Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles load testing using a high power scope

I would like to try to clarify what I was trying to say. Hunting and competition, or informal target shooting are entirely different things, and require different equipment.

When I want to test a particular load, or test a new bedding job, or even a new rifle, I use the most powerful scope I have available, and also the steadiest position, usually a tightly rolled up sleeping bag on a bench. I have never felt comfortable using sand bags, especially with a hard recoiling rifle.

When I do this, I am testing the loads and the rifle, not my shooting skills. If the loads or rifle will not group using a high magnification scope and a steady rest, then there is no point in trying to test the equipment from the standing position.

Then, when I know the capability of my loads and/or rifle, I use the scope best suited to the hunting conditions, and shoot from field positions. I suspect very little game is shot from a bench rest.

As far as a high magnification scope for load and rifle testing--the higher the magnification, the better you can see your aiming point, and the better you can aim consistantly, and for load testing, seeing your aiming point the same for each shot is what is important.

That is why bench resters use high magnification. Bench rest groups are measured in thousandths of an inch. A miscalculation in aiming of only a few thousands can be the difference in winning or losing. With a 24 or 36X scope, you can tell if you are off your aiming point by a few thousandths. You cannot do this with open sights and long yardage.

For load and rifle testing, this type of precision is not necessary, but if you are expecting 1.5 MOA from your equipment, then you need to be able to determine if you are consistantly within 1.5 inches of your aiming point, and higher magnification helps you to do this. You want to eliminate as much human error as possible.

Then, when you get to the target range or the game fields, you know what you can expect from your equipment, so then you work on eliminating the human error.

There is no point in entering a competition with equipment that is not capable of shooting a perfect score. Therefore, you test the equipment using the best means available, then work on your ability to shoot a perfect score.

There is also no point in shooting at a game animal at any distance, even 50 to 500 yards if the rifle is not capable of being accurate enough to hit the animal at the range you are shooting it.

So yes, I think there is a place for high magnification and a steady position when testing the capabilities of your equipment.

Even if you are going to hunt with open sights, there is nothing wrong with using a high magnification scope to test the loads and rifle at the ranges you expect to see an animal. If the rifle and loads are not capable of hitting what you are aiming at, regardless of sighting equipment, then you need better equipment.

Put another way, if your rifle is not capable of hitting a deer sized animal at 50 yards, even with a 10X scope, then using less power or even open sights is not going to improve your rifle's capability.

..... Using it at 100 yards it's no problem to shoot sub-half inch groups with a 6x scope and regular duplex reticle.

...BTW, Top, where are the other two shots in your "groups"?