Focal Plane

In the context of shooting sports, the focal plane typically refers to how a rifle scope’s reticle appears to the shooter when the optic is zoomed in or out. In so-called “first focal plane” scopes, the reticle, or “crosshairs,” appear larger when the optic is zoomed in and smaller when the optic is zoomed out. In “second focal plane” scopes, the reticle appears to be the same size at all magnifications.