First Focal Plane v. Second Focal Plane

Buckle up, because we’ve been waiting a long time to bring you this deep dive into a topic near and dear to our hearts. Find out the big differences between first and second focal plane riflescopes, and get some tips on which one is perfect for you.
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[@alexmook6786]

It is amazing how much you can understand when someone has the ability explain so well....this video is priceless!

[@robertqueberg4612]

I was told years ago, in a tool room, ;” A man who knows his shit, can explain it so you can learn from him. And if he can’t explain it, he doesn’t know it.” Then there is ; “ Stupid is forever, ignorance can be fixed”.

[@DLN-ix6vf]

@@robertqueberg4612 lol good one !

[@DR-br5gb]

Proof that you're not dumb, you just have dumb friends.

[@markechuca9398]

Erred

[@StandYourGroundUSA]

That is by FAR the best explanation of the differences between 1st and 2nd focal planes. Thank you so much for the time that you spent to do this for us. Much appreciated! 👍

[@VortexOpticsUSA]

Thanks for watching!

[@guyglimp8256]

Excellent explanation of the difference between the two types of scopes. Thank you, no confusion now !

[@joel11230]

Very much appreciated!! When someone takes their time(and he took his time) to explain in detail that is better than reading any manual.

[@StandYourGroundUSA]

@@joel11230 Totally agree. And he did it in a way like he was sitting across from you, making sure you understood.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

@@VortexOpticsUSA My 29fpe magnum spring piston pellet gun, (the most powerful spring pellet guns), destroyed a new Crossfire 2 scope within 200 shots, cross hairs not lining up now. Don't feel bad, not to many scopes will survive those mag springers, (If you want to test, use the Hatsan 135 .30 cal. break barrel piston gun. It is the king of scope killers.). If you guys could make a light 3-9X40, (I like my 3-9X33 Leupold, very light), with adjustable objective, (side adjustment even better), with a 4 or 5 mill dot reticle, that can hold up to at least 5000 shots with pellet on the heavy side, and advertise it well, for under $300.00,----you guys will have a winner. Nobody else has done that, and can't prove the scope holds up. There is a void in that market that could be filled correctly. Nobody has tested any for thousands of shots before the vids come out, and many that were said to be great are breaking. Almost every new mag spring gun buyer will go through one or two scopes before they find one that is "OK". None of them will hold zero from week to week, (shooting every day), and the best need a click or 4 to get back on target every week or two. Test it "good" for 5000 shots, and it is worth 300 bucks to a lot of mag spring airgun owners, on all their guns. Doug in Michigan

[@donsmith9797]

I've always been an iron sights guy, but my aging eyes have forced me into the optics world and I would always get flustered trying to figure this out between these two types of scopes. This has been the BEST explanation I've seen by far, I now know which one I want. Thank you.

[@SK-or9bo]

Agreed

[@VortexOpticsUSA]

Thanks for the feedback! We'll keep putting out more videos like this and if you have any other questions don't hesitate to let us know!

[@tomhughes5123]

iv never had great eyesight ..not deteriorating but astigmatism .( rugby ball , reather than ping pong ball shaped eyes) my prescript hasnt changed in 30 years . so iv always used scopes , im a big fan of ffp as the crosshair zooms in so does the whole picture . so the gaps between the dots and your impact area stays the same to the micro mil dots on 4x to the maxed out dots on 16 x + the cross will never hide your target .. much more micro accurate 0

[@spudboyQ]

Assuming you don't have astigmatism a red dot with or without a magnifier is a nice way to (almost) achieve the simplicity of the good ol' iron sights.

[@rudolphferdinand3634]

The problem that I came across with aging eyes using FFP; you have to turn the power to 7/8 power magnification just to be able to see the reticles, but a problem with the SFP scope where the reticles stay the same throughout the change, but they still change some; unnoticed; I have both types.

[@SilverTreasures]

Having the image of the scope zoom in and out helped my brain as you explained it. Whoever had the idea to keep the image up constantly understands the human brain.

[@gregcox600]

Best explanation I’ve ever heard on this topic!!!

[@jk_46]

By a land slide, watching other people's videos just got me more and more confused

[@brettstewart6036]

@@jk_46 exactly mate cheers Yogi Australia 🇦🇺 🤙🤙

[@paulkonar7842]

You did a great job explaining the differences between the two. Thank you.

[@robertqueberg4612]

Thank you very much for presenting this subject in a clear manner. You were neutral on each reticle type, and did not talk down to your viewers. Not once did you say; “ This is what I use, you will really like it.” You did well in presenting the advantages and disadvantages, as well as the best applications for each scope type.

[@ronaldf.delossantos8830]

Thank you so much for this awesome explanation between the two!

[@GunGuy258]

Thank you for this. Now I know why my BDC never worked right. Had no clue it had to be highest power. Very good video, I learned a lot.

[@VeritasOmniaVincit176]

Not necessarily the highest: I have the SFP scope that he showed and the BDC reticle is true at 20x power, despite it being able to reach 24x magnification. There’s usually a red mark on the magnification adjustment ring and you feel a click when you are at the right power.

[@GunGuy258]

@@VeritasOmniaVincit176 thank you.

[@asp383]

@@GunGuy258 The old Hawke scopes with the MAP6 reticle, was calibrated for 6x, regardless of min and max magnifications. I cannot remember the website (was linked the BSA Owners Group website that closed a few years ago), but I printed off targets that were designed to check what magnification the reticle was calibrated for, just had to adjust the mag until the mildots lined up with those on the target, then zero and shoot on that magnification, it was great for SFP optics that didn't state the calibrated magnification. I just photocopy more as I need them now.

[@comlbbeau]

Nicely done. Best explanation I've heard in simple terms with great graphics. Presented well, too!

[@jimforgrave6365]

Don't know what it is about this guy....but I like him! Vortex found a good rep

[@pitbull1315]

This is finally an explanation that isn’t too complicated to understand. Many years in the shooting community and never fully understood the difference until now. Still don’t know ALL of the differences and pros/cons but this definitely cleared most of the confusion up. Thanks.

[@danhughes3626]

I have brain injury...I fell for the bdc ... I'm sure like others have too...the marketing Made them big bucks im sure

[@shaqshuka8392]

Very helpful, everything I needed to know about FFP and SFP scopes to help me with my decision, and all in the one easy to watch and listen vid. The animation was VERY helpful.

[@noelslater822]

Thank you for providing this! Well worth it and I appreciate you taking the time to explain to those of us who aren't as familiar with ffp vs sfp.

[@CrueKnight]

Great video! I felt like I had a single track opinion about this until I listened to this. Very informative!

[@rfpalmer1]

That is probably the best explanation of first and second focal planes I've ever heard.

[@Blue-kq2no]

What a great instructor. Good Job, Vortex.

[@hedge7743]

Really good explanation...even I, with my simple pea brain, understood it! Kudos to you Vortex! Keep up the good work and good luck in 21!

[@ethanterry3370]

Great information, and you knocked conciseness out of the park. Thanks for the breakdown.

[@shaneworden1325]

Great video! Had no idea there was even a such thing as first and second focal plain.

[@lennyerquiza3120]

Thank you for the clarity and non-bias review.

[@RMG02841]

Perfect! Thank you so much for the explanation and visual aids!

[@5150norcal]

I have watched several videos discussing the differences between FFP & SFP. This is by far the most comprehensive and informative I have seen. Thank you for this video.

[@gene2347]

Great video, best explanation on the differences between FFP and SFP I've seen. I was a great shooter until age started taking away my vision. Glad scopes can compensate for poor eye sight and allow me to continue enjoying long range shooting.

[@Pilot_Pinecone]

Thanks, very thorough and well structured. ...I’ve been through the ringer looking for the right scope for my personal needs and this tutorial really dove deep, but in straight forward way that was easy to follow. Thanks, and as a lifelong bow hunter that is exploring rifles for the first time, this type of info really helps.

[@billbaker3565]

Good useful information. Thanks.

[@risk_immersed]

This was great information! I have shared this with a bunch of my newer shooter buddies. THANK YOU VORTEX

[@michaelkaran7244]

Nailed it . Very informative video . Going to share it with my grandchildren right after we finish watching "barn yard" later . Great !

[@eastwood4006]

Excellent video! Good job as always Vortex

[@scotmetcalf2745]

I love my vortex scope and absolutely loved this video! Very well done

[@VikasSharma-jn1xm]

Excellent detailed explanation of how to use the focal plane. Appreciate .Thanks

[@myfire4667]

I stay away from the FFP scopes for exactly the reason you stated about the reticle being too small on low power. As far as the hold over on an SFP, I just go to the range to figure out which hash marks work at what ranges, and at what power. IMO you really only need 2 powers to figure out. Full Power is easy..it's already there, so I would concentrate on the lowest power, and somewhere in the middle. Great vid.

[@gatornation3889]

I just ordered my first scope, it's a vortex strike eagle 1x8. I am trying to learn about these Scopes and your video is helping me out alot. Thank you and I hope the strike eagle is just as good and reliable as my vortex as my strikefire II.

[@deanwolstenholme6991]

Best explanation I have heard sofar. Love my pst gen 2. Wish I waited for the new reticle but it works for me. It all comes down to personal preference. Do your research and don't rush into it is my only advice.

[@shanemouton7606]

great video man! thank you for explaining as concisely as this!

[@luloadventure]

Thank you so much for your great explanation. I had no idea about the differences between FFP & SFP. Always learning.

[@Robert-ko6wr]

Exactly! I didn’t even know where to start. Your clear and concise explanation helped tremendously. Thank you.

[@paulsancheski8618]

Good, clear presentation with excellent, animated graphics.

[@stevemiller5545]

Outstanding review….second focal for me since I’m in the tree line although on my right has about 1000 yards open field.

[@backwoodscharlie8483]

You did a great job explaining the difference between first and second focal plane. You made it much easier for the average person to understand what's going on thank you

[@robertanderson218]

Best explanation I have heard on this, TY!

[@sweetbrandigirl]

I like this explanation its clear and concise. For me when I was young and had eyes like and eagle If I needed a scope I liked FFP. Now as an old warrior my eyes not so good I need SFP because not only is it hard to see the target its hard to see the reticle.

[@matthasaname]

Fantastic explanation!! Thanks for the concise and thorough writing here. There's so much bad information out there on which is best. I don't plan to hunt but have been eyeing competitive shooting at extremely long distances. It Seems my choice is now obvious.

[@catdadreloaded376]

This is in my opinion the very best video explaining the difference between SFP and FFP. I always show my friends this video so they can get an understanding. And this time I'm here because I want a SFP for hunting. Max range I'd take a shot is 600 yards and that's the absolute Max I could if I wanted. My last year's hunt was just as you said, not ideal with a FFP. I learned a ton from that season and now I want a 4-16x50 SFP with an illuminated reticle. I think this is the best setup for hunting. You really only need to shoot up to 300 yards or less and the center of the reticle is perfect to handle that. 4 power zoom for up close shots and 16 for 300+. 50mm objective lens is an excellent size for night time shooting and with an illuminated reticle on a low setting is just the perfect setup. Now if only Vortex made this 🤔

[@rodbell4222]

Great video explaining the different of FFP and SFP...! Getting my first real good scope, only had one before, so this helped considerably in my choosing the right one!

[@zroberts02]

Perfect. Looking into building my first long range setup, and this was immensely helpful. 👌

[@VortexOpticsUSA]

Great to hear! If you have any questions come up, don't hesitate to reach out.

[@danrio9594]

Thank you Vortex Nation for all the valuable videos explaining pretty much anything you can think of regarding optics. I’m an old timer who’s been around guns my whole life who just never got around to purchasing a really good long range rifle. Through these videos and from choosing first or second focal plane, magnification choices, MOA vs MRAD, reticles in detail, fine tune focus to deal with parallax error, illumination options, to eye relief, can know rest assured that I chose the right scope for my application. I’m extremely happy with my Viper PST Gen II (FFP MOA) and even more satisfied in that the staff at Vortex has taken the time to provide all of the accurate information I needed to make the right choice, all in one place here on this channel.

[@VortexOpticsUSA]

Always happy to help, Dan in any way we can! Thanks for being a part of Vortex Nation!

[@russnurse2b807]

Best explanation ever for this subject! Great job!

[@Big88Country]

AWESOME explanation, best I've seen! Great job!

[@craigweaver1115]

Definitely the best explanation of the difference between FFP and SFP I've seen. Thank you, that's helped me a lot! 👍👍👍

[@VortexOpticsUSA]

You bet! Let us know if you any questions!

[@samshorter1575]

Thanks for the informative video!

[@GunnerM60]

I love how clear, concise, & really easy to understand your video was. I'm a beginner recreational shooter wanting to get into long range, this is exactly what I needed to know what kind of scope to buy! Thank you for explaining everything so easily so I don't waste money on extra features I'll never use.

[@12gauge1oz]

Another excellent Vortex video!

[@kalaharidundee9190]

Thank you Pieter from Namibia you are the first one that explane the diffrance between first and second Focal plane that i understand.

[@marklehman1119]

Glad I found this video. All the abbreviations on scope terminology is frustrating so anything that helps explain how they work is very helpful.

[@robborobertson5798]

Very well explained and I think would be so helpful to those that don’t know or understand. Great video.

[@Capitalgolfri]

Great explanation on the differences between 1st , and 2nd focal planes. Thank you for the terrific video. !

[@VortexOpticsUSA]

Thank YOU for tuning in!

[@ronaldbarnes2897]

This is the best video I have ever watched on the explanation of the difference between the two types of scopes, I enjoyed it immensely! Thanks 🙏

[@deraldbetterman6483]

Great video! Appreciate your clarity in explaining what was what!

[@thetigerstripes]

Awesome video that explained a complex subject in layman's terms and made it understandable. I was not sure which one was right for long range target shooting for my son and I.

[@jimothyrubie4638]

Vortex is simply the best!

[@AtomicTrent]

Stellar video! Trying to decide on which optic I am going to run on my Christensen Scout, this is helping.

[@hootervilletexas]

Excellent review. Very helpful. Thank you.

[@nileshsmith6282]

Awesome explanation 👏. Simple to understand but very informative 👍

[@somedayzo6]

Tremendous video. Well worth the time and effort to watch it.

[@brentanderson4304]

Thanks this was very informative and easy to understand the differences between the two.

[@jsbounds27]

Excellent explanation; animation was very helpful. Thanks!

[@XxxAtlantaxxX]

Thank you Sir for superbly explaining this. Thank you.

[@rayzar6720]

This is the best unbiased honest explanation of both SFP vs FFP I've watched. Im in the need for a new scope for a new setup. Im a hunter and do a bit of F open when I can't hunt. I hunt in close with occasional long shots and anywhere from 600-1000 yards competition in prone. SFP will be perfect for my needs. Appreciate this video very much

[@patriotsicoflibs4579]

Best explanation of the difference btwn 1st & 2nd FP scopes I've run across. Thanks!

[@patriotsicoflibs4579]

PS : And the animation was a big help!

[@gregstapp1684]

great explanation and visual demo .... thanks g

[@turboeddy]

Finally a video on the subject that makes sense. Thank you!

[@steveokon5431]

Great explanations, thank you

[@brianvaughn2096]

I use an old Redfield wide view 3X9 from the 70’s on my 7mag. Love that scope.

[@travisj.1938]

Very informative video thanks Vortex! 👍

[@coyotiess]

Great advice! Enjoyed your explanations, very help full Thanks!

[@proteus371]

Great video, very simply explained. I have to say , I have been shooting for years, and never used the scales. I just know how each gun shoots and how high I need to aim for drop. But I never have had any real training, just been shooting since a kid .

[@DS-gd1xw]

Well Done Vortex optics!

[@duckwacker8720]

Only if they'd make a quality US scope.

[@crunch9876]

@@duckwacker8720 they make quality just sadly not US made

[@Jonathan-gu9xd]

This is one of the best explanations I've seen. Nice job.

[@VortexOpticsUSA]

Thanks :)

[@bobzelley5100]

Excellent presentation, thank you

[@malnwah726]

The best explanation of 1st and 2nd focal plane I've seen by far.

[@stevepoe3667]

Well spoken and well explained,making this topic easily understood. 👍🇺🇸

[@konotreal7126]

Thanks for the video, and the info.

[@joemes370]

Thank you very much for presenting this subject in a clear manner

[@VortexOpticsUSA]

You are very welcome, Joe! :)

[@googlemustdie]

Absolutely love your optics and customer service.

[@VortexOpticsUSA]

We appreciate the support, my friend!

[@vhmccray3705]

Wow! As has been stated, you did an awesome job! Best part is you didn't flood the talk with tons of acronyms. But Best of all is the PIP with the reticle, so we can see what you're talking about. I went with a Vortex SFP on my Grendel I love it & now I have a better understanding of how to get the most out of it. Thanks again!

[@VortexOpticsUSA]

Glad you found it helpful! We really appreciate you tuning in. 👊

[@ATINKERER]

That was a good clear explanation. Thanks.

[@mikebutler7605]

One of the most coherent explanations of focal planes I've ever seen.

[@timnezbeth1321]

Leave it to Vortex to ''knock it out of the park'' , when it comes to explaining this topic! Very well done Vortex , you get all gold stars in my book! And one more thing, thanks for your awesome warranty with my AR scope cap, even when it was my fault ! Always a fan!

[@amadomata459]

Great verbiage, easy to understand. Thank you. Happy Easter.

[@jamesdietz6899]

Great, simple but detailed explanation! Thank you!

[@VortexOpticsUSA]

Happy to help!

[@jamesalexander5740]

Thank you, thak you, thank you. I had no clue what a "first focal plane" or a 'second focal place' scope was. Now I know. Excellent video and fantastic explanation of both!

[@macguru9999]

I think I knew that , but your explanation is the best I have seen. Thanks again. I have a Vortex Diamondback FFP 6-24 and its incredible value for money.

[@VortexOpticsUSA]

Thanks for being a part of Vortex Nation!

[@richstephens2911]

Best explanation of this I've seen, well done. Thanks!

[@brokendad2222]

Thank you, excellent explanation of first and second plane.

[@j32degrees]

Absolutely perfect explanation. Thank you!

[@davesi56]

Very good explanation! I will have to come back to it from time to time and refresh my brain, thank you!!! BTW: Really enjoy the 10 minute show too!

[@VortexOpticsUSA]

Thanks for tuning in! :)

[@andrewriddell3225]

Great information! Thank you.

[@repairfreak]

A great explanation. It seems apparent 1st focal plane is great for medium to long range with hash marks being correct for fast target acquisition. However my 2nd focal plane scope can use the hash marks at any magnification if you look at a holdover chart that corresponds for the magnification you are set at. Or you just remember the holdover marks at one location such as on full power. Otherwise you can simply just dial the turret up or down based on your scopes zero setting with knowing your target distance.

[@fbisurveillancetruckjayw4347]

Most helpful video. I will never miss again!

[@jamesd1861]

Great explanation, awesome info 👍👍