Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting How far can 6x take you?

Rick,
Inquiring minds want to know?

No doubt, the lighting is inadequate.

I would hope that your mind would have something more important on it


The only time I have a scope set to 6X is when I'm set up calling coyotes. At that magnification I have no problem shooting coyotes from the end of my muzzle to 200 yards. I killed this dog at 250 yards with the scope set on 8X. The rest wasn't the best; seated with sticks. I had also called him, so he was moving a lot and looking for me. 8 power was good in this situation. Target was pretty small for the 8 power as he was facing me looking for me.



I killed this one in the same position, seated with sticks, but at 565 yards. The dog was unaware of me, so I had time to crank the power to 20X and get as steady as possible.




When this question was posted, the real problem is the size of the target/power of the scope.

Sure a deer is a large target, but we're not just talking about hitting the animal. We're talking about hitting its vitals which are a smaller target, say 10". Like I've said, a lot of things depend on the choice of power. I like to have options.

6X is a .22LR plinker scope, close quarters varmint scope or a 100-200 stand hunter's deer scope.

10" targets are about 3 MOA at 300 yards. 6X will get you by. If I was shooting a deer at 300 yards and had the option, a solid rest and the time to increase my power setting from 6X to 20X, I would instantly. It will increase my ability to precisely place the shot.

If you want to really find out what works for you, simply shoot different sized targets at 100 yards and see how they look through your scope. I was shooting my buddy's AR the other day with a 1-6X set on 6X. The crosshairs completely cover a 1 MOA dot at 100 yards (1" bull). That isn't enough power for me. We shot 1 1/2" dots at 100 yesterday during our Tac Match. I will guarantee you that everyone had their scopes set to the highest magnification 20+X, even though we ran from our ammo to our rifles between each shot under time.

A 3" dot at 100 yards is about 3 MOA and 6X will do if that's all ya got.

I think it's a matter of what a shooter is used to as well. I practice a bunch at 300 yards with 6x scopes on targets a lot smaller than deer vitals. A 3 MOA target looks huge to me.

My brother shot this one @ a measured 600yds.

He has probably shot twice in the past decade.

6X42:

Here's what a 9"X 12" at 760 yards (1 1/2 MOA?) looks like on 6X

It's all relative. This is what an inch and a half dot would look like at 100 yards, a 6" target would look like at 400 yards, etc...

Not enough magnification for me to feel I could hit it more than miss it. With the crosshairs on it, it would be almost completely obscured.

What'd he kill with the other shot?

Dirt. He was really drunk and missed me.



Travis

Ahh. The infamous "dirt nap."

420 yard first shot coyote, using a 6x Leupold atop a .25-06 with a 115 Nosler Ballistic Tip. No problem:


Also have a 400 yard one-shot mule deer doe, same rifle, same 6x scope. No problem.

My son took a good bear with the old .30-06, 6x Leupold, 320 yards. No problem. Only a few days after smacking his targets at the range, 100, 200 & 300 yards.

Really, the 6x is an excellent general purpose hunting scope. I like it to about 400 yards or so, maybe a little farther.

Regards, Guy

A while back you asked me about shooting at 1" dots at 100 yards with a 6x scope. I did try it with a 6x Leupold with a fine duplex in it, but I used 3/4" dots. IIRC I hit nine out of ten shots, the miss just off the edge coming before I made a slight adjustment to the scope.

Actually that in no way represents the perspective of looking through a 6x scope. Through the scope pics never represent what the shooter sees through the scope. It strikes me as odd that someone who considers themselves a marksman, somehow believes that 6x is only good for 200 yards. When I hear things like that and if the person IS skilled at distance shooting, it's clear that their skill and knowledge is narrow even if it has depth. I hear it the most from LR Tac/sniper competitors. They may be good long range shooters (or may not be), but often they have very little experience outside of those matches using 15-20lb LR guns.


If one were to ask a skilled 3 gun competitor the same regarding 6x magnification, with shots ranging from muzzle to 450-500 yards, they'd tell you that 6x is plenty to hit the average target which is 8-12 inches.

S&B is by far the best scope that I have ever used, especialy in low light. They are also very reliable and the turrets are very precise.

All I know is, I have no trouble centering the crosshairs of a 6X on a 12" target at 550 and hitting it. And I'm not what you'd call a highly-skilled marksman.

The AR I was shooting belonged to a shooting buddy of mine who is one of the most heavily sponsored 3 Gun shooters in the country. He wanted me to shoot groups with it to test some different ammo. He says he's no good a shooting groups.

Shot them at 100 and at 430 at a 24" plate. The 24" plate seemed about right for the scope and rifle which shot about 2 MOA.

He laughed when I told him about the guys on this thread who think a 6x scope is great for long range shooting.

I don't recall saying 6x was great or best for long range shooting. My contention is it isn't nearly the restriction you think.

Since I so often fail at finding what I want with the "search" feature I will merely mention he didn't limit it to 200 yards with a 6X for deer. He suggested 6X would be about max for 400 yard deer.

The question wasn't whether a 6X was "great" or "the best". The question was, how far will one take you.

You know these threads wander hither and yon from the original question or statement. And it is a fact some here have posted, and others have defended them, about how great the 6X is for anything.

Mr. formy,


You've posted plenty on the site and tried to present yourself as a guy who really knows a lot about optics and long range shooting. I've yet to see any evidence.