Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles fixed power scope for shots from 50-500yds?

Big time!

Dober

Don't have to be offhand, or it can be. Finding a hole through is easier with more magnification. Wiggle issues is the person.

i had a 4x leupy on a tang ruger 270 for almost 30 years. for me, it did everything i needed, from alaska to florida. however, these days i prefer a 3x9x40. i can't fault a man who uses a fixed 4 or 6. they get the job done too.

Weavers K series in a 4x38 did a great job for me for many,many years!!

From 5ft to my longest kill to date a 550+ yards!


The Boy is running a 6x36 loopy this year!

For your stated conditions, 50-500 yards, a 6x scope would be best. I've had several 6x42's, but my next 6x will be a 6x36. They can do everything the 6x42 can do, and are a whole lot better looking on a sporter.
For my stated conditions, for ranges of 15 yards to 150 yards, in the swamp, a fixed 3x or 4x is best.

Yep, my advice exactly!

I've killed BG animals from about 20 yards to about 500 with a fixed 4X.I've used a fixed 4X for some antelope, a couple of elk, and mule deer at over 400 yards;one big mule deer at about 500.Have no idea how many at 200-300 yards.

I like a 6X but I must be handicapped somehow because I simply can't love the things in the brush, (notwithstanding the worthy opinions of others on here),because when I swing on anything running in heavy cover it just has too much magnification,and the brush blurs into this picket-fence menagerie that makes picking up running game difficult. Apparently others don't have this problem.

I worry more about that than I do about 500 yard shots,because close range chances(under 300 yards)are a lot more common than 500 yard opportunities,which are(for me) pretty infrequent.I think 500 yard shots "out west" are the delusion that drives the sale of a lot of big variable scopes.

If a guy likes to chase BIG mule deer, it's good to be prepared for anything, but I have found over the years that they love cover, are never real far from it,and you frequently have to go in after them. That's reality,and that's where a lot of my best bucks have been killed.Two of the better "big buck" specialists I know use 4X and 6X leupolds.

Besides,something the size of an elk, or even a large mule deer is just easy with a 4X to 400 yards.You have to try really hard not to see a 300-700 pound animal through a 4X...

I have a sneaky hunch that the 6X Leupolds that folks love so much on here may not be true 6X's,and I came to that theory when I started using a 4X Conquest,which to my eyes has as much magnification as my 6X Leupolds.,and slightly more field of view.

Last large whitetail I killed a couple years ago was on a mile long field I sat for 5-6 days;when he showed, he was running like hell and I killed him at 70 yards.The Leup variable was set on 4X;ditto a good mule deer at 300 yards(lazed next day),right at dark....again, set at 4X.

I don't know, but if forced to pick one I would just take the 4X; I have for the last 30 years and have never been denied a chance at a BG animal because I could not see it well enough.And on those rare occaisions that I was "forced" to take a 400-500 yard shot, the 4X had enough definition to get it done,while having enough field to handle the close urgent shot in heavy cover.

This is spot on! People should take notes on this. Hey, I hunt in Northern New England and most of my shots have been 100 yards or less. IMHO, there is a huge advantage in being able to see the gaps in the trees. Even though I drive 2x7 scopes, I always find myself at 6x most often.

this is what i meant about my earlier statement, i also dont believe you can just divide the distance by the magnification of you scope and get a true "visual distance" the difference between 2 and 4 power does not seem to be 50% to me...... please let me know if im full of sh#t, i honestly dont know

swampfoot: We all seem to "see" things differently...highly subjective topic.So you're not full of shidt at all.Best way to tell? Take them out and compare them for yourself,and use what YOU like best....and don't listen to us at all, other than to get a feel for what we think....

In the desert southwest, 400 yards is a "normal" range to see game. I like the 6 power scope better than the 4 for longer ranges, and have the Leupold FX3 6x42 on two rifles. There are other considerations in choosing between the 6x36 and 6x42: The 36 is FX2, 10 oz., 17.7 fov @100 yd, 4.3" eye relief. The 42 has the superior FX3 optics, 13.6 oz, 17.3" fov100, 4.4" eye relief. Only the 42 is available with the heavy duplex that I prefer for hunting.

longbarrel: Sure. I have a 6X on one 7 mag,and when I use a variable, it's frequently on 6X.Depends on where you are that determines the "best".You can tweak depending on your conditions.

There sure seems to be a lot of overlapping scope topics lately, especially centered around 6X vs variables, which brings out more points and views from other members, The preseason hunting bug is starting to bite, Good Stuff,I enjoy your savvy BobinNH

fixed 6x is popular here on the fire. in the hunting world i frequent (and read about) they are hard to find. i don't know how many gun shops and big box stores i have been in looking for a 6x. never once have i found one, always had to order them. perhaps it's different in your area.

Always had to order as well...but the prices are usually better.

I have four rifle with 6 power scope two with the Leupold 6x42, one with Leupold 6x36 and one with Nikon 6x42. I also have a Pentax 6 power but it isn't mounted on a rifle at present and carry it in my truck for a back up if someone damages their scope while we are on a trip hunting. I like the 6 power and it is all you really need for most hunting.

My 6x42 Kahles is fine for its intended use: 7.62x51 NATO shots on men at up to 600 yards.

The 4x Zeiss Hensoldt with BDC turrets works well out to 500 meters.

For big game, where you are trying to kill humanely, you shouldn't be making 500 yard shots, anyway, and it is fine to 300.

The problem after 300 is estimating holdover in inches, when you need to stay inside a 6 inch circle.

I would rather have a fixed 10x42 Mil-Dot scope like the Tasco Super Sniper (heavy), 10x Bushnell with target knobs, or the 8x or 6x30 military IOR Valdada with rangefinder and stadia.

I practice out to 500 yards with my leupold 6x36 lr but normally end up shooting my deer at 50-150 yds..by the numbers 6x is to 500 yards as open sights are to 83.3 Yards..

It is my scope of choice on my 25-06AI.

No, they can't. On really dark nights, they quit. 6X42 have never quit for me, even on nights so dark I couldn't see much over 15 feet.
The 6X36's don't come with finger tip adjustable knobs. The 6X42's do.
The 6X42's come with Diamond Coat Coatings. The 6X36's don't. E