Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics 1-4 or 1-6 scopes

Anyone use these scopes frequently? I have two and like them, but sometimes feel like I need more magnification. But this is almost always when shooting paper. Hunting, I seem to be ok with 4 or 6 power.

I have several Leupold VX-3's in 1.5-5. One is on my Ruger #1 in 45-70 and the others are on mine and my famlies 22 rifles. They do fine at the ranges that these rifles are used at. They also gather enough light to see Beavers in the water at night if there is any moon light. The 22's are usually 50 yards and under. The 45-70 is usually under 200 yards. Much further you might want more magnification.

I have quite a few in those ranges and they’re matched to rifles that don’t need more magnification because of the rifle’s ballistic parameters. If I have a rifle that is designed for big open country longer shots then I’ll match the scope and magnification range to best utilize the capabilities of that rifle and my expectations as to the most likely scenarios I’ll encounter.

I have an SWFA 1-4 on my 35 Whelen since that is intended for up close and personal work but I would have no trouble reaching out to 300. My .338wm has a 2-12 BTR because that rifle is setup for near to far…600 yards is about my self imposed limit hence the increase in magnification. Both have illuminated reticles since they’re used in dark rainforests and alder thickets and both are on Murphy Precision picatinny rails that are bedded to the receiver because they get banged around in float planes, skiffs and pickup trucks.


Match the scope to the caliber and conditions and rock on. If your eyes need more magnification then get more magnification. What I use and how and why I use it are individual and you might like things different.

Good luck. 👍🏼

I agree with the above post. I have several low powered variables that are 4 to 6x on the top end.
Several of the 6x types are 42mm objectives. I find it a very useful power range for my hunting distances.
But, I have several variables that are up to 10x. Just depends on the circumstances as to the use.
On the range, I use target dots large enough to have visible area to center the reticle comfortably.

1-4 on a Marlin lever
1.5-6 on a muzzleloader

I have no complaints at all and like them for what they are. Nearly all of my shots are in the 25-60 yard range so I’m not really taxing the optics.

My eyes are getting worst and I think illumination would be nice

I have a 1.5-6 on a 375 Ruger. It was set up for a Kodiak Bear hunt. I also have used it on 2 A-Y moose hunts. Great field of view for close range brush and adequate for a 300 yard shot on animals that large.

1-6 on colt AR .locking turrets, lighted retical, very useable retical, quick attach mount , throw lever. , I like it much better then I expected.

I don't own any 1-4x or 1-6x but I have three 2-7x. I find this a very useful magnification range. I suppose for all practical purposes I would be as well served by a 1-4 or a 1-6.

A good true 1x works like a red dot, but is clearer and brighter, and for me maybe a little faster, especially if it has a big eyepiece. My Trijicon Credo HX 1-6 is pert-near* perfect on my Howa Mini Grendel.

*almost, for those of you in Rio Lindo

I have several Razors 1-6 that I run for hunting and absolutely love them.

If the OP is pleased with a 1-4 or 1-6 as a hunter, then so be it. As a hunter I like my 1.5-6x42 more than my 1.5-5x20 because the 6x has better resolving power and a finer crosshair. If I did more target shooting or reloading, I know that something with more magnification would be on my rifles. Eyesight doesn’t get better as we age and I’m finding that even those 5 and 6x scopes are a little wanting to judge antlers or find a hole through the brush to shoot through. I can’t ever remember using the 1.5 setting for very long because I’m too clumsy to try to still hunt where I go.

I have a Burris FourX 1.5-6x with an illuminated center dot and heavy crosshairs on a .35 Whelen. It is an excellent low light scope that I like for evening stand hunts where shots are usually well under 150 yards.

It's always interesting to read about "low powered" scopes these days.

Back in primitive times--say before the 21st century--many hunters used 6x or even 4x well beyond "woods" ranges. For the first several years after I acquired my NULA .30-06 in 1997 its scope was a Bausch & Lomb 1.5-6x, which was generally set on 6x even for "medium"-range hunting. But it also worked well for longer ranges, such as this caribou taken at 450 yards. (A few years earlier my wife took a pronghorn buck with one shot at about the same range with her .270--which had a straight 4x.)

These days we often use variables with higher magnification ranges for big game hunting, but still dunno if it's really necessary--especially with good glass like that B&L's. But it's getting harder to buy such scopes, since so many hunters desire more magnification.

Less mag means less wobble.
Like lower power scopes just fine.
You'd think maybe a gloss finish 4X or 2-7X would still be marketable.

Are more Xs preferred due to today's antler shopping?

Or has the sport turned more of deer shooting (distance) vs deer hunting?

And yeah, just ordered a 1-4X from Doug

hookeye,

A large part of the "problem" in marketing a gloss-finish 4x these days would be the 10 zillion 4xs Leupold cranked out that are still functioning, and can be purchased for $200 or so by the increasingly fewer people who really want one. Of course, Redfield, Burris and other gloss 4xs are in that mix, as many variables in the 2-7x class.

This is similar to the reason Savage considered bringing back the 99 around 20 years ago, after CNC machinery started becoming common. They finally decided not to, because so many older 99s were still around--and could be purchased for around $500, at least back then.

I have one 1.5-4.5 scope on my 44 mag carbine. Which is perfect. Caliber appropriate
My other low power scopes are 2-7 vx2 and 2-8? Viper. On rifles likes 22 or 76239.
I Love low power for hunting. But love higher end for range time.
That’s why Most of my hunting rigs have 2.5/3.5-10 scopes. This is on 6.5,270, 308, 30/06.
I carry these rifles on 2.5 unless I set up at a clearing and then I can alway crank it up.

I concur with everything you’ve said about this scope, but I can’t see putting it on a Whelen with the eye relief it has. I’ve gotta be careful not to crawl the stock even on a .300 Savage.

Have you ever been scope bitten on your setup?

FC

The used Leupold gloss are getting up in price.
Old technology.
And warranty might be replacement instead of repair.
Not worth it IMHO

A modern good looking 4x would be nice, even if only a Fudd market.

These have to be some of my favorite powered scopes and see most of my hunting time. I use them where most would think they are not appropriate, coyote hunting. Coyotes are sneaky little guys and will use every bit of cover to come in on the caller. It is not uncommon to be in a big open area and have a coyote come in in just a small crease in the landscape and pop up just yards away. Then again on 4x or 6x a 300 yard shot is pretty doable with rifles that are hot enough to hold on fur the whole way. They stay on the lowest setting (large FOV) until more X's are needed, " There is rarely time to turn a scope power down but usually there is plenty of time to turn it up".

I built this last summer and is getting to be one of my favorites, Rem 700 carbine length in 20 Practical with Leupold Freedom 1.5-4 with Pigplex for calling coyotes I've made my longest shot this season with it a little over 200 yards across a stock pond.


I took him off the far side as he stepped out of the grass.


For lower light conditions the 1.6-6x42 scopes are great and I have them on a few different rifles.

An old Sightron II 1.5-6x42 that has been on my 22-204 since 2006


I use a lot of combo guns when hunting the thicker stuff and 1-4's rule on these, with being able to mount them low the combo guns keep the fast handling shotgun characteristics.


It is getting harder to find these power scopes with useable hunting reticles, I tested a 1-6 scope not too long ago that had floating circles and hash marks on a vertical fine post and it was very difficult for me to get it on a coyote quickly, I really missed the horizontal bars to direct my eye to the center of the reticle. I called in five coyotes in the brush and wasn't able to get on any other them fast enough to make a killing shot. My favorites reticles are German #1 and #4, plain fat bar Duplex and Leupolds PigPlex.

I have a Leupold VX-6 1-6x24 on a .375 H&H that worked very well for me in African thorn bush. It's in QD mounts and the backup is a Leupold VX-3 1.5-5x20 which I've also used in Africa.

My other lower powered scopes are on AR-15's and are a Vortex Razor 1-6x24, a couple of Steiner 1-4x24's and an SWFA 1-4x24. I use these in 3 gun and other action matches but I think they would work well for hunting too. I shoot them out to 300+ yards. They have illuminated reticles and are true 1x so would also serve well on a home defense rifle.

My other big game hunting rifles have scopes that top out at 8,9 or 10x and are 2-3x on the low end. I find that for hunting non-dangerous game 2 or 3x gives me a sufficiently wide field of view for my needs.