FFP vs SFP: which focal plane should you buy?
Updated 2026-09-20
Buy first focal plane if you will hold over or range with the reticle at any magnification other than the top one, because the reticle's marks stay true across the whole zoom range. Buy second focal plane if you mostly dial the turrets, or if the scope tops out around 10× or less, where an FFP reticle shrinks to a hair at the bottom of the range. Below 10× the choice is about reticle size, not accuracy.
What actually moves
In a first-focal-plane scope the reticle sits ahead of the erector, so it is magnified along with the image: zoom in and the crosshair grows with the target. In a second-focal-plane scope the reticle sits behind the erector and stays the same size on screen no matter the magnification. That single difference is the whole argument. An FFP reticle's hash marks subtend the same angle at 5× as at 25×; an SFP reticle's marks are only correct at one magnification, almost always the top.
Why FFP wins for holdovers and ranging
If you use the reticle to hold for wind or drop — or to range a target by its size — the marks have to mean the same thing at every power, because you will not always be at the top. Precision and tactical scopes went almost entirely FFP for this reason. Turn the magnification down to widen the field of view for a moving target, and the hold you worked out at 20× is still right at 12×.
Why SFP still dominates hunting scopes
A hunting scope lives at 3× to 6× most of the time, and an FFP reticle at 3× is thin enough to lose against brush at dusk. A second-focal-plane reticle stays bold at the bottom of the range, which is what a hunter wants: a fast, visible aiming point. Most hunters dial the turret or hold with a simple duplex, and the SFP reticle's marks are still correct at top magnification if they ever need them. SFP is also cheaper to build, so the same money buys better glass.
The LPVO special case
On a 1-6× or 1-8× scope the problem is the opposite end: an FFP reticle designed to be useful at 8× is barely visible at 1×, and at 1× you want a bright dot you can shoot with both eyes open. That is why every FFP LPVO leans on illumination, and why a second-focal-plane LPVO with a bold reticle is still the better tool for a scope that lives at 1×. Buy FFP on an LPVO only if the top end is where you plan to shoot it.
What it costs
FFP is mechanically fussier — the reticle has to be etched fine enough to work at the top of the range and coarse enough to see at the bottom, and it sits in the part of the scope that is hardest to seal. At the same price an SFP scope tends to have better glass or a bigger erector. Neither is more rugged or more accurate; the mechanics are the same once the reticle is in place.