Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 2 Good Reasons For Higher (Variable) X Scopes

JWall: I am inclined to agree with you. I have shot with mostly 1-4.5x and 3-9X variable scopes, but I keep a 4-12X40 on at least one rifle for shots out past 100 yards at last light.

This year, I was trying out 2 new rifles and it just so happened I had the 3-9X Bushnell Elite on it. A "doe" came out at 150 yards with her backside to me, and started munching with her head down. I followed her with binos for a while before bringing up the rifle. I finally closed the deal at 165 yards.

What the 3-9X scope did not pick up were the spikes. Here is the result:


The good news is I finally got to enter the 24hour Dinkathon, and got an admirable mention for the "Monster Dink." However, this is my first spike, and I burned my one KY buck tag on him. Those willowy spikes were impossible to pick up against a background of broom sedge at 165 yards at 10 minutes after sundown.

I'm 56 years old and have bad eyes. Binos or not, it still helps having some magnification on the subject.

BTW: The binos I use in the blind are these:

msq. richdhunter, jwp, rost. etc.

Some things just have to be experienced to be understood.

Words, descriptions, & paragraphs can't make reality, a reality to others!

THANKS
Jerry

Shaman -

Understand!

That spike (doe) IS illegal in Ark.

Thanks for the visual.

I'd much rather go hunting with an iron sighted revolver and decent binoculars than a scoped rifle (no matter the scope) and no binos. Binoculars are for ID'ing and counting points, rifle scopes are for directing bullets. Period, end of story.

Anyone who can't transition from binos to rifle AFTER a decision has been made to shoot in a matter of seconds needs to spend more time on the range, off the bench from field positions, learning to run their rifle and less typing on the internet.

No one said they hunted without bino's, unless I missed it.

The OP sure never suggested it.

Seems like he did to me. He may carry them, but he absolutely stated he doesn't use them. He uses his rifle scope to ID legal deer.

I do not take his post to mean that he does not use bino's. I believe that he uses bino's just as I do, to locate a deer and then get into the scope ready to shoot if further observation deems a shooter. I believe he means he doesn't do final determination with the bino's. I hunt in my home area in a lot of cut overs and one better not be dicking with bino's after the deer is located. Hunting in different areas I have and often do the final detemination in bino's or spotting scope. He could have done a better job of explaining.

Maybe I am wrong, but I used my own experience to interpret intent.

Not directed at anyone specific, but spike vs doe, I"ve always been able to look at the head coloration and be suspect.
That and the hocks on the hind legs, they are just different doe to buck, even if the bucks are not tarry yet or have washed out.

I'm not saying its not possible to make a mistake but there are other things to look at when trying to make the decision at longer distances on male vs female.

Just an FYI. Look at the large picture sometimes helps. We can all get somewhat tunnel vision at times.

LOL, different areas. If I did that, I'd mount the gun 20-30 or even 40 plus times per hunt as bucks come in and go out of my area.
One morning I had 17 differetn bucks out trying to shoot a doe. Talk about a disaster.

But when we are talking decision made to shoot, rifle comes up.

So many different areas and ways to shoot deer, it gets crazy when discussing it.

I even disagree with fixed 6x as being perfect, for some of our scenarios at home, and some of my shots over 300 yards, it won't tell you enough difference sometimes if they are mixed in the bunch.

I make it work with use of binoculars and patience but as noted not everyone has the time or ability IE if you want a deer you have 5 seconds to ID, judge legality and shoot. Or you won't get anotehr chance.

I read often here of folks going days without seeing a deer sitting and waiting.

I'd be duck hunting instead by far. And if the ducks ain't flying I'd be at home working on projects.

For me, I'm still partial to the 3/4-12/14 X area for some reason even though they are a bit bulky...

Jeff

I do the same as you when I hunt in Texas, the deer here give you very little time and you do not see that many normally. They stay out of sight for a reason, once season starts.

In the 10 days hunting this fall, 4 point or better mule deer, I never saw a hunter with binoculars.

Gives you a warm fuzzy feeling when you think about what those other hunters used to ID you, don't it?

In Canada we can tell the difference between a human and a deer with the naked eye, nor do we need the requirement of blaze orange apparel.

Different strokes for different folks. I grew up hunting public land back east; at that time the deer density was low, the cover they could disappear into was virtually unlimited, and the feed was (still is) plentiful enough that they didn't need to leave cover for it. Getting an opportunity at a buck was a big deal, and putting one on the ground was an achievement. Still is, but the density has improved in lots of those places.

If I hunted an area where I saw 20-30 bucks every time out, I'd grow bored pretty quickly. That holds no excitement or sense of achievement for me. And yes, I've done it.

People tend to think that their way is the best way based upon their own experience and situation, whatever that might be. But, what may be the best technique for one area may not work in another. I would never want a house without a basement. But, I'd probably change my mind PDQ if I moved to someplace like New Orleans!

Listen, I'd be the first to admit I probably missed cues. On the other hand it was getting dark on an otherwise dark day. I might have held up, but this was my new rifle, my new scope, and dangit! I wanted some venison. Some days you feel like a nut and sometimes you don't.

The problem is if I've got astronomical binos and a $300 scope cranked down to 9X, I still have to be dang careful with my old eyes. I can't imagine trying to pick up a 1 inch point on a buck in those conditions.

Have you considered stepping up the quality of your bino selection?

What would you suggest? These are 25X70 astronomical binos. I use them on a tripod or hand-held during the year to scout for deer and turkey. Normally I can count points on a buck at 450 yards, but that's usually before sundown.

What I'd really like is my eyes rolled back to about 1975.