Poll: Range and magnification

I have only shot 8 coyotes since i started this year, And all but one have been shot on 4x anywhere form 50 to 278 yards, the coyote I shot at 300 yards i did dial the scope to 14x But i have shot a few at 150-178 on 4x, Most the time i don't think about it, I just use what it is on and shoot, and I always leave it on the lowest x while I am calling
 
Usual distance is under 200 yards.

3.5-15 scope, usually set on 4.5 to 5 depending on the terrain. I can always dial up for one hanging up on me but dialing down when they come in on the fly is double tough.
 
My scope is 4x12x40 and always set on 4 and most shots here run from 20 to 200 yards so not much is needed for power. Im thinking of changing to a 3x9 it has a wider field of view.
 
All my coyote guns have 3.5-10x40 CDS's.

They get left on 3.5 till I get one that hangs up, then dial accordingly...
 
I normally shoot coyotes at just under 100 to 300 + yards and I am using two 4.5 x 14 scopes and one 3 x 12 Redfield. Started keeping the scopes on 8x as this is the same as my binoculars. This helps me judge the distance better. I have just started using a range finder and that helped me get my first double yesterday off the same stand. 1st dog 106 yds second dog 226 but looked farther before I ranged it.

Last week I spotted a yote about 1/4 mile down a tree line dividing two fields. Waited about 20 minutes then started down the north side of the line. That stupid dog came out of the weeds no more than 20 feet in front of me! I had the scope on low power and when he tuned and looked at me we just starred at each other until I started slowly shouldering my rifle. He jumped back into the weeds behind a big downed limb with a lot of branches. I could not make him out in the scope on low power he was so close! He then headed off on the other side of the tree line and came out about 100 yds in front of me and stopped long enough for me to shoot him.

Another situation last week I had a dog that held up around 300 yds and I blew the shot because I left the scope on 8 power instead of cranking it up to 14 as I was using the bullet drop recticle and had aimed off the 300 bar. All I could say was Dumb A** ! when I realized what I had done.

I think my next scope purchase may be variable 8x or 10x with a B&C recticle depending on if I stay with 8x or move up to 10x binoculars.
 
Most of my rifle coyotes are shot between 150 to 200 yards. I feel confident inside 200 yards and I usually stop them and shoot. My shotgun coyotes are shot at an average of 25 yards. I leave my scope at the minimum power (2.5X currently) if I'm only carrying my rifle. When double carrying, I may leave my scope on 4X at times knowing I can shotgun the closer coyotes. I've missed far more opportunities with my rifle due to too narrow a FOV than I ever have because of a lack of magnification. YMMV
 
Originally Posted By: VarminterrorSome sets are short range (25-50yrds), some are long range (250-500yrds). Some I'm down on my miniumum power, some I'm at max power. I generally like my top end magnification somewhere in the 14-24x ballpark, which puts me 4-6x at minumum. If I'm hunting a set where I might be overlooking 300yrds all downhill, I might turn up to 20x while I wait since I'll likely see them coming in from a long ways off. If I'm watching 100yrds where they might get under me before I notice them, then I'll turn down to the 4-6x ballpark.

But, then again, I'm definitely one of the few people on here that prefers to use high magnification scopes. Sure, I CAN shoot out to 300-500yrds with nothing more than a 3-9x, but I definitely don't prefer to do so.


AMEN brother!!! I couldnt have said it better myself, mine are moslty on the 8x but i use 4-6x all the way up to 20-24x
 
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