To much scope

3

3dogs

New member
At what point do you fellows feel that your magnification of your scope is causing you to shoot at air? Or is there no such thing.
Thanks
 
It depends on what you are shooting at. I used to have an old 10x Unertel on my 222 that was great for groundhogs in the soybean fields but when I started chasing coyotes it wasn't versatile enough. I then installed a Weaver 4x14 on it but that is too big and clumsy. A good 3x9, 2x10 or such is very handy for my style of dog hunting. Keeping the setting at 3 or 4x on most stands and if there is a need for more power then there is usually enough time to crank it up.
 
depends on what you're shooting at & with what. If you are PD hunting for instance, to much power will lead to a mirage problem when the sun get high. If you're hunting buffalo in the african bush 2x might be to much. But if you're trying to pick flies of a pumpkin at 1000 yds, you'll need lots
 
I use variables in the 3x9 to 4x12 range. I generally hunt coyotes with my rifles. I generally leave the scope set on 5x or 6x for shots out to 350 yds. Most shots are much shorter. A lot of guys leave their scopes turned up to much and are fumbling around trying to find the critter in the scope. I hunted with a guy one time who could never kill a coyote because come to find out that he had his scope on 12X!! Choose your scope for what purpose you are going to use the rifle.
 
That's more of a problem with powerful fixed power scopes.

With the good variables made these days that are sharp and clear, it shouldn't be much of a problem.

But with some of my older fixed power scopes it is on Varmints.

I have 3 rifles with fixed power scopes, 2 w/16X and 1 w/25X. When shooting out on a "sea of green" (grass) without any landmarks, like gopher mounds or some dead straw patches etc. it can be near next to impossible to get on a critter, especially if it's moving, while "hunting" by moving the scope all over the place looking for some reference mark.

Variables avoid this by finding the target at a lower mag then zooming in on them while keeping the rifle steady.

It's nice to see the small critters large enough to put the crosshairs right where you want them, but the downside is not having enough field of view.

So yes, you can have too much manification!
 
OK , Here goes..I use 6.5x20x44's for most of my Hunting, I like TO SEE Stuff, Huge P-Dog's, gives me more confidence..Could be getting older, too! 56..Just BE READY to Crank' er Down, Quick, for incoming Fur Ball's AKA Mr. Coyotee.. Let the thrashing Begin..Coyote Wolf 27/ Soon to be in AZ..
 
My opinion is the better you can see the better you can shoot. I feel that the area in which you hunt plays a large factor in scope selection. Another opionion is how many scopes you can afford. I do lots of dual purpose shooting as in PD's and yotes all over the country. For this I use no less than a 4.5-14x50 and generally a 6.5-20x50 Leupold. I can always crank the power down if need be. However, can see everything very well to make long shots. If you have close range shooting a 3x9 may be just the ticket for you or an Aimpoint.
 

There are more critical aspects in choosing a scope than magnification per se. Resolution of image and clarity are proportionate to the lense coatings and quality of glass. Both are far more important when using scopes in the field, in my experience.

Too, magnification needs to be realistic in terms of the distance of shots considered and the game or varmints being shot. IOW, even with a high velocity centerfire 22, there is a practical limit to the range where shots can be consistent and humane. Moderate magnification with high resolution and clarity gives good field of view and adequate image for the target.

I use a 12X fixed Leupold on a 40X in 220 Swift for the long shots on praire dogs with no problems and very few misses. Relative to my buddies using higher magnification there seems to be no advantage to the higher powers in our experience. They have been using 6.5X20s on 22-250s. Most of them keep their scopes in the 10X to 12X power range on the hotter days when mirage washes the image at higher settings.
 
I have been into serious rifle shooting for over 40 years in all kinds of competitions and hunting.

My choice of scope power over those years has consistently gone down. I am sure that if I had used the scope powers I am using now, 40 years ago, I would have done better.

Just my experience and you should use what you like best. But do use what you can use best, do not be influenced by big numbers trying to impress somebody.

Jack
 
Jack,
40 years ago there weren't any scopes available in the magnification range we have today.

I'd rather have a 6.5-20x leupold and be able to turn it down or up than be stuck with a straight 10x or 12x scope.
 
IMHO, for big game hunting a 3X9 is fine. But yotes are not big game. Its nice to crank up the power a little on longer shots when shooting at smaller targets. I used a 6X24 for a while and found that 16X was as high as I could use. I never had problems finding a yote in the scope, at any range, with the scope on 6X. Now I've got 4X12's on the 22-250 and the 243 and leave them at 10X most of the time. I should add that most of the country I hunt is open. Most of my shooting is between 100 and 200 yards.
 
Everyone was telling me 3x9 was great for deer hunting. I got one and used it for a long time until one day I decided to put a 6-24x40 on my 30-06 Sako to punch paper with. Oh man, I found out that season it was awesome for deer hunting. I was able to reliably nail a deer out to 300 yards with pin point accuracy hit into vital zone while other hunters with 3x9 was spending a lot of time tracking gut shot deer. It did not take but couple of seasons later half of the guys on the deer lease were also armed with 6-24x40 scopes. That was about 14 years ago.

Howard
 
I've watched a buddy trying to track running jackrabbits in heavy brush at about 50 yards, through a 24x fixed scope. He spends a lot of time looking and looking and not much shooting. But, he loves that big "24" number. Finally talked him into swapping a 6 by 18x variable he has onto that rifle.

I tend to agree with Jack Roberts, I like field of view mostly, at least for big game in close cover and 'yotes. For dual use on littler varmints like chucks or prairie dogs, it's nice to have the high end. There are at least two or three scope makers that have 2.5x10X scopes out, that should cover about all bases. I think they are Burris, Weaver, and maybe Bushnell, but not sure. I think someone makes a 3x12 which would be dandy too. My little Model 7 .243 wears a 2x7 which is fine for 'yotes, but a bit weak for the occasional prairie dog or distant rockchuck if the range goes beyond 300. But, 300 yards is pretty dang fur.
 
Quote:
I was able to reliably nail a deer out to 300 yards with pin point accuracy hit into vital zone while other hunters with 3x9 was spending a lot of time tracking gut shot deer.



that's not the scope making them gut shoot anything... it's their lack of shooting ability, or taking high risk shots... bring your high powered scopes back east here in the thick deer woods and see how they work on a fast moving whitetail... you'll be lucky to see 300 yards much less shoot at anything...
 
I really like a 4-12 variable power for my yote hunting. I am going ground squirrel/ ground hog hutning this weekend and we will see if my 4-12 x 40 is going to be enough.

I myself like a field of view when hunting. Really high powered scopes are great for paper punching, but I at least would be setting myself up for failure if I have a 6-24X or something and kept it on a high setting all of the time. I plan on getting a 22-250 in the future and will probably top that wit a 6-18X but no more than that.
 
I used to shoot a fixed 10x on a .22-250, found that beyond 400 yards it was hard to see prairie dogs against golden grass unless they stood up or moved around a little. Now 400 yards is a long long way even for a .22-250. Having said that, I once managed to nail a very unlucky p-rat with that combination at a lasered 588 yards. I could barely see the thing. But, if it was a fat dark rockchuck sitting on a light colored rock, 10x would be OK out to 400. I currently shoot a 16x and if there's no bad mirage I can see p-rats clearly out to 800 or so. While it's nice to see a critter like it's a close-up on a tv nature show, I don't think that's absolutely necessary to do good shooting, at least in the varminting world, since perfect bullet placement in the heart-lung area is not a requirement with the usual cartridges.

A good steady rested position, accurate ranging, and good wind doping is going to make about 100 times more difference than whether you're looking through 9x or 16x.
 
I think what everyone is trying to say is find what you are comfortable with and what works best in your area. Up here there are some times I wish I had open sights in the thick forest, ther times I wish I had a 9 power for the alpine meadows or clearcuts where shots stretch out to 300 yds for deer. With this info I choose a 3-9 or 3.5-10. If your planning on p-dogs out to 400 or 500 yds. a higher power might be needed. the obj size is another comfort the bigger the scope obj the jigher it sets off of the bore but it gives you more light to your eye. It's kind of trial and error but with basic rules. not one scope configuration will meet all needs. I more than noot choose the 3-9x40 scopes because they tend to be the most versitile. do some reading on the web and make an informed decision, it's a lot of money and the more you know the better you can determine what you need. Good luck with the glass quest.
 
Now don't everybody laugh.. Several years ago,or maybe more, I bought a Tasco Mag IV 3-12X scope that was Made in Japan.. I put that thing on one of my .270's and that scope held zero, adjustments were repeatable and precise, scope was very bright and the top end was plenty good for shooting varmints out to 300+ yards.. I liked the scope so much, that I bought eight more and put them on all of my hunting rifles.. Maybe I was just lucky, but they are all performing fine for me, and I like the 3-12X power range.. From what I hear, the Made in China Tasco's are a bunch of junk, but the one's I have are great..

Just my $.02 worth.

Dave
 


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