New 223 and in need of scope

If you haven't bought yet my goto scope lately is a Nikon pro staff 5 3.5x14 40 mm. Seen them as low as $239 last year on sale. Average price about $269.00

The glass is brighter and crisper than my leupold mark 4's I paid four times as much for.
 
For years I thought bigger was better. I ran the most power I could on a scope. It was great shooting paper but once in the woods it was on the lowest setting and most of the time, that was 6. Even on 6 power when a critter comes in close, all you see is hair or just part of the animal. The last few years, I try to buy scopes with better glass and lower power. My deer rifle will soon be wearing a 3x9, my 223 has a 2-10, my 22-250 has a 4.5-14. I am slowly learning that bigger isn't always better.
 
I like to shoot small critters that are a long way off. I'm talking about a ground squirrel around the size of 6oz juice can to one about as big as a small can of mushrooms. When you hit one of those at 300 yards you feel like you did something. Hit one at 400 yards and you remember it all year. So I like variable glass with bit of power. 20X on the high side works well for me. I dont usually shoot with it that high, usually keep it around 12X, but if I am shooting at one out there a ways I will crank it up to max. There have been times when I wish I had more than 20X, a lot more even, but do I normally need it? I guess not.

My .25-06 has a 3-9X on it and that's fine. It's a deer rifle. But for those "outchonder" shots at itty bitty targets, give me a scope with some power please.
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodogAgree with you there Russ, on colony vermin more power is probably better.

That's about all I shoot, Bill. I had a 4.5-14X on my .17 Hornet and thought that was just about perfect. But....one of my .223 rifles that was not getting shot much had a fine 6.5-20X Leupold on it so I swapped scopes on the guns. Did it make a huge difference? No, not really. Was I able to more clearly hit and see distant targets? Yes it was. And when I hit a little whistlepig 300 yards away with that .17 Hornet I feel like I did something.
 
Back
Top