Scope power

[jager]

Okay...I've got a question for you modern firearm hunters.

What magnification scope do you use and what type of hunting do you use it for?

[jackelope]

i've always used a 3-9x40 scope till this year. sold the gun and scope and now am running a 4-12x40 and a 4.5-14x40. we hunt rifle deer in eastern wa.
3-9 has always served me just fine and some say the perfect scope for most everything is a fixed 6x.

[boneaddict]

2x7 leopold, several rifles, for everything.

[batch]

i've always used a 3-9x40 scope till this year. sold the gun and scope and now am running a 4-12x40 and a 4.5-14x40. we hunt rifle deer in eastern wa.
3-9 has always served me just fine and some say the perfect scope for most everything is a fixed 6x.

  when you use higher magnifications it shows all your little movements more. i usually leave all my variables on 6x

[jackelope]

i did find it a lot nicer sighting in with the bigger magnification stuff...
i would imagine it would be nice for working up a load for your rifle too if you're a reloader.

[huntnphool]

I have several Nikons that I use but my go to is either the 3-9X40 or 4-16X50. Open sage mule deer hunting for me.

[mossback91]

3-9x40 does work............I also like fixed power scope though for ease of use and always gonna be the same

I would say that higher power scopes do sight in nicely jack!! easier to see the little circle your trying to hit!

[huntnphool]

I should add that even though I use variable scopes, they seldom leave 6-7 power.

[Intruder]

Tough to beat a 3-9x40 or 3-9X42 as the best "all around" scope out there.  If you really get into longer range shooting then going up to something that is in the 4-12 or 4-14 range may be justifiable.   

[addicted]

always had a 3-9x40 in wa. for deer.

over here there is a large use of solid 6, 7, and 8x56 scopes over here.

i've been running a 3-12x56 for night hunting pigs and i find that anything over 5 or 6 power under 100 yards doesnt leave enough in the scope to contrast against in order to see the animal.  having the ability to go up to 12 is nice because they are very picky abou the deer shot here with their strict heard control and having that little extra can be the difference between a schemall reh and a geist.

[Bean Counter]

I've always had a 3-9x40 on my .30-06. I've toyed with the idea of upping the scope to a 4-14 or sth but then I'd feel like I'd need a magnum rifle or something. Then I realized the scope didn't need improvement--my marksmanship did.  3-9 will beon my rifle for at least a few more years.

[Gobble]

The 3 x 9 x 40 Leupold on my 30-06 is a tack driving combo 

[Huntbear]

For my deer gun, I used to use a 3-9x40.  Now that I am getting older and seem to be going blind   I have gone to a 4-14x50.  A little higher magnification, and better to see in the timber right at daylight or dusk.(For me anyway, the 50 mm. objective really helps me in the low light)  My scope stays on 4 power unless I need it to be higher.  I missed a chance at a nice buck one time, had left my scope on 7 power, dang thing stood up in a thicket 20 ft. from me.  Could not find his vitals area in the scope, just hair.  He of course turned and melted into that jungled mess, and was gone.

If you have good eyes, and you hunt the wetside, a fixed power is great, or a small variable.  I know a guy uses a 2-7x32 on his 300 Savage, gets his deer every year.

If you are hunting east side, then you may want some higher magnification for the longer shots that will present themselves.  Just remember, the more magnification, the heavier the scope usually.

[Straight Shooter]

For general hunting, a 3-9x40 is very hard to beat.  You have the low range for 25 yard shots and the higher range for 200+ yard shots.  I also like the 4.5-14 or 4-16 for varmint/predator.

[jackelope]

it's interesting to me a lot of you guys saying the 3x is what you need for the short range stuff, while the 4-14 or 12 or whatever is considered usable for the long range stuff. is there that much difference between 3x and 4x? i'm using 4-12 simply because thats what i have. i've always used 3-9 and agree it's about perfect for deer hunting.

the other thing that irks me a little is my scope has the bullet drop reticle but the manual says it is only useful at full zoom...12x?
anyone else have this type reticle and is that limit normal?

[addicted]

if they put the reticle on the other side of the parralax(terminology) like other scopes it would grow and shrink with the magnification. i dunno why they didnt do that in the first place. irks me too.

[Straight Shooter]

it's interesting to me a lot of you guys saying the 3x is what you need for the short range stuff, while the 4-14 or 12 or whatever is considered usable for the long range stuff. is there that much difference between 3x and 4x? i'm using 4-12 simply because thats what i have. i've always used 3-9 and agree it's about perfect for deer hunting.

the other thing that irks me a little is my scope has the bullet drop reticle but the manual says it is only useful at full zoom...12x?
anyone else have this type reticle and is that limit normal?

I like the 3-9 because it's very common (and can usually find a good one at a good price)... and that's what I grew up using.  IMO, the 3-9 and 3/4-12 are pretty much interchangeable.  As far as your BDR being only accurate at 12x, I would liken that to the same type of math that's used on true mil-dots... calculated for 10x.

[Steve C]

I have 3-9x on my rifles.  They are typically set at either 4 or 6x.  I could do fine with either fixed scope.  For the bullet drop reticle and 12x, just take it out and shoot it at 4x or 6x and figure out for yourself what the drop is for your load at whatever range, with whatever crosshair.  For 12x you would almost need a benchrest to hold it steady.  Unless the drop reticle only shows up @12x?

[jackelope]

the drop reticle is there all the time...i guess i'm just overthinking things. 

[addicted]

the drop reticle is there all the time...i guess i'm just overthinking things. 

no its a valid gripe(it must be cuz i have it)

[Jamieb]

3x9's and 3.5x10's for my big game rifles. 6x18 and a 6.5x20 for my varmint rifles.

[Wacenturion]

I use a Burris Signature 2x8 on my Sako Mannlicher .308 for deer.

[addicted]

my Sako Mannlicher .308 for deer.

   is a sako 75 A7.  back when they had the forged recievers and handcarved stocks with palm  ball?

[bobcat]

I've got a 3.5-10x40 on my Browning 270, and a Burris 3-9x40 on a 30-06.

[littlebuf]

3-12x50 burris euro diamond on my 300 and it is the nicest scope i own, i know theres better scopes but i love that one, have 3x9's on everything else but im thinking about upgrading my yote guns scope to a higher magnification, what i really want is this

http://www.seattleguns.traffictestbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=5706

   but i dont have the funds right now 

[GoldTip]

All but one of my big game rifles has a 3-9 leupold on it.  My 325wsm I put a          VXIII 3.5-10 on it, just to get the B&C reticle.

[superdown]

I use a 2.5-8x36 luepold VXIII on my A-boltII 325wsm. for everything.

[Bob33]

2-3 to 9-12 for deer/elk, etc.  4-6 to 12-16 for antelope.

[adam.WI]

3-9 luepold for me. i cant say as though i've ever taken a shot where i felt i needed more than a 9. This past winter, back in WI i put a nice doe down at 450 yards. time didn't allow for me to take it off 3. stopped her dead in her tracks. i think some of my mentality comes from growing up using shotguns, 1.75-5 back then, even out to 200 that scope never came of 1.75

i did have a 6-20x50 on my old yote gun, but i said i had that because trying to find a dog at 10 yards in the brush with a 6x forget it, only happened once and that was the end of that scope for me, sold it to my cousin and he loves it though.

i guess perfection is how ever one sees it

[AWS]

All my big game guns 35Whelen, 375Win, 300 Sav and 250-3000 all carry 1x3x20mm, 1x4x20mm or 1.5x fixed, I do alot of still hunting and love FOV over power.  My coyote guns are rigged about the same except I go with 1.5x6x40mm on my favorite, 1x4x20 or straight 1.5x on the rest.  I do have a straight 15x, 4.5x14 and a 2x10 that I swap on for load developement.  If they are over 300yrds away I just figure out a way to get closer, it's called hunting not shooting.



The wood stocked one is my coyote loaner/backup and has a 4.75x40mm Weaver Grand Slam.

AWS

[demontang]

i have a 3-9x50 on my yote gun an love it. My 338 i like around 12-18x50. I hunt in open sage so i like the higher power sometimes an the 50mm objective really helps in low light.

[BLKBEARKLR]

3x9x40

I always site in on 5 power and pretty much leave it there

[ICEMAN]

3 x 9 x 50 Leupold.

I like the extra light gathering qualities of a larger front objective. Plus, it looks cool....