Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Does the 4X scope still have a place in the modern hunters lineup?

I grew up reading the OLD outdoor writers - Keith, O'Connor, Townsend, Trueblood and others - and in much of their writing, a sporterized 30-06 with a Lyman Alaskan 2 1/2X or a Weaver K4 scope was THE hot setup.

Of course, it had to have backup iron sights for when the scope failed - and it seemed everyone knew someone whose scope failed in some way during a critical phase of their hunt, especially those whippersnappers who dared to get a newfangled variable scope.

Anyway, I just cleaned out my gun closet and found three fixed 4X scopes - a Burris, whose matte black finish has gracefully aged to a dark gray, a gloss Leupold M8 4X28, whose turret caps are just starting to show a bit of the dark plum color old Leupys are known for, and a Bushnell Scopechief 4X with a post and fine crosshairs reticle, the body showing scars of many ham-handed attempts to mount it in ill-fitting rings.

Other than a single 30-06 with a fixed 6X, every other rifle I have is used either with iron sights (Springfield Trapdoor 45-70, Marlin 1894 .357 lever action, T/C Hawken 50 cal muzzleloader) or a variable scope.

Is there any hunting situation where the 4X reigns supreme?

I think it reigns supreme on a lightweight deer rifle.

Hell yeah....just a shame that more manufacturers don't make good ones. Apparently, there's more money to be made in high power variables.

Would like a gloss 4x Leupold on my 700 BDL 270.

Where this gun is used a 75 yard shot is a long one.

There is much more demand for variable scopes. with a variable you can use it on 4 power if you wish but I always use more power than 4

Hell yes it does in my opinion. Unfortunately variable power scopes are easier to find,so I have more of them than fixed powers. But I wish all my rifles were topped with 4x or 6x glass.

I have a bunch of 4X scopes on hunting rifles but I'm not a modern hunter. I don't ride an ATV, I often wear wool, I like to try and get under 300 yards, and I like bullets with lead in them. GD

This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I have a 4X on a 760 in .35 rem.
Figure it a 150 yard and in rig.

The scope isn't perfect, but it aint bad, ever.
Could use less when things are close or moving, but it works.
Could use more when things are out yonder, but it works.

Won't ever have it at the wrong mag either.

It aint fancy, but then, neither am I.

Yes. I have a couple on rifles I use in the woods

A deer 300 yards away would be in real trouble. 4x, no problem.

I don't know your age but at 72 I can tell you that unless you don't shoot over about 50 yards 4x ain't cuttin' it
I have two fixed powers. one El Paso Made K-6 and one I bought new in 1966 for my then new .270 Winchester Model 70, a 4X Redfield. I still use both. The 4x is on a '94 AE .30-30, the K-6 isn't on anything at the moment but was on a Savage 110 7 Rem. Mag. I'm about to put it on a soon to be acquired Mod.721 Remington .30-06. It won't stay a .30-06 though. I'm planning on re-barreling it to .270 Winchester with a 1:8 twist. When I do that I'll probably find a good used 4-12 Zeiss Conquest. Of all the scopes I've handled in the last five years the Conquest is the clearest and brightest and most repeatable adjustment wise. I don't do a lot of knob cranking but I like the idea of being able to.

I'm 54, and my eyes aren't what they used to be.

Yup. Random rifles with calibers of lesser oompf than 300WM and all rifles with calibers above 300WM. That's how i'm rolling now for an all purpose set up. For the real thumpers a 2 1/2 x.

Out of the 10 hunting rifles 6 have fixed magnification scopes and 4 of them are 4x, one 6x, and one 3x.

Are you my long lost twin?

A 4 power sure has a place in my world... they will end up outlasting my usefulness.

me too!

I personally have little use for a fixed power 4x.
I do use several 1.1-4 straight tubed variable scopes though. These are some of my favorite scopes for larger bore rifles and AR type rifles.

No use for any fixed scope for me. I could maybe see using a 6x, but it would absolutely drive me nuts to not be able to turn that down to 2 or 3x when I wanted.