What is the difference between FFP and SFP scopes?

by Mac Raven

What is the difference between FFP and SFP, Competition shooting, long range shooting, shooting sports, reloading, ftr, prs, elr, f-class, sling shooting, service rifle, air rifle, trap, skeet, clay, bench rest, shotgun, target, rifle, how to, shooter spotlight, tutorial, shooter spotlight, interviews, article, mac raven, 5 gun nation, handloading, education, nrl, high power rifle, palma,v2 series, ammo, rifle tunning, bullets

What is the difference between FFP and SFP scopes?

A large number of questions I receive pertain to rifle optics. On a scale of one to ten, today’s subject will be turned up to 11. I’m going to do my best to answer a couple of common questions.

What is the difference between FFP and SFP scopes? Which one will work best for you? Why am I working on my birthday? (Lol)

First Focal Plane (FFP) and Second Focal Plane (SFP) are ways to describe the design relationship between your optics reticle (cross-hairs), magnification (power), and how that affects your sight picture. I know that was a little wordy, but it is what it is. This will make more sense soon.

First Focal Plane (FFP)

When you increase or decrease the magnification (power) on your rifle scope, the reticle will visually grow or shrink with your image. (See below). This means if you have a reticle with various marks for bullet drop, wind hold, etc., those marks will be correct regardless of magnification. I’m aware this seems overly technical, but a glance at the photos below will help everything fall into place.

Competition shooting, long range shooting, shooting sports, reloading, ftr, prs, elr, f-class, sling shooting, service rifle, air rifle, trap, skeet, clay, bench rest, shotgun, target, rifle, how to, shooter spotlight, tutorial, shooter spotlight, interviews, article, mac raven, 5 gun nation, handloading, education, nrl, high power rifle, palma,v2 series, ammo, rifle tunning, bullets

What are the pros and cons of FFP?

To start, they are generally less expensive to purchase. It takes fewer steps for manufacturers to produce these types of optics. That saving is then passed down to consumers, which does not mean they are junk. Depending on what you want to accomplish, it may be a perfect choice for your needs—the right tool for the right job.

The downside: If your zoom (power) is dialed back, it becomes increasingly difficult to see your reticle marks. In some models, the patterns become almost unusable. That said, if you can see those marks with your power bottomed out, you most likely don’t require a scope in the first place.

Second Focal Plane (SFP)

This is the most common type of optic. A large majority of hunting scopes are second-focal planes. You have probably already used this type of scope.

In this type of optic, when you increase the magnification, your reticle will appear not to change. In reality, it is scaling up or down with the image. Visually, you won’t be able to tell. It is an optical illusion. 

Competition shooting, long range shooting, shooting sports, reloading, ftr, prs, elr, f-class, sling shooting, service rifle, air rifle, trap, skeet, clay, bench rest, shotgun, target, rifle, how to, shooter spotlight, tutorial, shooter spotlight, interviews, article, mac raven, 5 gun nation, handloading, education, nrl, high power rifle, palma,v2 series, ammo, rifle tunning, bullets

Keep in mind: The center of your crosshair will always be your aim point regardless of all that other stuff.  I could keep going on about these two options, but I’m just giving you a baseline to start from. I hope this article has demystified the difference between the two.

Back to Rifle Scope Series

5 Gun Nation is one of the world’s largest competition shooting websites. We have multiple articles on shooting sports and adding more all the time. If you can’t find it here. We are working on it.