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Topic Closedfriends opinion on scope power

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bkcorris View Drop Down
.416 Rigby
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aka The Cheesehead Savage

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Direct Link To This Post Topic: friends opinion on scope power
    Posted: 16 October 2003 at 18:00
A friend of mine owns and runs a little convenience store just down the highway from me. An aquaintance with too little time brings in a couple of rifles to get checked out for the upcoming season. One 30-06 has a rather loose front scope mount, he says if you think it might affect anything, go ahead and fix it. He also dropped another off to get a sling mounted on it. He also asked him his opinions on scopes and powers. He tried to use a friends rifle last year and it had a 4-12x scope on it, set on 12x. "Well it was all blury and I had to turn it down to see through it. Is this too much for 150 yards?" (more likely a cheap crappy scope or AO set wrong)
My friend laughs and says "that's too much for 300 yards. Hell, you only need a 4x, even 9x is too much. Your shooting at deer, not groundhogs"

Ok, some truth to that, I stated that the better you can see something the better you can shoot it, he blatently disagreed. Oh well. (his rifles also have see thru mounts, he he).

I personally think the higher power the better, unless your in heavy cover obviously. My thought is if your hunting up close, use iron sights, if your going to use a scope, use one that helps you place that shot well, even at 100 yards.
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Left BSB in Disgrace
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 October 2003 at 00:06

BK,

   Most cheapo scopes loose it at high power settings, and are better used at lower powers 7-8x on a 4-12x.  I've got a simmons's that does exactly that on my N.E.F. single shot.

   Overall if you have higher or even mid-level optic's that isn't nearly the case.  The question of how high magnification you need goes directly to it's use for me.  For quick aquisition scopes (fast fire), where your in close and you need to get on target fast a low power is best 1.5 to 7 or 8x.    I've had to look down the side of the barrel when all I can see if fur in a 6x-18x on a deer (borrowed rifle).  As for mid range shot's from 75 to 225yds a 3-9x is often preffered by folks.  However, it can be pretty hard to gauge which rack is best with a 3-9x from time to time.  Especially if they are out at 300 to 350 yds.  That's when a 4-12x, or in my case a 4-16x comes in real handy.  Not to mention I can see more because of quality optic's. 

  One last thing, the resolution that you can choose with your eye increases with the higher power.  This is fractional at 100yds, and is greatly dependant on shooter skill (sight/target alignment precision).  When you get out to 300 you can no longer resolve a .3" dot without some serious optic's  - i.e. if you can't find the center of a 30 cal bullet hole how can you verify your on center - you can't.  The scope line thickness of a 4x at 300yds will be larger than the 30 cal. hole.  (now the point)  -  the ability to connect exactly where you want it depends on how small of an area you can resolve on that target.  If you can't pick a spot smaller than an 1" with your scope, then you just added an inch to your group size.  Higher scope powers fix it easily.  - But like I said, I know skilled shooters that can handle it, however they are the exception, not the rule.

Spot 

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.416 Rigby
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aka The San Antonio Terminator

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 October 2003 at 05:40

About half my hunting is done with scopes. My scoped rifles have , respectively, a 1.5x5, two 3x, a 4x, and a 3x9. To me, the biggest advantage of a scope isn't the magnification, but placing all the elements on one focalplane.

I don't check out animals with riflescopes. That can get your ass booted off a hunt so fast it will make your head spin, where I hunt. That's what binoculars are for.

Personaly, I believe more rifles are "overscoped" than "underscoped".

"...A moral compass needs a butt end.Whatever direction France is pointing-towards collaboration with Nazis, accomodation with communists,...we can go the other way with a quiet conscience"-O'Rourke
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The_Mountaineer View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 October 2003 at 06:27

Gotta agree trigger,

Too many guys going into the woods back here with 3-9 X and get shots under 100 yards!  For them a 4 X fixed is about ideal IMO.  3-9X and higher are very common in the woods but I don't think you need them on big game for most shooting.  Now I've got two 6-20X scopes but they're for long range stuff , varmints as well as deer (I know I know, here we go again with long range again) but they do help me. 

Just my $0.02

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.416 Rigby
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 October 2003 at 09:29
Probably the best scope I have is a Soviet produced 3x on my Mosin Nagant pretend sniper. Yes, only a 3x, but clarity is outstanding. It is a "sporting" scope, made in the same factory (Hell, it's the same scope!) used since 1943 for sniping. It still beats mid-level commercial scopes produced today.
"...A moral compass needs a butt end.Whatever direction France is pointing-towards collaboration with Nazis, accomodation with communists,...we can go the other way with a quiet conscience"-O'Rourke
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