Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles How much scope do you need on a hunting rifle

Just out of curiosity, how did the 4x scope cost you the shot? Do you mean you missed the shot or were unable to take the shot? As I said, I am simply curious. I can certainly understand how the low powered scope can be a handicap if one is trying to judge a head or count points but for aiming the rifle at 400 or less, I feel OK with them. GD

Waiting on a rifle to put this one on. Zeiss Conquest 4x.
Bob

Bob, the rifle is here in my hands. Let me know if that needs a good home!

Since we have antler restrictions and our bucks don't do much standing still.When one walks out time is limited to evaluate whether it is a shooter. I like a variable. 10 x is enough on the upper end for me to judge them as far as I'm likely to shoot. But I leave the scope on the lowest setting 99% of the time.

At least one with an objective lens the size of a lard bucket!

I've got everything from a 1.5X x 4.5X on a 9.3 x 57 to a 24X on a 219 Wasp.
I tend not to use more than 4X or 5X except on a bench rest.
Too much magnification just magnifies my shaky offhand.

I like the 4.5 x14 power scopes!

I put that scope on my wife's 6.5x55. She was upset that it wasn't a higher variable. I told her I would trade her, but try it first. Well that was 7 years ago and it is still on her rifle. She says I am not getting it.

Sharpsman - " At least one with an objective lens the size of a lard bucket!" Like it...that way you could count the rings of Saturn on a moonless night when one grows bored waiting in the stand.
Say one of those with a 56+mm objectives set at 24X. Homesteader

I just mounted one today on own of my own rifles. Weaver 3X.

When is Redfield, Vortex, Leupold or Burris going to make the scope that we all really need, instead of the scopes that they are saying we need?

99.5% of all shooting would be better served with a scope of 3-4X power. Fixed! The tube should be tempered spring steel and rugged/strong enough to use as a hammer without damage to the internals. It should be 30MM and have an objective lens of about 40MM.
The Reticle should be a tapered cross hair from the top and sides with a single line going down to 6:00, with cross hashes set at 4-MOA on it, going all the way down to the bottom.

That's it and that's all. Basic! A super clear, super rugged sight.
No gidgits and gismos. Something to aim with. A hunters sight!!!

Something that that is EASY to learn and use, and never fails.
No batteries. No BS. No huge price tag for a bunch of stuff that is really nothign but a load of gimmicks.

As with most consumer goods, market demand dictates what manufacturers design, make, and tweak to improve. If there was greater demand for low magnification fixed power scopes, more manufacturers would make them in more style and more volume. Until consumer buying habits change, the number and variety of fix power scopes below 4x is unlikely to change.

JO'C influenced my fandom of the Weaver K3, have a few in service, mostly on Marlin lever actions and Remington pump guns.

There is no universally correct answer. For myself, the answer depends on what I am hunting. More for prairie dogs, less for elk.

YEP.

Jerry

Not only what you're hunting, but also what you're hunting with. Love my 336Marlin re-bored to 38-55, but at nearly 65 my eyes are starting to question the peep I've been sighting with. A 4-12x would be silly on the short lever carbine, but then I've not seen many straight 2 3/4x lately.

eBay?

I've bought a couple of nice Redfield 2.5x and 2.75x scopes from other campfire members.

I don't own any Big Game rifles have the same trajectory at 600yds as a 22-250 or a 243 have at 500 so your comparison doesn't make sense .
I will ask this though,
Where do you hold the sights on deer at 600yds with your Big Game Rifle, even though it "looks" like it's only 150yds away?
If you're using a duplex reticle aren't you using a SWAG method for holdover?
Are you using a rangefinder to measure the 600yds? or SWAG ranging?
For my purposes, when shooting 600yds, I want holdover marks that I've proven at that distance or ability to dial for that distance.
It's not , How much scope? it's, How much precision?

A 10x top end is nice to have if we are truly talking hunting out to 600 yards. Really digging the NF 3-10x42 SHV. I stole it off my Kimber to try on my new 6.5 GAP, and I think I'll just buy another one for the Kimber.... It's pure gold on that 6.5 out to a lot further than 600 (at least on targets).

When shooting at those longer ranges, I find myself wanting more when I turn my scopes down to 6x to see what that's like. I much prefer 10x. For that matter, I like a 2.5 or 3x low end better than 6x as well.

It ain't sexy but a quality 3-10 variable will do a LOT.

Not sure I understand the point you are trying to make but for my 270 at 500 yds I'd expect drop about 5 ft Using 18"-20"as the average body profile of a deer from back to brisket you are holding right at. 3 deer high no matter how big he looks in the scope .A ground hog is about18" tall fwiw . To your point it isn't that precise and throw in shot angle , wind etc and it becomes even less precise. Same for ranging scopes as they are calibrated for a level shot and constant wind . That is why I am somewhat ethically opposed to shooting at big game animals at longer ranges. A gut shot ground hog with a 243 is still a dead groundhog in my experience . Unless you are shooting a 20 mm cannon not so much with a deer sized animal. That's why I basically sight in 2 " high at 100and shoot at hair out to 300 yds. A personal limit for me on big game..To be frank that's not been a problem for me where I hunt. Of course ymmv.

I was trying to point out that none of my big game cartridge with a 2-7 or 3-9 scope shoot at 600yds the same as a 3-9 on a 22-250 at 500yds for varmints.(your example)
Hit the ground hog or rock chuck around the fringes on the 2nd or 3rd shot with a guessed elevation/windage hold, no big deal, same end result.
600yds on Big Game,with a big game cartridge, on the first shot, using a 2-7 or a 3-9 duplex. Not me.
Shoot straight, I'm not trying to pick a fight

I'm a fan of 2-10x42 and 3-9x40-42 scopes for general hunting. That said I do have a couple 4-12x42's and a couple variables with 16 being the top power. Most of my scopes are 1 inch. Some of the 30mm scopes tend to on the heavier side.