Others "FFP Scopes are heavier than SFP scopes!" —— Are they?? 🤔

[JungleShooter]

"FFP Scopes are heavier than SFP scopes!"​

Are they?? ​

Well, I've seen this argument being repeated quite a few times.

So I wanted to know for sure:
What is the fuss about weight when it comes to FFP (first focal plane) scopes, that supposedly are heavier than SFP (second focal plane) scopes...?



Let's look at the data:

Over the years I have checked the specs of thousands of scopes —
and selected over 200 for my Scope Specs Tables — that are specifically tailored to airgunning, with the following requirements:
▪︎ 10y min. parallax
▪︎ Holdoff reticle (evenly spaced hash marks)
▪︎ Exposed turrets
▪︎ Mostly $200 to $500

Of those, I have have selected 159 that fit into different magnification groupings, separated into FFP and SFP:
2-12x
3-12x
4-16x
3-18x
4-20x
4-24x
6-24x/5-25x
5-30x
5-40x
5-50x

⮕ And the data confirms it (cf. the table attached below):
FFP scopes on average are heavier than SFP scopes.

BUT WAIT!!​

How much heavier are they....?
FFP is on average
2oz (57g)
heavier than SPF.

2 ounces (57 grams) is only the weight of:
▪︎ One tennis ball, or
▪︎ Two AA batteries, or
▪︎ Ten sheets of paper(!)

Come on, people!
2 ounces! 57 grams!
A pair of 30mm scope rings weighs much more than that!
(2-5oz average)

WE OBSESS over the weight of our scopes.​

And we even rail against manufacturers who do not give us the option to opt out of illumination — because supposedly "illumination adds too much weight".


Please, my friends, let's look at this objectively:

I never read about these petty weight concerns when we discuss rifles.​

Yes, of course Hatsan PCP's are heavy.
But I never see us obsessing over 2 ounces more or less when we choose a rifle....
Then: WHY do we do that with SCOPES....?



And those who shoot springers — well, you already have chosen to go heavy-weight.
If 2 ounces was really that important to you, maybe you should come to the Dark Side and save a whole pound in weight, not just 2 ounces!



As you can see from the table:
If you want a lighter FFP scope —
you have that option in all of the common magnification brackets!
You are not obligated to choose SFP — you can choose a light FFP if you like.
All is good!


Peace,

Matthias



Notes:
● Some magnification groups did not have enough scopes in them to warrant a comparison: ONE 5-40x SPF scope does not provide an "average" weight....

● For the same reason, I bunched all tube sizes together (comparing apples with oranges) — though it's not quite fair toward the FFPs: among FFPs there are 7 times more 34mm tubes than among SFPs.

● I have not included El Cheapo scopes that lack basic features like functional turrets and often lack holdoff reticles, usually have a 1" tube, and often come with 3-9x or 3-12x magnification.
Those scopes are so basic that they are not considered worth producing as FFP.
The result is that they are "lighter" — not because they are SFP — but because they are more simple and have less functions and features.
It's that simple.






Attachment PDF for printing:
Weight of Airgun Scopes, comparing FFP with SFP