PFIRapidReticle

It’s not often that a company comes along and introduces a quality product that’s both innovative and reasonably priced - but the team at Pride Fowler have done exactly that. Pride Fowler are not new to the optic world either – they’ve been designing scopes and reticles and collaborating with other major optics manufacturers like Carl Zeiss on various projects for years. In fact, Pride Fowler deigned the series of Rapid Z reticles found in both the conquest and Victory line of Zeiss rifle scopes. This article will give a brief overview of the Pride Fowler Rapid Reticle 3-9x32 optic (RR-17HMR 3-9x32) especially calibrated for the .17 HMR and the 17 grain ammunition averaging 2550 fps most commonly available for it. Pride Fowler also makes a model calibrated for regular .22 LR.

—Admin, “CAMP HUNT SHOOT - Pride Fowlers New Rapid Reticle ”, CAMP HUNT SHOOT Jan, 2012

I used this Pride-Fowler Action-4 Quad Reticle Illuminated Reflex extensively in snap-shooting and speed drills. It gives you the choice of four reticles, 11 levels of red-light intensity, and the usual Pride-Fowler high-clarity glass in a 33mm tough T6 tube. It performed beautifully, and you’ll be readingmore about it in future issues. Any factor, which can raise your confidence in a fraction of a second that you’re still on a valid target, is of inestimable worth.

—JOHN MORISSON, “AMERICAN COP MAGAZINE - TACTICAL TARGET RIFLE ”, AMERICAN COP MAGAZINE Dec, 2011

BUNDABERG'S Brett Foster produced a near-perfect performance to make it back-to-back Australian titles at the National Rifle Association Championships in Perth last week. The 34-year-old Isis Smallbore Rifle Club member ruled in the Open Class International 1920 Match at Whiteman Park with a score of 1918. Foster had previously won the Queensland championship for the fifth year in a row at the Gold Coast Pistol Club with a perfect score of 1920 and 174 x's, giving him six state titles overall. He continues to reap the rewards of plenty of hard work and training, but he will have a short break from high level competition before his next major shoot early next year.

—Vince Habermann, “NEWSMAIL - Bulls-eye bonanza ”, NEWSMAIL NOV, 2011

The Rapid Reticle Illuminated by Pride-Fowler Inc. boasts crystalclear brightness and one of the fastest reticles ever devised. Calibrated for both 5.56mm and .308 Win, it virtually eliminates manual adjustments for range and windage to 10 mph, and its 3-sided boxes, enclosing about 9 pounds—the size of a human head— make range estimation fast and easy. Quality is superior and handling is simple under stress.

—JOHN CONNOR, “GUNS MAGAZINE - COMBAT OPTICS AND SIGHTS ”, GUNS MAGAZINE Oct, 2011

Team Lakota and Crowe of the US Army C-CO LRS 1-134th R&S deployed in Afghanistan took a break and had a range day to test and evaluate Pride-Fowler’s Rapid Reticle tactical optics. The RR-900-4, RR-CQLR-1, Action-4, and SOPS-Compact were all fully tested and proved to be outstanding optics giving the teams the ability to range and engage multiple targets at variable distances faster without manual adjustments or even the use of a spotter. They are excited to use the PFI optics as their primary sighting systems for the rest of their deployment.

—JOHN CONNOR, “GUNS MAGAZINE - Pride-Fowler In Use By Warfighters ”, GUNS MAGAZINE Aug, 2011

I have written about and followed the Pride-Fowler series of scopes since their inception. I liked their first line ofscopes, and they just keep getting better. With their new tactical entry, I am even more impressed. Like many other American companies, they provide the specifications and the Japanese build them accordingly. The Pride-Fowler 2.5-10x40mm RR900 is a top-quality scope with great glass and very useful elevation and windage dials, holdover bars, illumination. After sighting in the scope, I put the crosshair of the scope’s reticle on the center of the target at 100 yards in such a way the reticle would stay in place.

—JACOB GOTTFREDSON, “GUNS MAGAZINE - A Better Way To Range ”, GUNS MAGAZINE Jun, 2011

Took the rig out with several K/Wal-Mart bulk ammo and netted about 1 MOA accuracy @ 50 yds.) with Blazer/Fed. Auto-Mtch./Fed Value Pack. Was getting about 1250 avg. velocities for both Federals. This fits into the ballistics parameters of the 3-9x RR-200 Rapid Reticle i put on top of the rig (www.rapidreticle.com). The reticle matched the ballistics very closely even out to 200 yds. There was a thread on Snipers Hide about shooting at 250 yds. on a coke can so i was at home a couple days ago nursing the wife back to health after shoulder surgery, and decided that i needed a couple hours out so found an empty coke can, gathered my gear and headed out to the range with her in tow. Filled the can with dirt and set it out at 250 yds. The ballistics program called for 9 minutes addtl. comeups past the 200-yd. reticle zero (20 MOA) to get to 250.

—SSCOYOTE, “RIMFIRE CENTRAL - Charger/Kidd barrel at extended range ”, RIMFIRE CENTRAL Jun, 2011

The Rapid Reticle™ line includes the RR-800-2, which is a 10x42mm fixed power scope specifically designed for use with the .308 cartridge. The Rapid Reticle Aiming System is designed to ease the shooter’s ability to get accurate fire on target at different ranges. With clear range crosshairs from 800 yards at the bottom to 100 yards at the top, the reticle looks like a Christmas tree. With crosshairs, lines and dots, the Rapid Reticle is designed to be used without the shooter removing turret covers and making corrections by moving the elevation turret up or down. The RR-880-2 is just more than 13inches long.

—KEVIN DAVIS, “TACTICAL RESPONSE - SIG SAUER SSG 3000 ”, TACTICAL RESPONSE Feb, 2011

Snap-shooting and speed drills were run using Pride-Fowler Industries’ M-68 Auto Reflex Sighting System, aka “Special Ops Auto Sight,” a red-dot unmagnified LED electronic sight. The tough, 6061 T-6 aluminum tube is 33mm — one of the largest offered — and is waterproof to 10' submerged. Clarity is superb. The LED illumination module has eight increasing brightness settings, plus two night vision compatible settings and an auto setting, which engages a photocell sensor to automatically adjust the red dot’s brightness as you move through varied light conditions. The auto setting also features a lowbattery warning. When the LED flashes to alert you, you can still use one of the regular settings until you can replace the lithium 3-volt CR2032 “coin” battery.

—JOHN CONNOR, “AMERICAN COP - TARGETING TOP GEAR ”, AMERICAN COP Jan, 2011

Attached to the M21A5 is a Rapid Reticle 800-2 10×42 scope manufactured by Pride Fowler Industries. The reticle consists of several hold-over lines ranging from 800 on the bottom to 100 near the top of the reticle, referred to as the Rapid Reticle Aiming System. Once the scope is zeroed, the shooter merely has to adjust the focus to the appropriate yard indicator for the desired range and wind estimation. The scope is equipped with the traditionally windage, elevation and parallax focusing knobs for fine-tuning. The scope is waterproof as well as shock proof. The scope is calibrated for the most used 168-grain or 175-grain match rounds.

—KEVIN DAVIS, “TACTICAL RESPONSE - SPECIAL WEAPONS ”, TACTICAL RESPONSE Dec, 2010

Cascade Cartridge. Inc. (Cel) holds a well-deserved reputation in the ammunition world as being the leader when it comes to rimfire ammunition. At last count. cel offered 34 distinct rimfire loadings ranging from Short hollowpoints and long Rifle shotshells to .17 H Rspiked with FMJs and .22 Win Mags loaded with a polvmer-tipped V-Max. What’s especially impressive with the CCI rimfire line is the extent to which it blankets the sports of plinking, competitive target shooting, varmint and small-game hunting as well as reduced noise and other specialty sporting requirements. And let’s not leave out the green. CCI’s unleaded line now covers the whole rimfire spectrum: the .22 Long Rifle, the .17 HMR and the .22 WMR.

—HOLT RODINSON, “GUNS MAGAZINE - CASCADE In GREEN ”, GUNS MAGAZINE Nov, 2010

The PFI sight is a compact red dot built to rigid specifications written by Mickey Fowler and John Pride. The sight has a 3-position switch for on, auto-on, and off. In the auto-on position the Pulse LED adjusts to ambient light. The full-on position allows you to give the LED full power so you can see it in bright, sunny conditions and still hit the target. The battery can be changed from the top of the unit through a trap door without having to remove the sight. Aluminum bases are available to mount the sight to many handguns, rifles and shotguns.

—JOHN CONNOR, “GUNS MAGAZINE - Special Ops Compact Sight ”, GUNS MAGAZINE Aug, 2010

The Rapid Reticle makes it easy for anyone to shoot accurately from close to long range, simply by lining up the numbers and firing. Pride further noted, "It is a simple body, it does not look fancy and the reset target turrets are a nice touch. The scope uses high quality glass from Light Optical, who is the Zeiss of Japan. We came in at a price point of around $1,200 dollars - that's not too bad for the high quality we are offering. Any other scope and you are talking, $1,600 -$2,500 dollars." The scope was designed For the designated marksman or conventional shooter, the Rapid Reticle COLR 1-4 may indeed be the best of both worlds. The one power of an Aimpoint and four power of an ACOG have an average street price of $750/$1 ,500 respectively. For less than half that cost, you can acquire the Rapid Reticle COLR.

—FRED PUSHIES, “Special Weapons - PRIDE FOWLER'S CQLR 1·4 SCOPE ”, Special Weapons Aug, 2010

The scope arrived packed in a heavy box with foam lining that is cut for each part that comes with it (scope, bikinis covers, flip caps and mounts). The manual is nicely detailed – you will see some of the pages I use in this T&E. Note you will not see the Pride Fowler mounts in this review. Since I already had my LaRue mount, I told Mr. Pride he didn’t need to send them. The scope feels very solid with clean lines and good fit and even matt finish. Everything that is supposed to be solid is and everything that is supposed to move does so smoothly. Windage and Elevation adjustments are tactile enough for gloved hands and snap firmly in place with more of firm "thud” than a high "click” that would carry through quiet night air. Of the three, the new military version (RR900-4) was the one I chose to take to my first long-range session with my OBR.

—RidgeDog, “M4CARBINE - New Pride Fowler RR900 Military Scope (56k Cramp) ”, M4CARBINE FEB, 2010

I went to the range last thursday to sight in my fixed 10 power Pride Fowler scope. They're out of Tucson. I zero'd the scope using 55gr American eagle, more or less to get it close so I didn't have to waste my handloaded 77gr bullets that i use for hunting and long range precision shooting. I noticed right away that they use good glass, as good or better than leupold. Looking at the edges of the scope, i tried to find any unclear, jagged spots, but to no avail. Everything was looking good. My attention turned to the BDC reticle they use. Its called the rapid reticle and the only thing I need to get used to is the 100yd has mark is above the actual crosshairs. That will take some time, but it will be easy to get used to. I shot at 100, 200, 300 and 500yds. Believe it or not my best group came at 500yds. I had just under a MOA 4.75 inches. Not bad for a fixed 10 power and still getting used to the scope. I need to dial my load down a hair, I'm running at 2725fps and if I were at 2650, I'd be right where the BDC lines are.

—S MILK, “PredatorMaster - Pride Fowler Review ”, PredatorMaster Oct, 2009

Now, let’s get to the fun part—the reticle. The Rapid Reticles are bullet drop compensating (BDC) tree reticle designs that for lack of any better description, sort of resemble a mini-Horus Vision system. They offer several different trajectory specific reticles and scopes, all based on the ballistics of many factory cartridge offerings. They even have special long-range reticles in their handgun scopes based on the trajectories of several common factory handgun loadings as well. John Pride and Mickey Fowler, both Bianchi Cup winners and proprietors of the company, know a thing or two about shooting and optics (just take a look at their bios on their website—www.rapidreticle.com.

—STEVE HUGEL, “VARMINT HUNTER - Long-Range Coyotes ”, VARMINT HUNTER Dec, 2008

Well, the mail arrived this morning, and lo and behold, my scope was in it. Unbelievable! When she said early next week she wasn't kidding. This company has great customer service, from the boss on down. I unpacked my scope and weighed it on the postal scale. It weighs in at 13.3 ounces. The length is a shade ove 11.5 inches. The scope is a 3-9 x32, with a fast focus eyepiece. It comes advertised as multicoated optics, waterproof, fogproof and shockproof. The matte finish is even all throughout the scope. The turret screws are nice and low profile. The tube appears to be a one peice tube, 1" diameter. So far, this scope is nice!. The ocular adjustment has a nice positive grip-deep grooves as well as a handle for easy adjustment. The adjustment is smooth, with no roughness or graininess. Eye relief is generous. The fast focus is smooth, but is not likely to move once it is adjusted. I like that a lot.

—G Mountain, “ar15armory - Pride-Fowler Rapid Reticle 3-9x32 Scope ”, ar15armory Oct, 2008

The trademark Rapid Reticle 800 LR 10x42mm scope sent me has a “side wheel parallax focus knob, first focal plane reticle, is made of 6061 T-6 aluminum, and has a heavy duty turret spring. The main body is 30mm. The reticle is also available in a 3-9x42mm with internal parallax correction in either the first or second focal plane reticle position.” Several additional scopes as well as CQB sights have been added to their list of products. You might recall both Mickey Fowler and John Pride are world-class pistol shooters who won national recognition for their prowess for many years. Since both are also avid hunters, they came up with a line of scopes to meet their rigid demands. Since both are also avid hunters, they came up with a line of scopes to meet their rigid demands.

—JACOB GOTTFREDSON, “GUN MAGAZINE - DO-ALL RIFLE/SCOPESYS ”, GUN MAGAZINE Jun, 2008

The RR800-2 is a matte black finished scope that uses an aluminum one-piece main tube, and weighs in at about eighteen ounces. The length measures about thirteen and three-quarters inches long, not counting the detachable sunshade. With the shade attached, the overall length measures sixteen inches. The RR800-2 has low-profile target turrets that are covered with threaded caps. The target knobs underneath are very clearly marked, and easy to see. The scope has a side focus knob, which I greatly prefer to the adjustable objective bell type of focus. It too, is covered with a threaded cap. The scope appears to be of very high quality with clear optics, and is built in Japan to PFI specs. Like other riflescopes from Pride-Fowler Industries, Inc., the distinguishing feature of the RR800-2 is the reticle, which they call their Rapid Reticle

—JEFF QUINN, “GUNBLAST - GUNBLAST.COM ”, GUNBLAST Jun, 2008

We have removed the old scopes from both 20 inch and 24 inch AR-10T's and replaced them with a quick range acquiring scopes. The new scopes are Pride Fowler Rapid Reticle Special Ops Scope 30mm Tube 10x 42mm Side Focus 800 Yard Rapid Reticle Matte RAPID RETICLE 10 X SCOPE CALIBRATED FOR the 7.62 We talked to Pride Fowler innovators of the RAPID RETICLE scopes calibrated for the 7.62 NATO cartridge and gun. The scopes I received had a nice matte finish . The scope has a factory engineered bullet drop reticle calibrated to match the 7.62 NATO round. The reticle has bullet drop stadias at 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700 and 800 yards. The scope reticle also includes wind pins on each stadia for 5 and 10 MPH cross winds. yards. I myself have never seen a scope this versatile. Under the turret caps resides two huge target style windage and elevation turrets big enough to sight in with a gloved hand. Removing the side turret cap exposes the parallax adjustment knob.

—D NUKEM, “NA HUNTER - North American Hunter ”, NA HUNTER Feb, 2008

So, who is Pride-Fowler, and just what is so unique about their scopes? The company was formed by two well-known professional pistol competitors, John Pride and Mickey Fowler. Those who are familiar with action-shooting, will recognize these men as leaders in the shooting community. They have created a line of rifle, pistol and red-dot scopes, known as The Rapid Reticle. What is unique about these scopes, is that they are built for specific calibers with distance markings matching the ballistics of the round. Very similar to the Mil-Dot scopes, except these don't require calculations and counting stadia lines. The version Mike sent me was the 1.25-4X28 made for the .44 Magnum. Since the only 44 Magnums I own are revolvers, Mike loaned me his Encore barrel for the test.

—D GRU, “Specialty Pistols - Pride-Fowler 1.25-4X28 Pistol Scope ”, Specialty Pistols Jun, 2007