttime color modes and built-in video recording with sound, so you can share your hunting experiences with friends and family. Preserve those coyote hunting memories!
A hunter with a Sightmark Wraith HD
Sometimes you drop your scope—and sometimes it rains—and that’s why we make the Sightmark Wraith very durable: Hardy aluminum body, IP55 water-resistant and shockproof.
Sightmark’s Wraith HD guarantees you can identify your target 100% and alleviates worries about shooting domestic dogs or pets. Predator hunting is an important part of environmentalism, and Sightmark’s optics and accessories ensure you get the job done right the first time.
Feral swine are known by several names in English: hog, pig, piggy, piglet, warthog, boar, sow and more. Originally transported to North America by explorers and settlers in the 16th century, one billion swine are butchered each year in the USA.
They are livestock used for human food, clothing, cosmetics and medicinal purposes. America—and the rest of the world—has profited off swine in countless ways.
A livestock pig with tagged ear
Enter Newton’s Third Law: Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. For all the benefits of farmed swine, there are drawbacks. Pigs are smart. They have escaped farms, traps and shipping containers.
They have chewed through wires and jumped over fences. Pigs have done more than exist, wild and free, in rural America – they have thrived and reproduced. Decades of mixed effort have failed to prevent these wild populations, these feral swine, from growing in number.
Wild pigs are an economic problem farmers, ranchers and rural Americans know all too well.
The Feral Swine Issue
The feral hog problem in the United States is well documented. Thirty-five American states now have sustainable populations of feral swine consisting of escaped domestic pigs, Eurasian boars and hybrids.
There are over six million total feral swine in the country. They do more than two billion dollars in property damage each year. Twelve states allow year-round hunting and no bag limits in an effort to reduce their populations.
This seems like a great deal of trouble over some swine, right? But these swine are not like Miss Piggy from the Muppets or Porky Pig from Looney Tunes. These creatures are much, much worse…
A large feral boar
Agricultural Damage
In the United States, farmers and ranchers make up a mere 1.3% of the total population, or about 4.5 million people. After accounting for production, labor and distribution costs, farmers receive 8 cents per dollar on the worth of the food they produce. Ask any farmer in America—they’re mainly in California, Ohio, Iowa, Nebraska and Texas—and you will hear firsthand how difficult farming is.
It is backbreaking labor from dusk till dawn, and farming won’t make someone wealthy, but it’s vitally important. People need to eat. With the above information, don’t you want farmers to have the best farming conditions and the least amount of preventable problems?
Ask any sane person about the state of American food safety, and they’ll agree – farmers need all the help and consideration they can get.
Farming is a tough life
Consider feral swine. They inflict just under 1 billion dollars in direct damage to US agriculture each year. Wild pigs do not just come along, munch on a carrot or two, help themselves to some oats, then go about their business.
What Do Swine Eat?
No – adults can weigh from 300-700 pounds and consume almost any plant they come across, except for large trees and a few weeds.
They eat the tender leaves, fruits, nuts, roots, sprigs and seeds of anything their snout deems desirable. Feral swine overturn sod and pasture in their search for food, preventing any future crop life from growing, indirectly encouraging undesirable weeds species to grow in their place.
They dig up whole fields, leaving potholes that can blow-out a tractor tire or cause a horse to break its leg.
They trample anything they can’t eat and ‘wallow’ in ponds, rivers and lakes, fouling freshwater sources. Feral hogs chew through irrigation lines, trellises or any other specialized equipment associated with agriculture.
They can also transmit infectious diseases and parasites onto healthy livestock they encounter. Basically, feral swine are very, very nasty creatures.
Feral swine are nasty creatures
US Agriculture feeds not only hundreds of millions of Americans, but it contributes over half of all foreign aid to the world’s hungriest countries.
Feral hogs are not just destructive to agriculture – they are a menace to the global supply chain. If you care about your family’s food security, you can’t turn a blind eye to the feral pig problem in the United States. It’s just too big.
Environmental Damage
Feral swine are opportunistic omnivores, but that’s not completely accurate. They will eat anything that has calories in it. Everyone knows they eat traditional farmer crops—fruits and vegetables—but did you know they eat worms, insects, larvae, small mammals, eggs, birds and lizards?
Feral swine deplete food sources that other animals rely on, forcing them into starvation. They will literally eat almost anything, and their glutinous behavior destroys the biodiversity of the environments they invade.
As of 2020, they have pushed nearly 300 U.S. native plant and animal species to the brink of extinction.
Feral swine destroy lawns, fields and pasturelands. Their harmful activities include rooting, wallowing, and trampling of sensitive vegetation.
Biodiversity
Why is biodiversity important? Biodiversity increases an ecosystem’s productivity and helps support all plant, animal and crop species.
Having many different species improves food resources, and it also promotes soil formation and protection, ultimately leading to better-filtered freshwater sources.
Biodiversity aids in breaking down pollutants, stabilizing the climate and recovering from natural disasters. It also helps humans find medicines and pharmaceuticals for diseases and provides environments for tourism and recreation.
Feral swine have upset the balance. They have greatly harmed native plant and animal populations and decreased biodiversity. They prevent healthy nutrient cycling and regrowth.
Feral hogs seem to have little purpose other than to eat everything they can and devastate natural environments.
SwineAttacks on Humans
Feral swine will generally flee from confrontations with humans, but they are still wild animals that can inflict great violence. Feral pigs are lightning-fast and have long, razor-sharp tusks that can gore a human to death.
They can run up to 30mph (Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest human, has reached a top speed of 28mph). Feral swine have nasty, bacteria-infested mouths filled with sharp incisors. Get a large group together—the scientific term is ‘sounder’—and they can easily trample a child or small human to death.
A warthog with dangerous tusks
While not all feral swine attacks on humans are documented, several instances of unprovoked violence have occurred. It is estimated there have been roughly 100 attacks in the United States in the past century, with only five being fatal. One researcher found 24 fatal attacks worldwide in 2019.
In remote Papua New Guinea in 1985, a mother was recovering from a baby delivery when a wild swine attacked and fatally injured her newborn.
In November of 2019, 59-year old Christine Rollins of Texas was killed in front of her house by a herd of feral pigs. She died of blood loss.
Swine Resilience
Feral swine reproduction numbers are outrageously high. Female swine or ‘sows’ can become pregnant at seven months old and produce a litter of 12 or more. Also, they can have multiple litters per year. Does that sound bad? No? Here, let’s do some math on this one:
Pig families grow big and fast
One boar (male swine) and one sow mate. The sow gestates for 3 ½ months.
They have a litter of 12 piglets, six boars and six sows. Often, a litter will only have 6-8 piglets, and maybe a stillborn or two, but we’ll assume the upper-estimate of 12 piglets for the math.
Seven months down the road, those six female piglets mature and find mates. 3 ½ months pass for gestation, and they have their first litters, another 12 each.
That’s 84 pigs in under 14 months.
OK…here is where the math gets interesting. Of the 84 pigs born in the past 14 months, half are female. That’s 42 females.
If they each get pregnant and give birth ten months down the road to litters of 12, that’s 504 pigs.
Again, half the offspring pigs are female, and they mate and give birth within 10 months. That’s 252 pregnant females, each carrying possibly 12 piglets.
That’s 3,024 potential piglets deriving from one boar and one sow who mated roughly three years ago, and that’s a conservative approximation.
Counting those pigs is tough work!
Fighting The Math
To stop the growth of the feral swine population, 70-80% of ALL feral swine in the country must be culled per year, and that won’t eradicate their species, it will merely stabilize the population.
Feral pigs not only reproduce like crazy – they’re remarkably adaptable. They can live in almost any climate—though they prefer warmer ones—and have even been known to burrow into snow to create ‘pigloos<’.
Swine can survive over a day’s walk away from a water source. They take mud baths to thermoregulate, brush off parasites like ticks and lice and mark their territory.
Wild pigs are remarkably disease-resistant, and adult swine are too large for most natural predators in America. Only bears, alligators and some big cats can challenge them.
Let’s Fix This Swine Problem
Eradicating feral swine is the job of every responsible American. It is not about hating or feeling malice towards these wild animals – it is about responsible conservation of your country.
If you see feral pigs on your property, in your suburban neighborhood or even poking around the dumpsters of an urban area, you must report their presence to the proper authorities.
As feral swine numbers increase, more contact and interference with human activities is inevitable. Wild pigs cause over $36 million dollars in damages due to traffic collisions alone each year.
Some Solutions
For rural landowners, farmers and ranchers, a few options exist to eradicate feral swine. First, you can shoot them, but you need sufficiently large-caliber ammunition.
A .22 will not kill an adult pig unless you shoot it in a vital area. You should employ a .30-06, .223 or something larger to put them down for good. However, merely shooting feral swine does not mean they are dead.
They have thick hides and powerful bodies, and multiple shots (or a well-placed head-shot) are necessary to finish the job.
It takes more than a slingshot to drop one of these beasts
If you intend to hunt feral swine, they tend to be fat, warm-blooded creatures. During the hot summer months, they are more active at night when temperatures drop.
How Sightmark Helps
During cooler seasons, wild hogs may be active at any hour. A Digital Night Vision Riflescope, like the Sightmark Wraith 4K Max 3-24×50, is the perfect optic to hunt pigs at all hours.
A hunter with the Sightmark Wraith 4K Max Digital Night Vision Riflescope
If the Sightmark Wraith 4K Max is more riflescope than you’re willing to invest in, consider a more affordable low-powered variable optic (LPVO).
Because feral hogs (and varmint) run so fast, you need quick-adjusting, rapid target-acquisition optics like Sightmark’s Citadel 1-10×24 HDR riflescope. It comes with fully multi-coated optics and a second focal-plane hunter reticle with 11 brightness settings.
Tough as they come, the Sightmark Citadel is IP67 rated waterproof, shockproof and fog-proof.
A huntress using the Sightmark Citadel 1-10×24 HDR riflescope
Trapping Feral Swine
Another extremely effective tactic is trapping feral swine. There are several types of swine traps, and we’ll review some of the most popular very briefly:
Corral trap: This is a circular fence construction consisting of metal poles and cattle paneling, or some equally strong material. A trigger covered by bait is placed in the rear of the trap, often via a wire or pressure plate. This trigger is placed near the last place the pigs root, so you maximize the number in the trap before it slams shut.
Box trap: This is a steel cage with one end open. In the back of the cage is bait. When the swine walks into the cage they step on a pressure plate, slamming the gate behind them. This is great for people on a budget or who are dealing with small numbers of pigs.
Drop-net trap: Drop-net traps are similar to corral traps, but instead of the fencing slamming shut around the swine, a weighted net falls from above. Drop net-traps are an extremely effective tactic for capturing entire sounders.
A note on traps: Feral swine learn. If they see a corral trap sprung on a bunch of their friends, they will avoid them in the future.
If swine are left in a trap for several hours, some may escape either via burrowing, climbing or jumping. Some feral pigs have been known to scale five-foot fences! For these reasons, you should use different types of traps on different areas of your property. And always make sure they’re well-tended.
Snare-based traps are rarely used for capturing feral swine unless they are outfitted with a heavy metal cable. Snares tend to lack the weight and reliability needed for large feral hogs, and they may capture non-target animals.
The feral swine issue is year-round!
Other Solutions
Biologically-focused solutions to eradicate feral swine have been proposed, such as anti-freeze and sodium nitrite, but none is ecologically viable.
Poisons don’t work because there is no way to guarantee only pigs will consume it. If pigs do eat the poison and die, their meat may poison the environment or a human or other animal.
Warfarin, a human blood thinner (anticoagulant) and lethal pesticide, continues to be studied in universities and congressional committees for viability. It has not been approved for large-scale swine eradication use yet.
Another interesting method is ‘hog-dogging’. This is essentially hunting feral swine with well-trained dogs. To read a full article on hog-dogging, click this link.
If you catch or kill feral pigs, you can take their carcasses to processing plants and receive a good slab of pork for your efforts. Some land-owners rent their acreage to hunters with the specific purpose of killing swine.
Some professional bounty hunters have arrangements with local authorities, whereas they bring the tails of dead pigs in exchange for cash.
As the feral swine issue spreads, more creative and lucrative business opportunities will surely spread, too.
Considerations
After reading this article, you may feel the need to go harvest some feral swine. That is a noble pursuit, but do not underestimate the enormity of this challenge.
Pigs may be virtually impossible to eradicate in the wild, so merely keeping their population numbers low is a worthy achievement. Before you start, ask some seasoned hunters about how you can help, watch some Youtube videos and take this problem one porker at a time.
Be part of the solution
The feral swine population won’t be gone overnight. But, with some focus and dedication, the swine-demic could be a thing of the past within a few years.
America is not the only country with a severe feral swine issue. Australia and Canada have also been particularly ravaged. Those countries have their own laws and concerns with swine, and you must conduct the proper research if you’re interesting in providing aid.
Whitetail deer are the most hunted prey animal in the United States. Deer season is determined by each state but generally occurs between November and January.
Every year, tens of thousands of hunters—bow and rifle—venture into America’s forests to harvest venison (deer meat). Not only is venison delicious but reducing the deer population is vital for environmental health.
Deer can spread diseases, which are dangerous to both humans and livestock. Deer-vehicle collisions kill about 200 people annually and cost the automotive industry roughly $1 billion. Deer eat over 700 species of commercials crops, costing farmers millions each year.
For these reasons, it is essential responsible gun owners do their part in the upcoming deer season! Venison is delicious, buck antlers look great on the wall, and hunting is an extremely healthy outdoors activity.
Now, let’s look at 4 simple tips to help you maximize your chances of harvesting (many) deer this season!
A mobile hunting blind
Pro-Tip #1
Have Your Rifle Sighted-In
Wouldn’t it be hilarious to follow every tip on this list, but when you get to the ‘moment of truth’, your shot completely misses the deer? Exactly—it would not be funny at all.
This is perhaps the simplest rule…check your rifle’s precision beforehand. Go to the range or a rural area that’s safe (and legal) for shooting, and ensure that your rifle is firing true.
You want to be aware of the distance you’re shooting, the bullet drop, gravity, muzzle velocity, temperature and wind. The best way to quickly sight-in without wasting money on extra ammunition is to use an in-chamber boresight.
Go to www.sightmark.com and check out some affordable boresights! These precious little sights are worth every penny!
Sightmark Laser Boresight for .30-06, .270 and .25-06
Pro-Tip #2
Scout/Know the Area First
Wherever you hunt, you must know and comply with local laws. Bag limits, types of permissible devices (night vision and thermal are not universally legal) and property boundaries are not lightly-made recommendations—they are law.
Before you hunt anywhere, check with the game warden and local authorities to ensure you are hunting legally.
Once you’re cleared to legally hunt, scout the area. This means go during the bright daylight hours, when you’re not actively hunting, and learn the game trails.
Where do the animals come from? Where do they hide their young? Where do they drink and feed? Are there any hazards in the area, like unexpected cliffs, poisonous plants, barbed wire or unstable ground?
Before you hunt, take some time to look around the area and familiarize yourself with the surroundings. When you venture out to hunt in low-light conditions, you’ll be thankful that you invested the time to learn the landscape.
Sightmark Solitude 8×42 XD Binoculars are a great tool to help you scout a hunting area
Pro-Tip #3
Be Invisible and Punctual
This is when you reveal your inner ninja. Deer are generally elusive and skittish, so you need to be aware of your scent and noises. You should take a shower or bath before hunting, and then treat your clothes with a scent killer because deer can smell nearly 50 times better than humans!
If possible, you also want to stay downwind of your quarry. Wear camouflage, if you own it, to increase your ninja-ness, because deer can also see up to 50 times better at night than a human!
You should depart for your tree-stand or deer blind about ½ hour before the sun sets (or rises) so you have time to settle in before the deer populations become active.
Deer are generally crepuscular, which means they are most active at dawn or dusk—this is prime hunting time.
A whitetail deer. Note the characteristic ‘white tail’
Pro-Tip #4
Take an Ethical Shot
Take a smart, ethical shot. You don’t want to gut-shot a deer—it will run for miles in agony before collapsing, and suffering, until death. This is cruel and inhumane.
You also don’t want to ‘graze’ a deer and simply blow off an antler, or a tail, and leave the animal wounded, disfigured, and worst of all, still alive.
You also don’t want to shoot a family pet or livestock. This means you need positive target identification before firing.
And finally, a smart, ethical shot will result in the best-tasting venison possible—and this is not conjecture. An animal that dies slowly releases a nasty concoction of hormones that render their meat tough and tasteless.
Animals that are stressed or scared just before death taste awful. The makers of Kobe beef know this well. They reportedly give their cows alcohol (Sake), they massage the cows and sing classic Beatles songs to them (probably).
This unique approach of animal-focused comfort—before slaughter—results in fantastic marbling of the beef, whereas the strands of fat are instantly melted during preparation, resulting in some of the most succulent beef in the world.
This biological truth holds for venison as well—take a smart, ethical shot for the best tasting meat possible.
A Sightmark Citadel riflescope will help you take a smart, ethical shot
Deer Hunting Concluded
Deer season is the best time of the year. The weather is cooling down, the holidays are approaching, and the time for harvest has finally arrived.
Competent, responsible hunting is one of the most enjoyable, social and healthy activities that you can engage in.
Simply follow the above tips: Have your rifle sighted-in, scout/know the area first, be invisible and punctual and take an ethical shot.
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and economic uncertainty, interest in the firearms industry has skyrocketed. Tens of thousands of new firearms owners are visiting ranges, woodlands, rural areas—and 3-gun competition—to practice with their new hardware.
Many of these patriotic 2nd Amendment practitioners are eager to gain skills and experience—and there is one surefire way to accomplish this: competition.
3-gun competitions are relatively unknown to the American mainstream, but in gun stores and online communities around the country, 3-gun competitions are soaring in popularity.
The primary format for a traditional 3-gun competition is shooting with a rifle, shotgun and pistol—educating users along the way. To enable these learning experiences, Sightmark has several products worth considering.
A man in a 3-gun competition
Reflex Sights for 3-Gun Competition
These are the bread-and-butter of 3-gun competitions. Reflex sights allow the user to look through a partially-reflecting glass apparatus to achieve quick-target acquisition.
Reflex sights use illuminated reticles with varying brightness levels to facilitate short- and mid-range shooting. At Sightmark.com, there are numerous reflex sights that customers, depending on their needs, may choose from.
These reflex optics are all similar, save a few minor differences. They can be used on rimfire, centerfire pistol and most centerfire rifle rounds. Depending on the model, these reflex sights can withstand recoil up to .308 or .375 H&H.
They use very little battery power, boast windage and elevation click adjustments and 10 reticle brightness levels. Sightmark reflex sights are waterproof and dustproof and feature a steel ‘shield’ to protect the optic. Also, these optics also have scratch-resistant lens coating and 12-hour auto shut-off.
The “LQD” designation stands for ‘locking quick-detach mount’. The “Dark Earth” description refers to the optics that are desert-colored (yellow, light brown).
Ultimately, these reflex optics can also be used on rimfire, centerfire pistol and most centerfire rifle rounds. Rated to withstand recoil up to .50 BMG, they have compact, aluminum alloy housings, scratch-resistant lens coating and illuminated red reticle dots.
LPVOs are excellent for 3-gun competition. Their magnification range starts at true 1x and goes to a higher magnification that rarely exceeds 10x. LPVOs offer speed and downrange accuracy—perfect for 3-Gun competition, hunting and self-defense.
Also, the final number in their designation, in this case ‘24’, refers to the diameter of the objective lens in millimeters. LPVOs provide a wide field-of-view and versatility between short- and mid-range engagements.
To truly compete in a 3-gun competition, you must invest in an LPVO.
Because most 3-gun competitions don’t necessarily have a ‘long-range’ portion of competition, the following products are highly useful for “ASAP” shooting competitions, which are long-range oriented.
Precision Optics for 3-Gun Competition
These scopes begin Sightmark’s medium- to long-range precision shooting optics. They have red, illuminated, first focal plane reticles and single-piece 30mm tubes. Each scope is shockproof, fogproof and waterproof and boasts fully multi-coated optics.
They come standard with flip-up lens covers, a sunshade and one CR2032 battery. The great benefits of the Sightmark Citadel series are mainly accuracy, durability and affordability.
Benchrest optics mean just that—the rifle rests on a bench, in a vice, or on a support when it is fired. This is the ultimate class for long-range precision. Benchrest optics use high magnification and attempt to eliminate as many variables as possible from precision shooting.
Depending on the competition, rules may be in place to restrict the scope’s size and weight. Bench rest optics are among the most expensive on the market, given their extreme accuracy and fine-tuned MOA adjustments.
As related to 3-gun competition, spotting scopes are used to assist a marksman. Also, in 3-gun, there are often teams who score their shooting collectively, but each person also competes individually.
However, they may use a teammate with a spotting scope for long-range shots to verify the placement of each shot without needing to physically walk-up to the target and interfere with the firing.
Judges may also use spotting scopes to ‘score’ the hits from afar.
Sightmark’s spotting scopes are fully multi-coated, feature rubber-armored housings and straight eyepiece designs. They offer Picatinny rail accessories, tripod adapters and are waterproof and fogproof.
3-gun competition is a spectacular way for shooters to enhance their skills. The thrill of competition and the urgency of making quick-shooting decisions at multiple distances will challenge any shooter’s skills.
3-gun competition forces shooters to adapt on-the-fly and make multiple, tactical decisions under stress. Therefore, if you are a novice 3-gun competitor, your scores and placements may disappoint you initially, but with practice, you’ll discover abilities you never thought possible.
Generally, 3-gun competition sharpens the skills of hunters, people engaging in self-defense and just shooters in general. To become the strongest, most accurate shooter you can possibly be, go to Sightmark.com to get the gear, and try your hand at 3-gun competition!
There are a few variations between hunting optics and tactical optics. Although they may appear similar, there are subtle differences that shooters, both novice and experienced, should understand.
Some long-distance shooters choose accuracy over weight, while others, such as hunters who walk great distances, prefer lighter rifles at the expense of accuracy. Reticle design and magnification can also be different, depending on intended use, but there are overlaps. Obviously, a riflescope that is used for tactical can also be used for hunting, or vice versa, but there are subtle differences and reasons to purchase one over the other.
In this blog, we’ll discuss these differences so you can choose the best products for your purpose.
A tactical riflescope, the Sightmark Latitude 6.5-25×56 Riflescope A hunting riflescope. The Sightmark Core HX 4-16×44
Weight
A major difference between hunting and tactical riflescopes is weight. Many features found on tactical scopes add weight. Tactical riflescopes often have exposed or pop-up turrets for quicker adjustments. These tend to be heavier than capped turrets typically found on scopes used for hunting. Although pop-up turrets can accommodate on-the-fly adjustments, they won’t be as protected from sand, dirt and the elements as capped turrets. Hunters tend to prefer scopes with capped turrets because sometimes they are stalking animals through dense brush which can knock dials off calibration. Hunters also generally don’t need to make rapid adjustments for a follow-up shot. Tactical scopes are usually a bit more rugged when compared to hunting scopes. They are more likely to be dropped or exposed to harsh conditions. Illuminated reticles can contribute to the overall weight of the scope as well. Reticle illumination was traditionally found on tactical scopes due to legal deer hunting hours being daytime hours only, but illuminated reticles are now commonly found on hunting scopes as well because of the increasing popularity of hunting hogs at night.
A Latitude (tactical) reticle. Note the ‘Christmas tree’ appearance. A Core HX (hunting) reticle. Note the simple crosshair design.
Reticle design
Reticle design is probably the biggest difference between hunting and tactical scopes. Hunters tend to want simple reticles so they can get a good sight picture with no clutter. The most popular reticle in the world is the duplex reticle. It consists of a thin crosshair near the center with thicker posts towards the outer edge which is designed to draw the shooter’s eye towards the middle of the reticle. This reticle is primarily used for hunting because the simplicity enables the shooter to fire quick and precise shots, as long as they have somewhat of an idea of distance to the target. Most hunting reticles are variants of the duplex design.
Tactical reticles can be broken down into two categories: long range and close quarters reticles, sometimes known as “CQB” reticles. Long range tactical reticles tend to include at least some range finding and bullet drop compensating capabilities. Some can be very intricate, like “Christmas tree reticles” such as Sightmark’s TMD reticle, providing advanced ballistic compensation capabilities that assist with shooting at extreme ranges. CQB-style reticles are typically found on low-power variable optics (LPVO), such as 1-4x, 1-6x or 1-8x magnification optics. Since CQB optics are designed in part to be used indoors or in urban environments, their reticles must provide fast target acquisition. LPVO scopes, however, also need to be able to perform at intermediate ranges. The Sightmark AR-223 reticle, for example, consists of a circle dot design for close quarters battle, but also includes bullet drop compensating hash marks for engaging targets at distance. Some hunting reticles feature reticle designs that could also be used in tactical situations. The Sightmark Core HX 4-16x44AOVHR riflescope, has all the features typically found on hunting scopes, such as capped turrets, lightweight design and non-illuminated duplex reticle. However, the duplex reticle found on this scope also includes holdover and ranging capabilities as well. Its close cousin, the Core TX 4-16x44MR Marksman Riflescope, is much more geared towards tactical usage, as it has exposed turrets that are lockable, red/green illumination and the Marksman Reticle, which is incredibly useful for long range shooting.
To learn more about reticles, check out this article from Target Tamers!
Magnification
Although both hunting and tactical riflescopes can be found in almost any magnification range, some are more popular than others. The most popular hunting scope magnification is arguably the 3-9x, which is more than enough magnification to take a shot at a deer from a few hundred yards away. Competitors and tactical shooters often shoot at either extended distances that are sometimes over 1,000-yards away or close engagements inside of 100-yards. Long-distance tactical shooters generally use scopes that max out at 18x, 25x or even 40x and above. They’re usually shooting at targets at distances far greater than most people would when taking an ethical shot at a deer. CQB-style LPVOs can be useful when hunting, but most hunters prefer to use scopes with more magnification than your typical 1-4x, 1-6x or 1-8x LPVO.
Gun Goals has an excellent article to help guide shooters on the appropriate magnification for their purpose.
A hunter using a Latitude
Use What You’re Proficient With
Just because you have a tactical scope doesn’t mean you’re all set up for tactical shooting. Even in the early days of the Marine Scout Sniper program, Marines were issued modified hunting rifles with slightly modified 3-9x hunting scopes mounted on top. Many law enforcement agencies across the country still use basic duplex reticles in their department sniper rifles. At the same time, using a tactical riflescope doesn’t necessarily present a hindrance when it comes to hunting. The best way to become a good shooter is to first get proficient with what you already possess. The scope doesn’t make the shooter. Once you’re a decent marksman, then you can investigate different riflescopes that can possibly enhance your abilities. As always, it’s vitally important to follow basic shooting safety precautions, and if you’re in doubt about your equipment or situation, consult an expert.
