Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Shooting at max scope power?

Hey fellas, for those that are shooting using variable power scopes; do you find yourself shooting at max power when shooting at game or do you dial down in power?

And if you dial down, how many power down?

Debating on having more on hand and not need versus less on hand but needing more.

Thoughts?

I usually carry my scoped rifle set on 4X in open country, any time I get to brush or into a lot of trees I turn it down to the lowest setting.
When setting on stands I turn it up to about 6X. But spend most of my time looking thru my binoculars, which are 10X. I have shot
about half the deer I,ve taken with a variable on the lowest setting. Usually 2.5X. Most Elk I,ve taken were at 4X or higher. Last winters
Elk was at about 200 yards standing in the rain and fog, early in the morning. I tried several settings from 4X to 7X. Finally made out the
one with horns on 5X. First shot hit with my 270 Winchester and 150gr Nosler Partitions at about 3000fps. Bullet penetrated both shoulders
and keep on going. Bull went about 75 yards later. Any way I move my power ring more than anyone I hunt with. I have 3 Nikon Monarchs
with 2X10X40 and 2.5X10X40.

Thx GT50!

Myself, I tend to have power ring set at half power on my optics up to 10x.

But sitting on a ridge or hill glassing, then I am powered up.

WDEA,

I use a 4 1/2-30X50. ALL the time when I am hunting it is set on 4 1/2X. I usually find game with the binoculars but occasionally I find them while walking to a place where I plan to glass. Some time I find something and want to take a closer look. A couple years ago I was hunting Washington in a three point or better area. They define three point or better as a fork with an eye guard or a main beam with two points on it. I found a buck with the binoculars way out on the flat. I could not tell it had three points on one side until the scope was clear up to 25X. On two other occasions I needed to turn up the scope. One I discovered it was legal on 10X and another I discovered it was a shooter on 12X. In both cases I fired with no further a due. If shooting squeaks it would be on 20X.

Almost all the time at the range it is set on 20X; even when shooting off hand. If I want to take a look at bullet holes way out there or show off I turn it up to 30X. When it is on 30X I could read the words "Post Reply" at the bottom of this page if they were 100 yards away.

WDEA, as you can see, answers will vary depending upon where you're hunting and the terrain. Like Ringman, I use my binoculars to find game. Once one is found, I can use the scope to check out the animal. If stand hunting here in Texas, I'll usually leave it on the highest magnification. If I'm walking or in heavier brush/timber, I have it dialed to the lowest setting.

Since this is the long range forum, I'm going out on a limb and saying, when you're moving and something might present a quick shot up close, keep it turned down to the lowest magnification. And if you need to take a "long range" shot using turrets or the reticle, crank it up. As long as we're not talking Hubble telescope magnification.

And if I'm stationary and get a shot at an undisturbed animal at moderate range, I'll crank it up too. I don't hunt with many scopes over 10X though.

LIke most guys who hunt varied terrain, I keep my scopes turned down in the trees and other places where a quick shot is a possibility. When sitting on a ridge or rimrock glassing, my rifle is usually sitting ready on the bipod and the scope is turned up to max. I can see fine details I may or may not see in my binos and make the shot much easier with the highest settings. Usually, though, if you are in that type of situation you have plenty of time to adjust your power ring after spotting game because it is usually far enough away to not be spooked easily. Those are the times I wish I had my Leupold 6.5 x 20 on all my rifles......

Bob

On most of my scopes I keep set at the highest power.. sometimes I turn them down for some reason, but always turn them back up.

Pretty much all spot and stalk hunting. Dial them up to max and that's where they live. Might pull them down if/when hiking through stretches of dark timber.

When considering big game, if I'm using a variable riflescope (an increasingly uncommon scenario for me) I keep the magnification set on 3-4X. It would take an unusual scenario to require more magnification for a big game animal IME, so the dial rarely moves while in the field.

I always keep my scope on the lowest setting(3.5). However, I always turn it to the highest setting, regardless of distance, before I shoot(10).

Unless I'm hunting in dark timber, I normally keep my scopes at or near their highest power setting on my 2-7x33's. On my 300 win mag (mostly used for long range), I normally keep it at its highest setting, which is 9X. I recently replaced one of my rifle scopes with SWFA SS 10X scope (7mm-08) which I have grown to really like (especially the MOA reticles). I will soon be moving it to my 300 Win Mag and replacing with an SWFA SS 6X. Both rifles are normally kept at max power and I like the simplicity of fixed power scopes on hunting rifles. Some will say that a fixed power 10X scope is not the best for hunting but my old 66 year old eyes appreciates the magnification.

Thx fellas, just sampling for info.

At the local gunshop there was some lively discussion albeit with some hocus pocus tossed in as well.

Please continue....

Most of my big game hunting is done with a rifle using a 3-12X scope. The scope usually stays on 3X until I see game then I decide what to turn it to. I'd estimate that 95% of everything I've ever shot has been at 12X, the other 5% at 3X since they were moving. I can't recall ever shooting anything at any power in between, it's either been at max power on undisturbed game, or min power for a quick shot. It does stay at 3X unti it's needed though.

I have mainly 3-9x scopes and similar. As a default setting when hunting they're set to 6x. When stalking thick scrub I'll turn them right down and for long shots I may (or may not) wind them up to full power.

You can make quite long shots on 6x.

I think I must be of a very small minority here on the Fire. I love variables, and I shoot them all through their power ranges.

Working up loads I'm always at max. Especially like 4-.5-14's and 6.5-20's for load development.

Hunting I carry them on low power, but have often had time to take a rest and dial them up to max.

On my long range rigs I shoot the in between powers often. It's one of the reasons I love FFP scopes for long range rigs. I dial my drop and shoot hold off for wind. I find max power can be to much, so I'm often in the middle somewhere.

When I get to a hunting area I look thru the scope and set it for the optimum balance for me for field of view and definition, which is sometimes 3x but usually between 4x to 5x. I very rarely ever change adjustments to make a shot. About the only time I have it on 10x is shooting at targets or when hunting from a stand with very sparse vegetation (arid west Texas) or on treeless plains.

Generally, I hate too much magnification, see something and throw the scope up get a sight picture zoomed in leaving me trying to locate the animal that is missing from the picture. Not for me, maybe this dislike for high magnification is from hunting rabbits as a kid with open sights.

Early mornings and late afternoon mine are set at 3x to let in as much light as possible. Rest of the time set 5-6x and usually dial up to 9x if I have the time to get set.

If one practices with the scope on a high setting then when they accidentally have it on a high setting it's normal. When they set it on a low magnification then it's like a big screen TV.

I zero the scope at the greatest magnification. I check zero at the lowest magnification. For 99% of my hunting I leave it on the lowest setting (usually 3X) and have made shots well past 100 yards on 2X or 3X and the greater field of view is a plus inside 50 yards, sometimes inside 10 yards. If I need more than 2X or 3X there is generally plenty of time to change it, but rarely much time to go down. If moving from the lowest setting I skip everything else and go straight to the greatest magnification where I know it is zeroed. Even the best scopes will have minor POI changes as the magnification is changed. By only using 2 magnifications I limit the possibility for problems. At closer ranges and on the lower magnifications even if the POI is off slightly compared to 9X it will be close enough not to matter. At longer ranges it might.

JMR40,

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Hey thx for the info fellas!

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.

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.

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.

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. 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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".



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.



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.



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.

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...

I use first focal plane scopes for varmints.

ETOH
Yours is the best explanation why for some "Keep it Simple" works. Hunting in wide open spaces 6 power has always been best. That goes out the window if on rare occasions timber and brush are in the mix. But 90 percent open country to 500 yards utilizing fixed power and hold over or LR reticles like Swarovski BRH or Leupold LR saves sight in, scope weight, and time required to squeeze off an accurate shot. The credibility of Swarvorskis ballistic calculator feature showing the dynamics of changing power resulting in dramatic set distance change never has been questioned but not fully understood until you explained. Thank you.