Man, the choices now are staggering...

There are more reticles available than you can shake a stick at!

In most cases, these are also a substantial upgrade in scope costs, too.

Most of the newer reticles seem to be designed for long range shots (often called bullet drop compensating)- most of which seem very much out of the range of the average hunter.

I have a high end scope that has a range estimating reticle in it - I thought it was great when I bought it - and have never used it for that purpose.

I have taken deer using that scope - but ALWAYS with the standard portion of the reticle.

There are some useful reticles out there and some of these, I feel, are the ones that are aimed (no pun intended) at the shotgun and muzzleloader market. If they help you with the shots you will actually take, great - please do spend the extra money - but know that they will greatly reduce the sales appeal - and thus the value - of the scope should you ever decide to part with it.

Please take extreme care when shopping for glass and make sure the extra money you are willing to fork out for a reticle upgrade is really a case where you are getting EXTRA VALUE and EXTRA USE and not just a bell and whistle type thing.

In most cases, I feel it would be better to take that reticle upgrade money (in some cases, it is $150 or more) and move up to a higher grade scope - you may get better glass and pay the same that you were going to pay for the lesser grade scope with the "special" reticle in it.

One reticle I will recommend is the German # 4 style reticle. The lack of the top post is, in theory, supposed to somehow direct your eye to the game you are tracking. I am not sure exactly how or why but I have used one for years and highly recommend it.

In the final analysis, you will purchase what you feel is best for your situation - and if incredibly long shots are your forte', some of the reticle upgrades may be very appropriate for you.

My contention - and my hunting tip - is to be very careful and cost conscious when selecting the reticle in your scope - you may be able to get a "free" glass upgrade by selecting a standard reticle.