Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints High power varmint scopes.

I have a Remington 700VSSF .220 Swift that will shoot 1/2 inch and less 150 yard groups with a Leupold 4.5-14x40 scope. The new Leupold VX-III 8.5-25x 50 scope is attracting my interest. Has anyone used an 8.5x25 scope and how do you like it for Varmint shooting? I am somewhat concerned that it may be too much power.

If you're getting those kind of results right now, it ain't broke. I wouldn't change a thing. Besides, once you get above a certain magnification, all you get is more mirage and more obvious wiggling. I'd leave it alone!
PJ

I have a 8-32 Burris on my 22-250 vls. Anything under 40 yards is blurry no matter what setting. But I also have a 6.5 20 Leupold LRT and 6.5x20 1 inch that when set on 8 power, 25 yards is still doable. Concerning the Leos at 20 power, I can see lead splats maybe 1.5 to 2 " at over 800. I don't know if I would go to the added expense of a 30mm LRT model for any 22 cal, would just send to Premier Reticles for a elevation turret upgrade for $40. I have seen 8.5x25 in one inch versions before and if I could, I would trade the 32 power Burris in a heartbeat.

Speaking of heartbeats and jiggling. It is still there whether you can see it or not. Personally I like to see it rather than, "Why did I miss, I was right on it."

Summed up, with a Leupold, I don't think 8.5 power is too much for varmints. ....Unless they are within throwing rocks range.

I've owned and used the 6.5-20X40 and played with a buddy's 8.5-25X. I really didn't find much use for the 20X. Even he thought the 25X was a bit much. Still, he kinda like watching the target that close. He did alot of shooting at 100 yds.
Ditto on the mirage. I found in the wide open spaces, anything much over 15-16x was not useful at times. E

I like the 6.5 X 20 and larger scopes for shooting prairie dogs from a portable table with sand bags. Can't use much more than 14 power for any off hand or field rest type shooting.

Select your scope based on the size of the target and the distance you will be shooting.

It is true that on a hot day mirrage is a problem at high magnification. But you can always turn it down, or better yet go to the shade and eat lunch.

Straight 12x Leupold turns my crank for small varmints. Enough magnification for the longest shot yet not too much that you can't get on target fast.

I stuck this 4x16 4200 elite on my 222 when I sent my fixed 10 power target model Leupold in for a freshen up. As much as I like high power scopes on most of my rifles, I think this one is a wee bit too top heavy.

The 30mm tube gives you more adjustment so you can really reach out there and touch something.

Conrad

If this is a bench gun for little critters, why not go for the magnification and, more importantly, the clarity of the bigger scope. Like my pa always says, "You can't hit 'em if you can't see 'em."

Ditto to that!

One thing folks forget about varminting is that it is done in the summer on the flat plains. I used to have a 6.5X20 Leupold on my .223 but the mirage got so bad past about 14 or 16 power that I finally said the heck with it and replaced it with a straight 12 power.

I agree, Jim in Idaho. More than 16x is a waste, and most of the scopes that tout higher "power" don't have the glass or coatings to make that power useful anyway.

Think of this: At 16x your perceived distance to a target @ 100 yards is 6.25 yards. At 400 yards it's 25 yards! If most of us saw a varmint at 25 Yards we could shoot it with an iron-sighted pistol!! 400+ yards is more than the realistic ranges of the guns we use. But even at 500 yds, perceived distance is only 31.25 yards.

Very hard to see a need for higher power hunting scopes......target practice perhaps???? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

31.25 yards??? I don't think so. I cannot remember the formula for sure but it is more complex than simply dividing 500 yards by 16 power. 16 power magnifies 16 times; however I do not believe it divides the range by the magnification. Lets hear from an expert on that.

According to mule deer, magnification effectively moves you closer using the following formula:

Effective distance = Real Distance / Magnification

So

Effective Distance = 500 yards / 25 power
Effective Distance = 20 yards

Conrad

I think Conrad CA is correct on the magnification formula.

I put a 6x-18x Bushnel on my .22-250 barrel, I love it, I can't imagine needing any more magnification than that. Have shot as close as 25 yards & out to 500 yards on our rifle range. In the field my longest shot so far was just over 4oo yards, resulting in another dead coyote. We don't have gophers this far north so most of my shots are for coyote between 100 & 400 yards. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />