Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Anybody using a 1-6 for hunting?

Took the 4-16 off of my Tikka last night, mounted a 1-4x Steiner. I really like having the 1x on the low end, I feel like I've been missing out my whole life. I would, however, like just a hair more magnification on the top end. Seems like all the 1-6x scopes on the market are geared towards 3-gun; is anyone using one with a simple reticle that they like for hunting? Swaro?

I have a 1.5-6 Buris Signature that I have used on a 30-30.
I have been very happy with it, I leave it on 1.5 most of the time.

I have a Leupold 1-6 VX6 with an illuminated #4 reticle mounted on a 6.8 spc AR-15 that I use for hogs.

On 1x it is very quick to acquire a sight picture at close range and it is easy for me to hit multiple hogs when they jump and run after the first shot - the illuminated center dot makes it easy to see in bad light, even though the #4 does pretty well on it's own.
Not really a long range gun, nor do I use it at long range (not what it's for), but works well out there at longer range when set on 6x.
Have no trouble clanging steel plates out at 500yds if I want to.

Also have a 1-6 Schmidt & Bender mounted on a FN Commercial Mauser chambered in 30.06.
Used that gun for years to take everything from gophers up to Moose.
That set up works well enough to hunt pretty much anything anywhere, up close in bad light to way out there in open country.

Have also used that S&B 1-6 on a 375 H&H on big stuff with good results.

I use higher magnification scopes on most guns, but a good 1-6 will get it done for you if you do your part.

Good Luck,
-Ted

Never seen a need for 1x but if you're happy

I've gone to either 1-4X or 1-6X scopes on all of my AR's. I find 1x much faster than irons, peeps, or dot sights and 4X is plenty out to 200-300 yards. While I've not gone that route on a hunting rifle YET, I like the concept. I used to use some 2-7X scopes quite a bit,but found that 2X wasn't enough different than 3X to mattter. As a result I stopped fooling around with 2-7X scopes. But a 1-6X just might be the best all around option.

That's all I have bought in the last few years. I can easily see what I need to for hunting big game and even small game in wooded areas. I do have a few higher powered scopes on some longer range rigs, but those are specialized rifles. I've even gone to unmagnified red dots on a a couple rifles.

I hunted a few times with a S&B Stratos 1.1-5x24 and a NF NX8 1-8x24 this past year. Only a couple of hunts each. I like them both but never set them below 4x for my use.

I like lower power for all my hunting. (except those times when I want NO scope at all, and just enjoy the use of irons)

I have a few rifles with 3X-9X scopes on them, but when hunting anything but varmints I always set them at their lowest power. I have three 9.3MM rifles with scopes ( a 9.3X57, a 9.3X62 and a 9.3X74R) and all have scopes that go from 1X to 5X. My 375H&H has a 1.5 - 4X on it. One of my 270s also has a 4X on it, as does my 6.8SPC, and 2 of my AR15s in 5.65. About 1/3 of my rifles have only irons on them, and the rifles I have that do have higher magnification scopes on them NEVER get hunted with, with their power set over 5X. Most times I leave them on 3X. I do crank them up to max power when I shoot targets at 800 100 and 1200, but for fun 3 years ago I did that shooting with some friends and I left all of them on 4X or 5X and found all my scores were about the same.

I crank them up to 7X or 9X for load testing and for prairie dogs, but that the only time I do it.

50+ years of hunting, including most of my shots at long range, have proven to me that higher power is not only not needed for big game, but it actually works against me.

If a man can hold his rifle steady enough to make a long shot, the gun is NOT any steadier with a scope that makes the deer look bigger. The deer is NOT bigger. It only looks that way. It's no bigger when you look at it through a 4X then it is when you look through a 20X ----- and the bullet is the same diameter at long rage as it was in your chamber.

If you are skilled enough to hold for a 500, 800 or 1200 yard shot it's all about your skill to HOLD for that shot, not about seeing the details of the animals hair better. If you can hold well enough to make a long shot you HOLD it. If you are not that skilled do not fire. Get closer.

What is a factor is field of view and the lower power of a 4X is WAY better for seeing more of the ground then the high magnification glass I see most hunter buy. Not that there is anything wrong with more, but in my hands there is just nothing "more right" with them. Nothing at all.
They cost a lot more, are slower to use and DO NOT make hits easier at all. Not for me anyway. I'll spend that extra money on ammo and shoot it up in practice to learn to make those hit better.

It's not the gun or the scope that matters as much as the man doing the shooting.

Hawk has a 1-6x24 Frontier and a 1.5-6x44 Endurance 30 with illuminated dots.

The Frontier also has a Battue dot designed for running boars etc, that resembles the view through a tube-type red dot. I like the dot in my 8x56.

Currently, I have four of the Endurance models; no trouble as yet.

I used 1-6 VX6's on my 404J and 375H&H last year in Africa. Worked just fine, did not need the 1x, but was available if needed. Would not feel handicapped with a 1-6 for hunting unless doing some long range shooting.

What are you hunting with the 1-4, gophers or ?

Otherwise 6X is a great all around fixed power choice for many applications

The 1-4 was mounted strictly out of curiosity. This is a big game rifle. I really think I'll land on a 1-something or maybe a 2-something.

I just bought a 2.5-8x36 for this rifle, but now I'm reconsidering.

I was playing around with the 1-4 at near-dark last night, picking out deer-sized things to aim at, and dialing the magnification up until I felt it was where it needed to be while looking through the scope, and to my surprise I never went above 2-2.5x. I'd say the farthest deer-sized object I could see to aim at was 125 yards away. I'd think 6x would get me to 300 pretty easy for any big game.

I've been using low power variable since the Weaver V-4.5 came out(I'm pretty old). My goto scope on my combo guns for coyote hunting are 1-4x20mm and 1.5-6x40mm's on my bolt actions. I've never felt under scoped. They always stay on the lowest power, there is always time to turn the power up but rarely enough time to turn them down. Calling coyotes for me FOV is far more important than X's.

Don't, the 2.5-8x36 is my favorite hunting scope.

Took a 3x9x40 off my Model 70 .300 and put on a 6x42 MeOpta with No.4 ret....Very happy,and less stuff to break..

I just put a NF NX8 on an AR coyote rig and am liking it very much. No issues shooting out to 500-600 yards with it, and the low end is perfect for quick runners close in.

I am torn between a 2.5-8x36 VX-3i and the 2-7x33 VX-R. The Illuminated Dot Duplex of the VX-R has me interested quite a bit at this point.

When Cameraland put the Konus M30 1.5-6 x 44mm on sale, I bought one. Mounted it on an AR, it is heavy and on an 11lb AR10, it wasn't noticed to much. It rapidly became one of my favorite low light optics, so much so I bought another. I have a Burris fixed 2 x 50mm on a single shot 450 Marlin, that is by far my favorite scope.

I wish someone would make a true 1-8x44 or 50mm where you can use it with both eyes open for low light or 0' dark thirty pig hunting, most I have tried in the 40-42mm range give me trouble when I use both eyes.

I've always preferred the 2-7 scopes for Eastern woods hunting,mostly using Leupold until I bought two Kahles 2-7's. My current favorite tweener however is a 1.5-8X32 Vortex Razor. Leica was supposed to release one but never did. A 1.5-8 in a 36mm or 42mm would be a fine power range for Eastern hunting.

I used a 1 .75 x 5 Redfield for years deer hunting. The place we hunted 125 yds was the longest you could see. It was ideal. It won't hold zero or it would still see some use.