Do you hate Horus reticles? What's the deal? DM vs SNIPER

Question: Rex, in one of your scope reviews you mentioned you don't use Horus reticles for extreme long range precision shooting. Do you hate Horus reticles??? Whats the deal, bro!?!?!

Rex: Do i hate the Horus reticle??? Haha, No, sir! They certainly have their place, given the correct application. If I remember correctly, we discuss some of their limitations in pretty good detail in the LR Optical Parameters videos. :-) In a nutshell: HORUS style grid-patterned reticles are pretty quick and are very handy for what some would call "hasty" LR shooting applications.

Here are my unfiltered opinions on HORUS and other grid-pattern reticles...

PROS: For designated marksmen attached to infantry units where speed takes priority over OCD-level 1st shot precision - reticles featuring grid-designs (like the Horus) are better in that the firing solution is applied very quickly using hold-off technique. Also, follow up corrections are made very easy using the grid network. Even a novice shooter can get on-target pretty quickly with 1 or 2 shots using this type of reticle. A shooter's precision using a grid-pattern reticle is only really limited by his brain's degree of spatial perception in ensuring the point of hold-off is correct.

CONS: In applications where 1st shot precision takes priority (classical sniper role) where only 1 shot will be made due to importance of maintaining concealment, a mechanically-verified correction-method such as indexing the scope may be in order. Some would argue that the average shooter is limited by his/her spacial-perception.

Any person's spatial perception is biologically limited due to the human's natural ability to subdivide spatial units. With good training, most folks can visually discern spacial units of 2/10 or even 1/10 MRAD on a single axis. However, plotting fine corrections on a two-dimensional grid becomes more difficult. Many can not effectively visually discern fire-corrections plotted on both the x and y axis of a grid reticle in increments of 1/10 MRAD through an optic at 10X unless that exact point is clearly delineated by the reticle. Most scopes using the mil-grid style reticle only delineate in 1 mil increments, some may have tick marks for 0.5 mils. Although some shooters can discern 0.1 mils two-dimensionally without issue, most have difficulties.

This being said, the argument is that the application of two-dimensional hold-off may not be as precise as indexing the optic mechanically using the turrets and holding dead-on. Thus, for Extreme Long Range Precision shooting applications, many professional shooters still prefer to dial it in. For Hard Target Interdiction apps (sometimes shooting well beyond 1.5km), teams may be on the hunt for days and may only be limited to only 1-shot in order to evade detection. Also, for classic sniper applications (or long-range hunting applications), a high-value animate target will only remain stationary for the 1st shot - after which the target will escape and evade making re-engagement exceedingly difficult. Thus, there are applications where the highest possible level of 1st shot precision calls for the firing solution to be dialed-in and mechanically verified as there will only be 1 chance to get it right.

CURRENT PROFESSIONAL PREFERENCES:

DESIGNATED MARKSMEN APPS: The current trend (given a more flexible TE&O in the last few years) is that many infantrymen in the DM role prefer the use of BDC reticles and the Horus style reticles due to their speed of engagement on multiple targets at various ranges. A diversity of optics in various configurations are being fielded by professional DM from the Trijicon ACOGs, VCOGs, Elcans, as well as a variety of retrofitted variable-powered civilian sporting-optics made by Leupold, Burris, and many other manufacturers. Many new designs such as the ACSS reticle and the H.U.D. are growing in popularity in this field and may prove to be useful tools in accomplishing this mission.

CLASSICAL SNIPER / HTI APPS: For these classic sniper roles, many professionals such as USMC 0317s or US Army B4 ASI snipers often still prefer to dial in their firing solutions at long ranges when the "one shot, one kill" ideal is invoked. Many outfits often still use the simplified scaled or Mil-dot style reticles, to clear up the view of the target area in order to help spot bullet trace. Police, SRT, and SWAT snipers mitigating hostage situations prefer 'dialing it in' as well. The old Schmidt & Bender PMIIs with standard mil-scale or mil-dot reticles are still at the center of the bell curve in these professional applications throughout the world. The old Leupold M3A straight 10X scopes are still fielded by US Army snipers using the M24 SWSs. Leupold MkIV M1s are still in use for many units. Many professionals, from MARSOC to SEALs and other tier-1 shooters in unnamed 3-letter agencies are now fielding optics like the Nightforce ACTAR due to their incredibly reliable turret tracking precision. The main pattern in this ELR precision shooting application of fire gravitates towards designs that offer clean reticles and reliable turret tracking due to the selection criteria of this mission.

Whether it be a jacked-up 4-wheel-drive pickup-truck or a mid-engine rear-wheel-drive sports-coup, both are worthy of their own causes - given the proper application :-)

Hope this helps!