Thread: 4x38 or 3-9x40 on 7.62x39 Bush Rifle?

Hi guys,

Setting up my Howa Mini 7.62x39. Mainly going to use for north island bush hunting on goats, deer, and pigs.

Have two scopes sitting around at the moment.
Weaver K4 4x38 Duplex Reticle
Zeiss Conquest MC 3-9x40 German #4 Reticle

The Weaver is significantly lighter, more compact and streamlined, but would 4x be enough? I've mainly been using 3-9x in the past, and sometimes a 4-16x. I suspect 4x is fine for hunting, but I've always used maximum power for sighting in with my variable power scopes, would 4x be sufficient for fine tuning the sighting in process at 100m
Low light performance is quite important too.

Any thoughts?

Both would be fine, you wouldn't be at a disadvantage with a fixed x4 power scope and zeroing will be fine. The Ziess obviously has better glass and will perform better in low light.

I’d go with your 4x38 as it’s lighter & more compact

I had a 1-4x20 scope on my .223 for bush hunting & it was awesome, mostly had it on 2.5 power.

I also have a .222 with a fixed 4x scope & still shoot animals out at 200 mtrs with it, no problem zeroing it in on paper.

3rd vote for the fixed 4 power....thats what I ended up with on mine...tried various 3x9s and the fixed 4 was just better in all aspects. its a 150 yard cartridge so you dont need huge zoom power.

Another vote for for the fixed 4.

Fixed 4. Personally I'd go for something with even less magnification like a 2.5 or 3X. Can easily shoot to to 3 or 400 with one.

Originally Posted by Seventenths

I’d go with your 4x38 as it’s lighter & more compact

I had a 1-4x20 scope on my .223 for bush hunting & it was awesome, mostly had it on 2.5 power.

I also have a .222 with a fixed 4x scope & still shoot animals out at 200 mtrs with it, no problem zeroing it in on paper.

I'm much the same, usually end up with scope set on 2.5 to 3x in the bush.
My 308 wore a 2.5x20 for 25 odd years, could still shoot 200m + easily.

Hunted for years with a 2.5 scope, ever a problem but not the best out on the open tops.

I’d stick with the compact 4X, it would be more than adequate for the cartridge you’re using.

(Although I personally prefer a 4x40mm for the increased field of view and light drawing advantage over a 4x20mm but then it’s bulkier and heavier )

Either one will kill stuff, the 3-9 will give you a slight advantage in FOV on 3x, My Mini Howa wears a 1.5-6x40mm. You can shoot very small groups with a 3x or 4x scope, as long as the glass is clear and sharp you should have no problem shooting as far as the cartridge will do it's job.





Optimal on a brush gun for me would be a 1-4x with a 90 foot FOV or even a 2-7 with a 40+ FOV. I like to have at least a 40 foot FOV on a close in shooting rifle and more is always better.

Weaver V-3 I put on the rifle for a hunt in the brushy forests of northern Wisconsin, it worked perfect.

I'm also in the less is more camp. My lever wears a 1-4x20 and has shot deer at 250mtr, and goats at 5 mtr.
Glass quality is more important than magnification for resolving bullet holes at 100 mtr sighting in.
I have been considering a move to a 2-8x35 ish scope. But probably won't change.
For bush shooting field of view is vital as is a coarse crisp recital ( Ie a 4A type) you need to find the retical quickly with your eye against a dark background and find your target.
. This is not an application for a target scope.
Z