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Joined: Nov 2003
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JMR40,

How many scopes have you checked to verify the opinion ALL scopes change impact with magnification change?


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I sight in at highest, check at the lowest to see if it's the same. Shoot out of stand at highest power. If walking, I keep scope in low power.

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Front Focal plane scopes i use don't change point of impact when changing power. Second focal plane scopes is a crap shoot. Some work fine, others not so much.

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with a SFP scope, if you are looking down the optical center of the scope, were the cross hairs meet or other system used, the POA and POI do not change by increasing or decreasing the power

if the SFP scope is held such as the parallax is off the optical axis, such as a ballistic hold over reticles, the hold over will move below the POI which raises the point of impact.

long range shots require more set up time, if you get it---- take it and increase the power setting

decreased FOV may make a follow up shot more difficult.


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I keep mine on the lowest power it has and if the deer is giving me time I turn it all the way up for ranges over 200 yards. I usually have 2-7x or 3-9 or 10s. I rarely use the in-between powers.

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Prefer to leave mine on lowest power. Took a nice Black Bear at ~25' set at 2X, Wolf at 337YDS (LRF afterwords) on 4X. A decent Bou at ~300YDS at about 5X later that day. I like to always have the option of turning them up though:) On a GP hunting rifle... 3-10SWARO for me, when I can afford them.

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I run all my scopes on max power most all the time. As far as shifting POI on different powers I tested our Leupold LRT 20 and 25 power scopes years ago and they didn't shift at all. Currently the only scopes I turn down at all are 42 and 50 power. 32 power and down live on max. I raised my son the same way. We combat shoot ground squirrels where once we spot one it's fast and furious from 20 yards out to 500. Even when going on foot to check the cause of death the scope is on max. To follow up on big game in tight brush my son turns his copes down to 10 power or so. I personally don't get far from the roads myself anymore unless it's a flat pasture or prairie ground.

We run 20 power EFR Leupolds on our 17 HMR's. Nothing worse than letting a guest shoot one of our rifles and the first thing they do is dial the scope down to help them find the critters. Then we get it back and can't hardly make anything out due to low power. Since we got the March 50 power scopes I find myself constantly trying to turn everything else up. I'm so ruined now I can't hardly use a 20 power anymore. I feel like it's like some kind of cruel eye test trying to shoot anything especially paper on only 20 power. With 50 power I can slice up blue ball point pen lines at 100 yards. This is exaggerating now but I'm starting to feel that with anything 12 power or less a shotgun bead gives me about the same level of precision.


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Hey thx for the info fellas!

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I find there is usually a lot more time to power up the magnification than the reverse.

If you need to power down, you are likely unprepared to be surprised.


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The longest shot I ever made was on 3X. I thought I was on 9...

Saw snow kick up on the hillside below the cow carIbou''s belly and adjusted 2nd shot accordingly. .25-06, 120 gr. handloads hitting 5.5 inches high at 100.

Successful shot was through both shoulder blades, holding just above her upright ears, standing broadside, head cocked, looking at me. A bit of wind drift involved...

In heavy cover, lowest power. Up on the tundra or above timberline, 10X, or 7X depending on which scoped rifle I am using. I have two 6X fixed powers, which covers the lot.


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I use a lot of scopes with subtension reticles, mil-dots, the TMR, MOA hash-marks and rest of the time Duplex reticles of well known spacing. They get used for holdover, wind- holds,range estimation and next shot sight corrections.

Here's the thing. Inevitably all of these reticles are calibrated at the highest power level, so if any or all of those functions are going to be in play it is a natural progression that the scope is dialed to the maximum magnification. Basically that is everything beyond point-blank. While I may carry a rifle around with the magnification at the lowest setting it is a rare occasion when I don't crank it up to max for the shot. Besides, if you were wondering if POI shifted with magnification, it is now shifted into the who cares category.

Another thing is if you are accustomed to years of peering through 20-25 X scopes a 10-15 power hunting optic already feels like half throttle.


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Originally Posted by Model70Guy
I use a lot of scopes with subtension reticles, mil-dots, the TMR, MOA hash-marks and rest of the time Duplex reticles of well known spacing. They get used for holdover, wind- holds,range estimation and next shot sight corrections.

Here's the thing. Inevitably all of these reticles are calibrated at the highest power level, so if any or all of those functions are going to be in play it is a natural progression that the scope is dialed to the maximum magnification. Basically that is everything beyond point-blank. While I may carry a rifle around with the magnification at the lowest setting it is a rare occasion when I don't crank it up to max for the shot. Besides, if you were wondering if POI shifted with magnification, it is now shifted into the who cares category.

Another thing is if you are accustomed to years of peering through 20-25 X scopes a 10-15 power hunting optic already feels like half throttle.


Heavy mirage or poor atmospheric conditions make max power nearly useless when talking 20x and up. FFP solves all the problems you mention, and yes, POI shift is still a problem on some SFP scopes, though not nearly as prevalent as it used to be.

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And yet my scopes still seldom leave the highest power. I figure that if that pesky mirage is going to move the target around I might as well know about it. smile That and its a wind-gauge.

Then again this is the long-range hunting forum, and mornings, evenings and cool weather do tend to follow the rifle seasons.


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Like most experienced hunters I've been surprised up close more often than at longer ranges so I try to keep magnification low while moving or in heavy cover. The Z600 & 800 reticles on my hunting scopes require maximum magnification to be properly calibrated so longer than 350 yards I'm at maximum magnification either 9 or 15. Sitting on a side hill watching I'm inclined to use 5-6 power for easier identification of legal or not.

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I keep mine on the lowest setting when just holding the rifle sitting or walking and hunting. If an animal is far away I have time to turn the ring if needed. Up close I don't want to have to do anything but flip the safety off. When they are close you don't have time for fiddling with your gear and you don't want to just see a whole scope full of brown. In open country I might handle it differently.

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You always have time to dial up, never enough time to dial down.

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All my scopes are SFP. I prefer them because I don't like the tiny reticle on FFP scopes when on low power. The funny thing is substension value for windage doesn't matter unless you are dialing! I shake my head every time I read that...

For example. If you shoot and miss your target, and notice your bullet hits three hash marks right, then hold three hash marks left the next shot. It doesn't matter the value.

If you shoot and hit three hash marks right, and now you want to dial in the correction, then you need to know the value. So, you either need to be on high power, or you have to know the values on different powers which isn't that hard to figure out. Sightron for example gives you a chart which tells you values on different powers.

SFP scopes also allow a greater range of holdover points. Simply turning your scope down increases available minutes on your reticle. Both SFP and FFP have their merits and drawbacks. They key is to spend a lot of time using it so you understand it.

Last edited by dogcatcher223; 07/18/17.
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Originally Posted by dogcatcher223
The funny thing is substension value for windage doesn't matter unless you are dialing! I shake my head every time I read that...


Just the opposite. In order to make first-round hits, you need to know the angular value of wind correction that you're holding. If your DOPE and wind call say that you need 1 mil of wind correction, guessing and then correcting for the miss isn't "best practice".

Originally Posted by dogcatcher223
For example. If you shoot and miss your target, and notice your bullet hits three hash marks right, then hold three hash marks left the next shot. It doesn't matter the value.


Again, having value-less hash marks is not the best practice. What happens if you're working with a partner/spotter? The angular language needs to be standardized in order to maximize effectiveness.

Originally Posted by dogcatcher223
If you shoot and hit three hash marks right, and now you want to dial in the correction, then you need to know the value.


If you're dialing wind in the first place, then your dialed correction is independent of your reticle. But to correct for a miss, the reticle's subtension values, once again,should be a consistent value.

Originally Posted by dogcatcher223
So, you either need to be on high power, or you have to know the values on different powers which isn't that hard to figure out. Sightron for example gives you a chart which tells you values on different powers.

SFP scopes also allow a greater range of holdover points. Simply turning your scope down increases available minutes on your reticle.


It isn't hard to figure out, but it does add complication to your system, and increases your chances of having a mixup or making a mistake. Effective, simple tools make for success in high-pressure situations.

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I dont try and adjust for wind on my first shot unless I'm convinced its steady and from a known direction. Wind always changes direction in the mountains where I shoot. Making a first round hit on a windy day is as much luck as skill. What the wind is doing at the firing line is never the same as 1000 yds. I also seldom shoot with a partner but my guns are heavy enough and of small enough caliber that I can spot hits.

And like I said, you always know substention value if you keep it with your drop chart. So shoot it on whatever power you want, just reference it before you dial...

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I use first focal plane scopes for varmints.

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