Thread: Help on scope magnification range??

If you have a good cheek weld on your stock it will make 2 tenths of stuff all.

At that range its non existent, parallax is really only an issue up close and at high magnification.

guys still manage to shoot deer at 500yards with a 4 power.....
3x9 has been great seller for years as it is good in the bush and high end is enough for most usage....eg I can shoot wallabies out to 300yards without feeling need for more than 9x.

10 power is more than adequate out to 500 and quite a bit beyond in some conditions. Its not the power thats important, its the quality of the lenses. I have shot for years with a 3x scope on my 22.250, shots to 400. My other scopes very rarely get wound up any higher than 3x, at a recent gong shoot I was hitting the 600 gong and only realised 2 hours later that I had left the scope on 3x. Had an 11 year hitting the 300 gong with my 222 and a 2.5 Weaver on it, and not just the occasional shot - every shot.
You are on the right track buying good glass, the best you can afford and you will find that 500 is easily attainable with 10x

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

guys still manage to shoot deer at 500yards with a 4 power.....
3x9 has been great seller for years as it is good in the bush and high end is enough for most usage....eg I can shoot wallabies out to 300yards without feeling need for more than 9x.

Yeah. Guys still manage to shoot deer with a 223 as well, but the general consensus is that there are better choices.

Don't forget Sightron scopes. You get a lot of bang for your buck, the glass clarity is right up there with the best.
I've a big sky going on my new rife and sat along side my Swarovski scope it is identical imo.
From what I have heard as well there after sales and warranty service is very good.

Just off topic a bit I have heard that lenses are made in only two places.
What I can't remember is if this was for all scopes?
Dose anybody here know and can reference this.
Cheers
Good luck with your scope hunting

Originally Posted by Shearer

Yeah. Guys still manage to shoot deer with a 223 as well, but the general consensus is that there are better choices.

so when I shoot deer with my .223 with my scope set on 3 power Im doing it all wrong???????????????????????
my point was you dont NEED high magnification to shoot animals,its easier to do it with better glass to be sure its easier to aim smaller with higher power.

This is a interesting thread. Is very interesting that everyone says that you don't need magnification for this long range shooting and yet no one will put any less than a 4x power scope on a 22lr that get used for the most part at less than 50m!! Adding to this is no one seems to complain about target acquisition with these 4x power scopes so how is everyone having so much trouble with larger game?

Just to add my 2cents, I prefer slightly higher magnification like 4-16 or better yet 3-18 will be far better for long range shooting than a 9 or 10 power scope. If you've ever seen a deer at 500m through a 9x power scope I think you'll agree it's a pretty small target at that distance!!

It's also a lot different when you are talking about a sniper aka someone who is trying to shoot a person @ 500m and a person who is trying to shoot a deer and kill it humanely. Snipers don't shot to kill necessary, it's much better to just wound someone so it takes two people out of the fight. Also field of view in a combat situation is waaaaay more important since you can DIE if you don't see targets!!!!! No so important for hunting since most use binos for target acquisition as the common rifleman in the military does not.

Again just my 2c.

Actually missed out the main reason military like lower mag...Tracking, maintaining sight and taking shots at a moving target, something a humane hunter will almost never have to do. Guess that makes it my 4cents huh

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

so when I shoot deer with my .223 with my scope set on 3 power Im doing it all wrong???????????????????????
my point was you dont NEED high magnification to shoot animals,its easier to do it with better glass to be sure its easier to aim smaller with higher power.

Of course you can shoot a deer with a 223 and 3x scope. You don't even NEED a scope for that matter. The OP was trying to decide between a good quality 2-10x or 3-15x. I don't think he needs to be told he can do it with a 4x.

Originally Posted by stug

My next scope for a similar rifle will be a Swarovski 3-10x42 with the BRH reticle.

its a very good scope

Originally Posted by stug

My next scope for a similar rifle will be a Swarovski 3-10x42 with the BRH reticle.

Iv always been a bit of a swarovski fan,have a couple of their offerings but the Z3 line has fallen behind. The 3-10 z3 is a true 3.3 on the low end with average FOV and less than impressive adjustments/range. Latter model genuine 5 x scopes in the 2-10 range VX 5, vortex Razor HD LH and the zeiss HD 5 give up nothing in glass quality and are better specd imo.

Like most things though the real world differences wont be huge .

Originally Posted by suthy

This is a interesting thread. Is very interesting that everyone says that you don't need magnification for this long range shooting and yet no one will put any less than a 4x power scope on a 22lr that get used for the most part at less than 50m!! Adding to this is no one seems to complain about target acquisition with these 4x power scopes so how is everyone having so much trouble with larger game?

Just to add my 2cents, I prefer slightly higher magnification like 4-16 or better yet 3-18 will be far better for long range shooting than a 9 or 10 power scope. If you've ever seen a deer at 500m through a 9x power scope I think you'll agree it's a pretty small target at that distance!!

It's also a lot different when you are talking about a sniper aka someone who is trying to shoot a person @ 500m and a person who is trying to shoot a deer and kill it humanely. Snipers don't shot to kill necessary, it's much better to just wound someone so it takes two people out of the fight. Also field of view in a combat situation is waaaaay more important since you can DIE if you don't see targets!!!!! No so important for hunting since most use binos for target acquisition as the common rifleman in the military does not.

Again just my 2c.

I think your wrong re the deer at 500m on 9 power, I recently shot a stag at 600y on 10 power (3-10 nightforce shv) with no problems what so ever, the deer wasn't that small, certinally not small enough to cock the shot up, I've had a 2.5-25 March scope and the simple fact is if your not pushing past 600 you don't actually need the extra magnification....... Yep it's nice to be able to zoom right in, you can even use them to assess your trophy.... But deff not essential.
Before I bought the nightforce I nearly went with zeiss hd5 3-15.:..... I'm glad I went with nightforce


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Originally Posted by Smiddy

I think your wrong re the deer at 500m on 9 power, I recently shot a stag at 600y on 10 power (3-10 nightforce shv) with no problems what so ever, the deer wasn't that small, certinally not small enough to cock the shot up, I've had a 2.5-25 March scope and the simple fact is if your not pushing past 600 you don't actually need the extra magnification....... Yep it's nice to be able to zoom right in, you can even use them to assess your trophy.... But deff not essential.
Before I bought the nightforce I nearly went with zeiss hd5 3-15.:..... I'm glad I went with nightforce


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Just curious.
If you had been using a 4-12x scope when you shot the deer at 600m do you think you would have wound it up to 12x or left it on 10x?
I know when I had a 4.5-14x on my 300wm I only ever used it on 4.5x or 14x. I don't think I ever took a shot with it on any other setting.Pretty much the same as my 3-9x on my bush pig. I carry it on 3x and if I have time (and the range warrants it) I crank it up to 9x for the shot.

Originally Posted by Shearer

Just curious.
If you had been using a 4-12x scope when you shot the deer at 600m do you think you would have wound it up to 12x or left it on 10x?

Would have wound it to 12...... But only because it was there, just like I would have wound it higher if it went higher than 12..... Just because it was there....... Doesn't mean you actually need it


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